Month: February 2008

I took a bunch of pictures when I went out for food yesterday and it turns out the first one was the best. Not that it’s a great shot, but I took this the second I walked out the door. This is what I saw when I turned left and clicked.

The price of dog ownership is walking the dog in a snowstorm. It’s snowing right now, as I type, (7:51am) and I was trying to get a picture of it, when this guy came by, walking his dog. He gets to have a dog, but he must PAY.

I am thoroughly exhausted and I’m going to take a holiday today, but I’m tired from a great day yesterday. I got up at 4am to go to down to Quantico to interview some guys at the FBI about audio forensics (thank you, FBI!!). It was the kind of day where I am stunned at the luck of my life. I get to go to the FBI to interview people involved with some of the coolest work. And they couldn’t have been nicer. At one point I was staring and staring at an old wire recorder and they noticed me staring and they pulled it down and opened it so I could get a better look. But more about them in my piece! (I’m still working on it, I’ve got more interviews and editing to do. We’re shooting for sometime in March, but it could be April.) I also get to hang out with Art, the producer I work with at NPR (and everyone is great at NPR, smart and nice).

So then, I’m waiting for the train to come home and Howard Dean walks by, waiting for the train just like me, and then the guy sitting next to me on the train turns out to be my agent’s publisher (my agent writes books, too) and he knows my editor, and we end up gabbing the whole way home.

I should have to pay for a day like that, and I probably will, but today I’m going to relax. Actually, maybe I will work on line edits for my book. I’m at the fun part now. When I’m editing, sometimes I just can’t get something right so I literally leave notes in those spots for myself in boldface that say [make better] and move on. When I’m done I go back to all those parts. All the heavy lifting is done, so it’s a pleasure. That’s where I’m at now.

This is Buddy cleaning himself. The impossible positions they are able to effect!

So, is anyone getting into Big Brother? I’m having trouble for the first time. The only part I’ve enjoyed is disliking Jen, but I don’t like the people I dislike to stay around. It stops being entertaining and becomes upsetting. The enjoyment comes from knowing that justice will be served, and watching their asses get evicted right outta there. Except, it is life and I am frequently disappointed, I just remembered. (Kaysar!) The people I dislike are not necessarily evicted. Oh God. I never learn. What’s probably going to happen is Jen is going to win.

Anyway, this morning we learned that someone in our choir died. He was 80, but still. It’s sad. I didn’t know him well, but he seemed gracious, alive and not near death. I’m so sorry Fritz. We’re all right behind you, more or less. I’m glad John made a big deal of your last birthday, and we all sang to you.

I’ve been editing editing editing, but I think I need to step away from the manuscript for a day. It’s very hard to stop though. The sooner it’s perfect, the sooner I can rest the sweet rest of those who have handed in an edited book.

This is another still from Beauty and the Beast. Beauty is sitting in front of the mirror in her bedroom, angsting about I forget what. But it’s a fairly accurate picture of how burned out I feel. I downloaded a horror movie called The Orphanage. I’m going to try to stop working and watch that.

Photograph missing! I don’t know where it went!

I have it on good authority that everyone reading this right now is fairer than any else. It’s a fact. Sorry everyone else. What can I say? Don’t hate us because we’re pretty.

I’m recycling a picture from an earlier post. This picture makes me happy. It brings back fond memories from growing up. Those were exciting times, except it’s always exciting in some way at all times, isn’t it? The way it was exciting for me then was because the world sucked in many ways, but I believed I could do something about it. I think Obama supporters are feeling that same potential, which is a good thing. Do your part to make the world better. Please do it without the hate though. I can’t take the hate anymore. (And I’m talking to you people hating on us because we’re pretty.) (Okay, I’m kidding.) (Except we are pretty.)

I can’t make up my mind what to do with myself today. Movie? Massage? Hard choices, I know. Sometimes I have the life.