Skip to main content
December remains a difficult month to get into a groove and write. Not only do the holidays consume our waking moments and restless nights, but there is also the 10th of December that hovers over us. This year that day kind of came and went without Julie or I acknowledging it. Funny thing is, I had terrible stomach pains that morning and was in a general bad mood all day. Can your body and spirit really remember bad days? If amputees have phantom pains, can parents who've received sad news experience the same thing?

Try as I may to complete this new script, I have been lacking in motivation to get it done. I'm close, but there is this invisible barrier that stops keeps me away. I even tried growing the writing beard. It went on for over two weeks. Thing is, I was actually starting to like having the beard, so using the hair on my face as a motivational tool didn't work this time. Thing is, I keep thinking about January and starting my new project. For the first time in a while, I am excited to really write and see where it leads me. I know I have to complete the script, if only out of obligation to the characters I've created. They deserve to have he ending I have in store for them. Still, if I'm not done by January, that script may get placed on the backburner.

I can't let that happen. I'm so close.

I have spent the past month enjoying writing reviews of DVD's for Popdose. And I've begun reading the essays of David Foster Wallace and David Samuels. So far, I am having an easier time with Samuels. Although I really like the late Foster Wallace's writing, it takes quite an effort to get through just two or three pages. The guy loved footnotes.

We saw "Wicked" last night and it was, for lack of a better word, wonderful. I have known the music for over a year, but now I know the context of the songs and can picture the play in my head. Even if it did not have the spectacular effects, the story of friendship, acceptance and empowerment is so good, the play would succeed anyway. For the first act, I sat next to Jacob. He was wide eyed and enthralled for the duration. It really was special to be experiencing the play with him for the first time. It's hard to describe how thrilling it is when two singers sing harmony perfectly and every musical is in sync. At those moments I get chills and tears. That is what music does to me. "West Side Story," "Sweeney Todd," "Les Miz," and now "Wicked" have all had the profound effect on me. And I swear I saw Jacob overcome with the same feelings during the show. For the second act, I switched seats and sat next to Sophie. This experience for her was like a Springsteen concert for me, and that made the evening all that more meaningful. I am so glad the kids are loving music. It's in their blood, yes, but I can see the way music swells in their souls, too, and I get choked up thinking about it.

We leave on Wednesday and I'm looking to the time away from California. We may freeze our asses off, but at least we'll have a brief respite from the stresses of our daily lives.

Aloha

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

MARATHON FOOTNOTES (for those who didn't think I would really footnote a stream of consciousness thought): Footnote #1 Academy Award Winning Best Picture Films from 1969 to the Present: Midnight Cowboy, Patton, The French Connection, The Godfather, The Sting, The Godfather II, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Rocky, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Ordinary People, Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, Terms of Endearment, Amadeus, Out of Africa, Platoon, The Last Emperor, Rain Man, Driving Miss Daisy, Dances With Wolves, The Silence of the Lambs, Unforgiven, Schindler’s List, Forrest Gump, Braveheart, The English Patient, Titanic, Shakespeare in Love, American Beauty, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Chicago, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Footnote #2 Members of the band YES, from 1969 to the present: In 1969, Yes is formed with Jon Anderson on vocals Peter Banks on guitar, Bill Bruford on drums, Tony Kaye on keyboards and Chris Squire playing bass. This group records...

100 and Counting: Introducing The Epic Playlist

It started as all playlists do, an occasion that justified music for entertainment. In this case, it was a couples weekend getaway back in February. Super Dave proposed that he and I provide the tunes and we started a Spotify playlist: three songs at a time, no song repeats, no artist repeats. Dave would add his three, then text me that it was my turn. I would then add my three text him back. This cycle repeated until three hundred songs were compiled, and we drove off to Mammoth with our wives. A funny thing happened, though, it turned out we both enjoyed the challenge of trying to surprise or outdo the other so much that we continued building the playlist. We made a new rule of just three songs each a day and still no artist repeats. Soon, we came up with amendments to allow duets (The Emmylou Exception), multiple songs by the same band if said band had multiple lead singers (The Beatles Exception), or if there was a lead singer replacement that changed the artistic direction of ...

A Trip Through the "My 90's Tapes" Collection Pt. 6: Joan Jett and The Blackhearts "Up Your Alley"

Column 1, Row 6: Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Up Your Alley In 1988, hair metal was on the rise and straight forward rock and roll was losing radio airplay. If the music wasn't a little slick and the mix didn't sound like the record was recorded in a sports arena, there was little chance of getting heard. There were exceptions, of course (Tracy Chapman comes to mind), but for the most part, loud and echoey was the sound of the day. At that time, Joan Jett and her latest version of the Blackhearts had been together for a few years and were clicking. The band members were Ricky Byrd on lead guitar and vocals, Kasim Sulton on bass and vocals, and Thommy Price on drums. Jett was coming off of co-starring with Michael J. Fox in Paul Schrader's film, Light of Day . Although the film wasn't a hit, it was high profile enough to bring the rock legend back into the public eye after years working the road and trying to rebuild the success of her early 80s albums, including the s...