Q: That's confusing.

You don't know whether SOCIAL SECURITY is part of at the house or The Salvage Archeologist of the Mall Builder Culture.

You think it's one, and then you find out it's the other.

A: I was confused.

I am trying to convey my mental state.

To show what it's like to be a writer.

Or to be the writer I am, at this stage of my career.

Q: Stage Four.

A: Retirement. Only I'm not retired, I'm out of work. Between jobs.

Q: Writing is your job.

A: Would that it were.

Q: Did your vertigo clear up?

A: Yes, but my printer went out. It's streaking.

Q: Get a new one. What happened?

A: I tried to use a recycled inkjet cartridge and it fucked up my printer.

Q: Buy a new one.

A: I have Windows 98. The new printers don't support Windows 98.

Q: Buy a new computer.

A: I can't afford to. Plus, I'm too old to make it work with the software I am already using. Stuff I am used to.

I'm too old to learn new tricks.

Q: That is a problem. A typewriter, all you had to do was buy a new ribbon.

A: They quit making ribbons for my typewriter. That's one reason I went to a computer.

Q: With a dot-matrix printer. And DOS 3.2.

You can't be a moldy fig. It's not allowed.

A: Modern times is wearing me down. Nothing works, and you can't replace it. Without a whole makeover.

You can't fix anything. You have to buy a new one. And the new one doesn't work with the other old stuff you got.

The old Blitz cloth was better.

Nothing beats the old Blitz cloth.

Q: What's a Blitz cloth?

A: A coated rag, for cleaning brass.

An old NCO saw me looking at a tube of Top Brass hair pomade in the BX, and said, "That shit's no good, Sarge--nothing beats the old Blitz cloth."

He had tried to shine his brass with hair pomade.

Q: You're not that bad.

A: Damn near.

I'm getting there.