… periods when sleeping schedules are all jacked up… at least mine. For instance, it is 4 AM and I’m up blogging because it is way too hot to continue sleeping. Mind you the long nap that I took in the afternoon yesterday didn’t help. I suppose if I use my waking hours productively it all evens out.
Of late I’ve once again taken to watching episodes of TV series online. I’ve noticed a marked improvement with the quality over the past year… at least in visual quality. Yet another cultural shift occurring as the option to watch something “on demand” becomes more and more prevalent. The days of setting your week to the shows you watch on TV is fast fading.
Hmm… 5:30… think I’ll hop on the bike and get my ride in before the sun rises then continue this post.
::6:30 AM - 77 F - 66% Humidity - ONE SWELTERING BIKE RIDE LATER::
Back with a dozen donuts. Yeah, easy breakfast. I guess a really early start with the chores is the thing to do. Maybe a rolling post maybe not.
8:30 AM
OK… it does feel good having all the chores done by this time of the day. Doubly good if a shower is thrown in right after the chores… which I did.
Anyway, have a nice rest of the day. Cheers!
NOON
TIME WASTERS
Since this isn’t much of a post I thought I’d make up for it by posting some time wasters… thanks to The Presurfer.
Assess your relationship HERE. Yeah… go ahead… take the quiz.
What happens if you are drinking a Coke right now. FIND OUT. (If it’s icy cold… there is still nothing like it.)
HERE are some strange hangover cures from around the world.
Love those sand paintings? Now you can try them from your cumputer. CLICK HERE… then click the little square on the top right for instructions. BTW… for my money this ranks as a super time waster.
… at 2 AM this morning. This of course set off my dogs so I had to drag my sleepy ass out to quiet them down. And because I did I couldn’t get back to sleep until 4:30 AM. Though I awoke by 7 and am resolute about completing all chores and outside tasks by 10. Then to concentrate on some indoor tasks… probably computer work within the cool confines of my air conditioned room.
A FRIEND VISITS
An old friend Don E. visited last night. it was fun catching up. We even caught a drink at the usual watering hole which was filled with loud 20 somethings… many of whom were dancing next door in the club. I find people watching… especially people who belong in a certain “scene” highly entertaining. Sometime in the proceedings I was struck by a line from one of my plays…
“It is curious how we spend the earlier half complicating our lives and the second half trying to simplify it.”
… while I can. We are on a triple digit ride for the next week, The projection for Wednesday is a sweltering 110 F (43.3 C). So, it going to be chores in the morning and hiding out in the cool of the air conditioning for the rest of the day.
SOME SUNDAY SILLINESS
With the current heightening of environmental consciousness… here are some “Green” song titles I came up with that could hit the charts soon.
“Your car was plugged in at his place all night.”
“Don’t leave your carbon footprint on my heart.”
“You’ve got plastic I’ve got cans.”
”The solar panel of your love turns the windmills of my heart.”
There is a sordid soap opera currently playing out in Malaysia. Sodomy, murder, exploding bodies, and a missing Private Investigator… all of which are currently factoring into the political landscape there… I kid you not. This is pretty sensational stuff and seems to trump any Greek tragedy I have ever come across. Although I had hoped that it would not come to something like this after the history making elections in March, I have to concede that perhaps the nation may just have to weather this out in order to come out on the other side. One can only hope they come out stronger. One thing is for certain… change is inevitable. The only question lies in if it will be for better or worse.
4 TH BBQ @ APJ’S
It turned out to be a very pleasant evening. The whether was nice, the food was great and there were some fresh faces in the circle to share pleasant one-on-one conversation with. The latter especially provided a refreshing option away from the now seeming obligatory crass talk sessions that occur. Thanks APJ for hosting.
I think it’s obvious that this is the count today. Much has been already been written on these topics. All I will add is a reminder… the price for what was fought for over 200 years ago is vigilance.
That’s where I stand (or hang) now in several situations with various friends and projects… true both in the professional and personal arenas. Hanging back means allowing things to play out. Stepping in will not help but cloud the waters. Sure the temptation is there to step in but innately you know that this would just be counter productive. So, you step back and trust in the universe… allowing the process to play out. Before you do hang back though… you also make sure the parties know that you are there… if the need arises… but hanging back is all I can do for now.
In the areas that I have direct control over I am diving in. Began rewrites today on Tale End and it looks like I will be done by tomorrow. It actually has been a lot of fun tweaking and clarifying. There will be more arrangements to take care of soon in relation to that… but I can only take one step at a time. Sorry if this post has been somewhat contemplative and moody and not so much fun… perhaps that will change in the AM. It could be another of those rolling posts.
EDIT: 8:30 AM
THE FOURTH
It being the fourth tomorrow I suspect that I may be heading out to APJ’s ranchero for the festivities. (Yeah, I may still go out despite the fact that she hasn’t returned my last 3 calls.) I’m sure people gathering will be blowing things up and there will be ample food and drink to indulge in. Though it all depends on what is happening at the homestead.
