Getting It Out
I went to Paula's going away dinner at the Elysian on Saturday. I brought gifts. In case people forgot just who she is, a tiara. If they need a gentle reminder a scepter/wand, with flashing lights. Said wand to be wielded with an iron fist. I had a large foul weather riding glove, without a mate. I sprayed it with metallic paint from a craft store, and it looked pretty silly and properly intimidating. And finally, a pair of ruby slippers for when the directing internship is complete. Those started out ealier in the day as a pair of black pumps from a thrift store, an aerosol can of glue, and lots of red glitter.
Buying the shoes was kind of fun. I bought them at the Value Village, out in my neighborhood. Redmond is a little, well a lot, on the conservative side, being in the high tech area spawned by Microsoft. The shoes that looked perfect were pretty big, though I doubt they would have fit me. Judging by the way the cashier studied me I'd say she thought they would fit me. I still chuckle thinking about it.
Guido and Steph, were over from Port Orchard with their daughters and the older girl's good friend. We had a bit to chat about, as they gave the Vanagon I now drive to Steve and Paula, who in turn gave it to me. Later, I spoke briefly to the two older girls, who will be going to 4th grade next year, so they wouldn't feel left out by the grown ups and because I enjoy talking with children. They thought the fact I read to fourth graders was pretty cool, and told me all about their reader. Then it came out I know where there school is, since my Dad's last house was several blocks away and I grew up in the area. I was not given much of a chance to talk to the grown ups again. Not that I minded terribly. It was a fun evening. I am now looking forward to reading to a class all the more. Of all the things I gave up for ETI, that is what I missed most.
Well, that wasn't really accurate. I didn't get to see friends nearly as much, and that is what I missed the most. It wasn't something I decided to give up, but knew it would be something my schedule would put constraints on. Now Paula, will have it even harder as she won't even be in the area. Of course, there will be a whole new circle of friends she'll be working with, like we had in ETI. Steve will be staying Seattle, at least to start with, and that will be rough. I've a lot of faith though. In the Navy, with the frequent and lengthy deployments it was said marriages tended to be particularly short or strong as a result of the separations. I think they fall into the second category.
I'm starting to get back in the writing mood. There are five pieces my mind keeps coming back to. One is an absurdist piece that I only have a page or two written, but it draws me. I've no idea where it will go, though there were lots of levels at play in my mind when I started it, and still when I think of it. Another is a dark, and I hope, disturbing comedy/drama. The third is an idea for a short play, engendered by the workshop on Sunday we did for Tent City. Fourth is a novel or short story, for which I took home several hundred pieces of scratch paper. I want to draw and diagram things to help with this one. I'm not much when it comes to drawing, but it will help me picture things. I want to write with a bit of the lyrical feeling Tolkien has in his descriptions and settings. Actually I'd like to write with a lot of that feeling, but I'll be happy to achieve just a little.
My scratch paper is the separator sheets for my print outs at work. I keep most of them, and instead of simply tossing them into the recycle bin at work, I'll toss them in the recycle bin at home after they are done being sketches, diagrams, or ruminations. They will likely come in handy for the fifth project. This is one I talked of over a year ago. A piece taking a character from McCarthyism, one of the paid witnesses who recanted their testimony, and bringing him into a contemporary setting. Sadly, the viciousness and evil he was a part of in the fifties, has been reincarnated with virtually no changes. That is my stumbling block. It get into such a rage when I read of the evil under the surface in the fifties, which is apparently identical, deeper, and more insidious to what neocons celebrate outside the closet today, that I have trouble letting my creativity work.
Buying the shoes was kind of fun. I bought them at the Value Village, out in my neighborhood. Redmond is a little, well a lot, on the conservative side, being in the high tech area spawned by Microsoft. The shoes that looked perfect were pretty big, though I doubt they would have fit me. Judging by the way the cashier studied me I'd say she thought they would fit me. I still chuckle thinking about it.
Guido and Steph, were over from Port Orchard with their daughters and the older girl's good friend. We had a bit to chat about, as they gave the Vanagon I now drive to Steve and Paula, who in turn gave it to me. Later, I spoke briefly to the two older girls, who will be going to 4th grade next year, so they wouldn't feel left out by the grown ups and because I enjoy talking with children. They thought the fact I read to fourth graders was pretty cool, and told me all about their reader. Then it came out I know where there school is, since my Dad's last house was several blocks away and I grew up in the area. I was not given much of a chance to talk to the grown ups again. Not that I minded terribly. It was a fun evening. I am now looking forward to reading to a class all the more. Of all the things I gave up for ETI, that is what I missed most.
Well, that wasn't really accurate. I didn't get to see friends nearly as much, and that is what I missed the most. It wasn't something I decided to give up, but knew it would be something my schedule would put constraints on. Now Paula, will have it even harder as she won't even be in the area. Of course, there will be a whole new circle of friends she'll be working with, like we had in ETI. Steve will be staying Seattle, at least to start with, and that will be rough. I've a lot of faith though. In the Navy, with the frequent and lengthy deployments it was said marriages tended to be particularly short or strong as a result of the separations. I think they fall into the second category.
I'm starting to get back in the writing mood. There are five pieces my mind keeps coming back to. One is an absurdist piece that I only have a page or two written, but it draws me. I've no idea where it will go, though there were lots of levels at play in my mind when I started it, and still when I think of it. Another is a dark, and I hope, disturbing comedy/drama. The third is an idea for a short play, engendered by the workshop on Sunday we did for Tent City. Fourth is a novel or short story, for which I took home several hundred pieces of scratch paper. I want to draw and diagram things to help with this one. I'm not much when it comes to drawing, but it will help me picture things. I want to write with a bit of the lyrical feeling Tolkien has in his descriptions and settings. Actually I'd like to write with a lot of that feeling, but I'll be happy to achieve just a little.
My scratch paper is the separator sheets for my print outs at work. I keep most of them, and instead of simply tossing them into the recycle bin at work, I'll toss them in the recycle bin at home after they are done being sketches, diagrams, or ruminations. They will likely come in handy for the fifth project. This is one I talked of over a year ago. A piece taking a character from McCarthyism, one of the paid witnesses who recanted their testimony, and bringing him into a contemporary setting. Sadly, the viciousness and evil he was a part of in the fifties, has been reincarnated with virtually no changes. That is my stumbling block. It get into such a rage when I read of the evil under the surface in the fifties, which is apparently identical, deeper, and more insidious to what neocons celebrate outside the closet today, that I have trouble letting my creativity work.
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