Sea and Sand

I'm out all next week, my friends, but will be back afterward. Going to the ocean, to splash in the waves and play in the sand with my family.

I'll miss you, but hopefully I'll have fun(ny) stories to share, and will have a finished first draft of a novel under my arm. I'm not entirely satisfied with the draft I have, so even finishing that is a small consolation, because I already know I've got rewrites to do, but still, it'll be something I can pitch to an agent in a query.

Happy end of August to you, talk to you in September!

Whoa.

Music: the Specials, "Concrete Jungle"

I set my iTunes to play songs in order of last played, and I inverted it so it'd play ones I haven't played for awhile, which is kind of fun, in that some songs I'd forgotten that I'd added are suddenly appearing.

Our server's being all slow right now, so I'm waiting for work to go through it, hence me being here, jotting a sliver of an entry.

I passed the 40K mark on the story I've been working on all summer. I'm taking a week off in Florida next week, and plan to finish the book then. First draft, mind you -- I'm fussy about revision. The story's not quite where I want it to be -- I liken first drafts to a first wash of paint on a picture. I'll be glad when I'm done with it, because I've got a lot of short stories I want to get to. I hope to get this longer piece queried to agents by mid-autumn.

What else? Nothing jumps right to mind.

Music: Sluts of Trust, "Let's..."

Threepeat

Taken from Vesper's site...

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE ME:
01 -- death
02 -- insanity
03 -- oblivion

THREE PEOPLE WHO MAKE ME LAUGH:
01 -- my older son
02 -- Richard Pryor
03 -- Charlotte

THREE THINGS I LOVE:
01 -- music
02 -- writing
03 -- performing

THREE THINGS I HATE:
01 -- fascism
02 -- ignorance
03 -- hypocrisy

THREE THINGS ON MY DESK:
01 -- tiny Zen rock garden
02 -- rubber devil ducky
03 -- a spinning top

THREE THINGS I'M DOING RIGHT NOW:
01 -- listening to "The End of the World" by the Cure
02 -- slouching in my office chair
03 -- worrying over a hangnail

THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE:
01 -- discover the secret of immortality
02 -- enjoy great success and fame as a writer
03 -- raise wonderful, happy children

THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY:
01 -- extroverted
02 -- sarcastic
03 -- exuberant

THREE THINGS I THINK YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO:
01 -- me
02 -- good music
03 -- rain

THREE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOODS:
01 -- pork tenderloin
02 -- thin-crust pizza
03 -- chocolate-covered pretzels

THREE THINGS I'D LIKE TO LEARN:
01 -- guitar (for real, versus how I've played over the years)
02 -- another language
03 -- acting

THREE BEVERAGES I DRINK REGULARLY:
01 -- water
02 -- beer
03 -- diet soda

THREE SHOWS I WATCHED WHEN I WAS A KID:
01 -- Star Trek
02 -- Friday Night Videos
03 -- Tales from the Darkside

Meme

Amy had this as a meme, and I'm a sucker for memes...

First

• First job: Golf Caddy.
• First screen name: JakDeth@aol.com -- after the protagonist in "Trancers."
• First funeral: Never been to one, as far as I can remember.
• First pet: A toad. Never named it -- it died the night after I'd caught it and put it in a terrarium; this would've been about 1975.
• First piercing: No piercings.
• First tattoo: No tattoos, either.
• First credit card: Visa; early 20s.
• First kiss: Like for real, like making out? Or just a cutesie kiss? The latter would've been in elementary school; the former, 8th grade.
• First enemy: Tommy. Smaller than me, but a bully, meaner than spit. First in a long line of bullies!

Last

• Last car ride: Saturday, going to Costco.
• Last kiss: This morning.
• Last movie watched: Goodfellas.
• Last beverage drank: Water.
• Last food consumed: Two chocolate chip cookies.
• Last phone call: Talked to my mom yesterday.
• Last time showered: Around 6:15 a.m. today.
• Last CD played: Green Carnation, "Light of Day, Day of Darkness"
• Last website visited: Amy's Drowing*In*Ink

Now

• Single or taken: Taken!
• Gender: Dude
• Birthday: 16 April 1970
• Sign: Aries
• Siblings: No full-blood siblings; I'm a "miracle child" as my mom put it, unlikely to have been conceived, really. Long story. I have two older stepsisters and (by way of my biofather, two younger half-sisters).
• Hair color: Dark blond, somewhere between bronze and lightly burnt caramel.
• Eye color: Blue
• Shoe size: 12.5 extra-wide.
• Height: 6'3"
• Wearing: Burgundy patterned Geoffrey Beene button-down shirt, charcoal gray slacks, black shoes, white v-neck t-shirt, blue plaid boxers, slate gray socks
• Drinking: Water.
• Thinking about: Vacation.
• Listening to: Green Carnation (it's an hour-long song!)

