30 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:37 Gonna be my last long day. Last discussion section for skool. Sooo tempted to skip. But I'll be a good boy. #
  • 07:39 Determined to finish 3 flash pieces for crit group. 1's done, 1's in progress. Stressing over what 3rd is gonna be. #wip #
  • 08:02 Scored the CD w/this performance of "Heaven Help Us All" by Grady Nichols w/vox by Bill Champlin! tinyurl.com/dn7ryw #
  • 08:03 RT @Abyss_Apex Gearing Up: @Abyss_Apex opens to short story and flash submissions May 1. Not beforehand please. #
  • 11:29 Someone forced me to use my old case-manager voice on them. Hence, I won in the end. Yeah, that's right. #
  • 11:44 Been that kinda day = & it's not even 1/2 over. Need to listen to "Heaven Help Us All" again. tinyurl.com/dn7ryw #
  • 12:54 Think today's confrontation has temporarily drained my writing mojo. We'll find out at lunch.... #
  • 13:54 RT @ithacarts Grass Roots Festival Band List Posted! Sharon Jones [etc...hers was the only name I needed to see!] tinyurl.com/cuyad5 #
  • 14:01 Yup, no lunchtime writing mojo. Luckily, this AM's work is on the flash drive, so who knows...? #wip #
  • 16:36 nnnNNNNGGG! #
  • 16:54 RT @johnjosephadams tip:Don't quote previous rejection letters.This points out story's flaws, tells market it's 5th on sub totem pole. #
  • 17:40 Hategasm from my workday starting to subside. #
  • 19:27 Good news: writing mojo back. Bad news: 500-wd flash up to 615 wds. Worse news: plot's going haywire. #wip #
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29 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 23:33 Tribe beat the Red Sox! I can now go to sleep :) #indians #
  • 08:01 On page 57 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. "The Letter" is similar to "Story" & just as gutwrenching. 5* #
  • 08:11 On page 61 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. Not sure how I feel about "Extracts From a Life" being extracts from another ... #
  • 08:15 Okay, last #wip put in the revision queue. Starting a flash piece (or three) for crit group on Sunday! #
  • 08:15 Writing playlist: Chris Botti, Christian Scott #
  • 08:29 I want my surprise from @cspan! Can't DM the requested info unless you're following me. :( #
  • 10:44 You know you've got good story ideas when you're compelled to jot 'em down on index cards in a crowded, moving bus! :D #
  • 10:44 One flash piece done, but I'm left wondering if it's part of something a lil' bigger...? #wip #
  • 10:48 "And it's all very fine / To sit and smoke all the wine / But, what about the teardrop?" #lyrics #
  • 11:19 RT @sfwa US District Judge granted 4-month extension to opt out or object to Google's settlement. New deadline 9/4/09 bit.ly/bvRYS #
  • 11:26 A digital divide is bad enough. Are we headed for a neuroenhancer divide, too? nancykress.blogspot.com/2009/04/neuroenhancers.html #
  • 11:33 Crunched the skool numbers. Need a 99% on the final to get an A in the class. OTOH, a 72% lets me keep my B. Good, 'cos I got writing to do! #
  • 13:39 Revenge of the Writer: Spent the majority of (effectively) the last lecture of the semester fleshing out a second flash piece >:). #wip #
  • 14:19 RT @mightymur New blog post: ISBW Special #43 - Nebula Award Winner John Kessel tinyurl.com/d66wao #
  • 16:06 Billy Joel on the work CD player. The most apropros song "Pressure" isn't on the disc. It should be playing on a loop. #
  • 16:53 Doesn't look like Tribe/Red Sox is gonna be on local TV tonite. Will have to follow via #Google while GHOST HUNTERS is on. #indians #
  • 17:17 RT @ warrenellis Dr Strangecough: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Pigs #
  • 17:56 Catching up on @totn podcasts, trying to maintain the illusion of work :(. #
  • 18:12 Editing today's 2 flash pieces on the downlow. Shh. #wip #
  • 22:03 Back from dinner & beer. Wrote a bit before deciding I needed to hit the reset button! #
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28 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:11 RT @charlesatan Small Beer Press $1 Sale: lcrw.net/special.htm .... #
  • 07:52 is on page 54 of 912 of Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales by Ray Bradbury. "And the Rock Cried Out" shows that payback ... #
  • 07:56 is on page 59 of 912 of Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales by Ray Bradbury. "The Little Drummer Boy of Shiloh" is a slic ... #
  • 08:14 Red Sox/Indians series this week = family discord. :) #
  • 10:42 Wasted a lot of pre-work writing time this AM, but it forced me to get a lot done in the last 30 min. I had! :D #
  • 10:44 Want to read: Twenty Epics by Susan Groppi - tinyurl.com/cyswc6 #
  • 12:02 Not sure how I feel about the defunct Google Notebook becoming my writer's notebook as of late...? #
  • 12:11 @fantasymagazine Most of my notes more or less fall into certain categories (ideas, dialogue, prose, etc.), so it's 1 note/item. #
  • 12:13 @fantasymagazine Story notes usu. go into their own files. I'll use #Google Notebook in a pinch, but they get printed or transcribed asap. #
  • 12:23 @fantasymagazine Me too! I've got a "writers.pr0n" tag on delicious tinyurl.com/c5t5nh #
  • 12:41 I #heart_tuesday 'cos as of today I've now had conversations w/3 writers/editors I like via Twitter! :D #
  • 13:55 Ha! I'm the 7500th @cspan follower! #
  • 16:46 Drowning in what people *think* are emergencies at work. #
  • 17:23 @cspan I'd love the surprise, but I can't DM unless you follow me :( #
  • 20:33 How the *hell* did it drop 30 degrees in one day?? Brr. #
  • 20:45 Great, not only has the temp dropped by 30 deg, but the Tribe's down vs. the Red Sox :( #indians #
  • 22:12 Burned my dinner earlier. But the nite's looking up. Tribe's tied w/the Sox and EASTENDERS is on TV. #
  • 22:13 @PBreaze I'm fine, and you? I think I may have crossed internet paths w/her once but no, don't know her. I wish ;). Love her writing! #
