BITTERSWEET HOLIDAYS/TAKE THIS JOB FROM ME PLEASE!!!!

Back with another report from the streets of Key West. I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Christmas for me is just another day and bittersweet without my family. I only have one blood relative left in this world, my brother, J. Michael Berry M.D.and he lives in San Francisco. Who I am very proud of and he is about 17 years older than I am and is an oncologist (cancer doctor) who has just been promoted to Professor working at UCSF. He's going to be teaching a class in Thailand sometime next year. He has always fully supported me in all my crazy ass dreams. The holidays are bittersweet like I say because of the loss of my family but are kinda cool to see families together enjoying themselves here in Key West paradise. Watching the kids having fun with excitement of Christmas presents as I did when I was a kid. But still it just reminds me that I don't have family, not that I ever forget but it just kinda rubs the fact in, this time of year. O.K. enough bullshit... In other news to the world, Murphy is still in jail and I tried to visit him and give him a Key West Citizen for Christmas (As I joke, I wanted to wrap it up in Christmas wrapping paper and give it to him) but to my disbelief the operator at the Sheriff's office said that I couldn't visit him nor have a friggin newspaper delivered to him, ON CHRISTMAS DAY !!!! That to me is just a bunch of BULLSHIT!! I could not believe it.... Work-wise, I did pretty good on Christmas getting a couple of 5 dollar tips BUT the days leading up to Christmas were awful!! I only sold 1 maybe 2 papers. That's .50 cents for getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning everyday and working, walking about 5 miles a day back and forth, up and down the same block to try and sell a newspaper for 3 hours. I know, I'm just a bitchy bitchin' bitch....boo-hoo.....but I still look on the bright side because I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I heard through the coconut telegraph that my former seasonal employers at Liberty Tax were looking for me and were wondering where I was at. So I popped in to see when they wanted me to start again and found out that I will become the Statue Of Liberty once again on or after Jan.4th. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Like you really give a shit, huh?....Other observations other than not being able to make money selling newspapers is that Key West is having an Asian Invasion, we must have half of Japan in town. Not that that is a bad thing but I am a little scared because as I have always said to myself, the Asians can make the cars but they sure as hell can't drive the motherfuckers!!! ....If you love traffic, road construction, one way streets, bad drivers, horn blowers, chainsaw loud scooters come on down here to Key West, the weather is great!!!!.....Well, since I was bored off my ass and frustrated (THANK GOD FOR MY MP3 player/Radio) Guess what I did? Yes, you're absolutely right!!!! I wrote yet another poem about not selling newspapers and traffic jams.... BTW my "No Snow Christmas" poem didn't save the world or win the poetry contest in the Weekly free paper down here in the Keys BUT they did print it!! And I thank them for that. Thanks for the smiles on the street, it keeps me going. That and my life saving music.






BLANK STARES

CRAZY LOOKS

WORKING THE STREETS

LIKE A LONELY HOOKER

OUT OF LUCK



EMPTY POCKETS

NOT ENOUGH TO EAT

THE LORD

MY ONLY

SAVING GRACE



AS THE FANCY CARS

DRIVE BY

HONKING HORNS

TRYING TO GET

NOWHERE FAST



IN A HURRY

TO GET TO PARADISE

THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE

THAT THEY ARE

ALREADY THERE



ONLY 2 MORE MILES TO GO

TO REACH

THE END OF THE ROAD

TURN BACK

AND DO IT AGAIN



SPINNING WHEELS

MOVING SLOW

IN THE FAST LANE

I WISH

MY MEMORY

WOULD SLIP AWAY





I hope you like it, if not, tough shit and deal with it or fugitaboutit.



PEACE, LOVE AND ALL THAT OTHER GOOD STUFF!!! ;)

BONUS - A Christmas email my brother sent me :

Hi Kevin!!




Merry Christmas!



Sorry I haven't been in touch. My life is pretty crazy, but I am very grateful fro all the blessings and opportunities. Professionally we are way overwhelmed and down staff, so the burden falls on Naomi and me to keep up with everyone. The good news for 2013 is that we are moving across the street to a new and larger dedicated clinic space and then hopefully bring on 2 more MDs to help. Ultimately it's up to me to set some limits, which I am not very good at doing. But one of the benefits is that I am going to Thailand In January to teach a course, which I am pretty excited about. As you can see below I was promoted to Professor and I am very pleased. There are just too many deadlines and projects to try and get done. But all in all I am happy and although I work long hours I m able to take some time off to travel and Leo is great about helping me to set those limits.



We finally bought a house last year in Dublin, CA, which is 35 miles east of San Francisco, but very accessible by BART. I try not to drive and my commute on BART is very relaxing and takes 45 min and then a quick 15 minute ride to the office. Although I am up at 3 Am every morning and out the door by 5:30-5:45. We have spent the last year remodeling and have only just begun to enjoy the house because it was finished in the last month. Leo is great and a wonderful husband. He has had some back issues and has been out on disability since September and has shoulder surgery scheduled in February, so probably won't be back to work until May or June. My health is doing well, although I am way overdue for seeing the doctor myself. One of my goals for 2013.



Would love to hear more about how you are doing and what's happening in your life. I am just not a Facebook kind of guy unfortunately. I spent way too much time on the computer at work and don't want the intrusion or invasion of privacy. Leo logs in intermittently and gives me updates. I miss having the chance to chat with you. I respect the fact that you have chosen a different path and that is your passion. As someone who strongly believes in following your heart and your passion I am extremely proud of you. I continue to hope and pray for your happiness and safety and to get a break now and then. I love you and miss you very much, my dear brother. I hope the New Year brings you what you want in all areas of your life. Drop me a line when you get a chance.



Love,

Michael



J. Michael Berry, MD

Clinical Professor of MedicineDivision of Hematology OncologyAssociate Director HPV-Related Clinical StudiesUniversity of California San FranciscoBox 16991600 Divisadero Street Room A740San Francisco, CA 94115