Day 807

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Wrote in the morning, sent grants to SCBWI, five new queries, bills, organized, cleared emails, and talked to Chris and Alice before going to bed at 10.  A long, busy, good day!

Day 806

Monday, March 30, 2015

Up at 4, racquetball from 5-7, then went to drop my car off for a replacement part (rear oxygen sensor), wrote chapter of new novel, did a load of laundry, talked to Gwen, picked up car, practiced another two hours of racquetball in the evening, then came home at 9, talked to Alice, had dinner, watched the Scientology documentary on HBO called "Going Clear," then fell asleep around 11.  What a day.

When I talked to Gwen, we reminisced about the records we used to listen to when we were kids, including this one, which is both of our all-time favorites:

 

Day 805

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Up at 7, wrote for an hour, then took a shower and went with Alice to Costco.  Back before noon, wrote until 5 and read a few more chapters of The Godfather.  I'm really enjoying reading this.  It's rich, engaging, detailed and timeless in the best sense.  I can see what it was such a phenomenon back in the early '70s. 

Dinner at 6, 60 Minutest at 7, then an hour of tidying up, followed by two hours of Season 3 of Selfridge from 9-11.  A very enjoyable day.

Day 804

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Today, Alice and I attended the funeral of one of her dear bicycle friends, Peter Chau.  He was a very smart, very nice man.  It was completely unexpected.  He was only 65. 

Waiting in line at the restaurant

Hanging out at 17th & Geary

Cecilia, Jay, Rick, Kelvin

More former bicycle members

Lots of great food and wine to remember Peter
Peter Chau

Day 803

Friday, March 27, 2015

Up at 4:45, racquetball until 7, home for breakfast and a solid 45-minute nap, then a long stretch of writing from 8:30-3 with 30 minutes for lunch.  What started out as 6,000 words of first draft material has been shaped into half that, with another 500 words being removed over the weekend and endless revisions until it's close to what I want.  I'm glad I'm getting this down.  There are so many doggie books out there, but I think this one might be different.  It certainly sounds different.  Anyway, it's nice to know that when I'm in writing mode, I'm fully there, unable to do anything else.  My place is a disaster, but at least my first chapter is coming along. 

Picking up Alice at 4 and off to SF for the weekend.

Day 802

Thursday, March 26, 2015

I wanted to go to the sleep this morning, but ended up sleeping in until 8.  I got ready, worked at Varinsky from 9-2, then had my "Service Engine Soon" light checked at Bay Bridge Motors.  It had come on again.  It was either a loose cable or something else.  Turns out I need a new air intake system.  I guess I'm at the stage where minor repairs are necessary for my MINI.  This will set me back about $300, not a disaster but still enough to feel. 

I drove home and wrote from 3-11 with about 30 minutes for dinner and 15 minutes talking with Alice.  The first chapter of Dogs in the Fog is coming together.  First chapters always take about ten times longer than any other chapter.  They set everything up and let readers know what to expect.  My dog Tos certainly has a voice and personality, but getting things right will take hundreds of hours.  Good thing I've come to enjoy this activity.

To bed around 11:15.

Day 801

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Up at 4:40, racquetball from 5:10-7, then home for breakfast, a few items to take care of, then Varinsky from 9-2.  Came home and wrote until 9:30.  Talked to Alice.  A full straightforward day.

I can't stop tweaking my query.  Here's what I have this week:

Assertive, quick-thinking Lauren loves the limelight, hates the word "adorable," and must track down her missing dog Bailey before he's gone for good.  Quiet, gifted best friend Lani loves her books, sees bizarre Shengxiao animals inside people's hearts, and feels self-conscious over her Chinese roots and the freaky secret ability her adoptive parents know nothing about. In an Oakland neighborhood dotted with incidental mysteries no one has time to pursue, these two talented fifth graders launch a new detective agency and work through their caseload with the efficiency of seasoned pros.  They constantly catch what adults often miss, including clear evidence that a serial pet thief stalks their sunny streets.

