I’m finally back on a nighttime sleeping schedule so I woke up when Cody came home from work this morning. It took me a while to get up because I kept trying to get some more sleep in. I’m going out tonight and I’ll probably be out late so I wanted to sleep as late as I could this morning. So I lingered in bed and watched a show about Mary Shelley on The History Channel and tried to doze but the call to pee and get something to drink was too strong. So I finally got up.

Later on when I was sitting at my desk Cody mentioned that he wanted me to read some stories he’s been working on. Even handed me his little USB storage drive so I could get to them easier. This surprised me really because I didn’t know he was writing again. I knew he’d been flexing his skills a little by writing background stories for his City of Heroes characters but it has been a while since he’s written anything he actively wanted me to read. So after talking to my mom a bit this morning I grabbed a cup of coffee, found my glasses, and read two short stories.

I’m so glad he’s stopped trying to define what kind of writer he wants to be. I think that’s always been a detriment to him - defining the length and genre and all that stuff. I know he was frustrated that his stories were usually too long to be considered ’short stories’ but too short to be ‘novels’ when, ultimately, it didn’t matter. When a work is good it’s just good.

Hell I’d be in a serious mess if I tried to define what style I paint or draw in - even though I haven’t in, oh, five years. “Late Abstract Expressionist three-dimensional figural painting”? Who knows.

One story I’ve read before but many years ago during his last creative writing class at UNM and he’s changed it a good deal. It’s more personal now. With a male voice this time which makes it a lot better. A story told by a woman to a man who’s remembering it which isn’t complicated but adds some interest. I like it from his point of view better because I never entirely understood hers. And neither does the narrator now which makes it more understandable to me.

I didn’t know some of the details about the period of time he’s writing about here but after growing up reading Nicole’s work I’m really good about separating the writer from the family or situations that inspired their stories. Look at what they’re saying not what they’re saying about you. I think having been the model for so many friends during school did a lot to teach that detachment too. Somewhere there are plaster casts of me made into a shrine to the Virgin Mary with exposed breasts. That kind of thing teaches you to not get too involved in how the artist feels about you personally because the I “gaaaroooonteee” the guy that did it wasn’t putting me on any pedestal.

He wrote the other story just last night so it’s fairly rough but I love the idea. It’s about garden fairies but told in a different way - none of that floaty magic nonsense - this is told from the perspective of a biologist, specifically, an entomologist. And it’s pretty damn funny. I hope it’s supposed to be. Yeah, I think it is. With some work that one’s going to be pretty good.

There are two more to read but I’m not sure if I’ll get around to them today.

Now if I could get my butt in gear and paint my Frankenstein.

isn’t my dad cute?

I think this list may be by the same John Moe as the one that’s best listmaker on Amazon, ever .

McSweeney’s

snagged from pop culture junk mail

No big surprise here. Except I do believe in the Three-Fold Law but not necessarily just being three times.

Take the quiz: “WHAT RELIGION BESTS SUITS YOU?”

Pagan/Occultist
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Spending your entire life searching various forms of philosophy and religion, you choose to observe everything and believe little. You’re personality is one of truth seeking, nature respecting and god/goddess accepting. Lastly, you don’t judge anyone, but if annoyed, you will exact some form of revenge. You don’t believe in the Three-Fold Law.

My Way News

If we ever get to England we are going to stay here for a weekend.

This Saturday several people will be posting entries to their weblogs every thirty minutes for twenty-four hours to benefit the charity of their choice. So if you have a little extra cash go over to project-blog, sign up, and pledge some of it to someone who signed up with a charity you like. So far I’ve pledged a few bucks to Luka (who’s blogging for AMFAR) and Kristine (blogging for Heifer International). You don’t have to send any money until they’ve blogged then you’ll get information on how to send the money you pledged to the charity. Or you can sign up to blog for 24 hours yourself!

I would happily blog for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance but that’s the day we must go to the Disney’s Aladdin themed wedding. A whole new world indeed. The only other blogger who chose that charity also apparently blogs for Bush and I think that’s icky. So just go send the charity money directly.

Your pirate name is:

Black Bess Bonney

Like anyone confronted with the harshness of robbery on the high seas, you can be pessimistic at times. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate’s life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Find out your pirate name

Just found this saved in a text file:

Say Anything…

What movie Do you Belong in?(many different outcomes!)
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congratulations. you are the kiss my ass happy
bunny. You don’t care about anyone or anything.
You must be so proud

which happy bunny are you?
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