Mood: resentful.

I quit piano lessons about six months ago because every time I tried to practice, the kids would bang on the keys, stick their heads under my arms, and generally make me miserable.

This evening, at K's request, I tried to practice again, and naturally nothing had changed, so after my Duke Ellington songbook had crashed to the floor at the hands of my daughter, I went upstairs in a huff to fold laundry. Whereupon I heard K get through the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata, among other things, without interruption.

What's the deal with that?

Pffft.

Bored now. (Followed by my main character's skin being pulled off.)

GAAAAH! Good Fortune Alert!

In today's email:

Dear Mr [Squelch],

Congratulations.

The co-producing team of Frederator Studios and Animation Magazine is happy to inform you that <ESC> has been selected to appear in the sixth episode of the Nicktoons Film Festival, airing on Nicktoons Sunday, November 28th, at 10:00pm (ET) / 7:00pm (PT).

Encore presentations include:
Monday, 11/29, at 1:00am (ET)
Monday, 11/29, at 10:00pm (ET)
Tuesday, 11/30, at 1:00am (ET)

If you have any questions please be sure to e-mail us at Hey@Frederator.kz or NicktoonsFilmFestival@AnimationMagazine.net. Also note that a representative from our production office may contact you for marketing purposes.

Once again, thank you for your submission and welcome to our show.

Sincerely,

Rita Street, Producer
Eric Homan, Producer
Nicktoons Film Festival

The movie in question. And to think I only got cable a month ago! Okay, who's gonna be in D.C. on the 28th? Party time!

Contract imminent.

My novel is now listed at Na-No-Blog-Mo, so I guess I can start seeing those hits roll in, huh? Plbt...

I'm never going to make the deadline, but it sure is fun. That's exactly what I said each time I tried this before... just before I was sent into a death spiral.

The folly continues.

Chapter Two is up. As with most of my writings, at the moment I think it's pretty good. In a few days, I will think it sucks, get depressed about it, and burn it in the fireplace (metaphorically speaking, these days).

Well.

If you're a Rooster Spice reader who can't get enough, why not try my woefully underwritten NaNoWriMo novel?

Skeleton in the E-Closet: A Mystery of Low-Paying Summer Theater

Future chapters coming apace!

God damn it.

Aftermath.

At least I can look myself in the face. But next time around, I'll be sure to not spend so much time in the echo chamber.

It's tough to overstate how invested I was in this election. I spent money, I all but abandoned my family, I wailed and gnashed my teeth. I also really believed in John Kerry as something other than an Anything-But-Bush. He's probably going to get a lot of blame for this, but the fact is, he is a good man and a good politician. I'll stand by that statement for the foreseeable future.

Who knew that Bush and Rove could win by only going after their base and arresting those who disagreed with them? Everyone but me, apparently.

It's going to take a while for me to recover. But who cares what I think? Bush certainly doesn't.

Woo hoo!

Here I am at the Kerry-Edwards headquarters for Northeast Philly. Just hoofed through two neighborhoods, hanging literature in the first and canvassing voters in the second. Only one Bush voter swore at me, apparently because he thought I had knocked down his signs. I hadn't.

Lots of friendly faces, though. And far more Kerry signs than the other.

I've not been able to reach my wife at home, so, if she's reading this: I love you, K! Have you voted yet?

I'm off to the races.

Goin' to Philadephia to get out the vote. If any readers are in the area, you'll know me; I'll be wearing a pink carnation.

For what it's worth, my prediction: Kerry's going to break 300.