Nobody Knows Anything

While watching Batman and Robin (which really is terrible, although I remain fixed in my belief it’s not particularly worse than any other Batman sequel), I froze the picture on Mr. Freeze.

“That man is now the Governor of our state.”

Both kids: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.”

They both have finally tuned senses of the absurd.

It’s been an exhausting week, and it’s not over yet. So forthwith, to catch up:

• It’s not the 30th yet, but I’m pretty sure I’m not going to make Nano this year. I’ve been doing a Playwriting class at the same time, plus went on vacation, plus… Anyhow, it’s just not happening. I even figured out whodunnit and everything. Oh well. If I ever need the plot for another book, at least I have one worked out. I’m a little bummed, because I like to finish projects I start when I plan to finish them, but I’ll live.

• I went to Target the day after Thanksgiving because I needed to get a whole bunch of stuff and wanted to stop one place. I was prepared for Day After Thanksgiving hysteria. Instead, I parked near the door and walked right up to a checker when it was time to leave. Methinks the economy is in some real trouble if that was at all indicative of post-holiday sales. And according to the Cunning Realist, it just might be.

• Everyone who hears her read is impressed with Sophia’s reading skills. I don’t know why I’m telling you that, other than to brag (about someone else’s accomplishments).

• Darin wanted a Nintendo Wii (for Zelda) but he wasn’t willing to spend the night in a Target parking lot* in order to be one of the first in line. So the next morning he kept checking Craigslist until he saw the offer he wanted: a Wii, with Zelda, for a reasonable mark-up. (He kept asking me whether he should do it or not. I said, “If it’s up to me, NO. I would wait until they’re just available in stores. But if you want one today, FINE.” So he got the cash and went down to the Costco parking lot, where the exchange was made. I don’t know why I’m telling you this, other than to see if you think “doing deals in a Costco parking lot” is as funny as I do.

• I really like mai tais. This is apropos of absolutely nothing.

• Anybody know of good apartment rentals-by-the-week in Manhattan?

* Yeah, I know. Target mentioned twice in one entry. Go figure.

Since this is the week of school getting out early every day, I’ve been scheduling playdates for Sophia as fast as I can. Yesterday she had two friends over. Simon doesn’t go to school on Thursdays, so I had a House Full O’ Kids. So what did I do?

That’s right. I made cookies.

I am now officially “The Mom Who Makes Cookies For Playdates.” I’m in unknown territory here, people. My mother was certainly not like this. I don’t think any of my friends had moms who would do that. (Actually, that’s not true: Kari’s mom was the first person I knew who made chicken noodle soup from scratch, including the noodles. Man, that soup was good. I don’t remember her making any cookies, though.) As I’ve mentioned before, I was an adult before I realized you could make a cake or brownies without needing to have a mix labeled “Duncan Hines” on hand. And now I’m whipping up cookies on the spur of the moment! Fear me!

I made snickerdoodles, Sophia’s favorite cookie, from a recipe from Martha Stewart. Darin pronounced them the best cookies he’s ever eaten, which means, of course, I have to run out and buy Martha’s Baking Handbook. (Like I need excuses for more cookbooks. I need to quell my desire for cookbooks! Our cookbook shelves are busting out all over: I’m going to have to get rid of some.)

Darin and I have Date Night once a week. Yes, I know: it’s so cute. Usually we have dinner and a movie (or, depending on what time Darin manages to make it home from work, just a movie, and sometimes depending on the quality of movies out there, just dinner), but last night we went to see Center for Literary Arts at San Jose State University. He read two stories: “Orange,” which is in the form of answers to a questionnaire (and we never get the questions); and “The Witch’s Headstone,” which is part of a forthcoming anthology and a chapter from a novel. He’d never read “The Witch’s Headstone” before, so he apologized to us in advance for not knowing how long it was. And it was long, but it was great — that’s a book I’m looking forward to.

