Day 959

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Up at 7:20, started writing at 8 and went until 3 when Alice came over.  We relaxed and went to dinner at Lin Jia before she drove home at 7:30.  I continued writing and sent chapter 7 to Chris at 10.  Now it's on to chapters 8 and 9.  Only five more chapters left and the first draft is done.

Saw a great NOVA episode on the Hubble Space Telescope that was really interesting.

It's really something to think there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on earth. 

Day 958

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Up at 7, wrote from 8-4, then prepared for my Fantasy Football draft.  We drafted from 7-10.  I stayed home while Alice got Austin ready for his second year at St. Mary's.  He leaves tomorrow. 

I spent most of the day writing parts 1 and 2 of No. 7.  They really hadn't been written yet.  So much of my time has been spend writing parts 3 and 4.  Nathaniel and Sonja are interesting characters.  I'll need to develop them a little more when the first draft is on paper. 

Day 957

Friday, August 28, 2015

Racquetball in the morning, then work from 9-3, then shopping for food for the weekend, then reading and not much writing.  To bed by 10.  I'll have to really crank things out if I want to finish the first draft of La Stravaganza by Day 1,000. 

Day 956

Thursday, August 28, 2015

Up at 6:30, chores in the morning and work from 9-3.  Came home and wrote for two hours, then had dinner and continued a few chores while watching Boyhood.

Still working on No. 7.  Want to finish it up by tomorrow and move on to 8 and 9. 

Day 955

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Racquetball and Insanity in the morning, home for breakfast, work from 9-2, then an hour of ping pong with Howard in Albany.  Came home at 5:15 and put another query together, edited a scene in chapter 7, talked to Alice, then watched Trump's entire Iowa press conference in which he kicked out the Univision reporter Jorge Ramos.  What makes Trump so dangerous is half of what he says is fantastic.  His exposure of special interests and all the money in campaigns is incredible.  He's very good at talking about such boring topics and making them meaningful.  His deportation plan, however, is right out of Nazi Germany.  If the country ever collapsed economically, a dangerous personality like Trump would have a legitimate chance at winning the presidency.  Jeb Bush can't compete with such a media master.  None of them can.  I'm not sure what stops him from getting the nomination.  In a way, the GOP totally deserves this rookie politician who makes so many mistakes but continues to rise in the polls.  The thing is he's getting better and better in press conferences and speeches.  He's actually a very shrewd, very cunning debater.  He's so much like my dad, a true narcissist who sees things in a very particular way, who can't help but project himself as the victim ("I'm not a bully; everyone else is the bully").  I never would have imagined Trump would do so well, but he is.  His campaign finance exposure is fascinating. 

Day 954

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Slept until 6:30, then got ready and outlined my day.  I printed off chapter 7 and went through what I had, revising sections 3 and 4 first.  After work, I came home and wrote for three hours, hoping to finish by 8 but realizing there was no way to turn in the chapter until tomorrow.  I'll finish writing sections 1 and 2 tomorrow and send it out.  I did manage to revise a new query for Zombie Cookies, which is now Living in Perfect Harmony.  I'll start sending out queries by the end of the week.  Talked to Jill, Chris and Alice after dinner on Face Time.  Bed by 10.

Day 953

Monday, August 24, 2015

Up at 4, home to change, racquetball and Insanity from 5-7, breakfast, work from 9-3, then home where I tried to write a little but couldn't.  I was too sleepy, so after dinner I went to bed.  I was still tired from the weekend. 

Day 952

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Woke up at 8:15 and wrote from 9-2.  Then took the rest of the day off and watched a movie with Alice and slept until dinner.  Afterward, I caught up on my journals and started a book on my ipad.

The movie was watched was Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight.

It was a pleasant enough film about a famous debunking "Amazing Randy"-style magician who debunks mystics.  Woody Allen films that end in "will you marry me" tend to feature strong stories with interesting characters (Hannah and Her Sisters, Bullets Over Broadway).  It was a fun film.