  • 23:02 On page 49 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. "The Mouse" is a perfect thread running through two relationships. 5* #
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27 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:42 Want to read: Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work an... by David Allen - tinyurl.com/cb8g3p #
  • 07:47 is on page 33 of 912 of Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales by Ray Bradbury. "Season of Disbelief"--5* A well-done non-ge ... #
  • 07:58 So it's supposed to be hotter than Saturday, huh? It's okay. Got enough sun over the weekend. I'll be indoors, writing & such. #
  • 07:59 #wip Copyedit Transcription playlist: Neko Case & Her Boyfriends. #
  • 08:56 "I don't claim to be someone / Who understands everything / But my heart won't let me lie to myself / When I know I'm wrong." #lyrics #
  • 08:57 "I won't be at the mercy of / Some bittersweet memory / And I don't wanna be tuggin' on your sleeve." #lyrics #
  • 08:57 Obviously, I've switched over to the Bill Champlin playlist. :) #
  • 11:09 Glad I broke out the work-appropriate summer clothes yesterday and got the new Birks. Will make walking to skool a lot nicer :). #
  • 11:11 RT GrantaMag John Beckman on what he gained and lost from depression www.granta.com/Online-Only/A-vacation-from-myself #
  • 11:20 RT @Catrambo I'm going to start posting Fantasy Magazine info primarily at @fantasymagazine - follow to see what we're publishing! #
  • 11:30 Don't think it's coincidence that I ran across @moonfrye right as I was swimming in my personal wave of 80s nostalgia yesterday. #
  • 11:54 Gonna leave a bit early and stroll to skool. #
  • 13:34 Want to read: Famous Fathers and Other Stories by Pia Z. Ehrhardt - tinyurl.com/cw9wou #
  • 14:51 Feeling like there's an ice pick stuck into my head behind my left eyeball. No reason for it that I can think of :(. #
  • 16:48 The headache is drug-resistant! Hopefully, we won't have to resort to amputation :(. #
  • 17:44 "Today I didnt even have to use my A.K. / I got to say it was a good day." #lyrics #
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26 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:45 is on page 39 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. "Mr. Burdoff's Visit to Germany" has the best opening in the collection s ... #
  • 07:48 is on page 40 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. Back to 1-paragraph pieces in "What She Knew." 4* #
  • 07:49 is on page 41 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. "The Fish" is also 1 paragraph long; packs a slightly bigger whallop. 5* #
  • 07:51 is on page 43 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. "Mildred and the Oboe" gets 5* for making me wonder if it inspired the bi ... #
  • 07:57 Wonders what work to bring outside today: rewrites or skoolwork? Final's just over 2.5 weeks away! #
  • 09:02 Holy nostalgia! I remember watching each and every one of these Nickelodeon spots! www.youtube.com/watch?v=a68dZfAlk9k #
  • 09:26 Didn't stay up last nite for the end of Warren Ellis's GI JOE: RESOLUTE. Thank the internets tho: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiIZRPxwHPk #
  • 11:14 Just had to get back outside. Breakfast at a diner and now I'm sitting in the downtown sun. #
  • 11:15 Diner observation: There's something cute about watching 2 strangers flirt w/each other when English isn't either of their first languages. #
  • 11:17 Looks like the Time Warner intertubes are clogged, which explained the problems I had at home. #
  • 11:31 Okay, maybe too hot to sit in the sun. Needed a change of pace, so I set up at a corporate coffee chain, hoping no townie friends see me. ;) #
  • 11:34 Actually, hoping I don't have a repeat of yesterday when I narrowly dodged *4* coworkers and 1 member of crit group. #
  • 11:48 Ran into a coworker--that didn't take long, did it? #
  • 13:11 Best thing about Twitter besides getting non-bot DM from 1 of my favorite writers: It told me that Time-Warner's intertubes were clogged. #
  • 13:13 Feeling very, very happy w/skoolwork progress today. Figure 30 more min, and I'll have earned a break. #
  • 14:10 30 min. to finish up skoolwork might've been a little optimistic :*( #
  • 14:32 All right, I'm done w/skoolwork today because I've *decided* that I'm done! :) #
  • 14:33 Gonna hang out & sip cold drinks, rather than risk running into the coworkers I've seen out the windows of the coffee shop. #
  • 14:46 is starting Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales by Ray Bradbury. 'Cos it's been in my "to read" pile for too long. #
  • 14:53 Reading playlist: Neko Case's new album MIDDLE CYCLONE #
  • 15:27 is on page 16 of 912 of Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales by Ray Bradbury. "The Whole Town's Sleeping" boggles the mind ... #
  • 15:29 Gonna take in some more sunshine, head home, & do some laundry. Bleh. #
  • 19:24 is on page 25 of 912 of Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales by Ray Bradbury. Who knew a 59-year old story like "The Rocke ... #
  • 19:45 Got extremely distracted from laundry. Gonna throw a load in now and hopefully be done before the new L&O:CRIMINAL INTENT. #
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25 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:58 is on page 14 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. More emotional arc in "The Fears of Mrs. Orlando" than story arc. 4* #
  • 08:06 Actually *excited* to be going to the Farmer's Market today! Gonna bring a real camera this time, too. And then I'll hide indoors & write. #
  • 08:21 Almost forgot: You'll like WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY if you liked Keret's novella, even with the different (happier) ending. #
  • 11:20 No livetweeting from the Farmer's Market 'cos I was too busy taking pictures to use as character fodder in future stories :). #
