The big news on the writing front is that a story of mine will be published on-line on October 14. I'll post a link to it once it's live.
Now that I'm feeling like I've fully recovered from last week's stupid cold, I have to get back into the swing of writing new stories, marketing stories, and going to the gym. I did go to the gym last Friday night, and I was sore the next day from reminding various muscles what a bench press or cable pull was.
The weekend brought a revelation for The Child.
Scene: (Leaving a social gathering. John is waving to D.R. and K.R. as they walk past the car.)
The Child: “...Wait. _That_ was D.R.?”
John: “Well, yeah; like I said, we used to have these really great religious discussions about faith and grace and transcendent—“
T.C.: “Uh, I thought that was years ago at Arcosanti, and you were tossing back drinks and talking about (air quotes) religion (end air quotes) until they threw you out at two in the morning into a big pile of homeless drunks.”
J (Pretty sure that fezes, hookahs, beaded curtains, and sitar background music is part of this re-imagined history): “Oh, no; we were at Turtles after Wordos.”
T.C.: “What?! Only old hippies go there. I thought you were drinking in a biker bar.”
J (adding a black leather jacket and chaps to his own re-imagined religious discussion apparel, and giving D a poet shirt and black, wide-brimmed Jesuit Priest's hat), : “I drank tequila; D.R. drank Diet Pepsi. (Recoloring this history in a Casablanca noir sepia tone) Did you think D. was some kind of Hipster Priest with an unbuttoned shirt showing a gold bling cross dangling over his hairy chest?”
T.C: “I thought you guys were cool...”
Showing posts with label utterances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label utterances. Show all posts
Monday, October 07, 2019
Friday, December 09, 2016
Weather Report
Yesterday we had our first post-Halloween ice storm. Luckily, it wasn't too bad, so the trees didn't lose too many branches and the roads weren't a skating rink. The public schools closed... I think they could have started with a two-hour delay and been fine.
The evening's funny moment was a musical one. I put together some season music, and when Maddy Prior sang the chorus of The Boar's Head -- "caput apri defero reddens laudes domino" -- The Child heard something like: "caput apri defero schadenfreude domino."
The evening's funny moment was a musical one. I put together some season music, and when Maddy Prior sang the chorus of The Boar's Head -- "caput apri defero reddens laudes domino" -- The Child heard something like: "caput apri defero schadenfreude domino."
Working Out: Went to the gym Wednesday. 200 calories on the elliptical with a ramp setting that worked my whole leg instead of the usual glutes and quads. I think this helped to loosen up my lower back, which has been feeling as if it were being poked by a branch for the last week. Downstairs I did 3X13 suspended crunches and a few light triceps curls.
Writing has slowed to almost a stop. . . . partially because sitting is uncomfortable and partially because I've been unmotivated to write.
Wednesday, September 02, 2015
Days of Peanut Butter
Various notes...
Working Out: Saturday afternoon, I managed to get the full routine in at the gym. Monday afternoon, I got delayed and only did the elliptical (180 cal in 15 minutes) and rowing machines (100 cal in 10 minutes) upstairs, and then the pec fly (50-12-3), and some triceps pull downs (40-12-3)... and I've forgotten what else... I want to sat lat pull-down, but that's wrong... maybe I just drank water.
Writing: Sunday I attended a writing workshop led by Ken Scholes. What I got out of it was some story starts, and some insight into the writing as a business process.
Afterward, there was a gathering and Ken was playing his guitar and singing some of his songs along with covers of Simon and Garfunkel, the Indigo Girls, and John Denver. I brought my harp and managed to jam along with him, and he was nice enough to play things in the key of C (even though it was a little high for his voice). Later, Nina K appeared and pulled out her lute. It was a lot of fun. I used to jam with Mark Heiman and with the Carleton College "Picking and Grinning" group (out of the "Rise of Singing" book) in the early 1990's.
Monday Morning I got up and was writing from about 6 AM to 7 AM. I transcribed some notes. In the afternoon, while I was on the elliptical, some writing bits came to me, and I managed to write them down before I went onto the rowing machine.
