on Valentine's day...

Went to the movies this afternoon and saw Kingsman. Reviews have been up and down, so wasn’t expecting much. Happy to report it turned out to be a hoot. Went to the grocery store afterward and picked up some fixings for home-made tomato soup. Tried to finagle a table for two at Luigi’s tonight, but was thwarted by what must have been an early Valentine’s Day crowd.

Weather sunny and warm. News people are saying there’s a possibility of snow tonight, but it doesn’t feel like it at the moment. Guess we’ll see. Looking forward to a quiet dinner, time in front of the TV, and some late night reading before bed.

Adding to the reading list...

Keeping this short. 

Beautiful day, crisp but sunny. Took a long walk downtown. Went to the park, lay in the grass and watched skeins of geese come and go. Not a cloud in the sky.

Tired, and looking forward to the weekend. 

New books on order! Fiskadoro, The Laughing Monsters, Seabiscuit, and James Hanna's new collection of stories, Call Me Pomeroy. The last shall be first on my reading list. Promised a review, and FB bump, and need to get moving. With luck I'll have finished The Ox-bow Incident before the new stuff comes in.

A few wandering thoughts...

Cool today. Didn’t get out much. Dr. Nelson said he spotted two bobcat wandering down the hillside behind his office. Wish I would have gotten there a bit earlier to see them.

Quiet day. Found Walter V.T. Clark’s Oxbow Incident on my nightstand a couple of days ago and decided the time was right to dig in. Never read it before. It’s a bit different than I expected (sixty pages in), but in a nice way. Looking forward to seeing how it unfolds.

Got some lengthy revisions in on “Desperado” this morning. Decided to change the direct narrative to present tense since there’s so much backstory. Felt like a good idea at first, then less so as the work progressed. Particularly in the final scene. Best to let it rest before deciding anything. The end’s been in third person past so long, it may take a while before I can get an accurate read.

Moving on...

Thick bank of grey cloud sitting on the mountains this morning. Made the office by 8:00, and started in editing. Good progress all around. Wasn’t sure which story I’d officially finish first, but it looks as if it’ll be “The Catch.

Came home and made up a pot of chicken soup. Got some reading in, and answered a few pieces of correspondence. Went for a walk later in the day and discovered the sun had broken though.

Calling it a day now. Appointments tomorrow.

 

Well within the ordinary...

Rolled out of bed at an early hour. Threw on my jeans and a ball cap and went in to the office to revise a couple of stories. Managed to be fairly productive, despite the sawing and hammering going on in the suite below.

Day started out sunny and warm, then turned cloudy by mid afternoon. Got in a fast walk, then came home and finished the Krakauer book. Pretty sad state of affairs, the circumstances surrounding Mr. Tillman’s death. Somebody ought to apologize.

The boys have descended upon the room and are squaring off for what should be a good wrestling match. Guess I’ll post this thing before the caterwauling starts.

 

Catching up...

Missed a post again yesterday. How did that happen? Too many loose ends, I guess. Anyway, another warm, sunny, spring-like day today. Temps in the sixties. Went for a long walk, then headed out to the office to do some work.

Got a skirt stake marinating back home, and hope to throw it on the grill, bottled gas providing. I think I changed it out mid-summer, but can’t remember anymore. Not to worry. Grill pan indoors will do the trick just as well.

Put in some time shaping a story I’d roughed out on paper back near Christmas. Did a better job with the initial draft than I thought I had. Ending needed some work, but there, too, it wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined. Must have five or six pieces near completion now. Just need a few good long runs to see them through. 

Yesterday and today...

 

February 6, 2015

The sky here in Colorado can get away with anything. The blue it sported today was a color you wouldn’t find anywhere except on bad bridesmaid dress. But against the mountains, it was perfect. Went for a long walk downtown—in shorts and a tee-shirt—soaking up every bit of sun I could get. Got over to the demonstration gardens at CC and fed the ducks and geese. Nice to be outside. Really nice. No wind today, just a nice breeze.

February 7, 2015

Slept in. Got a few chores out of the way, then hit the keyboard, making a good effort at mending the last page of “The Catch.” Think I’m close on this one, but want to make sure every last detail is in place. Feels like a strong story. One I should be able to place in a top-tier pub.

Headed out to the office around 1:00, and finished a project that’s due Monday. Figure to be on the road to Albuquerque tomorrow (another visit to the folks), so wanted to get the loose ends tied up before I vanished. Read a nice start on a story by my friend, Scott Jessop, this afternoon. A sci-fi piece called “Purple Testament.” Also received the new issue of Harpur Palate in the mail.

Going out for a steak dinner at Walter’s Bistro tonight. Kind of tired, but I know I’ll enjoy it. A nice end to another nice, warm, decidedly un-springlike day.

Winterlude...

Wind rattled the windows last night. This morning winter took another hiatus and left us with a beautiful blue-sky day, temps close to sixty. Day ventured off in a number of different directions, but managed to get some writing in nonetheless. Spent most of my time revision a piece I’ve tentatively titled, “The Catch.”