TRUE COLORS DETECTIVE AGENCY is a 28,000-word Middle Grade whodunit that celebrates teamwork, deductive reasoning, and overcoming the fear of being special.


I guess I'll keep tweaking until something works. 

Day 800

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Up at 7, and from 7am to 8 pm, I wrote or thought about writing Tos’s story.  The first chapter sets everything up.  It helps to know the full story.  I know most of it, and certainly Tos’s backstory, which will be fascinating to write.  I can see Downton Abbey influences here, along with the obvious Lee K. Abbott tendencies, which have always been music to my ears, Vivaldi-level music, so good and deep in the pocket.  Took a shower at 5 p.m. and had dinner while watching an episode of Mad Men Season 7.  Truly one of the greatest TV shows of all time.  Maybe even the best.  The writing, story, acting, sets, costumes, everything are so superb.  And it’s always so full of surprises.  It’s one series I can watch all over again from beginning to end.

Talked with Chris at 8 for an hour.  I hope to send him some pages in a few days.  Still tinkering and getting things right.  Talked to Alice afterward and one of her longtime friends and members of her bicycle gang, Peter, had what sounds like an aneurysm on Monday.  He had surgery, but it all sounds like very bad news.  May and Peter were going on the same cruise we’re going on, only a few months later in July.  Alice is as close to her bicycle gang as I am with my Bellingham gang.  It’s possible we’ll see them all this weekend.



Quickly reading We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo before I have to return it.  Watched two more episodes of Mad Men, finishing what I had left and staying up close to midnight.  TV junky for sure.


Day 799

Monday, March 23, 2015

Up at 4, drove home, collected my gym gear and made it to they gym by 5:05.  I played a few singles games and two doubles games, then showered and came home to a full day of writing at 7:40.  I worked on Dogs in the Fog all day, with a few naps thrown in and about 90 minutes of reading time.  What a great day!  I wish they could all be like this!

The trick with Dogs is getting the voice right.  My dog Tos is a country hound who's smart, observant, and insightful in a very canine/protective sort of way.  His owner Tim is his god and he worship the ground Tim walks on.  Tim is 15 or 16 and a great kid, a lot like Miles, who will one day become the greatest animal trainer of his generation.  Tos's other owner Clair, who stars with Tos on the Dogs in the Fog TV show, is a natural talent who takes to fame and celebrity like Mozart took to music.  The story is really about Tim and Clair and their big romance, but with so much happening in Tos's life and so much that has already happened, I think there will be enough balance to even out the storylines. 

At 6:30, I left for the club again to play my league match against George.  I beat him 15-5, 15-6, then came home and watched two episodes of Mad Men season 7, which just arrived today on Netflix.  To bed at 10 after talking with Alice.  

Day 798

Sunday, March 22, 2015

I wrote and read and checked out a pile of new books from the library, along with The Incredibles, which I haven't seen in years. 







I spent two hours reading the opening 20 or so pages from these five books.  I want to read them all. 

Alice and I watched 60 Minutes, then I watched a show on Harry Selfridge before giving Alice a massage to hopefully begin alleviating some of the pain she's experienced from her piriformis muscle/sciatic nerve.  She bought a massage table and we set it up.  It works great.  We watched a few YouTube videos and began using some of the techniques.  I hope it helps.  She's been in pain for a long time. 

To bed around 10 or so.

Day 797

Saturday, March 21, 2015

I can see myself working every day for the rest of my life, but today I relaxed with Alice, took long naps, watched Bill Maher and two movies and didn't write a single word or turn a single page.  We watched Chef and Little Miss Sunshine, which I'd just seen last week and wanted to see again.  Alice loved it.  It's such a special movie.  Chef had it's drawbacks, but the feel of the film was genuine and fun.  Jon Favreau is a great writer and has a wonderful presence.  He's enormously talented.