I read the opening chapter to Evil Librarian, which is simply okay.  Nothing special.  I don't care for first person present novels to begin with.  We'll see where this one goes.  Fan girl is better so far.

To be by 10 and ready for a busy week of writing and reading.

Day 951

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Alice and I got up around 7, then drove to Berkeley Bowl for lunch items and got some french toast and tea, then drove to Ikea.  Alice picked up a comforter for Austin and replacement curtains for her bedroom.  We came to my place for a few hours, then went to Kim and Michael's wedding in Fairfield.  Mom, Craig, Leo & Louanne, Chris and Elizabeth, Alice and I were there. The wedding was beautiful and the setting was really fantastic.  The weather was great.  We ate underneath a huge tent in the backyard of a winery.  It was a magical setting.

Day 950

Friday, August 21, 2015

I woke up at 5 and hung out with Louanne in the morning before getting ready for the day and driving to Petaluma to pick up Gwen from her 12-day retreat in Petaluma.  I drove her to the airport, picked up Alice at BART, then drove to Fairfield for the party Leo and Louanne were throwing for Kim and Michael and both families.  It was a great time.  Alice was her charming self and my better half with my family members.  We stayed until 11, then drove home, arriving just after midnight.  I was exhausted by the time we came home.

Day 949

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Up at 3:00, wrote until 5:15, then slept another 90 minutes before getting ready for work.  Worked from 9-2, then came home and wrote another couple of hours.  Still working on No. 7.  All the scenes are outlined and I have 6,000 words written.  I went to bed around 9:30. 

Day 948

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Racquetball and Insanity in the a.m., then work from 9-2, then writing and chores and dinner from 3-10.  Work on No. 7 is going well but I have a lot of details to bring to the paragraphs. 

Day 947

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Up at 5:30, no gym, wrote up to 5,000 words in chapter 7 and now have to turn the words into a draft.  I'm also revising Zombie Cookies and resubmitting it as Welcome to Perfect Harmony.  Aside from a few changes in chapter 1, this novel is pretty tight.  It is what it is.  I wrote until 2:30 today, then got a haircut and went to see Inside Out at the Grand Lake Theater.

Came home at read 50 pages from a new book I checked out of the library.

Then had dinner and watched This is the End on Netflix.

Read a little more before bed.  Talked to Alice at 9, then outlined writing for tomorrow and called it a day.

Day 946

Monday, August 17, 2015

Up at 2 a.m., couldn't fall back asleep so left SF early and came home by 2:45.  Took care of a few things before racquetball at 5.  Played until 6, then did an Insanity video with Glenn.  Came home at 7:15, had breakfast, sent off emails, worked from 9-4:30, then came home and had dinner.  Chris couldn't talk tomorrow, so we Face Timed tonight for an hour.  I talked with Alice at 9 and crashed by 9:20. 

Day 945

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Up at 4:30, wrote for two hours, then went to Starbuck's with Alice before 7.  We hung out for 45 minutes, then went to get groceries for dinner tonight.  I wrote and read the rest of the day until 4. 

After 5 Amy, Patrick, Catherine and Patrick Jr. came over for dinner. 

It was great seeing them.  We had a delicious meal that Alice prepared and talked nonstop until 8:30.  After they left, I was wiped out and went to bed around 9:15. 

Day 944

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Up at 6 and wrote for 30 minutes, then went to sleep again and finally woke up at 8:45.  I drove to Alice's at 10:30, arriving at 11:30.  Jotted down ideas for stories and thinking about ch. 7.  It was a relaxing day at her house. 

Day 943

Friday, August 14, 2015

Racquetball and Insanity in the a.m., work from 9-2, stayed home tonight but found it difficult to work on La Stravaganza.  Instead, I finished a review for Sara Nickerson and posted it online.  I went to bed around 9:30.  I was too tired to do much else tonight.

Day 942

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Worked from 9-2, caught up on all my E-Force emails, posted last night's league pics and video on Facebook, and outlined a short story that came to me, one of several I'd like to write after La Stravaganza is over.  I did my bills, had dinner, watched the rest of Mr. Turner, a strange sort of film with an unlikeable character, but the attention to detail was extraordinary.  I read for 30 minutes before bed, then fell asleep a little before ten.  

