Archive for January 2013
Truth and consequences in flying drunk, or: Fly me, Denzel Washington
I enjoyed "Flight," for the most part. I wasn't sure what Hollywood had still to tell us about the dangers of alcoholism, and I was concerned it would turn into a big-ticket version of an Afterschool Special. But as most everyone recognizes, Denzel Washington is a terrific actor, deeply felt and not hard on the…
Read MoreOscars today. Things will be crazy busy. Get back atcha on Friday.
Read MoreWhatever gets you through the night
Is there anything better than a virtually unbroken night of sleep? (Does anyone literally have an unbroken one? I mean, where you don't even get up to pee?) I had that last night, just one quick up and then back down. When the alarm went (gentle NPR, no buzzer) I was in the midst of…
Read MoreGetting rekindled, and no, not in the e-book way
Feeling a little stuck lately with the writing. There, I said it. Also: Not feeling it at all with the writing. Which, I'm sure most people would say is a signal to take a breather. Thing is, I've been breathing a while. The fiction just isn't coming as easily these days, which makes me extremely…
Read MoreReading all the words
I'm juggling a lot at the moment, but two of the things I'm juggling at least give me a significant amount of pleasure: I'm in the middle of two books at once. "Earth Abides" by George Stewart is possibly one of the first of the modern postapocalyptic novels; it came out in 1949 and is…
Read MoreSinging a new tune
Ever do something as a hobby, then try to take it to the next level and feel like you're a little out of your depth? That was me last night: Jumping into a full-blown a capella female chorus, and doing my best to tread water. I've been dabbling in choruses for a couple of years…
Read MoreGotta get up, gotta go to work …
They say writing first thing in the morning is a good habit to learn to get into. Get up earlier, sit down at the keyboard, and just start writing. That's kind of what I'm doing at this point. But even I can see there are problems with that notion: 1. If you already get up…
Read MoreMaking a list, maybe getting back to it later
Ah, yes, the return to the normal routine. Mine tends to include lists. I'll think of things as I get up in the morning and before I know it, there's a list of things to do for the day — but it feels like at the start of the year these lists are even longer.…
Read MoreAnd now for something completely different in 2013
It's a new year. It's time for new resolutions. Things you plan to do but which fall by the wayside in the light of life and other shiny objects. Like many, I'm going to undertake to create a few new neural pathways, which can become routines, which can become habits, which can become ruts. But…
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