Day 796

Friday, March 20, 2015

Steve and I played our match this morning and he destroyed me 5-15, 10-15.  There wasn't much I could do to stop him.  He played great and has become so quick and fast.  I'm afraid my days of spanking his a$$ are over, unless I can somehow dig deep and find a miracle formula to turn the tide. Losing a good ten years wouldn't hurt either.  Anyway, the match was humbling.

I worked at both Varinsky and Wendel today, so not much writing.  After work, I met Richard and Miles at Off the Grid and had a delicious fried chicken sandwich from the Southern Comfort food truck.  It was so good!

After dinner, we went back to the Youngs for a classic John Hughes flick Uncle Buck, which I hadn't seen in years.  Silly but fun.  The older I get, the more I like John Hughes films.


Day 795

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Up at 5:15, to the gym to practice for 45 minutes, then a full work day at Varinsky and Wendel. Little writing and little else done, though I did spend time revising my query and the first chapter of True Colors.  Brainstorming ideas for a new thriller for YA readers, sort of a 70s espionage Boys From Brazil sort of yarn.  Lots of possibilities with this one.  

Day 794

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Up at 4:44, racquetball from 5:10-7:05, back home by 8.  It was another full house at the gym.  Glenn, Dorian, Kirk, Ronald and I played singles until 6:45, then we switched to doubles.  It's been fun having new guys play with us in the morning.  I play my singles match against Steve on Friday.

At home, I sent out four new queries and continued tweaking my cover letter.  Here's what I currently have to describe True Colors:

Assertive, quick-thinking Lauren loves the limelight, hates the word "adorable," and must track down her missing dog Bailey before he's gone for good.  Quiet, gifted best friend Lani loves her books, sees bizarre Shengxiao animals inside people's hearts, and feels self-conscious over her Chinese roots and the freaky secret ability her adoptive parents know nothing about. With a new detective agency to run and unsolved mysteries to pursue, these two talented fifth graders discover they make a pretty awesome team.  They constantly catch what adults often miss, including clear evidence that a serial pet thief stalks their Oakland neighborhood.

TRUE COLORS DETECTIVE AGENCY is a 28,000-word Middle Grade whodunit that feels grownup but keeps the suspense preteen friendly.


At the moment, this is good enough for me.  I've also been tweaking the first chapter, but it is what it is.  Maybe Dogs in the Fog will have better luck.

I took care of writing duties until 1, then had lunch and headed to Wendel at 3.  I worked until 6, then came home and took care of chores for two hours before re-reading chapter 1, making more changes, then going to bed.  

Day 793

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Planned to practice this morning at 5, but hit the snooze a few times and didn't wake up until 7.  I guess I needed the sleep.  Working at both Varinsky and Wendel today.


Murry had her famous corned beef for lunch, along with lots of goodies from others.  Very tasty.  I worked until 6, then came home hoping to complete just an hour of chores before talking to Chris.  Too tired.  I ended up watched a youtube on Glenn Greenwald instead.  Chris and I had a great 90-minute talk, then I talked with Alice before calling it a night.

Day 792

Monday, March 16, 2015

Up at 4, racquetball until 7:10.  A full house this morning with two newbies hitting with us, Kirk and Ronald.  We had six players playing by 5:30.  Nice.

Came home and had my oatmeal and tea while reading two chapters of this:


The chapter on the Pentagon Papers was particularly inspiring.  Here are a few lines:

"Not publishing the information when we had it would be lke not saving a drowning man, or not telling the truth."

"Failure to publish without a fight would constitute an abdication that would brand the Post forever, as an establishment tool of whatever administration was in power."

I also read an article on the New York Times sitting on their warrantless wiretapping story for more than a year because the Bush administration told them not to publish it, and perhaps even threatened them with the Espionage Act if they didn't listen.  The NYT listened and their reputation has been suffering ever since.

"That's what newspapers do: they learn, they report, they verify, the write, and they publish."

Reviewed query of True Colors and first chapter again, looking for any ways to improve it.