  • 11:21 Scored myself some new "licensed by Birkenstock" sandals at the local annual truckload sale. WTH, it only comes around once/year. #
  • 11:28 Best thing about Twitter: getting a non-bot Direct Msg from one of my favorite authors! #squee #
  • 12:20 Haven't heard "Valerie Loves Me" in, what, 15 years? ♫ blip.fm/~4ydgu #
  • 12:58 Tried to read/write while stuck inside. Just not happening. Netbook's charged up, so back out I go. #
  • 13:40 Downtown is abuzz with activity including, unfortunately, some band that sucks really, really hard. #
  • 13:50 I refuse to let this incredibly sucktastic band drive me indoors! #
  • 14:05 If I'd have let the sucktastic band drive me indoors, I'd have missed out on this awesome acapella gospel group. #
  • 16:53 Trying to rewrite a section over and over? Just cut it & see if you can do without it. It worked for me yet again! #wip #
  • 16:56 Gonna type corrected draft and put it to bed for a bit. Then I can get to those 3 stories I still have to rewrite. #wip #
  • 17:32 is on page 20 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. All I can say about "Liminal: The Little Man" is that it's over my head. 4* #
  • 17:34 is on page 31 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. "Break It Down" was almost too vivid & gutwrenching. 5* #
  • 17:39 twitpic.com/3zs00 - Would I be a jerk if I got a boat, parked in the next slip, & christened it "The GMO?" #
  • 17:42 twitpic.com/3zsb2 - From this morning's regatta, viewable from the Farmer's Market. #
  • 22:14 Why, oh, why have I never seen RUSHMORE before? #
  • 22:42 Forgot how cool Owen Wilson (co-writer of RUSHMORE) was, once upon a time. #
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24 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:24 is finished with The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. Just finished up all the backmatter, except the novel excerpts. #
  • 07:24 gave 4 stars to The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford - tinyurl.com/cttas7 #
  • 08:09 is on page 8 of 192 of Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis. Some might think the longer sentences in "Story" are literary BS but I was ... #
  • 08:33 RT @RachelleGardner Today I've posted some book reviews that DON'T give the author that warm and fuzzy feeling: bit.ly/jSHoJ #
  • 08:38 #wip revision playlist: soundtrack for the film CROOKLYN #
  • 08:50 "So I try to be hip and think like the crowd / But even the crowd can't help me now." #lyrics #
  • 09:22 Decided the last scene doesn't start as well as it should. Of course, I come to this conclusion before I have to head into work. #wip #
  • 11:47 Actually looking forward to a sunny walk to skool. Will I even need my sweater, I wonder? #
  • 13:45 Definitely enjoyed sunny, sweater-less walk to skool! *Almost* puts me in a cheery mood...almost ;). #
  • 13:46 RT @IndependentLens all docs, all the time. Reviews, festivals, events, and a film directory on DocumentaryFilms.net twurl.nl/f3pms3 #
  • 16:15 Weekend's so close I can *taste* it, even if it's still 2 hours away. #
  • 17:16 Work emergencies came and went. Maybe my weekend can start a lil' earlier than scheduled...? >:) #
  • 17:53 Weekend *will* start early. Oh, yes. #
  • 19:03 At home w/open windows, open beer, and the New Pornographers blasting out the windows :D. #
  • 19:10 "Sing all hail / What will be revealed today / When we peer into the great unknown / From the line to the throne" #lyrics #
  • 20:52 Finally getting to watch the film WRISTCUTTERS, based on the Etgar Keret story "Kneller's Happy Campers." #
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23 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:24 Purposely getting off to a late start this morning. 2nd-last discussion section for skool & I'm just not feeling it. #
  • 08:39 is on page 275 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. "The Dreaming Wind" had me so lost in the writing, the worldbuilding aspect w ... #
  • 11:34 Feeling the 1,000-yard stare and it's not even noon yet. #
  • 11:38 That's still no excuse for not getting another page of MS edits for the #wip at lunch. #
  • 14:49 Didn't get as much done as I wanted at lunch. Spent time committing Freudian slips...pics to follow. #
  • 19:11 RT @drmabuse RT @jafurtado Yahoo is closing its GeoCities personal home page service. RIP Geocities! is.gd/uagO #
  • 19:21 twitpic.com/3uyd5 - "Sometimes a lollipop is just a lollipop?" Pfft. Sometimes, someone's just got issues. #
  • 19:22 twitpic.com/3uyft - Analyze this. #
  • 19:39 is on page 290 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. "The Golden Dragon" has some powerful, compelling realism w/just a hint of th ... #
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22 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 08:41 is on page 255 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. Forced myself to finish "In the House of Four Seasons" & was glad I did. 4* #
  • 08:47 Body was up and moving for an early start this AM. Had to mainline my red-eye to wake my mind up, though. #
  • 08:48 #wip revision playlist: HOT STREETS by Chicago #
  • 09:18 "And he's stone cold Hollywood / Standin' in front of you / An emperor without a stitch of clothes on." #lyrics #
  • 09:41 4 MS pgs of strikethrus, copyediting marks, & a couple new sentences--that's progress, right? #wip #
  • 11:52 Wow...5 more lectures left for me in the skool year! #
  • 12:18 Want to read: Olive Kitteridge: A Novel in Stories by Elizabeth Strout - tinyurl.com/dfov88 #
  • 14:26 Seems to be an abundance of free food at work today, and I seem to be eating all of it :(. #
  • 18:04 Looking forward to a night of a just a bit of #wip revision and a whole lot of slack. And GHOST HUNTERS. #
  • 20:36 Want to read: You Must Be This Happy to Enter by Elizabeth Crane - tinyurl.com/c2qs8n #
