All Hallows' Eve

Happy Halloween, everybody.

Plan B

Late Thursday afternoon I got word from my attorney that he'd spoken with the DA and she had accepted his proposal. On my next court date, we'll adjourn the case for the longest time allowed by the court, which is probably sometime in February. On the February trial date, our agreement will go into effect, and following either a six-month or yearlong waiting period, I will be in the clear. Of course, this deal is pending the judge's approval, but his objection was to the year postponement of my case. By putting off the case until only February, we avoid that obstacle. Although it's one more court date, this proposal is actually a better deal for me than the original idea because it gets my case dismissed sooner. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

Waiting

I haven't heard from my attorney since parting ways on Monday, but I'm anxious to learn what the district attorney thinks of the judge's decision. I am also eager to see if the DA and my lawyer have put together a new agreement.

Counting Down, Again

I've got myself another countdown. Forty-six days to go until my next court appearance. I hope it'll be my last.

No Deal, Yet

We ran into a little trouble yesterday at court. The judge did not agree to the deal struck between my lawyer and the district attorney. Part of that deal involved putting the case off for a year; however, the judge wasn't keen on such a lengthy delay and shot it down. I now have to reappear in court on December 13. In the meantime, my lawyer is going to work with the district attorney to forge a new agreement that bypasses this obstacle. I've been feeling a little discouraged since yesterday morning. I was on the verge of getting this ordeal behind me to only see it prolonged.

Off to Court

Today is the day. I'm leaving shortly for my first court appearance. Wish me luck.

Negotiations

My lawyer spoke with the district attorney on Thursday, and a deal is on the table. I can't go into the details right now, but everything depends on the judge agreeing to the resolution struck by my lawyer and the district attorney. According to my lawyer, it's a pretty good assumption that the judge will agree, but it's not guaranteed. I will, however, have to appear in court one more time in the distant future if this deal is made.

Haunted House

I'm headed to Blood Manor this evening. I figure it can't be any scarier than spending a day in the Tombs.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

I communicated with my lawyer today to get a sense of where the case stands in preparation for Monday. He said that I should expect to be in court for about sixty to ninety minutes, all but two or three of them waiting for my case to be called. He has left several messages with the DA, but she hasn't called him back yet. If we're able to reach a resolution by the court date, he said that we'll effectuate it then. If not, we will have to come back to court another time and keep trying in the meantime.

One Week and Counting

My first court date is finally approaching. It feels as if I've waited for six months, not two. I will soon speak with my attorney to see what I should expect come next Monday. I haven't heard from him since he spoke with the district attorney. A great sense of relief would wash over me if this ordeal were brought to a close on Monday; however, it's quite possible that it could linger on for several more months.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Between my Friday night birthday celebration and spending Sunday afternoon at Storm King, I had the best weekend I've had in a really long time. I couldn't have asked for better weather yesterday. It was the perfect autumn day. Sunny, warm, and just plain beautiful. I sunk into the landscape and breathed in its grassy fragrance, all the while admiring the rusted sculptures, rising mountains, and brilliantly colored trees.

Happy Birthday

Well, folks, today is my birthday. I took the day off and slept in, then had a late lunch over at Sugar on Houston. Actually, you might as well say it was a late breakfast: egg-white frittata, home fries, rye toast, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Afterward, I walked up Avenue A to the old neighborhood and stopped by Tompkins Square Park. Now that autumn has set in, I felt like drinking a Guinness, and having a pint at 7B was the logical choice. It's there on the southeast corner right across from the park, but it's also my old go-to bar. I walk in, and there's Vanessa the bartender all by her lonesome. It was as if the place had been reserved for me. I sat and drank, made conversation, and Vanessa was kind enough to give me a pint on the house for my birthday. After four pints of Guinness, I'm back home and getting ready for tonight. We're headed to an Indian joint over in the East Village for dinner and then drinking some cold ones on the Lower East Side. It's going to be a good night.

Storm King

Change of plans. The cabin idea didn't work out, so I'm headed to the Storm King Art Center instead. A nasty, lingering rain has soaked the city, but come Sunday, once the storm has passed and the sun has returned, I'll be spending the afternoon wandering the grounds at Storm King. Just an hour or so north of the city in New York's Hudson River Valley, it's a sculpture park that spans a sprawling landscape of rolling hills, fields, and woodlands. I'm looking to get lost out there.