Day 941

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Up at 4:00, drove back home, hit the gym at 5:05 and played one game with Ron, then 35 minutes of Insanity with Glenn.  That's three days of Insanity in-a-row.  Worked from 9-2, then visited El Cerrito, had a burger and played ping pong with Howard for 90 minutes.  He was great.  He has some difficult serves with wicked spins.  He's taking lessons from a ping pong master.  We had a lot of fun playing at the ping pong center just off San Pablo.  After ping pong, I came home, grabbed a bite to eat, then went to the club and watched Steve and Ramon play their league finals match.  Steve won 15-9, 15-11.  It was a great contest with some amazing gets by both players.  I honestly don't miss those finals matches anymore.  I really enjoyed cheering both players on. 

The Champ Steve and Finalist Ramon

Rod and Ramon

Steve and Rod

Steve, Rod and Ramon

Day 940

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

I did another day of Insanity today, my first on a Tuesday in many months.  I came home and wrapped up 5 and 6, and sent to Chris later in the evening.  At 3:20, I headed to SF to be with Alice when she met with her doctor about her constant groin pain.  There is nothing Dr. Lee can do for her, but suggested Alice see a pain specialist.  No one knows what is causing her pain in her midsection. It's pretty frustrating.  We came home and had dinner, then I Face Timed with Chris from 8-9.  I went to bed early because I was so exhausted.  Now that 5 and 6 are written and sent, on to 7-9.  

Day 939

Monday, August 10, 2015

Woke up at 4:30 for racquetball, came back and went down to the Avenue with Gwen for coffee and Arizmendi, then left for Petaluma around 10.  We stopped at my office so Gwen could meet Cheryl.  We had lunch in downtown Petaluma, then I dropped Gwen off at her 12-day retreat at 1:45 and made it home before traffic got nasty.  My duties are done for the weekend.  I wrote the rest of the day, preparing 5 and 6 to send to Chris.  I continued until 10 when I fell asleep.  

Day 938

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Gwen and I spend the morning in Oakland, then left for Alice's around 10:30.  We had lunch at Nordstrom and Gwen spent an hour at Ross while Alice and I got a few things for dinner.  We watched Mr. Turner in the afternoon, but both Gwen and Alice fell asleep.  I watched half of it and will continue watching it later.

We had a wonderful dinner, then drove home around 8.  I went to bed at 9:30.  No writing today.  

Day 937

Saturday, August 8, 2015

I left SF at 4:30, came home and cleaned until 9:45, then went to the Oakland Airport to pick up Gwen.  We came back to my place and took a walk, had some lunch, ran into a few folks in the neighborhood including Dorian, then went to Bay Street for a few hours.  We had lunch, then came back home and relaxed and watched a documentary on Kurt Cobain.

Day 936

Friday, August 7, 2015

Racquetball in the morning, then work from 9-2, then I cleaned my place for a few hours, especially my bedroom where my sister Gwen will be staying over the weekend.  At 3:50, I left to pick up Alice in SF.  We got chicken wings, then had a nice dinner and looked at her Mexico pictures.  I massaged her shoulders and helped with her exercises  She fell asleep at 9:30 and I was close behind, calling it a day at 10:10. 

Day 935

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Up at 5:15 and wrote for two hours before work.  Then worked from 9-2.  Work was slow, so I revised No. 6.  In doing so, I thought of the subject matter for No. 10, the last chapter I needed material on.  Sometimes chapters aren't revealed until halfway through a story.  It had to do with Mindy's dad and his young new flame.  I'm sad to this this happy fairytale part of the book fizzle out, but it will certainly make for an interesting chapter when Mindy's dad hits the center of his own undoing.  Poor guy, and poor Mindy.  Chapters 9-11 are brutal for her, but then there's chapter 12, the Venice chapter, which is loaded with all kinds of upside joy.   

