There are fewer and fewer listeners out there across the aether. Or at least fewer and fewer people who'll read and comment. I always use that phrase: "lovely readers and correspondents". But I'm running out of them. I can't go to Lissy at emigree's journal; I don't want to find myself Dismissed. And my Facebook friends list seems to be evaporating. The girl at jourdannex Dismissed me here and at Facebook today. Again, like Rachel at sirena73, without warning or explanation. I've had jourdannex as an LJ friend for maybe three years. She rarely updates, but I've enjoyed her comments and stories. The notes we have exchanged have been fun. She's gone, now--- someone else intelligent and charming and wicked with whom I'll never get to speak. I'm far too ashamed and intimidated around the girl at Oxford to read her notes at Facebook or her e-mail. And I'll never hear from Rachel at sirena73 again, never be able to construct a friendship and flirtation. I won't be able to exchange thoughts on films and books with Lissy at emigree again, either.

It is all like the summer when the_sea_the_sea and henceforth and Amy-Elizabeth at retyped all Dismissed me. It's like Lexie, too--- she's gone from on-line journals, and she's Dismissed me from e-mail and phone calls, too.

No one reads, or comments, or calls. Certainly not girls from Baltimore and NYC on whom I have-- on whom I have had ---major crushes.

I noted to Kelsey at clush that the 7 + 2 List had become actually 8 + 2, with the addition of a girl from Montreal who'd called to be wickedly flirtatious on her return from Europe. 8 girls had called me this summer to be be seductive by phone, plus two girls via Facebook IM. I noted that the list itself makes me sad. 8 girls thought I was worth calling, yes. Though not the girl in Baltimore who'd be the most important one. But I'm not sure that Value ever attaches to phonesex. It may be--- at least for the male involved ---simply pathetic and creepy. A sexy thing to do for the girl, but creepy and pathetic for the male. And of course the list number--- 8 + 2 --- is only technically correct. The two girls in the latter term of the list, the two girls (Manila/Penn State and Bridge City TX) who did the whole IM sex thing--- they'll never speak to me again. One lives within reasonable driving distance--- we could meet for drinks, if she'd bring her toothbrush and Morning-After Kit...just in case, as a hedge against possibilities. But of course neither will ever speak to me again, let alone be on Facebook IM for sex...

I told Kelsey at clush that I did need to both re-build my German and read East European literature again. I told Kelsey that I was going to watch/read "Ashes and Diamonds" again. An old favourite--- I assigned the book and film to a History of Eastern Europe class once long ago. And I do need to read Witold Gombrowicz's "Cosmos" at long last. Kelsey is a fan of Hania Poswiatowska--- I rather think Ginny at ginny_mccoo is, too. I need to read more of Poswiatowska's poetry--- and recommend her to Alessandra at bel_ebat. I want Kelsey to read Jerzy Kosinski's "Steps" and "The Painted Bird"--- and recommend both to Ginny at ginny_mccoo as well.

Kelsey at clush needs to see "Ashes and Diamonds" and "Pornografia" and "The Double Life of Veronique"... And I must thank Ginny at ginny_mccoo for reminding me of "1900" ("Novecento"), too...

I need the Moleskine City Guide for Vienna.

My iPod Classic came with two odd little Apple decals. But where do I put them? I could ask either Lissy or the girl in Seattle, but neither is speaking to me. Neither is Ms. cataplexis.

I wonder if Ioana at winterbymorning would enjoy Kosinski's "Cockpit" and "Blind Date"... I certainly think Inkfruit and Gia-Carangi at D-Land would like them.

I can hear Crystal Method behind me. Ginny at ginny_mccoo has an 80gb iPod classic--- something like 3000 songs on it when last we spoke. I wish I knew what she was listening to. I wish that I could talk to Lissy about music, too. And talk to Kim at cataplexis again.

I need NYC and London and Tokyo subway maps.

Though of course I'll never be able to ride a subway again...since I can't fly to any city worth visiting...or have a beautiful girl wander the streets with me and look for "nondescript brownstone hotels"...

There are fewer and fewer lovely readers and correspondents out there... fewer and fewer lovely girls who will read and comment... And of course none who aren't ashamed to be on the 8 + 2 List or its future equivalent.

Girls are having nights in hotels or in basement apartments this summer... I'm here as a voice only--- with fewer and fewer readers and correspondents...