Part 101: Stationary

Currently using Riley's fake ASCAP stationary for shopping lists. I couldn't bring myself to throw it out, especially not this one, it's the template for the others. The original. The Queen Bee of whatever scam he was running. Can you see the white mat adhesive tape? He used that because it doesn't make shadows when you photocopy, in this case, at Kinko's in Porterville. Riley may have single handedly kept them in business.

Riley created a stack of this stationary, for what use, I'm not sure. I wonder, though. So much effort...did he mail letters to himself from ASCAP to impress other people? Now his stationary holds my list of fancy picnic food for a concert in the park; salmon and grilled vegetables, crackers and hummus. I wrote out some of the Zoo Tunes rules so I'd remember that our blanket had to be less than 16 inches in any direction. My friend Mary Ellen bought us tickets to see Patti Smith, I'd read her book "Just Kids," but didn't know her music well. I knew her as a great writer, but didn't have albums, never saw a concert, so I wanted the night to be special. Smith and her band were magic, her voice as powerful as ever, which she used to call on all of us, the people, to be caretakers of Mother Earth, to demand justice, to be involved, make our voices heard. It was like a tent revival. Best of all, even though it was a hot day, the audience was full of good energy, the children danced barefooted, without shyness. The concert, and my preparations for the evening with Mary Ellen were wonderful, as well as shopping for and preparing delicious food. Now I've used something that caused me confusion (this strange "fake" stationary made so carefully by my father) for a shopping list.

I thought maybe I could throw the "stationary" away after I used it so well, but I still have it on my desk. He worked so hard on it, whatever it was for.