Bluestem magazine approached me last week to see what I’ve been up to since having my story, “Living History” appear in their March 2013 issue. They say they’re promoting some of their past contributors. Hadn’t realized it until I wrote back, but a pretty good year and a half followed. Two Pushcart nominations. A semi-finalist designation from Leapfrog Press for my story collection, “The Outskirts of Nowhere,” another semi-finalist nod (Machigonne Fiction Prize) from The New Guard literary magazine for my story “Requiem for a Bantamweight,” and a third place win in Narrative’s Fall Fiction Contest for “Fallen Angel.”

Not sure if, or when, things will ramp up this year but have a good feeling about a number of pieces. 

I ate more chicken any man ever seen...

Late. Busy back-to-back workdays. Small window of revision time this morning before the day evaporated. Feeling good about the quality, less so about the quantity.

Had a break mid-day, and found a paperback copy of All the Pretty Horses. Couldn’t resist. Forty pages later, I may have to finish it again for the—what?—hundredth time? What a book.

Chicken tonight. Asparagus on the side. Need to kick back and relax. Cool temps tomorrow.

Taking it all in stride...

Slept until 8:30, and might have gone longer but for the sun climbing through the window. Quiet morning. Did a little writing, but after yesterday’s marathon session decided to call it quits at noon. Went to a movie—Birdman—which I enjoyed very much. Picked up some groceries afterward for dinner. Making grilled Muenster and heirloom tomato on artisan bread, leek and sweet potato bisque on the side. Looking forward to a restful evening. Feeling as if things are moving forward.

More, please, sir...

No snow, light flurries. Spent most of the day revising “Desperado.” Took a short nap with the kitties in the late afternoon. Sky is gray, but a fire in the fireplace put things right. Looking forward to a movie tonight. More reading later. 

Low temps, high expectations...

Many doings. A bit of writing in the early morning, then off to the shop to manage a few projects. Blood drawn at noon. Lunch at Starbuck’s afterward.

Read forty or so pages of the Krakauer book last night. Three new lit journals and a new New Yorker to look into this weekend. Feeling energized. Also found a book by Ernie Pyle—essays from WWII—that I’d forgotten about and need to revisit. Been years since I’ve looked at it.

Cats have been particularly sweet the past few days. Wonder what that’s about? Nice to see them cuddling, chasing each other around. Everything’s okay when the boys are okay.

Supposed to be snow tonight, but we’ll see. If so, might strap on the snowshoes. Otherwise, looking forward to a long morning of writing and, with luck, a movie later in the afternoon.

 

Half speed ahead...

Still under the weather. Feels like I’ve been working at half speed for almost two months. Whatever’s going on, I hope it gives soon.

Highpoint of the day was a story in the new issue of redivider (12.1) by Robert Long Foreman, a professor at Rhode Island College. Funny, funny piece that, in a completely twisted sort of way, Mick Jagger would probably consider an homage.

Also finished the Hillenbrand book. Wow. What a story.

Had some time early in the morning to make a few revisions. Have four, maybe five pieces close to finished. Feel if I could summon up the energy for one big charge I might get two of them out the door.

Robert Pinsky was supposed to appear at the Colorado College tonight, but cancelled because of bad weather on the east coast. Looks like reruns on TV instead.

Was sorry to hear Pinsky wasn’t coming. Saw him here years back, just after he’d published his translation of The Inferno, and it was a great night. Robert Haas was also there. Terrific double-header. (It was a good run of talent, that year, if I remember. I believe W.S. Merwin spoke the following month, just after releasing his beautiful long poem, The Folding Cliffs.)

Beat, calling it a day...

Not feeling particularly great today. A prescription ran out, and been forced to use generics. Even so, got in a walk, some good editing, and a sizeable amount of reading time.

The Hillenbrand book is hard to put down. What a story. Nearly finished with it, though, and looking forward to whatever comes next. The new Denis Johnson novel, maybe.

Temps got into the sixties today. Not sure how long the good weather’s expected to stay. Haven’t seen the paper or heard any reports. If the warm keeps a while, might try another trip to New Mexico to see the folks. Could use a nice long drive to clear the head.

Tired. Signing off now. More tomorrow.

Making tracks...

Snowshoeing in Mueller State Park, yesterday and today. Both outings beautiful. The Sangres were covered with snow, a great white jawbone stretched across horizon. Good to be outdoors. Good to see the sky again. Good to get in some exercise.

Buried...

Snow. Lots and lots of snow. Been coming down all day. Got into the office early and went on a marathon writing session. Six TV scripts and one brochure later, it’s time go home. Revisions will show up on my doorstep come tomorrow, I’m sure, but for now it’s kick back and relax.

Need to stop at the grocery store on the way home and pick up some coffee and milk. Maybe find a beer with my name on it. 

A toothsome day...

7:24 pm. Just home from the office. Dental appointments took up most of the day, and writing projects took up what was left. As always, happy to bring in a few bucks, even if it means short notice and tight deadlines.

Not a lot of story work today, but that’s okay. Probably needed a small break from the pieces I’ve been working on. Or, looking at from a different perspective, they probably need a small break from me.

The battle of Marathon...

Overcast skies, warm temps, and lingering snow all day.

Got in some decent writing time this morning and made the most of it. Movie this afternoon—American Sniper—then over to the grocery store in search of light bulbs. All in all, a lazy day.

Still have a number of drafts on queue to be finished and pushed out the door, but can tell which will be first.

Feel as if I’ve gotten a slow start with the new year, but like many things in life, it’s a marathon.