Sept. 28: No Words — Actually Too Many

Today is a devastating day to be an American Woman.

Thurs. Sept. 27, 2018: Getting Out of Your Own Way

Thursday, September 27, 2018
Waning Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Hot, humid, rainy

It’s hot and humid and yucky again. Urgh. On the one hand, it’s good, because then the heat doesn’t kick on (although it did earlier this week), and I don’t have to worry about heating bills. But I’m tired of the heat and humidity.

I’m tired, in general, feeling exhausted from the last few weeks, but too bad for me. There’s still a lot to do.

And I wish the damn tourists would go home already. I’m glad people come and enjoy the beauty of Cape Cod, and spend money, but they’re rude, with false senses of entitlement, and trash the place. Go home already!

Even though I was exhausted, I got up early, put myself together, and got out (in the rain) to the Hearth and Kettle in Yarmouth for the CCWA Coffee Chat meeting. It was a lot of fun. There were about thirteen women there, all interesting and passionate about what they do. It was great to talk to them, learn about their different businesses, and exchange information.

I’m following up with everyone I met this morning; a couple of people wanted more information on my marketing writing services, so that will go out. We’ll see what happens. There’s a lack of follow through here on Cape, so I just do what I do, and see what happens.

I also got invited to a couple of events hosted by other members, and they sound cool, so if I can fit them in, I want to go. I talk about reciprocity a lot — part of that is also doing my bit to accept invitations and get out there.

Made it to my client’s office on time. I’d brought a weekend bag with a change of clothes, so I changed, got some marketing/promotional material posted, and then went out back to the warehouse to help with some inventory and get some samples out for a big sale on the West Coast.

Some of those pieces are great for auditions. I talked to an acquaintance of mine who’s a casting assistant and described the pieces. She’s going to tell me if they show up on actors auditioning! It will be fun to hear about it.

Dealt with some frustrations during the day that only reinforce the decisions I’m making. I still have things to put in place, puzzle pieces to set, but there’s a lot to get done in the coming months.

When I finally got home, I should have dug into the RELICS revisions, but I was just too damn tired. There’s a point where pushing through no longer works.

I also have to stop beating myself up about being tired. I am no longer in my twenties. I am in my mid-fifties. This is what it is. I still do more and get a lot more done than many people around me. I have the right to admit it when I’m tired, and to do what I need to in order to recharge, so that I can continue, instead of just pushing through until I collapse.

I have an appointment this morning, and then I have to head back; they’re cleaning the furnace for the upcoming winter. The afternoon MUST be spent in revisions and working on calendar articles.

I’m also going through material for my Idea Bazaar speech at the human rights conference. The flow seems like tangents, but when I really look at it, I can rearrange it so it builds and is of a piece. I’m starting to look forward to it.

When I was so nervous about speaking at the Provincetown Book Festival, an actor friend in the UK said, “Do you trust the work?”

I did. The monologue is part of a play that was produced twice, and the monologue has been performed internationally on stage and radio. The prose scene was from TRACKING MEDUSA, a book in which I have confidence. So my answer to the question was “yes.”

“Then get out of the way and let the work speak.”

Which is what I did. And it worked.

Even though I was nervous about giving the acceptance speech at the award ceremony on Tuesday, it wasn’t about me. It was about my client, who received the award. So by getting out of the way and speaking from the heart, I could honor her properly.

The speech for the human rights conference is again, not about me. It’s about a much larger issue that we must all be invested in, or we will ALL suffer.

Which is one of the things that drives me nuts about this area of the country. Unless it’s a personal threat, too few people around here give a damn. I am done with those people.

Digging in to DAVY JONES DHARMA again this morning, and then working on some articles to post. Somehow, it will all get done.

Back to the page.

 

Wed. Sept. 25, 2018: Breakfast and Breakfast

Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Waning Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde

Yesterday went well, and I am happy for my client. I wish she could have been there; she would have loved it. The food was decent (although I prefer to eat after I talk, not before). My client won the very first Age Forward Employer Award (along with two other local businesses), because she employs workers over 55.