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21 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:35 Dragging this morning, feeling totally unmotivated. Still recovering from hellish last week. #
  • 07:57 Learned a new term from the interweb: thesaurus rape. Gonna try to use it in crit group critiques :D j/k! #
  • 09:01 "Lied to ourselves to live/Chump reasons that we give/Time's up before you know you/Give up the ghost and learn it's love...." #lyrics #
  • 11:10 One more printout of one new draft to go over one more time for what's sure to be one more revision, rinse, repeat, &c. #wip #
  • 14:59 #wip revisions in the sun at lunch today. It was even productive :). #
  • 17:42 The "Craigslist Killer" gets a name when he was just out to rob? IMO, you shouldn't get a name unless you're really psycho, like Son of Sam. #
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20 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:59 is on page 235 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. Loved how "The Bedroom Light" started but ending left me asking, "WTF?" 3* #
  • 08:08 RT @gtdguy 90% of life is cleanup. Grow up. Deal with it. Get used to it. #
  • 08:09 RT @gtdguy Cleanup = get closure on what u create/produce/allow.... #
  • 08:26 Having a hard time getting back on the horse because of my weekend of slack. It was still worth it, tho :). #
  • 09:13 Just watched someone walk past the cafe window in a black cloak. I wanna wear my black cloak, now. #
  • 11:37 Fingers crossed that work doesn't get any more hectic while we're down 1/2 my coworkers :(. #
  • 12:18 Cold, wet walk to skool today. I was in a t-shirt two days ago!! #
  • 13:27 @strikethru I would never go to any bar that would turn its nose up at "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'." #
  • 17:07 Not a pleasant work day, but it could've been *so* much worse on so many levels. #
  • 18:03 "Pull my chin, stroke my hair, scratch my nose, hug my knees / Try drink, food, cigarette, tension will not ease..." #lyrics #
  • 18:05 Want to read: Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby - goodreads.com/review/show/53387074 #
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19 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 09:01 Can't believe that, for a microsecond, I considered skipping crit group to watch game 4 in the Tribe/Yankees series. #
  • 09:03 To be fair, Indians love/Yankees hate is a powerful combination. #
  • 09:55 is on page 219 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. Buildup of "The Scribble Mind" was so good I was almost disappointed when the ... #
  • 17:38 Found out Cleveland lost to the Yankees, but that's not even the worst news. JG Ballard dying--*that* was the worst news :(. #
  • 17:54 Now that I'm back from crit group, I can slack again for the rest of the day. #
  • 18:00 zomg! Almost forgot that tonight's the L&O:CRIMINAL INTENT Season 8 premiere. #
  • 18:12 For kicks and giggles, got my hands on the first episode of L&O:UK, starring Jamie Bamber (BSG) and Freema Agyeman (DOCTOR WHO). #
  • 21:06 Season 8 L&O:CI FTW! Sticking with the old, bombastic 80s throwback L&O:TRIAL BY JURY theme--Fail. #
  • 22:09 Damn. Kept the TV on a second too long. Now I'm into season 2 of IN PLAIN SIGHT. #
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18 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 08:17 is on page 173 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. Forgot that I've read "What's Sure to Come" before until 1/2-way thru. Still ... #
  • 09:42 Something just not right about tweeting from the Farmer's Market which is why I'm doing it >:). I'm enjoying the contemptuous stares, too. #
  • 09:46 Wish I'd brought the Flip or at least my real camera. Pics from my cell just won't look as good. #
  • 10:00 Listening to pompous ass swearing to his pompous friends about how the only TV he watches is PBS and 30 ROCK. #
  • 10:03 Furiously typing some of the other things this guy's spewing. Just can't make up dialogue like this!! #
  • 10:20 Pompous ass shows just how pompous he is by grossly mispronouncing the word "Appalachian." #
  • 10:48 At the library to charge up the netbook and dump the pictures I've taken. Gonna wander thru downtown in the sun and snap some more. #
  • 11:07 twitpic.com/3ivrz - Oh yes, the breakfast burrito place is back at the Farmer's Market!! #
  • 11:08 twitpic.com/3ivu1 - Parading my spoils up and down the market! #
  • 11:09 twitpic.com/3ivx5 - No! Can't have any! Go'way!! #
  • 11:15 is on page 183 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. Flabbergasted by "The Way He Does It." 5* #
  • 11:44 twitpic.com/3iyjr - Screw it--think I'm just gonna slack for the rest of the weekend & take pics like this. #
  • 12:20 RT @gregvaneekhout Seem to be kicking back and listening to old Elton John more than writing.... [With me, it's 80s Chicago.] #
  • 12:36 Wondering if I want to be inside in a movie theater on a day like this to see SUNSHINE CLEANING. Have 2 hours to decide. #
  • 13:27 Got a haircut, a cold drink, & am sitting outside listening to record store blasing Soul/R&B music. Just what I needed today! #
  • 16:42 Saw SUNSHINE CLEANING. Was pretty good but the ending killed it. It jumped the narrative track to wrap it up. #
  • 16:58 Watching Cleveland stomp on the Yankees like a red-headed stepchild. 'course, it's only the top of the 3rd. #indians #
  • 18:18 All right, at 20-2 at the top of the 6th, I think I'm ready to flip the channel, now :D. #indians #
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17 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:59 Stuff to do this AM before work. No rest for the wicked :(. #
  • 08:00 Fondly remembering last weekend of slack. Am >this close< to clearing my weekend calendar and playing hermit this weekend. #
  • 08:03 RT @ColleenLindsay Today is #Queryday! Click here for rules about how to participate & ask questions: bit.ly/pp4Ox #
  • 11:11 You know, I think I am going to take the whole weekend off. #