Time off for bad behavior?

I'm seriously thinking of taking time away from blogging, perhaps permanently. I haven't entirely decided, yet. You'll know if this blog disappears. I've enjoyed talking with all of you, sharing glimpses of your worlds -- you're all wonderful people. If you ever want to talk, just drop me a line, and I'll write back. I'm good that way.

I'm going to enjoy the rest of the summer, keep on writing, send long and short stories out, do the delusional dance of long-suffering hopes and dreams. I might still post poems if they come to me, if they're not crap. Oh, the ones I sent out got rejected, as I knew they would, but one has to try, anyway. To live is to strive and to want to try, though it's tough to be an utterly unconnected writer in 21st century America. If I'm able to get published to my satisfaction, you'll know, though, because I'll tell you!

I love you all in different ways, like facets in a gem, all splendid and sparkly.

Sike

Music: Soul Asylum, "Never Really Been"

So...

Music: the Sonics, "The Witch"

For the helluvit, I sent a few poems out. Keep in mind: I'm no poet, chums! I'm a prose writer. That's what I do. But I decided, on a whim, to swan-dive and send out some poems. They'll surely be rejected, but I didn't care, wanted to do it, anyway. I sent out five of them. Damn the torpedoes, all of that.

Sorry everything's been so boring of late. I've been pretty depressed lately, just a general sort of bleakness leavened with loneliness.

I just learned that my head boss is leaving in about a week from tomorrow. We had a good work relationship, although my worry is who will replace her. There's a veritable rogues' gallery of bad choices, and I'm kind of worried about that. Also worried about getting canned, of course.

But enough of that. I've got a crush on this guitar. Isn't it awesome? Such a gorgeous blue. Pity it's way out of my price range. But what a sharp guitar. I want it!

Music: Aimee Mann, "It's Not"

Summer

Wonderful day, weatherwise. The lake looks fabulous, with sailing ships dancing back and forth across it, while a gentle breeze keeps things pleasant and cool. If it were like this all year, I'd have no complaint.

I cooked some pork tenderloin today with rosemary and garlic. Good stuff, very easy to prepare. Put some extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl with the rosemary and chopped fresh garlic, add a pinch of salt and a dash of black pepper. Put the tenderloin in there and roll it in the seasonings and oil to coat. Then set on a pan and cook for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F, which should be enough to cook it -- check to be sure it's opaque, not pink, and you're golden. Should be tender, juicy, and delicious! Leftovers are great on sandwiches.

This is my 200th post. Tonight I hope to catch some glimpses of the Perseid meteor shower. It's a clear night. We'll see. Or not. Tomorrow should be a good night for it, too, if you miss it tonight. If you live in a dark place, look and hope to see!

I made a poem half-inspired by it.

Memory Hole?

This was printed in The Australian...

Americans don't know 9/11 year: poll
From correspondents in Washington
10aug06

SOME 30 per cent of Americans cannot say in what year the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in Washington took place, according to a poll published today in the Washington Post newspaper.

While the country is preparing to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the attacks that claimed nearly 3000 lives and shocked the world, 95 per cent of Americans questioned in the poll were able to remember the month and the day of the attacks.

But when asked what year, 30 per cent could not give a correct answer.

Of that group, six per cent gave an earlier year, eight per cent gave a later year, and 16 per cent admitted they had no idea whatsoever.

This memory black hole is essentially the problem of the older crowd - 48 per cent of those who did not know were between the ages of 55 and 64, and 47 per cent were older than 65, the poll shows.

The Post telephone survey was carried out July 21-24 among 1002 randomly selected adults. The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points.

Hmph.

I'm lonely. Somebody tell me something interesting and fun, please? Even just a "hi" would be nice. I have the Sikeblues today. That'll teach me to wear black and gray, I guess! Heh.

Did you see that stupid news story about kids somehow being more sexually active when they listen to sexually-explicit lyrics?? Silliness. I think more likely kids who're likely to be sexually active are seeking out sexy songs, versus the songs somehow transforming kids into sex fiends. Gimme a break. People are so lame about these things.

So, I'm hoping Joe Lieberman loses the primary in Connecticut. Fingers crossed. The DLC wusses need to be put to pasture, and a Lieberman defeat would be a key start to that. If he wins, then the DLC will look at their appease-the-GOP agenda as being validated, and will lead to them continuing to lose elections for the Dems down the road. Whereas if Lieberman goes down, they'll still tout their "third way" as the salvation, but there'll be more wind than substance behind it.