Not that she looks at anyone’s age when she hires them; she goes by what they bring to the table, which is why she’s a great choice for the award.

Anyway, the breakfast went well, our table had a lot of laughter and chatter, The EmCee was a local radio reporter, so he kept things on track. No one went on for ever and ever. The woman who introduced me (because I accepted for the client) was lovely. My speech was short, heartfelt, and to the point, and I had the room, so that was good. I wore one of my client’s designs, and got a lot of compliments, so I think I’ll wear it for the Global Human Rights conference in a few weeks.

I work DK tights with the dress, and I forgot that the waist doesn’t grip properly. So even though I had my trusty Spanx underneath, the darned tights slithered down. Thank goodness I didn’t have to walk much, because by the time I was back at the car, well, those hose were much lower than they should have been!

Went home, changed, picked up my work bag, and headed to the client’s office. It was hard to settle, but there were workaday things that needed to get done. Plus, I’m working on OUR press release and an email blast to all the customers.

I started digging into the RELICS & REQUIEM edits yesterday, and will do more later today, after I finish with my client. I was pretty tired, so I may have to go back over that again.

Got my next assignment for the new review gig.

Worked on calendar articles.

Got a little bit of work done on DAVY JONES DHARMA.

Played with some ideas for the Human Rights Conference.

This morning, I’m at a Women’s Association breakfast before heading into the office. Then, I’ll go back to edits. I have to really dig into those edits this weekend, and also finish the calendar articles.

As much as things are accelerating in certain areas for me, it also reinforces some of the decisions I’ve been making, instead of making me re-think them. The next few months will be interesting.

Oh, and hop on over to Ink-Dipped Advice, where you can learn not to over-brainstorm when networking until there’s a contract in place!

Back to the page.

Tues. Sept. 25, 2018: Awards and Concerns

Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Last Day of Full Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde

Busy few days. I did not get the amount of writing done that I wanted or needed to do.

Most of it has been caught up with the final details for the breakfast where my client gets an award this morning– an award which I will accept on her behalf and say a few words. I’ve been working on the speech — short, simple, from the heart. Focused on HER. Too much about this award has been focused on another agenda, not the awardees, in my opinion. But yesterday, we got a lot of the kinks worked out.

I did some additional research for RELICS. I read Joy Harjo’s memoir, and most of a series of letters between Leslie Marmon Silko and James Wright, which are beautiful. I polished the review that was due and sent it off. I juggled home centric tasks. I worked on what used to be POWER OF WORDS. I re-read what’s written of TIE CUTTER again, and love it more than ever. There’s a lot of heart in that book.

I miss traveling. Next year, I need to arrange my schedule so I can travel more. Not just for clients over the bridge, but for myself and my writing.

I am angered an infuriated at the way the GOP dismisses the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh, especially since more women are coming forward, and especially since they KNEW about these allegations last week, and that’s why they tried to accelerate the process. They truly believe it doesn’t matter. That men have the right to violate women. People asking, what if it was your wife or daughter are missing the point — this is how they treat the women in their own lives. And that former aide, who nearly killed his pregnant mistress by giving her an abortificant in a smoothie without her knowledge? Don’t tell me the GOP is pro-life. They want to tear away women’s rights and human rights back to before the Civil War.

There are some very interesting stories out there about how this is all tied beyond women’s rights into something much darker and religious and international — interesting theory, but I hope it’s not true.

The bottom line is that the GOP does not care about women’s rights. If the allegations are true, the Judge has proven a pattern of disregard for women’s rights that ensures he will overturn Roe vs. Wade. Which is what they want. He also says that a sitting President can’t be indicted. Which is what they want — especially since most of them are corrupt, and they count on him to protect them as well.

Kavanaugh’s behavior since Day One has shown he is not fit for the office. If he was this brilliant intellect and ethical man the GOP claims, he would have insisted that there’s no reason to rush. He would have insisted that ALL his records be released for review. He would have shaken Fred Guttenberg’s hand at the break, whether or not he knew who the man was, because as a SCOTUS, he is supposed to protect and serve ALL people in this country. He would not have lied, multiple times, under oath, or hedged on questions he didn’t like.

