Random Thoughts

I opened up this screen to make an entry and then sat and stared out the window for a good ten minutes until the phone rang. It was Blair, calling to tell me he's on his way home. He's been volunteering the last several weekends with an organization that provides free tax help to people. This was the last Saturday and they were busy. But he's on his way home now and after he eats a late lunch (he's moaning because I ate the leftover spaghetti for my lunch that he was planning to have for his but hey, I didn't know) we're going to go see Capote.  I just read In Cold Blood in the last year or so and am looking forward to seeing a movie that's been getting such great reviews.  Plus, I really like Philip Seymour Hoffman from all the past character roles I've seen him in.

But to get back to my point, as I opened this blog, I couldn't really think of what to write about.  I've had a number of random little thoughts cross my mind in the last couple of days, but nothing that can stand on it's own as blog worthy.  So I thought we'd try a little smorgasbord, dump everything in, and see what we get.  In no particular order, here are my thoughts:

• I wonder if we eat too much Chinese? We eat out at the little place in our town at least twice a week. That much MSG just can't be good for us.
• I just finished reading Joan Didion's A Year of Magical Thinking.  I'm captivated by the life she and her husband led. The book is about her coping mechanisms after his sudden death, but in coming to grips with that, she replays a lot of their life together.  They were both writers and worked from home. Sometimes they collaborated on screenplays. If she was in a different town, he might hop a plane to meet her for dinner, then hop a plane back home. They ate dinner out at 11 at night in New York, splitting a pasta and small salad. They threw dinner parties. They would take over a hotel room in Hawaii for months and work from there.  Their world was filled with their work and with each other.  They appear very intellectual. I wonder what it would be like to be in their circle of friends or to lead a similar life?
• I'm obsessed with American Idol again. And a new Amazing Race starts this week. Might as well just plant me in front of the TV with a remote and be done with it.
• My yoga class was cancelled today so I did a Pilates tape. My abs hurt. Maybe I should skip a yoga session a week and replace it with a pilates session instead.
• I need new jeans for England.  Do people dress up to over there or can I get away with being comfy in jeans and gym shoes?
  
• Watching the judges comment on American Idol on whether contestants were "nice" or "real" or "sincere" got me thinking...I wonder how my personality would be perceived in a type of "American Idol for writers" competition? I'm not so sure I'd fare well...
• Why? Greedy.  I want my book to sell. You know those people that say, "Oh, if I can reach only one person in life, I've succeeded..."? Screw that. If you like my book, tell your mom, tell your friends, send postcard reminders and take out an ad telling people so.  Hustle, people, hustle!
• Critique groups. I adore mine and would never leave, but I'm not so sure it's a good idea to have a rough draft of a novel critiqued. I'm wondering if I should submit old stuff for critique while I'm working on the new stuff.  Still in the mulling over stage on that one.
• I haven't heard from my mom in over a week.  Why?
• I'm ready for Spring.  I think what happened is that my daffodils bloomed due to all the warm weather we've had. But it's supposed to be 22 degrees Monday morning so we're not out of it yet.
• I want to spend tomorrow planning our England/Scotland trip.  After I try out a new muffin recipe I ripped out from Better Homes & Gardens.
• I cleaned the house this morning. An exercise in futility as the Tile Guy will be here Monday and all the dust will come right back with him, but the clean house will provide me with a very happy 48 hours.  My mood elevates dramatically once things are clean.