I worked at home until 1, then had lunch and left for Wendel at 1:30, arriving at 2.  I put in four hours there and started listening to this for the first 30 minutes, then at home:


I enjoyed listening to this and watching Glenn Greenwald wipe the floor with Michael Hayden and Alan Dershowitz's lame, ridiculous arguments.  GG continues to impress me with his oratory skill and absolute command of the talking points that blow these two pro-surveillance tools out of the water.  I loved every moment of this debate.

After watching, I talked with my nephew Mathew for 60 minutes or so, catching up on his life in Boston and also talking about my awakening in the entire Edward Snowden/NSA story.  He was where I was prior to reading No Place to Hide.  I told him to read the book, then the Citizenfour documentary, then get back to me.

Before bed, I talked with Alice for 20 minutes, then crashed hard.  I was exhausted.

Day 791

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Woke up at 7, took Austin to Devil's Teeth for their awesome breakfast sandwiches, drove him back to St. Mary's, came home and read/organized until 1:30, when I had to leave for a birthday party for one of my fellow racquetball players.

Harry and Scott

Cliff the Birthday Boy

Me, Robbie, Ernesto, Dorian just before our group picture
Cliff has been diagnosed with a very aggressive kind of cancer that has spread throughout his body. He looked great and his spirits were high with so many friends and family in attendance.  It's always great times getting together with my racquetball buds.

After the party, I came home and read for another hour or so before driving back to SF and Alice's for dinner.

We had leftovers and watched 60 Minutes.  I talked to Gwen on FaceTime for 30 minutes, then took care of a few things online.  By 10:30 it was time for bed.

Day 790

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Up at 6, wrote and read until 9:30, then headed over to Alice's for the day, stopping first at Costco for gas before traffic got too thick.  Made it to her place by 10:30.  We went to Irving St. for sandwiches and dumpling, then came back home.  My mind was spinning all afternoon with new ideas for future projects.  A few influences came to mind:






Lots to think about.

Alice and I watched the rest of season two of this:


Now we're ready for Selfridge Season 3!

Day 789

Friday, March 13, 2015

I got up early (around 3:30) and sent emails, then went to the gym from 5-7:15.  I came home and went out for coffee with Alice before she took the car pool into the city.  I had my morning to write and read.  I went to Wendel in the afternoon, then met up with Rossana, Richard, Lisa, Sophia and her friends for a little Oakland Museum action and the food trucks from 6-9.  I had a delicious middle eastern burrito that was very tasty. 

Lisa helped me with my query and first chapter, as did Richard and Ari, who called from LA.  It was a very good brainstorming session. 

At 9 we started Little Miss Sunshine, which was so sweet to watch.  Love this film.


Day 788

Thursday, March 12, 2015

I had jury duty today, so I took the car pool into SF, walked to the courthouse, and waited for an hour or so before they called names for their case.  For the second time in-a-row, my name wasn't called, so I was excused.  I walked around for a bit and made my way to the San Francisco public library, which is a really beautiful modern building.  I loved walking through all the floors.  It feels very modern and high tech. 

I took BART back home and had the entire afternoon for myself.  I picked up Alice and took her to her appointment.  Afterward, we had sushi at Mijori.  We went to bed around 10:30.

Day 787

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

I finally posted my thoughts on Edward Snowden, after reading Glenn Greenwald's book and watching Citizenfour twice.  I may have to engage in this subject to keep my mind from exploding.  What the NSA has did was so wrong and they know it.  They have effectively dismantled what this country stands for when they turned the lens and microphone on everyone with a court warrant.  Michael Hayden and the rest of his ilk can justify all day long the reasons why they did what they did, and yet at the end of the day they broke the law and undermined the Constitution of the United States.  That will be their legacy throughout their lives.  That's the choice they made.  It was a profoundly wrong choice.  I will do everything I can to help undo this profound breach of our rights as citizens.  I am not about to have my life used against me and my views, thoughts, opinions and perspectives taken away from me, tracked, analyzed, recorded, collected and misrepresented by the NSA or any other government agency without a warrant, not in this lifetime, not in this country.  Thank you, NSA, for turning this country into the Death Star.  You have destroyed your credibility.  That's the consequence you have earned for yourself.  Way to go.  Unbelievable.

