Monday, February 26, 2007

Return of the Snow

Driving home from our Oscar party last night up in the highlands of Tuxedo, NY, the snow was coming down at a lick. We had planned ahead, cramming the family into the all-wheel drive Subaru as opposed to the zero-traction minivan, but it still was a hairy ride down and across the NJ border.

This morning, we woke to find four inches had fallen. This time yesterday I was playing soccer - in shorts - and glorious near-spring sunshine. The snow from the storm a couple of weeks ago had pretty much all gone.

Today school is cancelled (on the first day after the winter break week) and it's effing freezing outside, meaning once again the majority of the day will be spent indoors, bouncing off the walls and wishing I lived in Arizona.

Now, I'm no snow expert, but this seems at least to be more like "good snow" - that is, big puffy flakes that stick together allowing us to bombard neighbors houses with snowballs. But regardless of the quality of the stuff, I have little choice if I want to leave the house and go anywhere and do anything but to get out the shovel and clear the drive, dig out the car, and clear a path for the mailman. And that bites the big one.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Sigh!

Never has so much been going on, but so little happening.

Oh, and I scored a belter this morning. 25 yards out, curling, dipping under the crossbar. Made up for the pansy shot straight at the keeper, sidefooted from about six feet.

Tonight's Oscar party will hopefully provide a distraction and cure my melancholy. I have seen just one of the best picture nominations (Little Miss Sunshine - despite having The Departed sitting in my DVD player unplayed for a week), a staggering NONE of the best actor performances, and just one of the best actress performances (Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada - which I actually only enjoyed because him out of Entourage was in it and it was funny seeing an actor who I know for playing a different actor in a T.V. show acting in something else.)

My only shoo-in pick is Marie Antoinette for Best Costume Design. Although that movie was spoiled by Alan Partridge being in it.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Confession

What is the worse sin to confess?

1) Walking around the house singing "Stars Are Blind" by Paris Hilton?

2) Admitting the song has been stuck in my head since hearing it on an episode of "Pants Off, Dance Off"?

You decide, but only after listening to the song and watching PODO at least twice each.

Some Velvet Morning

My best friend throughout my teenage years, Desmond Lambert, has just seen his band's first single released. And it's awesome. Go to http://www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk/ to hear "Losing My Mind."

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Year of the Keeble?

I have had more success in the last two weeks than in the entire second half of 2006.

Currently I have an agent and a publisher looking over my manuscript, and I'm progressing with my new project at a lick not seen since the early inspired days of TWIMCT almost a year ago (and pretty soon I'll have enough done that I will be less scared to talk about it - right now I'm very excited, but it's all about getting something actually written for me to build on.) I've already had a publisher very interested in picking up TWIMCT this year. It's reassuring that perhaps I wasn't wasting my time this last year as some form letters had led me to believe.

Then today I get an e-mail confirming an article I had submitted and forgotten all about will run in the Parent Paper in an upcoming issue. I am particularly pleased at this news because it was a funny article, very much in the style of TWIMCT, and therefore something useful I can point to. I will put it here in all its glory once it's published for real.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

New Year, Pneu-monia

So for the third time in three months, I find myself ill.

This one was probably the sickest I've ever been with a diagnosis of full-on pneumonia. It came at the worst possible time, as the entire family (including my parents visiting from England) all came down with bronchitis and a fever at the least. The highlight was some pretty spectacular hallucinations before my own fever broke.

Needless to say this took the edge off the good news that I had a publisher and an agent show some interest in TWIMCT within 24 hours of each other. The agent now has the first 50-odd pages to look at; the publisher should be top of the 'nicest people in the business' list. That said, no concrete publishing or representing so far.

My recovery will be complete in a day or two, but I am in no mood to leave the house. Yesterday I stupidly ventured out to the store and ended up wasting $40 worth of gas as I skidded up and down the drive in the minivan for 20 minutes.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Shhh...

Did someone whisper the word "progress?" I'm far too scared to talk about the recent developments (of which there are two, both arriving within 24 hours of each other) out loud, but if you want to know, you know how to get hold of me...