The whole Kennedy retirement/Deutsche Bank loans by his son to the Narcissistic Sociopath/nomination stinks.

People are saying it’s a done deal, that K is out. I think the GOP will ram him through anyway, just to prove they can and send a message that they can and will do whatever they want without consequence. I hope, in this case, I am wrong.

I participated in the Day of Solidarity yesterday, wearing black and stepping out of the office at 1 PM. I don’t post selfies, so I didn’t do that part. My client’s office is part of a large complex. I was the ONLY person who stepped out. I am disgusted. A red enclave in a blue state. I am fed up.

The level of corruption is appalling. I can’t see how it can be resolved without tragic circumstances.

As far as Yale goes, when I was applying to schools waaaaay back when, Yale was on the list. I will add that I was accepted at EVERY school to which I applied. I went in for the interview at Yale, which went really well. I spent a weekend to “get to know the campus.” By the end of the weekend, I pulled my application, because I knew I didn’t want to go to a school where the frat boy aggressive mentality toward the girls on and off campus was so vile.

I also remember, earlier in high school, as part of the Model U.N., we did a conference at Yale. We hung out and partied and were less than model citizens after hours. I don’t know how our chaperones coped with us. We were awful. But I remember the frat boys hanging around and trying to get high school girls to come out with them. (Being in a fraternity was a selling point, as far as they were concerned). Later, at NYU, I was talking to a student who’d also been involved in Model U.N. (from a different high school). She said her older brother, who went to Yale, wouldn’t let her go to the conference there because the frat boys were notorious for picking up high school girls, getting them drunk, having sex with them, and boasting about it. (Her brother was not in a fraternity).

I went to a few frat parties early on in college, but they weren’t fun. I didn’t like the people, and I didn’t like the aggression. I never went through rush week or tried to pledge to a sorority, because I didn’t like the mentality or the exclusiveness. I didn’t like the girls I met who were recruiting, or the girls back at the various houses. Plus, the time factor — when I wasn’t in class or doing homework or at a work study job, I was in the theatre or on the film set WORKING. I was earning my way in the arts since age 18. I wasn’t going to give up a show or a film gig for a party house. It had no place in what I wanted in my present or my future.

Back to my own daily life, this will post before the breakfast happens today. I’ll write about it all in my post tomorrow. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly and my speech goes well. I want it to be a good moment honoring my client.

Namaste.

 

Mon. Sept. 24, 2018: Upbeat Authors — Self Tolerance

Monday, September 24, 2018
Full Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde

We’re still on the topic of tolerance for this month’s Upbeat Authors.

So I’m going to talk about Self Tolerance.

We all have habits and things about ourselves that we don’t like, or that don’t suit our vision of the life we want to build. The only way to change them is to take action and make the changes.

However, don’t hate yourself for needing to make changes, and don’t hate yourself during the process.

As human beings, we’re not perfect. We’re also all unique, which is part of our beauty.

Although there are far too many factions, both in life and, sadly, in some fiction, that are trying to get people to conform rather than celebrate and, yes, tolerate differences, our differences should be celebrated, and they are part of what makes us stronger.

When we take the time to get to know and understand differences, we can see how the different pieces fit into the larger puzzle. That is a strength.

Instead of looking in the mirror, hating what we see, and berating ourselves about it, how about saying, “Hmm. I think it’s time to try a new look.”

Then figure out what that new look is and go for it!

Changing hairstyles or colors, deciding you want to put on or lose weight, deciding that you want to try a different color palette, or style range is fun. It is something that can be maintained as long as it works for your life and makes you feel good. It can be changed when it no longer works.

If you have a habit you want to break, or something else about how you respond to situations or something about your being that gives you difficulty or makes you unhappy, don’t be afraid or ashamed to reach out for help and support. Make informed decisions to make positive changes in your life.