I think it's taken me about 18 months to fully come to terms with what this agency has done over the course of the past 13 years.  Wait a minute.  That's not right.  I'm just beginning to educate myself on this colossal story, so I undoubtedly have so much more to learn and comprehend.  I guess when all is said and done, I really do care about the principles of this country after all and don't want it destroyed by fear mongers and sociopaths who could care less about Fourth Amendment rights, liberty, and pesky little word dictators hate so much, freedom.  Freedom actually means something to me.  It means being able to write what I want, think what I think, and hold those in power accountable without fear of repercussions.  It means Laura Poitras being allowed to film her documentaries without fear of harassment or bullying.  It means not collecting my data or listening to my phone conversations and FaceTime chats, simply because the government can.  It meant something when Mel Gibson screamed it in Braveheart, and it means something now.

 Edward Snowden

Anyway, I can tell I'll be in this head space for some time.

I woke up at 4:30, played racquetball from 5-6:30, went to Varinsky at 11 and Wendel at 3:30, then had a racquetball lesson from 7-8 with Bobby Horn, #4 ranked player in the World Racquetball League.  It was great getting tips from him on my swing.  Just a few adjustments might make all the difference.

Came home, had dinner, talked with Alice for 15 minutes, then began the Frontline documentary called The United States of Secrets, which has been on my list for a while.  Top priority now.  I hate hate hate what decision makers decided to do at the NSA.  History has a way of getting at the truth.  I just hope enough citizens give it enough attention.  I know I haven't until now.

Reading this and enjoying it:


Day 786

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Up at 5 but with no car, I wasn't able to go to the gym.  I banged out two more queries, bringing my total to 27 sent with 14 currently out.  I've mixed things up a bit, changing words here and there, creating more energy and immediacy.  I think what I need is a little luck in finding the right agent with the right needs.  All agents talk about are voice and character.  No one talks story, which is the complete opposite focus in the movie world.  A compelling voice and characters are a given, but to me, everything, every decision, every choice, is governed by the story itself.  If there isn't a well-thought-out story behind someone's beautiful writing and engaging characters, chances are I will not finish that book.  Voice and character are components of story, but what I'm discovering is they're everything to these readers.  It's really something.  So, rather than fight this, I'm shifting my priorities to focus on these two elements as if they're the bedrock of a good novel, which they are NOT.  They serve the story, not the other way around.  I'm going to create a list of novels that do this so well, create a wonderful voice and marvelous characters that function at the pleasure of a dynamite story.  Barry Unsworth's Morality Play comes to mind.  The voice and characters are so magnificent, but what distinguishes this brilliant novel is a perfectly plotted storyline with surprises, twists and turns, and action that keeps things moving forward.  It is simply stunning to me that this is not on the radar of the gatekeepers of literature.  When agents and editors mean voice, what they really mean is first person narrative.  A strong third person narrative doesn't really have a voice.  That's because the narrator is out of the way.  Some of these middle grade books I'm reading are so incredibly slow that I boggles my mind that anyone has any patience reading them.  Oh, the writing's pretty enough and the details and beautiful language go on forever, but the story?  Holy cow.  TV writers are totally schooling novelists right now when it comes to inventive, fast-paced, electrifying story.  Schooling them. 

That felt good getting that out.  Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a Kafka novel.  I need to focus less on the contrived, ridiculous MG novels out there and focus more on the books I really admire, like Running Out of Night by Sharon Lovejoy and Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth.  Both first person.  I'm halfway through School of Fear right now and it's so unbelievably slow.  It isn't until page 100 when these kids arrive at school.  Unreal!  It just goes on and on and on.  Novelists, we're living in the year 2015, not 1915 or 1815.  Get over your brilliant writing talent and please for the love of God pick up your pace!

Went to Bay Bridge Motors at 10:45 and picked up my MINI, which is still with the dead battery.  Got a jump, then drove to the dealership for a free replacement.  Had lunch at China Lounge which was good.  I'm so glad my MINI is back in running order again.

