The man at the next table in my favorite writing place actually said he is afraid of Romanians because of the ‘Dracula thing.’

The conversation at the table next to me has momentarily distracted from my writing. I think it was the line, “She’s into Judaism, but it’s that earthy pagan form of Judaism, you know?” No, actually I don’t.

In the (almost completed) process of switching POVs from third person past, to 1st person alternating, I somehow managed to leave out two chapters, without which readers* will be saying “Where did that come from?”

Getting this mess fixed is a complete nightmare. I will need lots of Bailey’s, cookies, Valium, or all three. Of course I’m kidding…except about the cookies.

 

*Note my optimism regarding the possibility of future readers.

Right. I organized my desktop.

Travel to a variety of destinations & shows in a variety of places have kept me away from creative endeavors in my favorite coffee spot for nearly a month. There was what I believe can be safely identified as a collective sigh of relief  from the staff when I returned yesterday. You know you’re getting old when they automatically assume you’ve died if you’re gone a few weeks.

*Raise your hand if you know this reference. Now put it down before you strain yourself.

 

Here’s what I learned last week at the Shaw Festival.

The moral of The Dance of Death is “Life Sucks, and Then You Die.”

Ditto Uncle Vanya

If you taste 18 different wines even those itty bitty sips will eventually cause a haze to spread over you.

Homemade Canadian scones are far superior to Starbucks’.**

*Audience side

**Actually, I knew that from past experience. Just thought it worth mentioning.

From time to time,* I acquire a Twitter follower whose interest in me is inexplicable, like their page is in Chamicuro or written in the Xylphoka alphabet. Some want to date me, despite the fact that,

A. We’ve never met, B. I’m at least 3 times their age, and C. we’d probably have to communicate by hand signals.

Did these people wake up one morning and say to themselves, “I think I’ll follow everyone whose last name stars with ‘N’?”**

 

*As in ‘hourly’

**I’m sure this isn’t the right way to punctuate this, but let’s be honest. Do you care?

Once my family got to sit in the Presidential box at the Kennedy. Unfortunately* the President wasn’t there.**

The only thing about the evening that impressed my sons was being offered chocolate covered strawberries while the orchestra was playing.

 

*Or fortunately, depending on your political leanings

**Neither was I.

It’s Wednesday. That means instead of writing or cleaning house,* I am tweeting clever lines from my various WIPs and reading even cleverer tweets from other authors’ WIPs. I even have my 1lineWed t-shirt on.**

*No snide remarks from those of you who have seen my house

**No, honestly.

The trouble with doing shows is I’m not writing. The trouble with not doing shows is I’m not doing shows. Can these two competing feelings be reconciled?*

*Rhetorical question