  • 12:17 Day just keeps getting better and better. #
  • 13:39 RT @drmabuse New Podcast! The Bat Segundo Show #280: Laura Lippman... tinyurl.com/cukcv4 #
  • 14:19 Walking back to work in the sun improved my mood. A bit. #
  • 15:50 Knocking on every piece of wood I can find so that ingsthae at orkwae stay ietquae. #
  • 16:27 Listening to Steely Dan on the work CD player. Makes the PM a lil' smoother. #
  • 17:05 Avant garde jazz piano on the CD player, now--nice and dissonant, like my current headspace. #
  • 17:42 Of course, of *course* the work emergency has to come after business hours. Of. Course. #
  • 18:55 Work emergency dealt with. At PM writing spot (on purpose) to reclaim lost sunglasses. #
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16 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:47 Forgot to finish a skool problem set for today. Just whipped thru it. Feels like I almost understand this stuff :). #
  • 07:49 is on page 155 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. I'll never be able to write a story like "The Dismantled Invention of Fate"-E ... #
  • 11:30 Watching my pre-planned writing time between now and Saturday slowly drying up :(. #
  • 11:47 Unanswered #amazonfail question No. 5: Since sales are restricted to over-18s anyway, who are you protecting? tinyurl.com/dbgrku #
  • 12:00 Only takes one person to ruin for the rest of us! community.livejournal.com/newyorkers/4975358.html #
  • 12:53 I should be out in the warm sun for lunch, but hiding out seems very, very appealing. #
  • 13:34 I've compromised with myself. I'm hiding out, but sitting near a window. Isolation (in a crowd) with sun--best of both worlds ;). #
  • 15:04 Lost track of how many paper cuts I've gotten today. People might start thinking I've gone all emo or something. #
  • 16:00 By the Power of Greyskull!!! Nope, still feel exhausted. #
  • 17:33 AIR on the work CD player. Makes me smile. :) #
  • 17:58 Bwahhh-hahaha! Cleveland beat the Yankees in their new house!! tinyurl.com/c35omj #indians #
  • 18:57 If I hadn't fallen asleep on the bus home, I wouldn't be in my PM writing spot right now. Of course, doesn't mean I'm writing necessarily. #
  • 19:11 RT @ColleenLindsay #Queryfail is now #Queryday: click for details and rules: bit.ly/pp4Ox (understand the name change, but still...) #
  • 20:29 Grr! Forgot my sunglasses at the writing spot, dammit! #
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15 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:55 Taxes are officially a taboo topic. Srsly, I'd rather discuss your politics or sexual kinks instead. Anything but taxes. #
  • 07:57 I'm actually going to start the morning getting skool problem sets out of the way. #
  • 08:41 Getting What You Want the #LEVERAGE Way by Aldis Hodge tinyurl.com/cw9xn9 #
  • 11:03 "The years start coming and they don't stop coming/Fed to the rules & I hit the ground running." ("years"="decompensating students") #lyrics #
  • 13:36 My first whiff of spring in the walk between work and skool: mulch. Bleh. #
  • 16:00 Having that conflicted "eye of the hurricane" feeling when you're enjoying the momentary peace while being hypersensitive to stress. #
  • 19:16 SHAZAM!! Nope, didn't work. Still feel exhausted. #
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14 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 08:09 is on page 125 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. If the last story had the least genre elements so far, "The Manticore Spell" ... #
  • 08:13 All right, time to get the game face on! Stuff to revise, work day to slog thru, taxes to finish up! RAWR! #
  • 08:23 Rewriting playlist: Nerina Pallot, Cassandra Wilson (y'know, to get Yvonne Elliman off my mind). :) #
  • 09:18 I'm not bothered with having retweaked my story ending 4 times. I'm bothered that it's taken me 4 times to get it (almost) right! #wip #
  • 09:25 is on page 131 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. "The Fat One" is the FUNNIEST story I've read in ages! 5* #
  • 09:40 RT @ColleenLindsay Amazon is still not addressing the policy letters that some authors received.... #amazonfail #
  • 10:45 RT @victoriastrauss Got wireless? Technology is making certain classic narrative plot devices obsolete: tinyurl.com/c8ul4q #
  • 12:07 Avoiding taxes by writing + avoiding writing by skool problem sets = one f'ed-up line of thinking. #
  • 13:38 Amazed at how, when you give yourself permission NOT to do something out of low motivation, you slowly start to get motivated (??). #
  • 16:55 To think my day started off so quietly.... #
  • 17:37 Cassandra Wilson on the work CD player makes me happy :). #
  • 17:57 "Now that I've found peace at last/Tell me Jesus/Will it last?" #lyrics #
  • 18:06 Batting cleanup at work while catching up on @totn podcasts. #
  • 19:39 "BLAKE'S 7: Terrorists fight government, die." (Uncomfortable Plot Summaries tinyurl.com/djagte) #
  • 19:40 "DOCTOR WHO: Elderly man serially abducts young women." (Another Uncomfortable Plot Summary tinyurl.com/djagte) #
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13 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 08:13 Not STARLOG!! tinyurl.com/clfgzj #
  • 08:15 is on page 113 of 320 of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford. "Present From the Past" works so with the barest minimum of genre elements. 4* #
  • 08:23 Writing playlist: Chet Baker, CHET IN PARIS VOL 2: EVERYTHING HAPPENS TO ME. (Story o' my life :)) #
  • 09:21 Revising progress is slow; still recovering from my lazy weekend :) #wip #
  • 10:41 Still drawn to #amazonfail. Anything to get Yvonne Elliman's singing out of my head if any work at all is to be done today. #
  • 11:53 Bad news from old stomping grounds: Dayton Arts Community Faces Struggle to Stay Afloat twurl.nl/jvaf8i (via @NewsHour) #
  • 11:56 Going to saunter to skool with this voice in my head. I really need counseling...this isn't healthy anymore ;) ♫ blip.fm/~493t1 #