Worked at Wendel from 3-6, then had to matches tonight, winning both.  Had to come back from a 6-14 deficit to beat Patrick 15-14.  I love doing that.

Talked to Chris tonight, which felt good.  I vented about Edward Snowden and the Death Star that is the United States in general and the NSA in particular.  Citizenfour and Glenn Grenwald's No Place to Hide really affected me.  If liberty and freedom are really illusions in this country, then what does this country really stand for?  Perhaps I'm so outraged about the who NSA thing because I'm a white male and I'm not used to having my civil liberties so thoroughly shredded and dismissed.  Maybe if I were a woman or a black male, I wouldn't be so surprised. 

Time for bed.  I'm too wired up tonight.

Day 785

Monday, March 9, 2015

Up at 4:30, got a lift from Dorian to the club, played until 7, then came home at 8.  Took the bus to Varinsky at 10, then another bus to Wendel at 3.  I'll pick up my car tomorrow.  It needs a new battery after all.  Two queries out today.

Day 784

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Up at 7, read and wrote for 30-45 minutes, then caught up with Jill.  Tom is going to read my latest book and give me comments.  It's with several readers right now, so the story should very tight.  It should sell, but that doesn't mean it will. 

We have waffles for breakfast. At 10:30, we drove Austin back to Saint Mary's and checked out the new $23.5 million student athletic center that opened today. It's beautiful.  The pool area is incredible. Austin should make wonderful use of this. 

Alice and I had lunch on campus.  I love hanging out on college campuses.  It's so nostalgic for me.  I'll always be a student at heart.  We drove back to Oakland where I stayed the rest of the day while Alice drove back to the city. I worked on my query materials a few hours more, then went over to Richard and Lisa's for an hour or so to get their feedback on things.  They were very helpful.  It had been a while since I'd seen them, so it was wonderful to visit.

I came back home around 8 and took care of a few items before calling it a night.  Dorian's picking me up for racquetball tomorrow morning.  Hopefully, my car will be ready to pick up.

Day 783

Saturday, March 7, 2015

I woke up at 5:30, revised some more, sent out a few emails, and also sent out a handful of queries.  I showered, did chores, and had Alice pick me up at 10 (she came from her chiropractor appointment).


Once we arrived in the Sunset, we walked to Devil's Teeth Bakery on Noriega and split a special breakfast sandwich that was so delicious.







We also had a mocha, latte, donut muffin, zuchini bread and scone, lots of delish carbs. 
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading, revising, and returning sending emails.  I also called Neal and caught up with him for 30 minutes.

Alice and I watched a couple of episodes of season 2 of Selfridge, which is really strong.  We should be all caught up by the time season 3 begins in late March.

We ordered takeout Chinese food from a place that we walked by earlier in the day that got strong reviews on Yelp.  It was delicious and very reasonable.  Later in the evening, we watched Citizenfour with Austin. This story still haunts me.  The documentary is so good.

I read Edward Snowden's entry in Wikipedia before bed.  Daylight savings begins...yay!

Day 782

Friday, March 6, 2015

With my car stranded on Bellevue and Ellita, I stayed home this morning and work up around 6:20.  Alice and I got ready, then when down the Avenue for coffee/tea and Arizmendi.  I walked her to the carpool and came home a little before 8.  I called Bay Bridge Motors letting them know I'd be there with my broken MINI, then called my roadside assistance service for towing.  I met the guy at 9:45 and the car luckily started with a quick jump.  That was a relief!  My battery is only 18 months old, so I'm not sure what the issue is. 

I took the car in and they looked it over without knowing exactly why the battery is draining.  The battery appears to be fine.  I'm keeping the car at the shop over the weekend.

I worked at Varinsky a few hours and broke up my day with lunch at Pixar with Tony and Tim.


Tim and Tony at Pixar

We talked pretty much nonstop about movies.  It was great!  Lunch was good, too.  It was a treat walking around the Pixar campus.  I don't know how anyone gets any work done though with so many cool things to do.  It felt like a relaxing resort! 



