P.P.S. They do provide you with a nice Christmas dinner, don’t they?
Christmas Day
Dear Tony—
Sorry to overwhelm you with letters, but I am thinking about you and the other soldiers so far away from home right now. Usually I like to pretend that you’re in Europe on an extended vacation, but sometimes, like today, the truth breaks through. And I worry. Since I prefer to live a laughing and carefree existence, the worrying gets to me.
Are you safe? Is your bed comfortable? Do you even have a bed, or do you sleep on some sort of horrible cot torture device? And what about your Christmas dinner? Was it any good? Was there sweet potato casserole with marshmallows?
Here is how I do my Christmas Day Extravaganza, because my motto is this: Go big, or go home—
Cinnamon candles;
Al Green’s CD playing in an endless loop;
Fresh pine tree, wreaths and garland;
Gingerbread houses to decorate;
Roaring fire;
Brined turkey (I’m a fabulous cook!) with cranberry dressing;
Sweet potato casserole topped with nicely toasted marshmallows;
All (and I do mean all) the trimmings;
Pumpkin pie;
Pecan pie;
Hot chocolate with (you guessed it!) tiny marshmallows and crème de menthe; and
A viewing of Home Alone.
So, anyway, please let me know that you’re safe and that there were some marshmallows involved in your Christmas Day experience. And I hope that next Christmas is everything you dream it will be.
Love from Talia
January 3
Dear Talia—
The painting is incredible. So was your letter. They were the best parts of my Christmas Day.
All I can say is—thank you.
Wishing you a wonderful New Year,
Tony
P.S. There was a tiny marshmallow sliver on my sweet potatoes, and the turkey was quite edible, so fear not.
P.P.S. I hope Paul appreciates how special his Christmas was.
January 17
Dear Tony—
Paul reports that his Christmas Day with his family in L.A. was lovely. I, meanwhile, had a great holiday here in NYC with my sister and friends. Paul and I are on a “break,” which means that we are reevaluating our relationship and whether we want to move in together or go our separate ways. I have never been on a “break” before, so I have no idea how this will turn out.
Much to my surprise, I seem to be the new “it” artist right now. After I did a portrait for this one socialite/philanthropist (translation: she’s richer than God), she recommended me to all her even richer friends. So now I’m overwhelmed with commissions. I’ve even started doing murals on the walls of some jaw-dropping apartments, which is quite the switch for me.
Basically, I have more success than I can handle at the moment, although I haven’t had time to paint any of my favorite slashes and swirls in a while. Be careful what you wish for, eh?
Oh, and before I forget to mention it—I don’t have any pictures to send, but I will take a couple when I get the chance.
This time: jalapeño beef jerky. Truly disgusting. Happy eating!
Gotta go. All this work is wearing me out, big-time, and I think I’m working on an infection of some sort. So I better haul my a$$ to bed....