It was a week of cancelled appointments due to power outages, which makes me tense. But hopefully this week will take care of some of them.
I think I have a satisfactory conclusion to the story I have been working on. It's the longest short story I have written in years at almost 7000 words. I managed to find a small crime of sorts to anchor it but some stories just don't lend themselves to a major crime.
It is hard to explain the writing process if you don't write. But somehow I ended up writing a story about a minister and his wife. It just happens sometimes. These characters get into your head and you have to follow their path.
Enjoyed my Thursday ladies. We mostly talk about politics and health issues. Or where the best place to buy various items. Nothing profound but very therapeutic. We only talk for an hour.
Haven't been able to land on a good book lately. The Rendell one spoiled me for the next four I have tried. And I do not like this trend of opening a book with the introduction of a dozen characters coming to a house for a holiday or some other purpose. I like my characters introduced in small measures.
We saw TULLY, which was a puzzlement to me. And the sound quality was either bad or I am growing more deaf. Also more and more movies seem to be very dark. Literally. Maybe I am also going blind. But we saw it with friends so enjoyed the camaraderie. Nice to have friends that enjoy so many of the same things: books, movies, baseball, politics, TV, restaurants.
What about you?
15 comments:
Your story intrigues me, Patti. I've had that happen, too, where I just write about certain characters with no particular reason why. They're just there, waiting for me to tell their stories.
I'm happy the semester is almost done
Patti, I think you're right. More and more movies (and television shows) seem dark these days. We were watching something a couple of weeks ago and had to ask if it was our TV, but then it did get (marginally) brighter, so we realized that it was their choice. The story is dark enough without making it literally so dark you can't see it!
Crazy weather - 51 with a cold rain on Monday, 92 and humid on Thursday - has seemingly settled down to a more normal Spring weather (upper 60s, low 70s) at last, though the tree pollen is very bad.
We're seeing a friend from Wisconsin this week, and then my sister and her daughters from California, all of whom are here to see the Harry Potter show this week. The weather should cooperate.
Enjoying various things on (non-network, for the most part) television - BOSCH, THE GOOD KARMA HOSPITAL, CALL THE MIDWIFE, UNFORGOTTEN, PRISONERS OF WAR (the Israeli series that became HOMELAND here), HOMELAND, COUNTERPART. And, I have a couple of books going (one on the Kindle) that I'm enjoying so far: Nick Petrie's second Peter Ash thriller, BURNING BRIGHT (which I'm racing through) and Marko Kloos's TERMS OF ENLISTMENT, first in his military science fiction series. The first is definitely for fans of Lee Child and Jack Reacher, the second for fans of John Scalzi's OLD MAN'S WAR and Joe Haldeman's THE FOREVER WAR.
Diane and I are going to see TULLY today. It's gotten mixed reviews.
The weather is slowly improving here. Diane mowed the lawn over the weekend (she mows the Front Yard one day and the Back Yard the next day). I've lobbied for a lawn mowing service for years, but Diane says mowing helps her meet her 10,000 steps on her Fitbit.
I've been listening to more music lately. Somehow, I've acquired over a 1000 music CDs over the years. I'm just getting around to listening to some of them for the first time!
Weather has improved here. Looks like we are bypassing spring and going straight to summer.
Haven't see Tully-not a big fan of Cody Diablo-liked Young Adult but felt Juno one of the most overrated movies of the last ten years.
Did you see Tully at the main? I've had problems with the sound there. Could hardly understand anything they were saying when I saw The Big Sick there.
Been reading a lot lately-my favorite was the new one by Australian writer Garry Disher-Under the Cold Bright Lights. Been catching up on some Jassy Mackenzie mysteries. She only have 5 so far about a female P.I. in South Africa.
On tv I just watched the first 7 episodes of Barry on HBO which I liked a lot. Also enjoying Trust on FX about the Getty kidnapping. It's much better than All the Money in the World.
Yes, the Main. I guess we should have complained. Wish I had watched TRUST. Maybe I can catch it on demand. I hear Brendan Frasier steals the show.
Spring has finally arrived and when it does I am always a bit surprised at how fantastic Wisconsin is during Spring and Summer. I hope Meyerson's upcoming visit to WI has the good Spring weather.
