Just Shit, No Giggles

Well, I guess God got rather annoyed that my writing partner and I took Her name in vain, because the writing project just fell to shit. First, we changed the whole scenario, so that blasphemy was no longer a serious problem (though not for that reason). Then I had to do a pep talk for my writing partner because she was feeling that we just couldn't pull it together fast enough, or something. I should have known that we were in trouble then, 'cuz when I'm the one giving the pep talk.... I went out of town for the weekend to a place with little Internet access and less cell phone coverage, blissfully unaware that the Play For Keeps meeting had been changed to Sunday from Monday. So I missed it, and got laughed at by the hosting theater's building manager when I asked where the meeting was when I arrived on Monday. I then felt really bad when my writing partner called me up to bail on the project because of the comments she got on the script at the reading at the meeting. Now, I was not there. I do not know what comments were made, exactly. However, I am very protective of my own work and of people I consider my friends. I should have been there, for the very of least of reasons, being that my partner should not have to face criticism alone on something that is not even entirely her fault. Especially when she's feeling ambivalent about the project anyway. And I thought we had done good work, on both the zygotes of plays we produced. The upshot is that I can work on the plays myself, but my erstwhile partner wants nothing more to do with them because, as she says, her heart is no longer in them. That's her decision, but I am incredibly curious to know what comments were made. My former writing partner has promised to type them up and e-mail them to me. Reading those is going to be interesting.

I finally finished reading You Must Set Forth At Dawn by Wole Soyinka. I think it could best be described as a political autobiography, fascinating since the history of Nigeria as a nation pretty much coincides with Soyinka's adulthood. Soyinka doesn't mention when he got married (or how many times), but he seems to have had fairly direct access to most of the chief executives (both ostensible and actual) over Nigeria's colorful tenure as a member of the Commonwealth. One begins to believe that there are about twenty people in his homeland's political class, and that includes him. This bokk is rather densely written and it took me over a month to read it, but I definitely recommend it.

If you're interested in my mental state (and really, who of the no one who reads this isn't?), the mental soundtrack has gone from "One Fine Day" to "American Idiot" via "Every Breath You Take" back to "One Fine Day" again. Damn oldies station. I am now trying to cleanse my cerebral palate with Fallout Boy, to be followed by the Pogues.

Shit and Giggles

I'm still pumped after spending the evening on my writing project. My partner and I managed to come up with nearly seven pages of dramatic goodness. While this is nowhere near completion, we should have something to show next Monday when the group meets again. We have two more nights to get more stuff down on paper, and I feel great. My partner and I make a great team, much funnier together than seperately. At least, I am. Of course, not all is giggles. We have a few serious moments. But how much comedy can be gleaned from taking the Lord's name in vain? We are about to find out.

However, as in the playlet, my life is not all giggles. I got very drunk a few weeks ago and said and did some stupid things that drove away Passaro. Things for which I am very sorry. Of course, Passaro was there too, though nowhere near as drunk as I was. I miss him. I have to wait for a signal from him, however, since he made it clear that was the way it had to be. In the meantime, I'm avoiding the Jameson's, against which I completely misjudged myself. For all my bravado, I am a rather naive and cheap drunk.

That's all there is, I don't know when I'll post again, but hopefully I'll relate how the playlet goes over after next Monday.

Mom and Henry Miller

Oh, where to start? Well, let's start at my mother's birthday/retirement party. That was last weekend, and I really meant to blog then, really. Anyway, after running sundry errands (including a somewhat furtive trip to Half Price Books for a Chiffons CD) for the festivities, I got ready, to realize that I had brought no cosmetics. None. Nada. Zilch. And my mother loves to take pictures. Well, there was nothing for it but to smear on some eyeshadow that had been sitting in my medicine cabinet literally since high school and hope I looked well rested. Then came time to deal with what I had brought for our little get together:

Pantyhose? Check.

Uncomfortable shoes? Check.

Outfit that will cost a fortune to clean if (when) I spill wine on it? Check.

Inventions of the Devil? All systems go.

Anyway, I was assigned the task of answering the door and greeting the guests, which I managed to do decently between bites of roast beef and mushroom-filled pastries. And
glasses of wine, which despite my best efforts, I did manage to spill on a sleeve. To sum up, a good time was had by all, my mother most importantly. I feel a little guilty that my mother ended up planning a great deal of this herself, but my aunt and I live out of state, my sister expressed no interest whatsoever, and my dad, bless his heart, just doesn't have a head for this sort of thing. My mother, in contrast, lives for planning celebrations. Or whatever. If it's going to happen, my mom wants to plan it. But that is another post.

I finished Tropic of Cancer. I will definitely reread it at some point. I think it would be best read all at one go, because the way I read it, it didn't seem to really pick up steam until the las third or so, when I could really just keep going from chapter to chapter instead of a little each night before bed. I have to decide what I'm going to read next. I don't think it's going to be Nin, but we'll see.

Well, I'll try to post again soon, but I've been posting this so that I don't have to work on my writing project, and I have to do that before I go to bed tonight.