You can rearrange your furniture or try a new paint color or drape lively fabrics on furniture. None of it has to be expensive. Get a feng-shui book out of the library and try a few suggestions (MOVE YOUR STUFF, CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Karen Rauch Carter is my favorite). Buy a new plant. Change the curtains (I have summer curtains, winter curtains, and spider web curtains for the month of October). All of it can be creative. It keeps my living energy and my personal energy from getting stale.

If your organizational system isn’t working, experiment with new ones. Most organizational books by so-called ‘gurus’ make me roll my eyes, but there’s one that I found useful. It’s called ORGANIZING FROM THE INSIDE OUT by Julie Morgenstern (an ex-theatre person, by the way).

I am NOT a proponent of “if you haven’t used it/worn it for a year, get rid of it” or “for every item you bring in to the house, get rid of one.” That is CRAP, in my opinion, and it’s a scheme to get you to run out of stuff and have to BUY more. In lean times, I’ve been saved by stuff I hadn’t used for years, found, and found useful. My life has too many elements in it for every item to be used all the time. They rotate around every few years, and I can shop in my closets, for both clothes and household items.

I was exhausted when I moved here. In 2010. I am only now unpacking and purging a lot of the boxes I brought along that I hadn’t had time to sort before moving. I moved my childhood home and mother, and my storage unit where I’d tossed stuff for years, and my own stuff, in less than a month. So, no, there wasn’t time to sort it all.

But I’m doing it now. I kept trying, but I kept berating myself for not doing it right away or fast enough or whatever.

You know what’s making it possible? When I shut the hell up from yelling at myself and just started to deal with it. It takes as long as it takes. I’m making a decision on each item in each box.

So be kind to yourself. Tolerate your imperfections, even while you’re working toward becoming the person you want and creating the life you envision. Celebrate the journey!

 

Fri. Sept. 21, 2018: Exciting Invitations

Friday, September 21, 2018
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Sunny and cool

It finally feels like fall! So happy about that.

Have to go in to my client’s for a few hours to do some more coordination for the event ceremony next week. Have been invited to another networking breakfast the following day. Still debating whether or not to go to that one.

Got some client work done yesterday, and some reading, but not enough writing. Had to get some political activism work done — there’s too much at stake right now to shrug and claim that I don’t have time. It was raining off and on, so I couldn’t get yard work done.

Got some work done on what used to be POWER OF WORDS. Have a lot of thoughts about what I still need to do to polish the last three books in this first major arc, and then ideas for the next books. I’ve made some decisions about the Mia-Evan arc that incorporates a lot of what I felt had to be either/or, but now see can be worked into an interesting conflict between them.

Getting ready to dig into the edits for RELICS AND REQUIEM. Have a review to finish, and also want to polish at least most of the calendar articles — that deadline is looming. Plus get some decent work done on DHARMA.

I’ve been invited to participate in a virtual global human rights conference, put on by the university where I’ve been studying the International Tribunals and the UN. I’ve even been invited to contribute a piece for their “Ideas Bazaar” on one day of the conference. We have to work out the details, especially with the time changes, but that’s exciting. I’d really like to do it.

I wanted to participate in the local yoga festival this weekend in Falmouth. But they’re so unclear about costs, etc., that I hesitate. I wanted to buy the three day pass that supposedly gives access to everything. But I look at some of the workshops and they’re marked as “sold out.” So that would mean I’d be paying, but not able to attend what I want to attend, unless a certain number of slots are being held for 3-day pass holders. Because why should I pay for 3 days when the entire first day and most of the things I want to do the other two days are marked “sold out”? I asked about it, and no one organizing it has a definitive answer.

So I’m not buying something that may or may not be honored.

Because if you’re selling a 3-day pass, it means the holders can attend whatever they want on those days. Not be shut out of events for which they’ve already paid. It doesn’t make sense.

And, this being Cape Cod, they’d just shrug and keep my money and not let me in to the workshops. So I’ll pass. I have enough to keep me busy this weekend. Plus, there are dozens of other things going on. Everyone tries to pack September to the gills, because the damn tourists are still here.

