Setting up for a deep run...

First day of uninterrupted (mostly uninterrupted) time at the keyboard in a while. Made the most of it, making notes, revising, making more notes, then researching pubs as possible homes for my new stories. Might be just me, but the last six, nine months, folks have been a good deal slower getting back on submissions. Makes sense, I guess, given the turnover at any given college. Still, you expect a certain level of professionalism from a literary publication, and you don't always get it. Anyway, was able to push a few pieces out the door before heading off on errands, and getting in a late afternoon session at the gym.

Nice day today. Blue skies, pretty clouds. Wish I'd had the time to get in a walk. Not sure what tomorrow's gonna bring, but a good breeze is coming in out of the northeast tonight and temps have dropped since sunset. Thought it was supposed to be nice weekend. Maybe I heard wrong.

Oh, yeah. New water heater installed today. Plumbers were banging around all morning, dismantling the old rig and installing the new one. Wasn't looking forward to making a pre-emptive gutting of the old unit--I'm sure the bill won't be pretty--but the damned thing was on its last leg, and with the holidays at hand it was prime time for a major malfunction. You live, you learn. 

Eureka!

Progress! PROPAGANDA review out the door, four reviews for N in solid draft. 

On the less than exciting side, Jeep's power steering needs a major overhaul. Well, not major maybe, but enough to put a sizable dent in the wallet.

Thank god for Starbucks.

 

Stuck in Saturday...

Spent the whole day trying to knock off the rust. Didn't get real far, but felt like I'd maybe made progress just the same. New Propaganda piece, new stories from N. Enough to keep me busy for a while. Need to have a big day tomorrow. Dinner tonight with K. Will be good to get out.

Trying not to think too hard...

Spent the day in the mountains, North Pole, USA with young J. What a wonderful throwback that place is with all its antique rides! Had a great time kicking around, not a computer or computer game in sight. Rode rockets, race cars, Christmas ornaments, and the world's highest Ferris wheel. How could it ever get better? Read the new Tom McGuane story in the NYer when I got home. God, he makes it look easy.

 

Call of the Wild...

Saw some sunshine today, but the weather was cool and even less hospitable when the wind kicked up. Wintry, only not really. Looking after small stuff today, so not much progress at the keyboard other than note taking and a bit of light research. Did manage to get over to the gym, but not until later in the afternoon. Will have young J much of the day tomorrow, so don't figure to make up any ground until late in the afternoon. But who knows. Maybe that's being optimistic.

Four new stories in from N this morning. Have read two. Enjoyed them both. One a diction-driven epistemology of sorts, the other a straightforward bit of sci-fi. Nice writing on both counts, but not enough, maybe to vote ahead as contest winners. Second and perhaps third reads will tell.

Woke up swinging last night. A horrible nightmare. Christ. This is the worst week of sleep I've had in ages. Maybe it's the sore arm/back that's stirring up trouble, I don't know. But whatever it is I hope it ceases. Soon. Been dreaming about the dark a lot, loose ends and all that. Ways to unburden myself before someone comes along and tries to do it for me. Need to get a sound night's sleep, score a win at the keyboard, and let things mend themselves. Maybe read a little Jack London.

Stalled out early on...

Couldn't get started. Distractions all day. Up late, ousted from office, more distractions. Did manage one substantive (and entertaining) phone call, before noon, then pretty much called it quits. Got a letter off to D., wrote a few quick notes regarding the SantaLand Diaries, and headed over to the gym around 3:00. Not much of a workout, but I suppose I should have see that coming. High hopes for the day, but they crashed and burned early on. Gonna have to take another shot tomorrow. Weather sucked today, too. Cold, overcast, icy. Glad to have it behind me.

 

 

Ruminations...

Broke my promise to myself to be a little more entertainment-forward with this journal. Not sure why I've fallen behind in this pursuit except to say there probably isn't much entertainment going on in my life at the moment. Just plodding ahead, as usual, doing my best to dodge any real responsibilities until absolutely necessary. On that happy note, managed to get some work despite the usual distractions. Looked after small stuff most of the morning, then headed out to the gym mid-afternoon. Wet day. Cold, too. Looking for redemption tomorrow and, if the weather folks are even close to right (for a change) the rest of the week as well. 

While putting in some research on a completely unrelated topic, ran across a listing advertising two or three agents willing to represent a short fiction anthology. Find that hard to believe, but the agents work for bona fide shops and seem to be serious. Might have to check one or two of them out. See what the prospects are. Meanwhile, it's steam ahead with some new stories and keep my fingers crossed on the ones currently in mail. 

Could've used a great big Starbuck's today. Always makes everything better.

Forward, harch...

Daylight savings time! 

Spend the day catching up--or trying to, anyway. Put in some good time at the keyboard, then went off to spend some time with the boys. Had a great time. Weather was brisk, but sunny. Not sure it made it into the seventies like the weather folks predicted, but more than tolerable for an early November day.

