Mouse Gut

I finished the Steinbeck and am sad... it was so good. What should I read next? How can I follow up "East of Eden"? Any suggestions, friends?
My Charlie-cat is staying overnight at the vet, on an IV. Has a high fever. It sounds quite likely that it's not serious though. The vet said it's probably what they call, "Mouse Gut." Which I think is kind of funny and sums it all up. That cat is definitely hunting things all the time. Not funny to see him suffering though. Get better, Charles!
Oddly enough, my stomach is off too. I don't have a fever, and I didn't eat a mouse, so maybe it's sympathetic pain. Spent many hours on the memory work, and that was good. It's such an attention-focuser. After a while I noticed that my whole body was getting so loose. I don't seem to get a sore back anymore when I play the piano - unless I'm sight-reading or composing, and not paying any attention to my body. That Alexander work really has helped. I haven't felt this comfortable at the piano in a long time, and my technique felt really sharp because of it. What a great feeling - it made me want to bash through some Mozart and Bach, which I did. (And then realized that my technique wasn't really so sharp after all.) But anyhow - the fluidity and pleasure of improvising around little ideas, and around Mozart and around my own songs - left me feeling really really good. Refreshed. Ahh!

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