PERFECT MEMORY
Sometimes a perfect memory is jogged from my noggin. Actually I do have to say that in many ways I possess an elephant’s propensity to recall details. I read somewhere that this is a quirk that writers have.
Anyway, there is really nothing earth shattering or profound about this particular one… just a flash in time. It was on a camping trip in my teen years. Early in the morning sitting on a rock by a jungle stream. The sun still hiding but it’s glow evident in the sky. The smoke from the fire I had lit earlier to make a kettle of coffee wafting across the way. I was the only one awake as my camping mates still slept in the tents. Looking down at the clear water flowing over the rounded stones in the stream as it babbled I spotted several fish lazily swimming by. The sounds of the jungle surrounding me… each distinct yet collectively producing a hum that seemed to slowly pulse. Breathing in one could taste the spriteness in the air. If one focused in like a chef tasting a dish one could distinguish the various elements that made up this delicious stew. The aromas of damp earth, the various plants, the sparkling water, the sweet bark of cinnamon trees… all intermingled. Suddenly the sun peeped over the canopy in a flourish. The jungle holding some of the rays back and the ones that escaped streaming in shafts of a brilliant light show. It was at that moment I remember thinking to myself, “This is good.” And within moments of savoring it my camp mates began to stir and in groggy states emerged from the tents. Now the rest of the day will be shared with them but the moments before belonged to me alone.
You know… a thought flashes through your mind and the muscle spasms strike. You squint, grit your teeth and desperately wag your head from side to side in the hope that the thought can somehow be shaken from your head. Sometimes it is a memory and at other times one of those “what if” projections. Mine usually are of the latter variety and involves spending the mundane mired in mediocrity. It just sends shivers through my entire being… and has ever since I was a kid. What’s yours?
VIRTUAL FOOD
So, recently on facebook someone developed an application called “makan-makan”… which translates to food. This means you can send up to 75 different Malaysian dishes to your friends the way you would throw a sheep at them. OK… I limit my application use on Facebook but I do have to admit that I installed this one simply because the pictures of the food are so damn gorgeous. Seriously, doesn’t this picture just set your mouth watering? Yes, I started sending dishes to some of my Malaysian friends and they return the favor. Now some of my American friends have gotten into the act… which does make me smile because I’m pretty sure they know not what they are sending… but I’ll still take it.
Yeah, could be one of those rolling posts.
EDIT: NOON
CULTURE BREAK
Finally… the class act that I’ve been dreaming about for years! Hmm… can we get her for the Rogue?
… and I’m up. Perhaps because I zonked out early last night. Went out for cocktails with a friend I used to work with last evening. I think perhaps one dirty martini too many may have done the trick. But it was fun catching up.
Now to catch up with myself.
EDIT: 8:30 AM
I did go back to sleep but this only threw off the clock of my normal day as I eventually awoke an hour and a half past my usual time. So, now I’m truly catching up with myself. Once again the plan is to finish up the “must do’s” so that I have a chunk of time to get on with the rewrites. So, forgive me if I seem a little uncommunicative today.
But to make up for it here are some choice TIME WASTERS!
… yeah, so this is what I finished working on this weekend.
It’s been a while since I’ve shot and edited video. Part of the reason is my editing machine still needs some attention from me… the other is editing becomes an all consuming focus. Sort of like when I’m on a write… everything else (like everyday life) gets obliterated. And guess what? I’m starting a write… well actually a re-write of Tale End to ready it for the SF Fringe. LOL… so, watch out for Zombie Lecram.
More in the AM… yeah, this is going to be one of those rolling post. Perhaps I’ll elaborate on pantless blogging.
EDIT: 11:00 AM
AND NOW THE REST OF THE DAY
Chores done and (early) lunch served. Now to kick back, read the script then get on with the rewrite. I actually find the re-write process quite invigorating. I suppose because there is the pleasure of “tweak” involved… defining the shape of the piece with a little more precision. This is not to be confused with re-0working the script… which involves more of a “retro-fitting” on a structure that is not as solid as it should be.
Anyway, I suppose I should get on with it. Oh… BTW… this was blogged without pants.
This has been the topic of discussion among many in my circle of friends of late. I think it is safe to assume that the copyright laws as they exist now are going to be redefined over the next few years. Let’s face it… what does exist is cumbersome at best. Especially because of the fast moving dominance of the digital age. HERE is a recent article that makes some interesting and salient points. I have found the subject of “intellectual property” to be somewhat of a curiosity (I know… strange coming from a playwright, huh?) since David Letterman’s move from NBC to CBS and the legal tangles that involved. What do you think?
A PARTY
I was out at one on the back patio of Veni Vidi Vici last night. An engagement party. Fun was had by all. However, with the crappy air quality that wqe have been experiencing of late I woke at 4 AM with a headache.
This could be a rolling post.
EDIT: 1:00 PM
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES
This was at a UN Conference in 1992… has anything changed since then?