Day 934

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Racquetball in the morning, then another day of writing from 8-8 with a few breaks in between.  I spent more time on 5 and started revisions to 6.  I have the last section of 5 to complete and a review of both chapters before sending them to Chris and continuing work on 7-9.

I watched half of Summertime in the afternoon, the 1955 David Lean film starring Katharine Hepburn, shot entirely in Venice.  I'm replacing it with Roman Holiday this as the second Italian film Mindy sees Friday night.

Today was a good day of writing.  I was focused and happy and the day flew by.  It wasn't until after 8 or so that I entered a bit of a funk.  I've had a few of those moments lately and they aren't helpful.  I talked with Alice before bed and fell fast asleep by 9:30.  

Day 933

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

I woke up at 5 and wrote for two hours before going back to sleep for an hour.  I spent the morning working on the first Allegro in No. 5, which had been a struggle.  This is my fangirling section where Mindy does her thing online.  Just reading what others post on Tumblr takes hours.  So much of it is such a tremendous time drain as a means of supplying data for the big online companies.  There's the connection and community value and posting pictures to share, which is certainly a wonderful thing, but it is also full of endless clips, pics, audio bits and articles that serve no real purpose other than to distract and suck time away from life.  The more I'm online, the less I like being online.

At 4, I wrapped things up and went to the gym to play a few games with Tracy from Livermore.  My singles games is nonexistent, which is fine I guess, but I will hit the Insanity next week to keep from going to pot physically.  The one thing about staying in the game is it keeps the razor sharp.  Right now, my racquetball razor is more like a Q-tip.

At 7 I went over to Summit Hospital to see Dorian, who is dealing with the early stages of prostate cancer and had needles inserted and seeds put in.  A few other racquetball guys were there.  I stayed until 8:30, then got a burrito and came home a little after 9.  I talked with Alice for 20 minutes, who just flew back from Mexico, then Face-Timed Chris for 30 minutes.  He leaves for Winnipeg with Elizabeth tomorrow.  I cleaned up and fell asleep at 10:30.

Day 932

Monday, August 3, 2015

Racquetball from 5-7, then home for the day writing, working on chapter 5.  This is another tough one like chapter 4 and it's possible I'll have to change it up once the whole book is on paper.  4 and 5 are stagnant and that might be a problem.  I may have to come up with another way of presenting them, even though the info and scenes are important and set everything else up.  I won't know until it's all done.  I'm trying to get them into a readable condition.  I wrote until about 7 or so, then called it a day. 

Day 931

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Up at 6:30 and wrote until 8:30, then got ready and had breakfast with Rossana at Lynn & Lou's.  We walked for an hour, catching up, then I came home and wrote for another two hours.  Jill and I Face Timed each other briefly and gave each other a pep talk.  We'll do this again tomorrow morning and perhaps throughout the week.  We tend to focus on where we aren't rather than where we are in relation to where we were.  It's another way of saying our default is more in the half-empty camp.  I did two loads of laundry and will do another tomorrow morning.  I worked on Chapter 6 and have it written out but now need to go over it one more time.  I like this chapter because it's an emotional roller coaster with Mindy's emotions all over the place when she visits her dad.  Hannah is a fun character who's so clear in my mind.  In the evening I folded laundry, watched the latest episode of Hannibal, wrote a little longer, than read until I fell asleep around 10:30.

Day 930

Saturday, August 1, 2015

I spent all morning and afternoon writing and revising chapter 6.  At 6:30, I stopped and headed over to Richard and Lisa's for a little Eerie St. Theater.  We watched two movies:

What We Do in the Shadows is hilarious.  I really enjoyed it.  We streamed it on Amazon Prime.  I'd been looking forward to The Babadook, and it sure had some scary moments, but it was an unpleasant film to sit through.  It was different from what I'd expected.  I liked it more after it was over. 

Richard, Lisa, Trey, Miles, Rossana, Annette, Rhonda and Biff were in attendance.

I came home a little after midnight and went right to sleep.