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11/02/2008

Potpourri

Among other things ....

Correction: As regards the Halloween story told Friday night. It has been pointed out to me that Evening Mass wasn't offered by the Church until after 1972. So Mrs. Twilliger musn't have been going to Mass. In fact (having discussed this with Mrs. Morgan) Mrs. Morgan misspoke. Mrs. Twilliger was, in fact, on her way to Confession.

I am more than 8000 words into the first chapter of 'Sarah'. She is proving to be much tougher to write than 'the Kid' was. Not that the story itself is all that hard - its more like trying to keep myself from just running off in different directions. I keep getting different ideas that would make the story so BIG - writing Sully's life, for example, and how he got to Las Vegas from Chicago. Or writing Jake Bertrett's life into the story. I'm beginning to realize that Jake is going to be necessary to the larger story - so maybe I DO have to write him larger than I had thought I would have to. It's really difficult to keep this thing focused on Sarah. 8000 words in and I have completed three scenes and I'm well into the fourth. I think the first chapter, then, is going to run out at about 16000 words.

One thing I love about my new Mac (her name is Luscious, as you know) is her LIGHTED keyboard. Talk about getting in the mood. I can turn out the lights and put on music that suits the mood and just type away on her velvety smooth keys and never miss a stroke because I can't see. I AM, of course, the kind of guy that likes to look at what he's doing. Ahem. Cough. It's just that I am NOT a touch typist. I have tried. But practice typing so sooooo boring and if I'm typing something for real, why the hell would I want to type that slow? Anyway, Lucsious is lovely to play with and Sarah is benefitting from my affair with my new Mac. Actually, it's no longer an affair. I have decided to give up Windows and give my heart to Mac, if not with a secret longing for a Linux environment that's actually usable by everybody.

I am doing NaBloPoMo. I mean, why not? I'm on the downhill side of blog365 now, and NaBloPoMo is going to fall right into the last end of it (well, almost the end of it) so I guess I'm going to do NaBloPoMo whether I like it or not. Besides, I really enjoyed it, last November, and I met some great people that are still friends.

I wonder if someone is going to propose Blog365 for 2009? I will not do it. I am going to do something a little different, I think. I am going to change my template so I have three columns. If I can figure out how to do that safely. And I am going to publish a schedule of days I will be blogging. I may take a few weekends off in the coming year. I may take an occasional day off during the week. Whatever - it will be on the calendar I plan to deploy in the new format. All I have to do is finish testing the new format - and the new code for the randomized blogroll.

While I've been writing this, I've been listening to Mozart. Suddenly, I am hearing 'Misericordia Domini', K.222 and its beautiful Aria sung by a woman, whose name I don't know, with a glorious voice. But this piece of music takes me to one of my favorite characters from Television - Inspector Morse. From the BBC. Played by John Thaw. Inspector Morse, a loner and a lonely man, loved to listen to classical music, and this particular piece was heard several times during the run of the series. I have always loved this piece, and it helped endear the character of Inspector Morse in my mind and heart. Anyone who has ever felt themselves the 'outsider' would understand and appreciate Morse. Anyway, it came time for John Thaw to walk away from the series. To retire. In 2000. A little over a year later, he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. Eight months later, in February, 2002, he was dead. He was three years older than I. He never had time to properly enjoy his retirement and his recovery from alcoholism. I'm not sure why I felt his death any more keenly than others who have died - except, perhaps, that I felt a kinship with his character, Morse.

Beany of So Grateful To Be Mormon is still missing. She has been constantly on my mind for days now. The latest update says that they have found her truck. Her keys are gone from the truck, there is damage on one side of the truck that may be from an earlier encounter with a guard rail on Monday. Or, possibly, a later accident. No one knows. Now, more than ever, they need your prayers.

That's about it for today. I hope you had a Happy and Safe Halloween.

Peace.

16 comments:

Myst_72 said...

I hope Beany is o.k.

How frightening for her family, I can't imagine.

G
xx

www.ayewonder.com said...

Lou, keep those all of those balls in the air. You're doing good so far!!

Tara R. said...

I so much want a MacBook... I look forward to blogging away with you during NaBloPoMo. Good luck!

Thanks for keeping everyone updated on Beany... there is still no good news.

Ndinombethe said...

I am really leaning towards a mac for my next upgrade...

Enjoy NaBloPoMo

Had no idea about Beany. She and her family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend.

Anonymous said...

Happy Halloween? My house got egged. No cute kids in costumes came, but someone made it a point to egg my front window. And now I have all this candy.

Jientje said...

That's good news about joining Nablopomo again this year. I hope to be able to add you as a friend there soon, not being able to add new friends sucks, that was what made last year so fun and interesting in the first place.

Unknown said...

Luscious sounds like an absolute beauty! I'm envious. And Lou, you deserve a break...I had no idea you were doing 365 until yesterday and seriously, I bow to you...that's nothing short of amazing. That's a commitment and dedication that I admire.

Unknown said...

Ihave signed up to do NaBloPoMo for November, too. I hope the public committment will help me stick with it. Oh, and I am jealous of your MAC!

Anonymous said...

That was nice what you said about John Thaw.

Joyce-Anne said...

As I write this my almost 2 year old is climbing on my lap. You have a lot to think about regarding "Sarah". While I will miss not reading you everyday next year, I plan to make the most of reading your blog the rest of this year. I think the commitment of writing a blog entry everyday is overwhelming, and possibly part of the reason I haven't started my own blog yet.

I'm still hoping and praying that Beany is returns home safe and sound very, very soon.

Unknown said...

That is so sad and scary about Beany. I truly hope she returns home safely.

Momisodes said...

Sometimes it amazes me how much we're on the same wavelength. First with Mac and then with NaBloPoMo and Blog365. You're one of the few still keeping me company you know :)

I am just worried sick about Kathleen. Thank you so much for posting the update. I've been checking in on her blog frequently. Still no news.

Shadow said...

you know what? reading this post is so easy and relaxing. your subject, something about it, and on to the next one. it flows. i see glimpses of the person writing it. how he thinks. who he is. and i guess it's exactly that which makes you such a good writer...

Eric S. said...

I just left my thoughts and prayers on Beany's site. That post by her daughter is so frightening.

Sounds like your making progress with Sara. Someone once told me that to make a character fit well you have to write out their story, then take what you will for the story your really writing. Maybe that is what's happening with you and the other characters.

Hey ask Luscious if she has a sister?

Cathy said...

I liked that "Inspector Morse" show, too. I didn't know the actor passed away--that's so sad.

Anonymous said...

I am thinking of doing one month of blogging a picture a day.
Just had the idea the other day.
Maybe I do a ning group for that :)