Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday we met my sister, her family, and our folks in Newport for a celebratory birthday lunch.  I'm trying to remember the restaurant, because their fish and chips were very good.  Mark got calamari, which weirded out my niece.  Afterward we went to the Newport south beach and flew kites.  My old moon-rainbow-sun shield kite is aging, and I was a little too rough assembling the batons--so the moon ripped out a little.  The kite was still able to climb into the sky, which I think I haven't seen in about twenty years (for the longest time it hung from a picture window in our old rental) -- and I was transported to the old Carleton College Rec Center which stood on a slope overlooking a soccer field.  I also drew geometric figures in the sand with my beach compass.   We got home after eight, and the cats were slightly annoyed with us.

Sunday night was almost-full moon, so I took a moment to sit in the newly constructed brick circle in the backyard and realize that the southern sky is pretty much obscured from within the circle.  It was possible to see the almost-full moon through the branches of the cherry tree--if one sat and held one's head the right way.  Cicero appeared, and we had a few black-cat/full moon circle moments where I wondered what Black Cat in the Northeast or Black Cat in the South meant.  The other day I read the phrase "bête noire" which translates as black beast, so I've taken to calling Cicero that.

Sunday was a Deep Cleaning Day, with lots of dusting, rearranging, vaccuming, and  mopping.  I found $1.72 in change in the davenport, along with Lego Mini-figure accessories, a fortune cookie fortune ("You are enterprising--make the most of it"), Jamie Hynemon's mailing address, and about a half-pound of cat-hair and lint.  

Monday we visited the rose garden and a local veteran's memorial.  We also read the bill of rights and constitutional amendments. Then The Child and I went to see Infinity War, which was very comic booky and kind of grim at the end.

Memorial Friday

The week leading up to Memorial Day weekend has been a weird week.  I've been a little blue--I was going to say I wasn't sure where it was coming from... but some of it is writer envy, which is petty and I should get over it, but still, there it is.  Some of it is frustration with the novel, which is going slowly... but it's still going forward.  I suspect there's a cartoon somewhere of the writing process where the writer alternates between Loving the Work and Loathing the Work (and themselves).

And then there's that leaden fist of shadow pressing into my sterum--maybe a waking relative of the nightmare that crouches on one's chest at 3:20 in the morning--that turns everything grey and dull and tired, even too tired for sarcasm.   Some of it might be pollen.  Some of it might be free-floating adult anxiety about bills, health, taxes, death, and where I'm going to be in thirty years (living in a culvert with imaginary friends?)  Some of it might be the sad and angsty music playing in my head (note to self, compiling that Rejection Music List was a bad idea; play 80's dance music instead).  Other times I'm more-or-less fine.

Maybe it's man-opause.  

Achievement Unlocked

This past weekend has been the time for "unlocking achievements."  Friday night The Child suddenly decided that he wanted to go to the school fund-raiser dance after all (ah, the allure of ice-cream and snacks at an otherwise boring-old-dance).  Mark didn't feel like going, so I went and alternately danced and made sure The Child and his friends weren't Doing Stupid Middleschooler Tricks.  One of the perks of being a parent is dancing with wild abandon (and shoulder swaying) in front of the school to Cyndie Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and Men Without Hat's "Safety Dance."   I did wish, though, that Mark had decided to come along, and the couple dancing the Lindy (along with pretzel moves and the lovers-window) made me wistful.

Saturday night more than made up for a Mark-less Friday night dance.

Sunday I managed to dig sixteen holes in the backyard and sink sixteen bricks into a rough circle.  This isn't to say that there weren't stakes and strings and eye-balling the meridian and levels and prying bricks back out of the ground to move them an inch to the left.  The whole process took about two hours longer than I thought it would, but by the end I had a circle larger enough to comfortably hold eight, with the cardinal and cross-quarter directions marked.  

Since I'm the only (practicing?) NeoPagan in the house, the circle needed to be unobtrusive, the lawn needed to be usable for other activities, and the lawnmower needed to be able to pass over the bricks.  I imagine I'll mostly use it for meditation and the occasional solitary ritual.  Although the ground isn't level, I tried my best to level the bricks, so the square ones at the cardinal points should be sutable for things like candles or other ritual items.  

Oh, that's right, I dreamt I was in some giant community ritual in Corvallis, and also that my old drama instructor, Kathleen Whorley, had had her brain transferred into a cat's (she spoke through a LED mouth superimposed on the cat's.

Monday (and Tuesday) my quads (and my calves) were pretty sore.  Going to the gym Monday was ... interesting.  But I did the usual routine.

Summary

Went to the gym last Sunday and Tuesday night.  Yay me.  I've cut back on the weights a little because the 60lb pec flies appeared to be stressing my left elbow. 

600 words on Tuesday writing night.  The novel is in a stall and I need to either decide what to edit out or decide I don't care so much and convince myself that experimenting around is not a waste of time.

Doing some research for an anthology and coming to the conclusion that the demographic for it has switched from 1990's Wiccans in the SCA who read "Mists of Avalon" to 2010's bibliophiles who attend FaerieWorlds are Hermione Granger (and/or Katniss Everdeen) fans.  Oh, and I'm old.

On the Old Front, I've been watching the first season of "The Outs."  The second season is behind a paywall.  I'd read about the great writing in it and how it was sort of post-gay-identity politics and funny.  I went in expecting a gayer "Will and Grace" and it's more of a soap opera (maybe I should have watched more "Sex In The City").  