Into the Wilderness

I'm thinking of heading into the wilderness this weekend, probably somewhere upstate. I thought it'd be nice to get out of the city and soak up the colors of autumn, breathe in some fresh air. The leaves have begun to change, so I imagine it'll be beautiful a little further north. The idea is to get a bare-bones cabin for Saturday and stay the night, then hike on Sunday.

Falling Apart

I have botulinum toxin in my right arm for writer's cramp and a brace on my left hand for carpal tunnel syndrome, and now I have a staph infection on my face. I suspected as much and visited my doctor this afternoon to have her look at it. She confirmed that it is, in fact, a staph infection and prescribed an antibacterial ointment. The infection is small, just a tiny spot where my nose meets my cheek, but I wanted to make sure that I took care of it before the infection spread. I was due for a tetanus shot, too, so I went ahead and got one while I was there. I long to be well again.

The Morning After

It turns out that last night's thunderstorm was a freak hailstorm that shut down the city for several hours. I had no idea. One subway line had to be rerouted and another was suspended due to station flooding. Piles of hail dotted sidewalks, and flash floods washed out several streets across the city. I knew the hail was odd, and it really poured, but I was oblivious to the full extent of the storm's magnitude. For me, sitting alone in my bedroom and listening to the rain on the windowpane, the storm was just an old-fashioned thunderstorm, a reminder of my days growing up in Mississippi.

A Rainy Night in Brooklyn

You don't get many thunderstorms here, but one rolled in this evening. I almost forgot how much I enjoy a good thunderstorm. It's been raining since dusk, and the constant rumble of thunder has kept me company this Monday night. Earlier, I was surprised to hear hail pelting my bedroom window, but now the splatter of rain just outside comforts me.

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

This afternoon found me feeling almost normal again, forgetting, even if only for a few short hours, the Sword of Damocles that's been dangling above my head the past two months. I had a nice brunch outdoors, then wandered over to the park on the East River, lying in the grass as the October sun warmed my skin and the New York City skyline kept watch in the distance. It was a welcome respite from my worries. As the sun crept farther west, I made my way back into the neighborhood and stopped in at the Brooklyn Ale House for a pint. Today was a good day.

In the Thick of It

I received word from my attorney this week that he had a fairly lengthly conversation with the district attorney handling the case. The good news is that the DA didn't seem implacably hostile to me. Negotiations are underway, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

A Debt of Gratitude

I would like to thank everyone again for your support and generosity. Both have meant a great deal to me, and I'm indebted to all of you. If you ever find yourself in need, know that you can count on me to return the favor. As my friend Jonathan said at the beginning of this ordeal, "Anybody who's decent deserves to have their own private army for situations just like this, particularly when they are this rare." If the time should come when you need such an army to rally by your side, I'll be there.

On the Level

I am still being contacted by friends who suspect that my e-mail has been hacked and think they're on the receiving end of a scam or a hoax. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I am here to reassure you that everything you've received from me, and initially from my friend Jonathan, is completely legitimate. I wish it were not so, because then I would not have to worry about clearing my name. If you have any doubts, please contact me personally via e-mail or telephone.

Crime Scene

On the way to work this morning, just a few blocks south of my building, I passed what appeared to be a major crime scene that was right out of an episode of Law & Order. I initially thought, Okay, they must be shooting a scene for a TV show or a movie, but I didn't see the tell-tale signs of a television or film production. No lights, no crew members, no trailers, no wires running this way and that. The whole area was crawling with cops. Then I noticed an NYPD Crime Scene Unit van, followed by a vehicle full of detectives. The signature yellow tape stretched across the street, closing off the entire block. Once I'd gotten to my office, I found an article online and read that two men were shot in the head and killed inside an SUV early this morning.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another.

As a few of you already know, I was diagnosed with writer's cramp, which is a form of dystonia, not quite a year ago. It's a neurological disorder that prevents me from writing normally, causing great pain and discomfort. Essentially, something is off with the circuitry that runs from my brain to my right hand and forearm. My treatment for this disorder is three shots of Botox in my right arm every three to four months, which relieves the pain and relaxes the muscles in my arm so that I can write. Then a few weeks ago, I began to feel tingling and numbness in my left hand. I went to the doctor, and it appears that I now have carpal tunnel syndrome in that hand. As my dad would say, I can't win for losing.