Long Day

Give copy of manuscript to the Contessa this morning. With no ceremony whatsoever, she puts pages into her bag and starts talking about class she took that had focus of raw food. As coconut seems to be the basis of many of the dishes and cheese is forbidden, lose any visceral interest, but make noncommital noises as she talks what was learned in class and about new book purchased with aim of taking up raw food herself. For the rest of day brain, which sometimes can't even remember names of dear and close friends, recalls exact phrasing of vast number sentences in book. Unfortunately, only poorly written, dull, cringe-causing sentences are trotted out. Work up the courage to tell the Contessa that I've changed my mind and that I'd like the book back, please, but don't. Day stretches on until it is time to go. The Contessa says brightly I can't wait to read this book and feel at once terrified and grateful until I realize that she is talking about her new raw cookbook.