After lunch, I worked a few hours more, then took the bus home.  I read, revised for a few hours, then watched a lecture by Michael Arndt on insanely great endings.  It was fantastic!  Everything  he said made sense.  I love breaking down the struggles into three groups, internal, external, and philosophical.  I miss screenwriting!

Went to bed around 11.

Day 781

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Woke up around 6 or so.  I didn't go into the gym today.  I took care of a few things, then went to Varinsky and Wendel.  I picked up Alice from her chiropractor appointment, but when we returned to my car, it wouldn't start.  The battery was completely dead.  Luckily, I had Uber on my iPhone, so I used them for the first time.  Uber totally saved me.  We went to my place, then to Mariner Square where I had my playoff match in the mixed doubles league.  Darlene and I won our first match but lost our second.  She and her husband drove me home where Alice was watching TV half-asleep.  I wolfed down my dinner, then went to bed around 11.  The anxiety of my car was a really stressful, but hopefully it will be fixed tomorrow. 

Day 780

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

I woke up at 4:30, played racquetball from 5-7, then came home before heading off to work at both Varinsky and Wendel.  I revamped my query which I think gives it more energy and brings out Lauren and Lani's personalities.  We'll see.  So far, I haven't received any interest in this manuscript. 

I played my match against Ramon tonight and lost 10-15, 15-6, 8-11.  We both played well.  Bobby Horn and Carla were at our club.  The sometimes come over on Wednesday nights.  That is so cool to have one of the best racquetball players in the world at our club. 

I came home exhausted and had dinner, talked to Alice and went to bed by 9:30.

Day 779

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

It's usually a good sign when I'm up at 3 a.m. working on a new book.  I slept from 9:30-3 and was wide awake by the time I got up, so I wrote for an hour before going back to bed until it was time to leave for the gym.

Tos, my new main character, has a lot of Sandy in him.  He's the kind of dog everyone loves and everyone wants to be around.  He's slightly smaller than a classic border collie, but just as quick, if not quicker, and just as smart, if not smarter.  His sable coat shines, with shorter hair than Lassie but with a color just as rich.  Still developing him, but so far he's clever and fun with enough irony and humility to keep his tale engaging.

Insanity this morning and 30 minutes of racquetball practice.  A good start to the morning.  I have my morning to myself, then lunch today with Tony and Tim at Pixar!  Should be fun.


Day 778

Monday, March 2, 2015

Up at 4, home at 4:45, then slept another two hours.  I wrote all morning long, then went to the gym at noon and played racquetball with Dorian and Adonal Foyle, a 7' former Golden State Warrior who now plays racquetball in the afternoons.  We played from noon - 2. 

Wendel from 2-6, then home to write another hour before taking care of some chores and going to bed by 9:30.  Today went quickly.

Day 777

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Woke up at 7 and wrote in the morning.  Then Alice and I went to the Cliff House for popovers.  We should do this more often.  It was another perfect Sunday.

Alice taking a picture at Ocean Beach

Ocean Beach
In the afternoon, I read and wrote until dinner.  Afterward, we watched 60 Minutes, followed by the season finale of Downton Abbey.  Julian Fellowes did not disappoint!  There were a handful of really fine guilty pleasure episodes in the second half of season five. 

Day 776

Saturday, February 28, 2015

I finished Racing in the Rain and have to say, what an odd book.  It was nothing like what I was expecting, though I didn't really have any expectations going into it.  The second half was certainly full of enough conflict to keep things moving, though so little of the drama was about the dog, which was interesting.  And the voice of the dog sounded so much like the voice of a man.  It didn't quite work for me, but I'm glad I finished.

I slept for 2-3 hours in the afternoon before we headed over to Alice's sister's for Chinese New Year.  It was enjoyable getting together and eating lots of delicious food. 

Austin and Alice with Austin's Grandmother

Alice, Austin, and Alice's parents at Karen's for Chinese New Year