Category: Uncategorized

Me and Finn, taking it easy. I got up and out to the gym, but I’ve just been sitting here ever since, not doing much of anything. Should be writing. What have I done instead?

– Looked at cats for adoption on Catster.
– Watched the original pilot for Buffy the Vampire Slayer on YouTube.

– Looked at groceries to buy on Fresh Direct, then decided to pass.
– Watch the Big Brother feeds, but Mike Boogie is doing all the talking and he’s boring and an ass, so I turned it off.

7/11
Successful test with Paymentech!
Updated Echo’s website.
Finally got a handle on the Annapolis speech.
Big Brother, nice but short visit with Howard, the soap that Clive’s mother made.

The block where I live, in 1940. I live in the tallest building. You can’t see it, but the sign on the truck say brewing company. So those barrels are full of beer?

The block where I live, 66 years later. I didn’t get the angle exactly right, and unfortunately, they’re doing work on the house to the left of mine. But you get the idea. It’s almost exactly the same except we’ve got Ginkgo trees all over. I live in the top floor of what’s still the tallest building. That air conditioner is mine!

They took pictures of every building in New York starting in the 1930’s. It was to help them assess taxes. You can get a copy of the picture of your building, or any building you like, from the Municipal Archives. It’s not cheap, $30 plus $4 for shipping, (you can go there and save yourself the shipping charge) but if you can afford it, it’s nice to have. All the information you need is here.

7/10
Conducted Paymentech test, there were problems, alas.
Deleted old directories on the web server.
Went to gym, picked up catfood.
Potato chips, the cats at the Cat Practice, email about a possible article.

I was at the Farmer’s Market in Union Square, and there was a table full of peaches, and I thought they might be good, but I stood there staring at them for I don’t know how long. I was actually intimidated by the peaches. I don’t know how to pick peaches and I was chickening out. Can you believe it? So stupid. Scared of picking peaches. Finally, I just took three. The first three I laid my hands on, no picking involved.

Well, I had the first one last night and GOD IT WAS DELICIOUS. What have I been missing all my life?? Because of this debilitating fruit picking fear.

7/8
Went to the gym.
Learned I could reboot the web server remotely.
Got to work on my speech.
PEACHES, the ending of The 40-Year-Old Virgin when they sing and dance to Aquarious, finding the blog about French Bulldogs.

I’ve been invited to give the keynote address to a cold case investigation organization next month. I’m honored, and I’m terrified. But I can’t put it off any longer, I must put together a speech. Actually, I can’t even really do that. After giving a ton, I realized that I suck at giving speeches, and I do better if I improvise. So, what I do is make a list that looks like this:

Tell this story.
Talk about this concept.
Tell this story.
And this story.
Tell this joke.

It’s nerve wracking to get up in front of a bunch of people with just that, but if I go with a speech I will get tongue-tied, talk like a robot, lose my place, try to make jokes about losing my place, possibly cry. It’s the only way.

This is me giving a speech at my last book party.

Missing Photo! A photograph was here! Don’t know where it went!

7/7

Backed up computers.
Added weekly post on Restless blog early.
Second to last doctor appointment done.
The 24/7 feeds for Big Brother are on, free Oil of Olay samples in the mail, remembered that Balducci;s exists.

My friend Ellen has a great blog called Excellent Walker. She did this thing that I like and want to use. At the end of her most recent entry, she posted where she walked that day and the type was smaller and in italics, like an aside.

I thought from time to time I would include entries from this journal I keep, and talked about here, where I list three things I did that day, and three things that made me happy (try not to be ill at the thought of it — it’s not as bad as it sounds).

Like so:

7/5
Good work gearing up for this chapter.
Dropped off shoes to be returned.
Emailed Jackie about the paperback cover for my blog.

Rice pudding, finding good quotes for book, turning off AC because it’s not so FREAKING hot.

Not, bad, right? Okay, not such an exciting day, but they can’t all be spent performing at Summerstage in Central Park! This is the writer’s life. When all the interviews and research is done you’re home, or wherever you write, day after day after day … writing.