Progress!

Today's writing session helped me break through my clogged little chapter nine.

I see light at the end of the tunnel.

Only five more chapters to go before I start from the beginning edit it alllllll over again! But I'm getting way too ahead of myself.

As an aside, I'm currently reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and if you've ever read it before, you'll probably remember that it's a frigging HUGE book -- 1150+ pages in the hardcover edition. So far, I'm on page 230 and it's fantastic; but it's due back at the library by next Friday--so, uh, no pressure there, huh?

It's funny because I was at the Greenlake Community Center playroom today with Mr. Na and I pulled the book out of my knapsack and began to read when this woman came up to me and said,

"Oh, that's such a great book. How do you manage to get through something like that in here?"

I laughed because I hardly noticed the high-pitched shrieks and annoying sounds coming from the assorted, woebegone toys until she said something.

"Well," I said, "if I can make it through a whole page without having to find my child or break up a fight over a toy, I consider that a success!"

She warned me about the three hour long speech in the middle of the book that takes, like three hours to get through--so I guess I won't be reading that at the playroom.

Maybe I'll try and get an extension and read that passage on the beach!

Morrissey's new release, March '06

This was such a great article--so enjoy:
Morrissey Unveils Ringleader Tracklisting, Release Date

Matthew Solarski reports:
Suaver than the Fonz, more loveable than the Coz, the Moz (aka Morrissey, aka Stephen Patrick Morrissey, aka the reigning godfather of eloquent mopery) has a new record just for you. Scouring the moors of England far and wide, Pitchfork has retrieved all three quintessential components of a satisfyingly Mozzy news blurb: title, tracklisting, and release date. Actually, we just waylaid the NME after class and copped the stuff from them. It was a good waylay, a good waylay.

Ringleader of the Tormentors arrives March 20, 2006 in the UK courtesy of Sanctuary Records, and presumably March 21 in the U.S. If these titles are any indication, Morrissey's playing all his standard cards: king of ostentatious romanticism, queen of woebegone sulkery, jack of neo-chivalry, ace of bile, and level-three Charamander. Or he just used the Internet Morrissey Song Title Generator.

The royal flush:

01 I Will See You in Far-Off Places
02 Dear God Please Help Me
03 You Have Killed Me
04 The Youngest Was the Most Loved
05 In The Future When All's Well
06 The Father Who Must Be Killed
07 Life Is a Pigsty
08 I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now
09 On The Streets I Ran
10 To Me You Are a Work of Art
11 I Just Want to See the Boy Happy
12 At Last I Am Born

Portraying the wizard of Moz on his bloggy website, been-there-done-that producer Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex, Thin Lizzy) exclaims that he is "two thirds of the way through one of the best albums I've ever worked on, with...Morrissey at his best." Said site also features a photograph of Moz at the mixing boards sporting what appears to be a "Mozalini" English football jersey. Controversial!

Visconti also alludes to album-recording escapades with an Italian children's choir and legendary film-scorer Ennio Morricone. We already scooped you on how Moz and Vis are recording in Morricone's former studio, located in the catacombs of a seventeen-century church. Could there be more? For the answers to this, and the mystery of how Morrissey's new record can be both "balls-to-the-wall" and "perhaps the most gentle so far", keep your mice perennially stationed at the ‘fork.

* Pitchfork Review: Morrissey: Live at Earls Court
* Pitchfork News: Morrissey Titles New Album
* Morrissey: http://www.morrisseymusic.com/
* Tony Visconti www.tonyvisconti.com

Not Such a Bad Little Tree

Now you can own your very own little Christmas tree like Charlie Brown.

Me, Myself and Na

Hi-dee-ho friends! No, I haven't fallen off the planet (yet), just hangin' out with the Naster while Pa makes a trek to Paris, London and Bordeaux these next few weeks. You'd think I'd be freakin' jealous--and part of me is, since I'd love to spend the weekend in Oxford too--but we're off to Oahu the day after Thanksgiving, so that's keeping my spirits high.

I've been a reading fiend lately. I guess since I know it's the end of the year, I want to get as much reading in as I possibly can. A friend once told me she'd read something like 75 novels last year and, um, I haven't even come close. I'm up to 33--but in my defense, I've read quite a few 800+-page epics. Right now, I'm reading Stephen King's book On Writing and it's grand.

Speaking of cool things to read, be sure and check out this week's Seattle Weekly featuring "24 Hours in Music" in Seattle--which includes John Richard's morning program on KEXP. All I need is a caffeine drip and John in the Morning and I'm usually good to go for the day.

I'm a happy-go-lucky simian since I'm going to see the Dandys on Monday at the Showbox. My friends who are about to embark on their own Ukrainian adoption are doing a new-parents-to-a-toddler dress rehearsal with Mr. Na while I go see the show. They're so totally awesome for sitting for me!

And while I'm on the subject of awesome friends, a dear pal o'mine has decided to go into the cake decorating business. Cake sculpting is more like it, since her creations are quite extravagant. She's looking for a clever name, so if anyone has any good suggestions...

And finally, from my writing desk...I'm trudging through a really shitty chapter in my manuscript right now and it's killing me, so don't ask. I spent a fair amount of time on it yesterday and I think instead of caving in and watching The Apprentice tonight, I'll work on it instead. Um...at least that's what I'm telling you!

Time for Mr. Na's bath. Ni'Night.

Weather Forecast Tonight For France

This one's for you, honey!

!@$!!%& !!

After weeks of nothing but great days, I have to admit, yesterday just flat out sucked. Just moments before I was going to head up east to see Alyssa's new digs and to spend the afternoon writing and writing and writing, Mr. Na and I got into a messy car accident that, as he so eloquently told Pa, "Gave Mama's car door a big boo boo."

What can I say...we were driving during the "tons of rain" downpour and as I was about to enter a small roundabout in my neighborhood...SMASH! A woman coming from the left plowed into my car door.

Oddly enough, Mr. Na barely felt a thing (gotta love that German engineering) and wondered why I was turning off the car in the middle of the road muttering "shit (I said 'shoot,' honey...'shoot')". The woman was kind enough--admitted her fault and after we exchanged information, I drove my poor battered car home.

Yes, I'm thankful no one was hurt. Better still, thankful I wasn't
this poor man. I just hope the rain lets up enough for me to run not one but TWO laps around Lake Union tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Follow up: Despite the rain, I ran 13.5 miles on Saturday. Kinda wish I had run today instead of yesterday since the sun's out! Aw well!

Today's weather forecast according to Bloglines:



Weather Forecast for Seattle, WA
Tuesday
Overcast.
Tons of Rain.
Temp. (°F) 48° | 52°

TONS of rain! That's a first!

Today, my short runs have officially moved indoors.