Talked to mom last night. Always an adventure.

Need to suck it up and get ready for tomorrow. See if I can't get a fast start on what looks to be a long involved week. Keep an eye peeled for sucker punches.

Veteran's Day...

Out the door early to take young J to the Veteran's Day parade today. Blustery's a kind description of the weather. Wind must have been blowing in off the front range in gusts of 40 to 50 mph. Miserable enough to ground the vintage aircraft. But had a blast just the same. Saw a lot of dedicated folks, old and young, from all branches of the Armed Services. 

The show must go on...

Weather people promised a nice day in the sixties. But if it arrived it happened sometime this afternoon when I wasn't looking. No matter. Fairly productive day at the keyboard with only one minor interruption. (Passing along body work bids for the truck.)

Also managed a quick trip to Starbucks, and a jaunt to the gym mid-afternoon. Home early to prep dinner. Play tonight. Wild Honey. Looking forward to see what KL's done with it.

Not sure what's happening in the real world, and not sure I want to know. Need to stick to my own little smidgen of the universe where, it turns out, I'm delinquent yet again in my letter writing and phone call correspondence. (Be easier if I had something to say!)

Been thinking about Texas lately. A trip to visit the kid. 

There's more to this than this, right?

Creeping up on the tail end of another week. Sunny today. Warm, too, given it's the second of November. Managed a productive morning despite the fact I didn't get a whole lot of time at the keyboard. Looking ahead to the weekend when there won't be so many interruptions.

Made it to the gym mid-afternoon for a quick workout. Then off to school to ransom young J. Kid cracks me up. Got ratted on for biting someone's leg today. Reminded me of the old Plutarch line. The one he puts in the mouth of Alcibiades in "Lives." Greek kid: Alcibiades, you bite like a girl. Alcibiades: No, I bite like a lion!

Gotta keep punching. Quit letting small things get me down. Seems like forever since I've had an acceptance slip, and longer still since I've written anything worthwhile. Know that can't be right, but that's the way it feels.

No memoir material here...

Cool morning turned into a warm afternoon. Mostly. Lotta goings on today with clients. Managed some time at the keyboard, then went off looking for estimates from body shops. (Dinged quarter panel, broken tail light on the truck.) Hit the gym afterward, grocery store too. Red letter day all around.

Halloween...

Looked out the window this morning, down at the street, and saw snow on the car tops. But the sun came out and the day warmed and things turned out better than expected. Looked after small stuff most of the day, but managed a quick trip to the gym before chasing down young J.

Many a ghost and hobgoblin out tonight. Trick or treated with the boys a while then came home and made dinner. Quiet night. Looking forward to a good night's rest.

Clouds...

One bleak-ass day for sure. Temps dropped into the thirties, a cloud the size of Texas descended over the front range, and everything fell into gloom.

Wrote a long while in the morning, then headed off for the gym and the grocery store. Not much else along the way.

Missing those summer days already. Not ready for the cold.

Had a bad dream about family last night. Woke me up, and I never got back to sleep. Got me wondering about a lot of things. A lot of things.

No one gets out alive...

Did a lot of research today. A lot of mulling. Managed a few revisions, then set out to finish the shingling of the shed. Somewhere in the midst of the work the phone rang, and with it a bit of bad news. Be glad to see the new week come. A chance at something different.

Crack me a beer, I've had it...

Just noticed. November's around the corner. Christ. 

Been a day of many doings. Put in some time at the keyboard, then finished the dinosaur project for Z's birthday. Lotta work those dinosaurs. Afternoon flew by and the best I can say about it is, it flew by under blue skies and sunshine.

Gonna regroup and see what tomorrow brings. Like to go fishing, but will probably end up doing yardwork and finishing the shingling of the shed.

Uninspired, I know.

No fist bump necessary...it's all in a day's work...

Up at 6:00 for an early coffee with G. Good to see him doing well, hearing about his projects. Sad to know he and V. plan to pick up their tent and move to LA, permanently. Doubt we'll see one another after that happens.

Put in some good work when I got home. Gonna have to stay focused to manage this longer piece, but looking forward to the challenge. Meanwhile, shorter pieces to fret over. 

Had a little bit of time at the gym. Worked it hard, and fast. After, killed time putting a second coat of paint on the dinosaur cake display for Z's fifth birthday. Also got an estimate on the damage done to the truck. 

Looking forward to a quiet evening.

Soldiering on...

Cool weather blew in today and looks to stick around for a day or so. Morning came on in a hurry and stayed hurried into the afternoon and evening. Got some good revisions in place, made a few errand runs, and spent what was left of the time looking after little things.

K back from Italy. Sounds like it was a nice trip. Looking forward to catching up on all the details next time we talk. Italy. Mmm. Like to see it again some day.

Not sure what's going on in the world beyond the usual nonsense. Guess that's a good thing. Whatever comes, looking forward to a nice tomorrow morning with my old buddy G, then putting in some serious time at the keyboard.