The Spring/Summer Drawback: Starting about two years ago I just get zapped by the sun when working outside and it wipes me out for the rest of the day. I helped clear brush on Saturday morning as a service project with the Scouts. Those two hours ruined my Saturday plans for cleaning and purging at home.
I, too, have been listening to some different music. I've had several CDs come in from other libraries. Too bad our new van does not have a CD player. I can load everything on my phone but doing so screws up whatever progress I have made in my audio books.
I hate that our car has no CD player. I don't want to use my phone for that. And since we have lousy radio stations, what can you do? Carry a portable CD around, I guess.
I'm happy the garden is doing so well, though it looks like we'll have to start watering if the forecast 80s arrive later in the week. Our lawn is growing so fast it looks like a meadow!
I gave Barbara a jigsaw puzzle (among other things) for her birthday, one she'd seen and said she wanted to do. Boy, is it hard! But she's making good progress with a small assist from me, as I think it's extremely difficult and have gotten few pieces in. We do like working on them together, though.
I'm reading A BRIDGE FOR PASSING by Pearl Buck, an interesting autobiographical look at her working on a film adaptation of one of her book, being made in Japan. Some sad parts, though. Also just finished MURDER AT THE OLD VICARAGE (McGown), which is one of the Lloyd & Hill series. Just okay, I'd say.
I have 2 more "What I read" posts ready to go, and it's nice to look back at what I read last Fall.
I hope you're still driving, and polishing that story. I look forward to reading it.
The weather here has been beautiful. Not that I need to rub the noses of those from other parts of the country in it. Tornadoes, sinkholes, earthquakes -- all that stuff has passed us by. I have been either a) very lucky, or b) deemed deserving of such good weather by whatever deity (or deities) determine these things.
I threw my back out badly this week. It hasn't caused me this much pain for over a decade. When I walk, I walk like a crab. Jack likes to grab my cane and go limping around the house, saying, "I'm an old man. I'm an old man." Kitty thinks this may not be showing the proper respect, but I laugh my a** off -- he's got my current walk down to a tee.
Willow, my daughter's cat is getting pretty old. She's been re-homed to us because she was getting stressed out by all the animals and noise at Christina's house. Kitty hung some new curtains in the living room and less than an hour later Willow coughed up some blood on them. No need for concern; it was just a broken small blood vessel and the coughing up blood has not been repeated. Also Kitty was able to wash all the blood out. So everyone's happy and Willow is back to being a purring, cuddly cat again.
I very much enjoyed the latest Trash 'n' Treasure novel from "Barbara Allan." It's the tenth full-length novel in the series and continues to maintain its freshness. I also enjoyed THE WALKING DEAD, COMPENDIUM THREE, a collection of comic books #97-#144. It's interesting to compare the comic books to the television series to see where the two diverged. Oh, this one's not dead in the comic books and this one IS dead...Wow!
Not much television this week, but I did enjoy the Sky One version of Terry Pratchett's HOGFATHER. It also reminded me of how much I miss Discworld. I had to wipe away a tear during Pratchett's guest appearance.
All in my family are doing well or better than expected. That's something I can smile about.
Our weather is gorgeous too. Sorry to hear about your back.
Our tulips are gorgeous this year. Phil must have planted two hundred. But our grass remains horrible. Don't know what it is. The gas company said it is not gas.
According to our local movie theater guy, the movies are actually darker now. Since they're all digital, the projectors don't put out the same amount of light as the old projectors did. It's worse with 3D movies because the filtering they do cuts down more of the light. And he said something about showing movies filmed for 3D in 2D, which makes them show just as poorly.
Something like that, anyway. The point is that you're right. I had the same question...
My brother safely arrived last week and we have handled probate and other matters. In about 40 hours he wings his way north and the weather is supposed to be good.
And, for the first time in a very long time, I am starting to think about writing again. The grief is still very deep, but, occasionally, a thought about writing breaks through the murk.
With help, I might be able to attend Michael Bracken's Texas writers gathering on the 19th.
Hope you are able to go, Kevin. Texas seems to have a nice writing community.
We do......just very scattered far from each other. We really need transporter technology. :)
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