It’s also the Equinox, and I have ritual.

So it will be a busy, but hopefully happy weekend, and I’ll see you on the other side!

Thurs. Sept. 20, 2018: And The Busy Continues (but it’s Good Busy)

Thursday, September 20, 2018
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Sunny/rainy alternates

Still busy coordinating my part of the awards ceremony on Tuesday. Came in to the client site for a few hours, because there are things I need here that I don’t have with me. Something like this is always filled with dozens of tiny details.

Later today, I have to do some more on DAVY JONES DHARMA and start digging into the edits for RELICS & REQUIEM.

I have a feeling I’ll be onsite tomorrow, too, but it’s all good. My client asked me to accept the award for her, and I’ll be wearing one of her designs.

I’ll be mainly focused on the revisions for RELICS this weekend, along with working on calendar articles and getting out a review on a book that I was hired to review — and that I really like.

Hopefully, I can also get some more work done on the basement clean out. It’s been raining so badly the last few days that I can’t use the deck as a staging area.

I’m a guest over on Ari Meghlen’s blog, talking about creative organization — please click over and leave a comment!

While all this is going on, I’m also coming to some interesting conclusions personally and about what I want to focus on next year — and where. It will be interesting to see how I make it happen. I’ll talk about it publicly when I make some decisions.

Onward and back to the page.

Wed. Sept. 19, 2018: The Great Busy

Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Humid, Rainy, Warm

So much has been going on. Most of it good, but it’s been busy.

Friday, I had to go into the office for one of my clients and coordinate a film shoot for Monday for a package about an award she’s getting next week. She will still be out of the country. So we’re talking and emailing over the date line.

Friday afternoon, I had to catch up with what I hadn’t done that morning. I also had to prep for Saturday.

I rehearsed most of Friday afternoon. I made some cuts in the material, so I wasn’t just talking at top speed, but could put nuances in.

Up at 5:30 on Saturday morning, out the door a little after 8. Pleasant drive to Provincetown, parked in my usual lot. Headed for the library.

The whole day was just great. The Festival was beautifully organized, everyone was so nice! The new library director there is wonderful. My fellow authors were terrific, and ran the gamut. We were all deeply invested in each other’s work. My friend Andrew, a fellow author, was there with his book, China Sings to Me (he wasn’t reading, unfortunately, but he was part of the festival outside). The reading was packed. We had a great time.

I talked to a lot of new-to-me people. I had the chance to walk around a bit. Provincteown was still packed. It was a beautiful day, and although it was crowded, people were in a good mood. All day, I was stopped by people who enjoyed the reading.

I spent some time up in the reading room, overlooking the bay, resting up and reading Tavis Smiley’s memoir of Maya Angelou.

I attended a cooking demonstration by Justin Chapple of Food & Wine and Tom Acitelli, who specializes in liquor/travel writing. It was a great session, with lots of lively chat and terrific information.

I re-met a radio host I’d met through my late friend Pam a year or so ago, and we caught up.

I headed back home in the late afternoon, made my infamous devilled eggs, and headed for the party in Dennis. We had a great time, although I probably shouldn’t have eaten two hamburgers!

Up early on Sunday, but pretty tired. However, Sunday afternoon, I attended a picnic/town meeting for Attorney General Maura Healey in Hyannis. It’s always great to see her — she’s committed, lively, smart, and gets it done. My state Senator, Julian Cyr, was also there, and I got a chance to catch up with him and ask him about an issue a colleague of mine is struggling with. He gave me the information needed, which I passed on to my colleague on Monday. Also ran into some other people I knew, and helped someone with his brand-new, lively, rambunctious yellow lab puppy. I was really glad I went, tired or not.

I have a TON of follow-up/thank you notes to write this week.

Monday was all about filming stuff for the awards package at two locations. It is always more chaotic than one wants. My end of it was organized, but a lot of the rest of it was on the fly. Our people, though, represented well. I wish I trusted the producer not to twist things in the editing room.

