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It was a treat to log on here on the other side of the world and pick up my dear blogchums' comments. Life is definitely looking up, with no effort required from me. As a wise woman once counseled me to say to myself: "the universe is unfolding as it should". Mind you, the same person used to say "there are no 'shoulds' in the universe." I think she was setting me what the zen buddhists call a koan, a puzzle to be contemplated.

Wednesday morning here in an old Berlin apartment, in an area a bit like Glasgow's West End or Edinburgh's Stockbridge. I'm staying with Karin and her husband. I have known Karin since last century when we were both students, in Germany and Edinburgh. She and Christian are the most un-German Germans I have ever known, and it's lovely to be welcomed into their home for a few days before the main campaign.

Last night, 9 time-zones' worth of jet lag kept me awake most of the night, checking out the Berlin radio stations and bed-dancing. I also read Saul Bellow's first novel Dangling Man. Thank goodness it was a short book, his writing was starting to cancel out my bliss-medication. Martin Amis was a buddy of his, so I had thought it might be enjoyable.

I've got an internet PC in my bedroom, so there's only one reason I need to go out today - to take a Berlin HNT picture.

But first there's time to visit my chums' blogs. What a fortunate creature I am, even if the krautkeyboardis a nightmare and Blogger's all in German.

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PS - The unique and ubiquitous lee ann has kindly agreed to become a co-editor of this blog, and will retrieve any half-worthwhile drafts in the event that the assassins get to me here. So my message will live on, whatever it is.