I think the acting is good, as there's a whole lot of silent watch the characters work things out in their heads.  But man, these gay 20-something Brookland characters are bitchy and sad and neurotic (and drink a lot and smoke pot).  I think what kept me watching it was wanting to see how the love relations would work out--the show centers on two ex-lovers and how they navigate life, love, friendship, and sex post-breakup.  On one hand, it's interesting--especially how the smart-phone and IM-ing is so much a part of their social scene; on the other hand, it's another story which reinforces the stereotype of to be gay one has to be 20-something and living in New York (or at least Crown Heights, Brookland).      

Writing and Musing

Managed to get a little under 1500 words Tuesday night.  Wednesday, I broke down the chunk into individual scenes and removed the obvious "start-up" pieces where I'm writing notes to myself.  Looking at one scene, the character comes off as a randy guy looking to score a one night stand, and I need to either have him poke fun at himself or intersperse pensive moments or have character interaction instead of a character sitting in a common-room thinking.

I did a quick review of my story inventory, and I don't have anything that matches the anthology's new feel; either the story's science fiction, or the tone is too heavy, or the characters are gay men (the stories are supposed to have female protagonists).  I do have an urban fantasy I might send, except it ends a little on the dark side and the protagonist is neither a down-to-earth sorceress nor a kick-ass fighter.  It does have the Fair Folk in it... and there is a magic-using Fey Woman in it...and it does deal with cultural issues... so maybe I should send it (waffles in indecision).

The irises in the back are beginning their decline.  I think we have about a week of their blooms left.  The lilac is also blooming, and I'm enjoying going between the two an inhaling their sweet musk.  

Weekends, Gardens, Gyms, and Writing

Friday was a special dinner with my family to celebrate Mark's new job.  I had a nice chat with my Mom, and my Dad and I had a fun time singing "Cinder-Harry" in high-pitched mouse voices.  I didn't chat so much with my sister and brother-in-law; but they did like the chocolate mousse I made.   We got home late, and the cats were angry with us.

Saturday we went to the Japanese Gardens.  The day was pleasantly warm, and we got there early enough that we could park near-by.  Mark enjoyed the bonsai.  I was surprised at how much like Japanese prints of coy the coy looked like.  I'm thinking the thing I liked the best was... the artistic views through branches of mountains or waterfalls or cute little benches.   We met up with some friends and then relocated to Vancouver for the rest of the day.  We got home even later than Friday, and the cats were angry with us.

Sunday was rainy, and we mostly lounged about the house.

Went to the gym Monday :  about 25 minutes and 300 calories on the Nordic Elliptical.  Downstairs 13x(40+50+60)lbs on the pec fly.  13x(40+50+60)lbs on the deltoid fly.  13x(70+85+85)lbs on the lat pull-down.  2x13 Roman Chair curls.  3x13x35lbs barbell curl.  Someone had switched out the handle on the triceps pull-down with two rubber stoppers on a rope, so only 3x13x20lbs there.  And then it was time to run away.

I got my hands on two previous copies of the anthology I got rejected from, and the newer editor has a different take on the stories than the original editor.   I'd say the tone of the stories has gotten lighter (but so far I've only read five out of seventeen in one anthology and two in the other).     The anthology has been fantasy-based, with swordswomen and sorceresses, and I was surprised to run across one urban fantasy set in Boston--I'll have to see if there are any more urban fantasies.

Looking at my story that was rejected for not being what the editor wanted for the anthology, I'd say while my character's existential problem is strong, her immediate problem needs to be amped up; the high fantasy setting is too high; the language too elevated above contemporary language and dialog; and there's no light-hearted laugh around the Enterprise bridge ending moment--neither is the ending a pause before "the adventuress and friend(s) go on to further adventures" ending.  Also, my story doesn't at least touch on any social issues, like class, colonialism, or prejudice (three of the stories so far).  I'm thinking my other "this is fine but not right for us" rejected stories are too high on the Tolkien-Wanna-Be scale, too.   I'll have to look and see if I have any lighter short-stories ready. 

May Day Workouts

Went to the gym Monday (4/30):  about 25 minutes and 250 calories on the Nordic Elliptical.  Downstairs 13x(40+50+60)lbs on the pec fly.  13x(40+50+60)lbs on the deltoid fly.  13x(70+80+90)lbs on the lat pull-down.  3x13 Roman Chair curls.  3x13x35lbs barbell curl.  And then it was time to run away.

Tuesday was The Ides of Spring, so I harped a bit while appreciating the falling cherry petals and the blooming irises.  It was also a weird day for a lot of folks I know in a "frazzled cat" kind of way (only not just cats).  

I found myself wishing that I knew about any Maypole Dances going on, even if they are anachronistically twee, because they're fun.  


Went to the gym Wednesday night (4/2):  about 30 minutes and 350 calories on the Nordic Elliptical.  Downstairs 13x(40+50+60)lbs on the pec fly.  13x(40+50+60)lbs on the deltoid fly.  13x(60+70+80+90)lbs on the lat pull-down.  3x13 Roman Chair curls.  4x13x35lbs barbell curl.  4x13x30 lbs on the triceps pull-down.  3x8 side and lateral dumbbell pull-ups.  And then 2x12x30lbs on the pec fly and deltoid fly again and some 7.5lb dumbbell curls for Extra Beauty.  

The only down-side of going to the gym after 8 PM is that it really wakes me up and I find it difficult to go to sleep afterward.