I barely got any sleep on Monday night. I was getting incoming texts and emails that had to be dealt with immediately until about midnight. Then the coyotes were howling. Then, in the middle of the night, the crazy neighbor behind me decided he had to work on his motorcycle. By the time I finally fell asleep, the alarm went off.

I was dragging yesterday.

But it was more organizational stuff, international phone calls, flurry of emails trying to get permissions for materials to use that aren’t ours (shouldn’t the producing team be doing that?) and more.

Had one pickup to do at the library after work, then cancelled the next meeting because we got a weather alert — all the phones screeching at once. I managed to get home just as the storms moved in — the remnants of Hurricane Florence that did so much damage down south. It was only a few hours, but it was intense.

To bed very early, and at least got some sleep.

Onsite at my client’s today, doing the organizational stuff for the award ceremony, which is next Tuesday morning.

I have to look at the edits for RELICS and get them turned around fast, review a book and send that off. I’m also up on Ari Meghlen’s blog today, talking about organization. But I don’t think it’s live yet.

I’m leaving the blog up from last week at Ink-Dipped Advice, because I think it’s still relevant.

I’m behind on DAVY JONES DHARMA, but I’ve been working on what used to be POWER OF WORDS.

Onward.

Ooops!! (tues. sept. 18)

Going flat out on client work for an upcoming event, but have a lot to say.

Will post tomorrow . . .

Mon. Sept. 17, 2018: #UpbeatAuthors The Small Pleasures Enjoyed By Others

Monday, September 17, 2018
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde

In this month about the Tolerance Topic on Upbeat Authors, let’s take a minute to think about what makes other people happy.

Social media has intensified the contempt people feel the need to show for those who enjoy things that they don’t. If we are going to practice tolerance, and walk our talk, then we need to stop making fun of people for liking what they like (provided their “like” is not actively causing harm).

If someone posts something about being so happy that it’s pumpkin spice season, take pleasure in their enjoyment!

Okay, I admit, I’m not a fan of pumpkin-flavored stuff. But I like that it stands for the change of season, into my favorite season. And people get so excited when pumpkin spice season comes around. Their posts make me smile. I enjoy their enjoyment, and it brightens my day. I don’t have to be enamored of the actual flavor in order to enjoy their happiness.

If you really can’t stand what they enjoy – scroll past WITHOUT MAKING A DETRIMENTAL COMMENT. Save those comments for something that actually matters, where there’s harm being caused, such as on the political spectrum, or if someone is abusing someone else.

If someone takes joy out of strangling puppies or drowning kittens, or trophy hunting endangered species, yes, absolutely call them out and report them to the appropriate authorities. If someone threatens physical harm or performs verbal abuse as their preferred pleasure, yes, do something.

But simple pleasures, the small daily joys in people’s lives that don’t cause harm? Either enjoy the enjoyment or keep going!

I’m paraphrasing an old saying that works along the line of a trouble that’s shared is a trouble halved, but a joy that’s shared is a joy that’s doubled.

Double your joy by sharing what makes you happy, and participate in doubling the joy of those who share what matters to them.

Fri. Sept. 14, 2018: Exciting and Busy Times

Friday, September 14, 2018
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Cloudy and humid

Why, yes, I was up at 5 and at my client’s at 7:30 this morning on site, so she could call from overseas and we could figure out the details because she’s won an award! I’m very excited for her, and it will be fun. I’m handling all the details up to and including the ceremony, which happens while she’s still out of town. She sent a video clip that I’m editing in iMovie that will be used in the ceremony.

So I’m behind on DHARMA, and I haven’t received the edits yet for RELICS. But I’m working on the idea set in New Mexico, and doing another pass on the first book of what used to be POWER OF WORDS.

And rehearsing for my reading tomorrow.

Exciting times!

But there’s plenty to worry about elsewhere — a series of explosions north of Boston — at one point over 50 fires burning. Hurricane Florence hitting the Carolinas.

I hope they figure out the WHY of these gas explosions. And I hope the Hurricane loses power quickly, so that those who’ve lost power can regain it, and that the storm surges and rainfall totals aren’t as bad as expected.