Tuesday: The Child put gum in his hair Sunday evening, which we didn't discover until the camp counselors told me Monday afternoon. They suggested peanut butter, and then I promptly forgot all about it as we zoomed off to piano lessons.
So...
Scene (7:40AM in the kitchen.)
The Child: "I don't want peanut butter in my hair!"
John: "Bud, you put gum in your hair; having peanut butter rubbed into your hair is a natural consequence."
TC (heading toward the front closet): "I'm going to hide!"
J (thinking, why didn't I remember this earlier instead of 20 minutes before I have to go to work. Clears tea kettle, pie pans, and coffee mugs off counter, sets down a towel, and peanut butter. Sets up a step ladder. Goes to the closet. Opens closet): "Come on, bud; I need you to come to the kitchen. We don't have a whole lot of time."
TC (resignedly peeking out from behind the great coat and rain pants): "Were you looking for me?"
J: "No, I was getting things ready." (They walk into kitchen.) "Now, get up on the counter." (Helps The Child onto the counter.)
TC: "Augh. I'm going to die. I'm going to fall off. I can't fit under these cabinets." (Turns around while John stands next to counter to keep him from tumbling off.) "I feel like I'm strapped down to a table."
J: (Rolls eyes.) "OK, so bring your head so it's in the sink."
TC: "Whoa! John, those knives are going to kill me."
J: (Looking at magnetic strip over The Child's face.) "Oh! I forgot that was there." (Places forearm on the cabinet between the knives' tips and The Child's eyes) "I'm glad you said something... this is an accident waiting to happen." (Gingerly pulls first knife from magnetic strip so that it doesn't knock other knives loose.) "I'll just put this over here." (Refrains from singing the Baron and Baroness's number, "Your My Oochy-Choochy Face" from "Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang.") "There we go..." (Places the fifth carving knife onto the microwave.)
TC: "Augh, John; I don't want to smell like peanut butter."
J: (Rinsing TC's hair with the sink sprayer) "Next time don't put gum in your hair." (Applies a tablespoon of peanut butter to the gum and massages it into TC's scalp.)
TC: "Ugh. I smell horrible."
J: "It's just peanut butter."
TC: "At least it doesn't smell as bad as you."
J: "That's not a wise thing to someone who is spraying you with water." (Rinses out peanut butter.) "Oh, hey! That really worked." (Rinses some more) "Oh, wait; there's little bit left." (Repeats peanut butter application on remaining gum.) "That really does the trick." (Rinse TC's hair again.) "OK. We're done." (Helps TC off the counter).
TC: "Augh. I'm gonna have a crick in my neck for the rest of the day."
J: "OK, go comb out your hair."
...And the morning rush rushed upon them...
Working Out: Saturday afternoon, I managed to get the full routine in at the gym. Monday afternoon, I got delayed and only did the elliptical (180 cal in 15 minutes) and rowing machines (100 cal in 10 minutes) upstairs, and then the pec fly (50-12-3), and some triceps pull downs (40-12-3)... and I've forgotten what else... I want to sat lat pull-down, but that's wrong... maybe I just drank water.
Writing: Sunday I attended a writing workshop led by Ken Scholes. What I got out of it was some story starts, and some insight into the writing as a business process.
Afterward, there was a gathering and Ken was playing his guitar and singing some of his songs along with covers of Simon and Garfunkel, the Indigo Girls, and John Denver. I brought my harp and managed to jam along with him, and he was nice enough to play things in the key of C (even though it was a little high for his voice). Later, Nina K appeared and pulled out her lute. It was a lot of fun. I used to jam with Mark Heiman and with the Carleton College "Picking and Grinning" group (out of the "Rise of Singing" book) in the early 1990's.
Monday Morning I got up and was writing from about 6 AM to 7 AM. I transcribed some notes. In the afternoon, while I was on the elliptical, some writing bits came to me, and I managed to write them down before I went onto the rowing machine.
Tuesday: The Child put gum in his hair Sunday evening, which we didn't discover until the camp counselors told me Monday afternoon. They suggested peanut butter, and then I promptly forgot all about it as we zoomed off to piano lessons.