Darin and I miss the Writer’s Bloc series in Los Angeles, where writers interviewed writers. As we were waiting for Gaiman to start, he said, “When you’re in charge of the writers in this area, you could start something like that.” But I think the Center for Literary Arts is as close as we’re going to get in the South Bay: we’re too spread out, too suburban, and too non-literary to support something like that. Unless you came up with some big names, I guess. Gaiman did have quite a good turnout last night.

Nanowrimo is going. It’s not going particularly well — every time I’ve caught up with the word count, something happens and I slip behind again. Right now I’m 5000 words behind the pace.

I have learned something about my writing habits, what I need to work on. Number one is, of course, finishing. I have a terrible time declaring something “done,” “near done,” or “take it away before I edit it again.” Number two is… Well, I told Tamar the opening for my novel, and she said it sounded good. Then I said, I don’t know what happens next. I don’t know why this crime was committed, I don’t know whodunnit. I’m not ever sure I’ve introduced whodunnit yet.

I have got to figure out the crimes before I start writing. I might not have to figure out anything else, like the plot, but I have got to know the engine before I go. Otherwise I just stop dead. The same thing happened to me last year: I had a very good opening, then no explanation for why that thing had happened.

And apparently my subconscious is not leaping to the rescue with explanations, which really pisses me off. Hello, everyone else’s seems to help them out, give them dreams. Jump in here, elves!

So, that’s what I’ve been doing.

Sadly, No! gives a pictorial of a few memories we ought to carry around today as we go in to cast our vote.

And damn if I won’t have that song in my head all day now.

Sadly, tonight is NaDruWriNi, and I have to get up to go running in the morning. So sadly, my sole glass of Riesling with dinner tonight will have to suffice.

What I have been doing of late a lot is writing.

• Yes, I’m doing Nano again. It actually does get a little easier, even though the words haven’t been pouring forth prodigiously, because Sophia’s school is actively working against my having time in November. Nov. 1? Teacher in-service day, no school. Next Friday? Veteran’s Day, no school. The entire next week? Early dismissal. Then there’s Thanksgiving.
  

• I’m taking an online playwriting class at Foothill College. Why playwriting, you ask? Besides being inspired by the hilarity and awe-dropping talent of The Amateur Gourmet? I don’t know. Wanting to focus on the extreme basics of character and situation, instead of flashy writing or jump cuts. And I wanted to take some writing class after lo, these many years, just to get some of my writing in front of someone new and see what they had to say. What the teacher has said? Has been extremely gratifying. And I know she’s not saying it to everyone, because in an online class you get to read the teacher’s comments about everyone.

• I’m doing Lucy Huntzinger’s online short story group, Deathless Pose. No, that’s not a typo. I haven’t participated nearly enough, but thankfully I have a bye for the month of November, or my pointy little head would pop off my shoulders.

• And lastly, finishing up my novel so that perhaps at long last I will, you know, show it to someone. It exists. It really does. I promise.

Okay, now this is funny: National Drunken Writing Night.

NaDruWriNi 2006 is Nov. 4. Thems the rules:

The goal is to drink while you write and write while you’re drunk. Drink as much as you want, write as much as you want, but be responsible, and don’t blame me if you write/do anything stupid.

NaDruWriNi is not just for bloggers. Use this as a writing exercise to free yourself of inhibitions. Write in a Moleskine. Write in a spiral notebook. Write on a bar napkin if you must. Just write.

If you do have a blog, post to your site. Then, leave a link in the comments on my Nov. 4 entry, or save your post to del.icio.us using the tag “nadruwrini2006″.

Gatherings of participants are encouraged. Post gathering info in the comments below.

You must tell us what you are drinking.

You must NOT edit anything you have written. Part of the fun of NaDruWriNi are the Freudian slips. Also, if you write by paper, post a picture of your writing to your site or to Flickr using the tag “nadruwrini2006″ so we can see your awful penmanship.

Lastly, steal the button! Click on the image below to get the code and make Papa Hemingway proud.

(Via Pooks.)