Quick reminder — if you’re on Cape tomorrow, please stop by the Provincetown Library, where I’m one of ten readers appearing between 10-11:30 AM as part of the Provincetown Book Festival.

Cover reveal for RELICS & REQUIEM to the public next week!

Have a great weekend, and stay safe!

Thurs. Sept. 13, 2018: Just the Stead Work

Thursday, September 13, 2018
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Rainy, warm, humid

Tired.

Work onsite with a client yesterday, then got some grocery shopping done.

Had a good day on DAVY JONES DHARMA yesterday; so far not too good today, but I’m hoping it will get better.

Having fun with the unscheduled, uncontracted piece I’ve been playing with, set on a retreat center in New Mexico.

I’m starting another semester of studying the process of the International Courts at the Hague. This semester will be in English, rather than French, so I expect it will be easier. I’m still only auditing. I might take the classes again in a year or two for credit. There’s so much information, I don’t absorb it all the first time around.

Put down a novel I started yesterday because it was in the Angsty Young White Man Whining category, and I’m tired of them.

I have some LOIs to get out today, and some other proposals to work on, along with the regular writing. I should get my editing notes for the next round of RELICS & REQUIEM, so I will start those tomorrow or Sunday. Probably Sunday.

Rehearsing and prepping for Saturday’s reading. I shouldn’t be nervous at this point, but I always am.

Back to the page.

Wed. Sept. 12, 2018: Switching Genres

Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde

Yesterday was a sad day. It was appropriate that it rained for most of it.

The Narcissistic Sociopath was his usual disgusting self.

Hop on over to Ink-Dipped Advice to see my article on how to lose a client.

Getting back into the groove of DAVY JONES DHARMA. These characters are a lot of fun. I enjoy spending time with them. Now that this is the primary writing focus, I can have fun with the piece, and be a little zany.

Having fun playing with a new idea, although I have no idea when I’ll actually get to write it.

Working on website stuff.

Working on the info sheet for my books that I need for Saturday (and beyond). I had a heck of a time fitting everything on it, about the different books and series. I finally distilled down the blurbs to three words per book. THREE WORDS.

Watched a BBC production of Shaw’s THE MILLIONNAIRESS, starring Maggie Smith. Still relevant in many ways. There’s a reason we keep doing Shakespeare and Shaw.

We are teaching Lucy how to play. She’s starting to enjoy herself. She and Tessa are figuring out how to be friends.

While I appreciate the efforts of people to be politically active on social media, for me, I don’t necessarily want to broadcast everything I do. I do a slew of active things every day. I don’t detail it, either on social media or here. I do it because I believe it’s part of the deal when you’re a citizen — you vote, you serve jury duty, you let your elected officials know where you stand on issues and bills so they can properly represent. It’s great to know what other people are doing, but I don’t feel detailing it publicly is the right choice for me. So I don’t. Because I get to make those choices. And those who find it appropriate to discuss their daily details make their choices. That’s why we’re all working for positive change — so we get to make these choices.

The story about a female cop who went into the wrong apartment and killed the man who lived there has a lot of holes in it. I’ve stumbled home after a 22-hour day on set. I always recognized my apartment (or, if I was staying at someone’s place, their apartment). I didn’t try to get into other people’s apartments. And to just shoot the guy? No. It’s beyond poor judgment. Especially for someone who is supposed to protect and serve, and who carries a gun. There’s more to this story. I don’t know whether there’s race involved (it wouldn’t surprise me) or something more personal. But there’s more to this story, and I hope it gets thoroughly investigated.

Hurricane Florence is supposed to hit the Carolinas tomorrow. I hope it loses power along the way.

I’m hauling all the stuff I’ve been working on out on the deck inside, because of the rain and humidity. Guess I’ll be unpacking inside for awhile. I hoped to have a few more months to air things out on the deck.

Rehearsing for Saturday. Public readings are a necessity, and once I do them, I’m fine, but it’s the prep and the pre-show jitters that I hate.

Onward.