  • 13:38 Why do I do this to myself? It goes back to childhood. :) tinyurl.com/cmy8vr #
  • 14:30 Sleeves rolled up at work, as the fit is hitting the shan! #
  • 17:37 Hoping some Neko Case will stop the brain hemorrhage from the immense hategasm I feel for my day. I think it's actually working a bit! :) #
  • 17:47 RT @drmabuse Returned sales ranks for LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER, BASTARD OUT OF CAROLINA, FANNY HILL, and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN #amazonfail #
  • 18:23 Want to read: The Serial Garden: The Complete Armitage Family St... by Joan Aiken - tinyurl.com/cbg8bb #
  • 20:38 Took a slight detour after work for dinner and drinks. Now, let's see if I can clean up another pg or three. #
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10 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:53 Gonna see if I can do something constructive with yesterday's work. #wip is so close to being done, I can taste it! #
  • 07:56 Almost forgot my yearly dedication of "Good Friday" by The Black Crowes to someone NOT very special anymore. ♫ blip.fm/~433sz #
  • 09:37 Despite spilling coffee all over the MS, I got draft 1.99 of the #wip done!! Just 2 or 3 more passes needed to fill in some blanks. #
  • 10:50 Short stories coming back into vogue? God, I hope so tinyurl.com/dbaohe #
  • 12:16 Bright, sunny day is making me feel pretty apathetic to skool. Glad the netbook's all charged up ;). #
  • 12:19 The only notes I'm taking right now are of the conversation that's going on behind me. Just *can't* make up dialogue like this. #
  • 13:29 @verybigjen If they haven't banned it yet, there's always the BeTwittered gadget for iGoogle. #
  • 13:40 Gonna take a VERY slow walk back to work. Already know I'm screwed for the last hour of the day as it is. #
  • 16:22 Is it still considered self-fulfilling prophecy if things turn out even *worse* than expected? :) Feh. #
  • 17:27 Still an hour to go but the work crises have more or less passed thanks in no small part to yours truly, working all by his lonesome! Booya! #
  • 17:49 I'm going on a WITHNAIL & I-style bender tonight. Means I'll miss out on Saturday, but come up smiling on Sunday morning. #
  • 19:04 Will go on the bender *after* I polish up the #wip a bit. I'm just not Hemingway enough ;). #
  • 20:17 Want to read: Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente - tinyurl.com/cesozp #
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09 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 08:02 Had fun and learned a lot being camera meat last night. Probably won't do it again for awhile, tho--I'm too old to stay up late :( #
  • 08:20 Trying to find a writing playlist (read: procrastinating like hell). #
  • 08:21 Ah, of course--80s soundtracks! Writing playlist: FLASHDANCE and FOOTLOOSE sdtks. #
  • 08:54 I just cannot concentrate. Even after shutting down the 80s soundtracks :(. #
  • 09:06 Only thing I have to show for an hour's work: rearranged the beats of one fraking scene. Someone just shoot me, please. #wip #
  • 10:36 Via a bajillion writer blogs: The Cult of Done Manifesto www.flickr.com/photos/joshuarothhaas/3327763912/ #
  • 10:44 Jim Van Pelt on how to end a story. jimvanpelt.livejournal.com/123189.html #
  • 10:47 Sorry if I've put this up before: Odyssey Workshop grads on how to *begin* a story odysseyworkshop.livejournal.com/6949.html #
  • 11:32 Mark Waid on false suspense tinyurl.com/dald4s #
  • 11:33 Yes, it's just a touch slow at the day job (*knock on wood*), why do you ask? :) #
  • 12:27 RT @ColleenLindsay HILARIOUS take on #queryfail vs. #agentfail... bit.ly/BPSBl #
  • 13:44 MS of the #wip completely marked-up. I can have this thing finished before the weekend's out!! :D #
  • 14:26 Still amazed at the difference between 30 focused min. of writing at lunch vs. 90 scattered, lazy min. this AM. I feel like a writer again. #
  • 16:17 Feeling the 1,000-yard stare w/2+ hours to go at work. But dammit, I will get pages revised tonight! RAR!!! #
  • 17:57 Talked a good game last tweet. Now I'm just feeling like going home and going straight to bed. *whew* #
  • 19:00 By the Power of Greyskull!!! Nope, didn't work--still exhausted. :( #
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08 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:56 Looking forward to a 14-hour day today: writing, work, skool, & being camera meat. #
  • 07:57 First thing's first (after the cafe opens so I can get my coffee): assessing the damage with a hard copy of the #wip. #
  • 08:06 Writing playlist: Soundtrack to THE VIRGIN SUICIDES by Air. #
  • 08:39 RT @matociquala Oh, screw it. I don't care anymore. This book can suck the chrome off a trailer hitch... [Sums up how I feel about my #wip.] #
  • 09:13 RT @mightymur New blog post: ISBW #114 - Feedback tinyurl.com/c6fuph #
  • 09:15 Believe it or not, through all the RTing, editing progress is being made. Especially since I swapped Air for Bill Champlin on the headphones #
  • 09:28 God *damn*, this story needs work! LOTS of work. Of course, motivation comes whenever I have very little time to follow thru. :) #wip #
  • 11:37 *85% ON THE MIDTERM!!* Need an 83% on the final to keep a B, so I can't slack too, too much. But it means I can write more!!! #
  • 11:44 Actually, factor in problem sets and attendance, and I probably only need 80-81% :). #
  • 14:18 Could've spent part of my lunch writing. Spent it looking over my successful midterm, instead :D. #
  • 15:57 Is this the proverbial dawn after the proverbial darkness? Skool discussion section cxl'ed tomorrow AM. More time to write!!! #
  • 17:38 Looks like I'll get a bit of a break before tonite's stint as camera meat. Time to review another couple of pages of the #wip. #
  • 19:41 Just no energy for MS review before I get to be camera meat. #