So...
Scene (7:40AM in the kitchen.)
The Child: "I don't want peanut butter in my hair!"
John: "Bud, you put gum in your hair; having peanut butter rubbed into your hair is a natural consequence."
TC (heading toward the front closet): "I'm going to hide!"
J (thinking, why didn't I remember this earlier instead of 20 minutes before I have to go to work. Clears tea kettle, pie pans, and coffee mugs off counter, sets down a towel, and peanut butter. Sets up a step ladder. Goes to the closet. Opens closet): "Come on, bud; I need you to come to the kitchen. We don't have a whole lot of time."
TC (resignedly peeking out from behind the great coat and rain pants): "Were you looking for me?"
J: "No, I was getting things ready." (They walk into kitchen.) "Now, get up on the counter." (Helps The Child onto the counter.)
TC: "Augh. I'm going to die. I'm going to fall off. I can't fit under these cabinets." (Turns around while John stands next to counter to keep him from tumbling off.) "I feel like I'm strapped down to a table."
J: (Rolls eyes.) "OK, so bring your head so it's in the sink."
TC: "Whoa! John, those knives are going to kill me."
J: (Looking at magnetic strip over The Child's face.) "Oh! I forgot that was there." (Places forearm on the cabinet between the knives' tips and The Child's eyes) "I'm glad you said something... this is an accident waiting to happen." (Gingerly pulls first knife from magnetic strip so that it doesn't knock other knives loose.) "I'll just put this over here." (Refrains from singing the Baron and Baroness's number, "Your My Oochy-Choochy Face" from "Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang.") "There we go..." (Places the fifth carving knife onto the microwave.)
TC: "Augh, John; I don't want to smell like peanut butter."
J: (Rinsing TC's hair with the sink sprayer) "Next time don't put gum in your hair." (Applies a tablespoon of peanut butter to the gum and massages it into TC's scalp.)
TC: "Ugh. I smell horrible."
J: "It's just peanut butter."
TC: "At least it doesn't smell as bad as you."
J: "That's not a wise thing to someone who is spraying you with water." (Rinses out peanut butter.) "Oh, hey! That really worked." (Rinses some more) "Oh, wait; there's little bit left." (Repeats peanut butter application on remaining gum.) "That really does the trick." (Rinse TC's hair again.) "OK. We're done." (Helps TC off the counter).
TC: "Augh. I'm gonna have a crick in my neck for the rest of the day."
J: "OK, go comb out your hair."
...And the morning rush rushed upon them...
Monday, April 27, 2015
Dialogs and Working Out
Scene: The ride to school:
The Child (from the back seat): "Today's a testing day."
John (driving): "Oh, what are they going to test you on?"
TC: "I don't know."
J: "Will they test you on telekinesis?"
TC: "Huh? No."
J: "Will they test you on clairvoyance?"
TC: "What? No."
J: "Will they test you on Defense from the Dark Arts?"
TC: "I like the Dark Arts."
Working Out: Monday (4/20) I didn't go to the gym to give my tennis elbow a rest. Wednesday I went in and did a reduced routine, being careful to start the rowing machine slowly and not bring the bar much above my solar plexus, to keep my grip narrow on the lateral pulldown machine, to keep from using a vice-grip on things and I switched to a pec-fly machine on the theory it would keep me from putting too much pressure on my tight tendon.
The Child (from the back seat): "Today's a testing day."
John (driving): "Oh, what are they going to test you on?"
TC: "I don't know."
J: "Will they test you on telekinesis?"
TC: "Huh? No."
J: "Will they test you on clairvoyance?"
TC: "What? No."
J: "Will they test you on Defense from the Dark Arts?"
TC: "I like the Dark Arts."
Working Out: Monday (4/20) I didn't go to the gym to give my tennis elbow a rest. Wednesday I went in and did a reduced routine, being careful to start the rowing machine slowly and not bring the bar much above my solar plexus, to keep my grip narrow on the lateral pulldown machine, to keep from using a vice-grip on things and I switched to a pec-fly machine on the theory it would keep me from putting too much pressure on my tight tendon.
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