Fingers crossed.

I put some more poems on Frick & Frack; if you're really bored, check'em out.

Memmmmmmmmmme

Taken from Vesper's artfully redesigned blog...

Rapper Name?
D-Bone.

Alternative Rock Band Name?
Pity from a Safe Distance -- OR -- Sugar Tits.

Name your pain?
Charlie Horse.

1 True Word That Symbolizes God?
Fiction.

1 True Love or 1 Million Dollars?
The latter, just for the helluvit.

Live Free or Die Stupid?
Live free, preferably forever.

Purist, happiest moment ever? (8 words or less)
Being a dad. No contest.

Most Influential Life Lesson?
People lie to themselves all the time, so be true to yourself and buck the trend.

Most Successful Person You Least Admire?
Hitler. I mean, that f*cker got way too far on far too little, and ruined the world.

Where we go when we die? (1 word)
Nowhere.

Worst TV Show of the Past Decade?
Fox News.

Best TV Show of the Past Decade?
Paradise Hotel. I keep hoping they put it on DVD. Best study of human evil, ever!

Burning Building - baby or dog?
Baby, for sure. The dog'll come when I say "Hey, Stupid, this way!" while holding the baby.

Still with me, yes or no?
No.

Who runs the world? (2 words or less)
Rich things.

Worst Idea You Ever Had?
Choosing my college major because it had no math requirement.

Shittiest Job You Ever Had?
Every job where you work for somebody else sucks.

Best Job You've Ever Had?
Haven't found it, yet. I'm thinking writing full-time would be sweet, though.

Arthur Lee, R.I.P.

Love, "Alone Again Or"

Arthur Lee died. Lost his battle with leukemia.

Love, "A Message to Pretty"
Love, "Little Red Book"

Music: Love, "7 and 7 Is"

Far out...

I'm nearing my 200th post on this blog. Traffic's light as ever, but that's okay. It's a quiet place, where I just do my thing, and hope that those few who know of this sanctuary enjoy their visits. You're all special to me, my friends!

So, I keep writing stories, sending them out. I've got a possible connection by way of a friend, who knows a big NYC literary agent. Right now, that's her thing, but I'm hoping if it works out for her, I can make it work out for me, too. Networking really is everything, which can be dispiriting, when you're busy trying to write stuff on its own merits. But the alternative, namely, not writing, is far, far worse. And so, the dance goes on, the ebb and flow of paper and envelopes, the unanswered queries, the speedy rejections, the lingering hopes, the fleeting victories in an ongoing campaign. But the alternative, the Nothing, is just unthinkable, and so I dance, my friends. I write the words, and hope that, someday, those words reach people who care about them.

An editor myself, I have no illusions about editors, no respect for the profession. I mean, yes, editing matters, but it's a chimerical occupation, where, if you do a good job, your work goes unnoticed. Only bad editing gets noticed. Not a good place to be. Anyway, I don't respect editors very much, but hope that my prose eventually gets more than a few batted eyelashes at some point.

My record stands at 1 and 22 -- acceptances to rejections, which isn't actually so bad, when you think about it. The three that are still floating in the ether right now are hanging around my neck like an albatross garland. I want to inquire about them, but the times that I've done that, even after more-than-reasonable intervals of waiting on my part, have earned my snarky replies. Editors are like bears, best left to slumber in their caves.

I have no illusions about myself as a great writer -- I'm a good one, adequate to the task. I love words, love weaving them into fun forms, playing with sound and rhythm and shape and characters. Always with characters. I love characters, let them write my stories for me. I'm best at dialogue, but I think that's because I'm such an audiophile -- sound matters so much to me, so everything I write sounds good (to me), because I sound it all out internally.

Anyway, I'm sorry to natter on about writing and such. I usually pursue a policy of writing more and talking about it less, but I'm feeling momentarily expansive, so there you have it.

Hot stuff

Man, oh man, is it ever crazy-hot in the city. Fortunately, we're nearly over it (for now). I'm on a mood upswing right now, after a period of the blues -- all part of the dance.

Speaking of the dance, I keep waiting for rejection letters for stories I sent out to arrive, but haven't gotten them, yet. Grr. Then I'm thinking *maybe they accepted the stories?* and also thinking *maybe the stories never got there.* Then I think *maybe I should drop them a note or an e-mail, confirming receipt?*

Arrrrrgh.

Gone, but not forgotten, Mansun...

Take It Easy, Chicken

Wide Open Space

I've probably posted these before!