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07 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:53 At the backup writing site (read: the site close to home cos I got up late) with a red-eye, Night Ranger on the headphones, & my latest #wip #
  • 08:00 "And it's hard livin' life on this mem'ry-go-round" (I luv 80s lyrics!) ♫ blip.fm/~3xdvb #
  • 08:05 "I remember when you learned about love in the back of a Chevrolet / No good for an old memory to mean so much ... ♫ blip.fm/~3xdzw #
  • 08:53 Giving myself a headache trying to focus on revision. I'm >this close< to just trashing this story. #wip #
  • 11:22 Glad I got a minuscule amount of writing done. Lunch will be cut short because I'm a needle slu...I mean, to get some blood drawn :) #
  • 12:04 What one novelist's revision plan looks like www.caitlinkittredge.com/?p=926 #
  • 12:39 Lunch (even w/the accompanying needle) just cannot come fast enough. #
  • 15:43 Really enjoying the Amateur Hour show here at the day job (not). #
  • 17:50 And on top of it all, I'm probably going to be hanging out late at work. I'm stopping for a drink on the way home, & I don't mean coffee. #
  • 19:01 Got out on time after all, but just barely. And now I'm sitting w/a pint of ale. Day doesn't seem so bad, now :D. #
  • 19:03 Reading The Lone Star Stories Reader by Eric T. Marin - tinyurl.com/cvv9rr #
  • 20:13 is starting The Lone Star Stories Reader by Eric T. Marin. Skimmed the introduction of the free pdf download. #
  • 22:06 Relaxing to a couple of beers and EASTENDERS. #
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06 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:53 Note to self: When setting the alarm, make sure you can *hear* said alarm the next morning. #
  • 07:54 Losing a little writing time this AM, but that's okay--I don't care that it's a skool day today :). #
  • 08:33 Gonna try something radical this morning: Work from home at my newly cleaned desk. Gotta resist desire to take pics. #
  • 09:09 Oh, Inbox Zero--you're *such* a sight for sore eyes. I've missed you! We need to see each other more often. :) #gtd #
  • 11:50 First time the sun's been out all day. Hope it stays out on the hike to skool! #
  • 13:28 Sun did not stay out, but at least it's relatively dry. For now. :( #
  • 14:26 Today at skool: more cold-war era music videos to illustrate gametheory. Still dunno how I feel about that, being the oldest guy in class. #
  • 17:57 Do I stress about where my profile picture went, or just assume there are status issues and ride it out? #
  • 19:10 @RachelleGardner Thank *you* for the info! #
  • 19:32 Just trying to get some caffeine in me if I'm going to do any writing at all tonite. #
  • 19:52 zomg!! THE LONE STAR STORIES READER available as a free .pdf ericmarin.livejournal.com/168642.html #
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05 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:59 is on page 95 of 256 of Dangerous Laughter: Thirteen Stories by Steven Millhauser. "Dangerous Laughter" had an great hook but the themes ... #
  • 08:05 Took in some very powerful documentaries at FLEFF last night. Will have to blog (not just tweet) about them. Later, tho. I'm wiped out. #
  • 08:14 Need to create some writing space today. I think I'm depressed because I'm not sure how to do it after so long. #
  • 08:30 "When there's no one left to leave you, even you don't quite believe you, that's when nothing can deceive you." ♫ blip.fm/~3uhti #
  • 09:23 Figured out today's writing plan. I bet it'll take 1 or 2 or 10 false starts. 'Cos writing is NOT like riding a bike, at least not for me. #
  • 10:13 Early bird caught the worm! Table w/an outlet at the coffee place. Now I can procrastinate all I want. #
  • 10:19 Website for OUR DISAPPEARED/NUESTROS DESAPARECIDOS from last nite's FLEFF, soon to be on @IndependentLens tinyurl.com/d9brba #
  • 10:29 Procrastination playlist: The Bad Plus, FOR ALL I CARE. Apropos CD, given the mood I'm trying to fight ;). #
  • 12:41 Writing playlist: Bill Champlin, Robert Lamm, Beckley-Lamm-Wilson #
  • 12:55 RT @jay_lake RT @ColleenLindsay @RachelleGardner on the 10 Things You Should Expect From Your Agent... tinyurl.com/dgdgu9 #
  • 13:59 Ah, the crash of being so wrapped up w/writing that I forgot to eat. Must mean I'm finally back to my normal routines :). #
  • 15:11 RT @Cbarzak @gregvaneekhout because flashbacks are like quicksand, dude. Write a flashforward. That might do the trick! :) #
  • 15:12 You know I've been out of the game too long when I stop writing to do grocery shopping. Now, I'm looking at my messy office... *sigh* #
  • 17:38 Count Basie Orchestra vid from '94. I saw them that year (not at this show, tho). Memories! www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHtNjmTpVAE #
  • 17:39 Office is even messier than before. Don't ask about the writing :(. #
  • 21:58 Early evening coffee and a cleaner office make for a slightly better mood :). #
  • 22:26 @jeffreyeford Thanks for the add. I'm in the midst of THE DROWNED LIFE and am blown away so far! #
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Tough Love

It's been a week since the last critique group and I'm only getting around to this now. That's the problem with this time of year for me, but that's okay--better to light an inch than curse the darkness, right?

I'm posting this for the sake of completeness (to contrast my failure to keep my scorecards up to date for the past few months).

There really isn't enough to break down into lists of Win! and Fail! because all I brought to last group--all I could bring, given the life BS I had to contend with that week--were two rewritten scenes. I brought them looking for only two things: (a) to see whether I successfully clarified/improved on the story's McGuffin (Group verdict: Win!) and (b) whether I could answer the question of what keeps the protagonist in the situation he's in (Group verdict: A little bit o' Fail!).

So, I guess I should go and do something with these suggestions now, huh?

