New plan: 24.5 weeks. 20 chapters. I have three weeks to finish the outlining/plot plan,which will then give me 21.5 weeks to write the damn thing. A chapter a week, a chapter a week. I can do that.  ¶ 10:49 AM 0 Comments

  Thankfully, the weekend of the vomitus is over!

Scene from Friday night:

N: What was that? It sounded like someone dropped a bucket of water ...

Me: You could say that ...

(later)

N: Wow! Did you get the DOORKNOB, too?

Me: (sheepish) Ummm, yeah.

/end scene.

My mother says, upon hearing that I've been sick all weekend: "Are you SURE it was a stomach flu?"

To which I have to reply snottily with as much disdain as I can muster: "Yes, MOTHER."

The nerve of that woman.

I'm pretty excited about eating again. In the words of my beloved Jillian: "Eating is good. You should do that."

So last night I made corn-on-the-cob and a warm potato salad of red, gold, and purple potatoes, cooked with mint, and sprinkled with herbed-garlic feta cheese and more mint. Yum. Later, we had chocolate pudding with fresh raspberries and strawberries while we watched "How I Met Your Mother" - it's a new show on CBS, written by a couple of N's college friends, so he was very excited about it. We enjoyed it thoroughly - particularly Neil Patrick Harris's character. We're looking forward to next week! Note, however that this does not mean that I'm becoming a TV watcher.

Between tonight and thursday (I have the day off! to recover from DJing on Wednesday night) I have to finish Chapter one and make notes/outline for subsequent chapters.  ¶ 10:29 AM 0 Comments

  We are having nice, cool autumnal weather right now and I love it. It puts me into an entirely different headspace. Today I put on my striped knee socks, black clippy skirt, black knit button down top with white piping, and my chunky oxford shoes with the spiderwebs printed on the toe. Librarian Goth Barbie, reporting for duty! (the *latest* in the Goth Barbie series)

This weekend is for sleep and more sleep - I'm running on empty - and the farmer's market. I have a yearning to make Garlicky Tomato Spinach Tortellini soup with fresh fixings, and corn muffins with the melting mozzarella centers. I might allow myself $10 to go over to S.D.'s vinyl record sale - selected records for $1! I require more records!

Also, today is September 16th. My 30th (!!!) birthday is in exactly six months. Since i am nothing if not overly-committed in my activities, I've decided to set a schedule and finish a first draft of my first book. In six months. Go.  ¶ 9:14 AM 0 Comments

  *The Art of Disappearing*

When they say Don't I know you? say no.

When they invite you to the party
remember what parties are like
before answering.
Someone telling you in a loud voice
they once wrote a poem.
Greasy sausage balls on a paper plate.
Then reply.

If they say we should get together.
say why? It's not that you don't love them any more.
You're trying to remember something
too important to forget.
Trees.
The monastery bell at twilight.
Tell them you have a new project.
It will never be finished.

When someone recognizes you in a grocery store
nod briefly and become a cabbage.

When someone you haven't seen in ten years
appears at the door,
don't start singing him all your new songs.
You will never catch up.

Walk around feeling like a leaf.
Know you could tumble any second.
Then decide what to do with your time.

-naomi shihab nye  ¶ 8:38 AM 0 Comments