04 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 08:26 Planned on the farmer's market this morning but it's too cold and damp right now. No coffee at home though. Must go out. #
  • 09:11 Tweeting from the diner. WiFi really is everywhere in this town! #
  • 09:14 Today is a day of rest. And by "rest," I mean writing sometime this afternoon before I've truly recovered from midterm trauma. #
  • 10:41 Would've gotten THE BEST OF CRANK! from the library if it wasn't missing the 1st 25 pages!! bit.ly/M1a0 #
  • 10:43 Gonna catch some of @FLEFF today. Lurk at a few talks, see a couple of films, maybe livetweet if there's WiFi... :) #
  • 13:03 Want to read: The Best of Crank! by Bryan Cholfin - tinyurl.com/c49brz #
  • 13:05 You know it's a small town when you can run into the same coworker at two separate places/events. #
  • 13:08 Nice FLEFF panel. Learned things re: doco film distribution that I didn't know but which make perfect sense WRT any art distribution. #
  • 13:11 Spending time at local CD fair was a mistake. Luckily, it was only a $15 mistake--could've been a LOT worse :(. #
  • 13:24 Reading The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente - tinyurl.com/dmamkq #
  • 13:40 Only came back to the library to mooch WiFi until the next bus. I didn't mean to check out Series 4 of THE LAST DETECTIVE, honest!! #
  • 17:12 Getting Cassandra Wilson's latest CD on the cheap at the CD fair was awesome. Getting the latest from The Bad Plus was an epic WIN! #
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03 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 07:55 I should've slept like a baby last night after the midterm. But I didn't and for some reason, I feel more stressed than yesterday...? #
  • 08:06 You know, it's not even the fact that I've got to finish a problem set due the day after the midterm. Well, maybe that's part of it. #
  • 08:29 PTSD is the only explanation for how I'm feeling. Feh. Enuff whining. Gonna listen to the song "Walkin' on a Thin Line" & move on w/life! :) #
  • 09:17 Problem set done. I'm taking my life back now, thank you very much. Well, after I phone it in at work today. #
  • 11:55 About to do the Bataan Death March to skool. Have 1/2 a mind to skip, but that damn problem set *grumblegrumble* #
  • 14:29 I just feel like hitting life on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper and telling it, "No!" #
  • 16:45 RT @jay_lake #writing io9 on the difference between plot & story... bit.ly/1IVTJw #
  • 18:09 "I'm on a ride and I wanna get off." And I will in a few minutes. ♫ blip.fm/~3sc57 #
  • 19:54 Never fails! When I'm exhausted, everyone wants me to come to their party. O, poor me ;). #
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02 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 23:10 Sure it was cheese, but I didn't mind the end to #LifeOnMars (US) that much. #
  • 08:27 Unfair: adj. Sunny day off work that I'm spending on campus to attend section & office hrs to prep for midterm T-minus 11hrs from now. Bleh. #
  • 08:38 Odyssey Workshop graduates discuss strong openings (novels and stories) odysseyworkshop.livejournal.com/6949.html #
  • 10:22 Want to read: The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash ... by Tara L. Masih - tinyurl.com/ckdypq #
  • 10:33 Breaktime's over. Crunchtime. Like Alec Baldwin said in GLENGARRY, "It's f**k or walk!" #
  • 10:33 Study playlist: TORCH: A SIX DEGREES COLLECTION OF MODERN TORCH SONGS #
  • 11:24 SyllabusFail! I'll never understand why a problem set needs to be due the day *after* a midterm! Feel like I'm spending too much time on it. #
  • 12:13 T-minus 7.25 hrs to midterm. I'm confident that all the necessary info is in my head. Just need to organize it, now. #
  • 12:38 Hard to study when there's some sort of angry protest going on outside the building I'm in. #
  • 13:11 Going home for lunch and break. Probably won't need to come back for prof's office hrs, in which case, I've got *plenty* of time to midterm. #
  • 14:18 Walks from bus stops = walks in the sun, so I can't complain too much. Studying will resume once leftovers are consumed. #
  • 15:43 T-minus 3.75 hours to midterm. Knocking on every piece of wood I can find :). #
  • 16:02 Gonna head back to campus, hole up with a cup of coffee, and review before Zero Hour! #
  • 18:26 Studying over. Screwing off for the next hour, and then it's showtime!! #
  • 21:51 Totally punch drunk from the midterm. Definitely didn't get an A, but I think I did a'ight. Treating myself to diner food as a reward. #
  • 22:41 RT @charlesatan Melanie and Steve Rasnic Tem on "I want to write, but life gets in the way." tinyurl.com/cmjap9 #
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01 April 2009

"All Afternoon Those Birds Twitter Twit"

  • 08:06 My skoolbooks have swallowed my soul!! #
  • 08:08 is on page 75 of 256 of Dangerous Laughter: Thirteen Stories by Steven Millhauser. "The Room in the Attic" gets 4* The ending, as a lite ... #
  • 08:10 If I brought an ending like the one in "The Room in the Attic" to my genre crit group, I'd probably be asked to leave and never return. :D #
  • 08:14 Study playlist: Tower of Power mix. #
  • 09:28 Wonders if April Fool's Day joke I set up at work b4 I left last night has paid off yet >:) I'm about to find out muahahaha! #
  • 10:16 As often happens with such things, my April Fool's joke worked a little *too* well. Gonna have to dodge some people for the rest of the day. #
  • 10:16 Ain't I a stinker? >:) #
  • 13:28 T-minus 1 day to midterm. Then the valkyries can come to take me to Valhalla. #
  • 15:20 Ouch! Vengeance was had by the other department. Payback really is a bitch ;). #
  • 17:23 I just can't afford to be this tired right now. #
  • 19:36 Guests over for dinner. Too tired to mind. At least there's food :)! #
  • 19:37 Ooh, and wine--might not be conducive to studying. Or, will it? I think I'll give it a try. #
  • 20:46 Study plan: bit of review before and during tonite's GHOST HUNTERS. Then, break for LIFE ON MARS. Then, more studying until my brain bleeds. #
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