Better Than Dead

Random quote of the day:

“If you ever want to find out just how uninteresting you really are, get a job where the quality and frequency of your thoughts determine your livelihood. I’ve found that the only way I can keep writing every day, year after year, is to let my mind wander into new territories. To do that, I’ve had to cultivate a kind of mental playfulness.”

—Bill Watterson, “Some Thoughts On the Real World By One Who Glimpsed It and Fled,” Kenyon College Commencement, May 20, 1990

You can read the entire commencement speech here. Highly recommended.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

A lot of medical stuff going on this week.  Mostly not scary, just time consuming.  Real post soon, I hope.  In the meantime, here’s the news…

A “pay me now or pay me later” weekend dealing with boxes I was in too much of a rush to sort and throw stuff away when moving 5 yrs ago. 14 Feb

Had no choice but to do it now since we need the space for med supplies. Cramming books/trash into every nook and cranny in the house. 14 Feb

Venice library, et al., are also going to be making out like extreme making out things. 14 Feb

This has been a long damned afternoon.  15 Feb

The prank that would not die–now a movie! http://tinyurl.com/4ku94nu 15 Feb

justinemusk Retweeted by pj_thompson What not to say about Lara Logan http://shar.es/3c42N <– this is the year 2011. Let’s try not to BLAME THE FREAKING VICTIM. 15 Feb

The world never ends when you expect it to. Just in case, though, I set up the DVR for my shows… 16 Feb

debkalin Retweeted by pj_thompson via @splinister @jimchines astute analysis of LA Weekly’s coverage of Lara Logan’s attack: http://bit.ly/ij1P0g 16 Feb

In all my 1st draft novels 1 or 2 body elements that get way the hell overused. Last 1 it was all kinds of weird stomach things going on. 16 Feb

In the current rewrite it’s weird wiggily spines and blushing. What is up with all the spastic spines and hot faces? 16 Feb

The naming of Pyreka has gone the way of all flesh. Oh my darling, I loved you so, but it’s time we parted ways. 16 Feb

I guess if you expect to have a heart attack, you don’t. Kind of like watched pots never boiling. 16 Feb

Blah blah blah blah blah. 16 Feb

mrbrown Retweeted by pj_thompson Facebook’s new settings lets ZOMBIES eat you while you sleep! Go to Accounts—Home—Invasion Settings—Cannibalism—Brains, uncheck “Tasty” box. 16 Feb

Worked on a short today. Broken, I know exactly where/why, but no idea how to fix. Beginning and end are good, middle goes wayward. 17 Feb

It’s some of my best writing. I’d love to do right by it. 17 Feb

Random quote of the day:

“You can be a believer in astrology and still be a good astronomer.”

—Eugene Subbotsky, quoted in “Magical Thinking,” Psychology Today, Mar/Apr 2008

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Random quote of the day:

“In America we can say what we think, and even if we can’t think, we can say it anyhow.”

—attributed to Charles F. Kettering

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Random quote of the day:

“An election is a moral horror, as bad as battle except for the blood: a mud bath for every soul concerned.”

—George Bernard Shaw, Back to Methuselah

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Mom drove herself to medical treatment bcs she wanted to & I’m trying not to feel guilty. It’s a fine line betw protective/infantilization. 10 Feb

Our $7500 plumbing job began today. Come on, Lotto! 10 Feb

Mom survived the wilds of Inglewood on her own. My guilt is temporarily assuaged. 10 Feb

The story that 1st inspired me to write this novel also got cut. Strange how revisions sometimes go, how necessary becomes superfluous. 10 Feb

I feel tingly and godlike. Richie & Divonne LaRue hit the cutting room floor, gone from my WIP! Well, into my OFF file anyway. Just in case. 10 Feb

Let’s hope the Egyptian army justifies the peoples’ faith in them. 11 Feb

God bless the Egyptian people! 11 Feb

jadewalker Retweeted by pj_thompson Spread the calm. Do nothing for 2 minutes. No really. Take 120 seconds for yourself and just relax. donothingfor2minutes.com 11 Feb

In other important news: all they had in the cafeteria this morning were banana nut muffins. Blech. I ate one anyway. 11 Feb

I spent the entire weekend cleaning up messes. Tired, fragile, hormonal so I’d best hide under my desk today. 14 Feb

Neil Gaiman: the writer as rock star. I mean that with utmost respect. He’s unique and awesome. 14 Feb

Vicarious happy! Happy happy happy!! 14 Feb

Our $7500 plumbing job turned into $8000 over the weekend. 14 Feb

Random quote of the day:

“…the supernatural is found in all cultures, and it cannot be effectively eliminated with rationalistic incantations such as ‘extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.’  The paranormal is part of the human condition, and its repression has consequences.”

—George P. Hansen, The Trickster and the Paranormal

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

To actually participate in this poll, you’ll have to visit my LiveJournal blog.

Inspired by The Onion.

● A romantic dinner for two with my sweetie.
● Come home from work, soak my aching feet, and fall asleep in my chair while watching Castle.
● A romantic dinner with the spouse and kids.
● Self-flagellation and meditating on the sins of the weary world.
● Prezzies! Lots of prezzies!
● Decorating the house with a Halloween theme.
● Receiving a handmade card from my kid(s).
● Listening to the lonely ticking of the clock in an empty, silent room.
● Making handmade cards with my kid(s).
● Candy! Lots of candy!
● Celebrating the beheading and martyrdom of St. Valentine.
● Handing out those little Valentines cards and Sweetarts.
● Cupcakes! Lots of cupcakes!
● Ticky doesn’t believe in celebrating love only one day of the year.
● Other.

Random quote of the day:

“There are no facts, only interpretations.”

—Friedrich Nietzsche, Notebooks, Summer 1886-Fall 1887

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Siegfried and Roy, Leonard Maltin, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

These are arranged chronologically now.

Bouncing around from idea to idea bcs I’ve been so distracted. Maybe I should stop trying to write new for awhile and stick to revisions. 6 Feb

Good day, sunshine, currently 53 degrees here in Westchester. 6 Feb

Do not let me near your microwave. Burned 1 up last month and burned the mini quiches just now. 6 Feb

lilithsaintcrow Lilith Saintcrow RETWEETED by pj_thompson The best curse is, “May you live in interesting times.” The second best? “May you get exactly what you want…” 7 Feb

I’ve held off on revisions for the last WIP bcs there’s a central plot point that has to be changed and I haven’t had a clue how to fix it. 7 Feb

This morning I got an inkling on how to fix it, but I still have no idea how to get there from here. 7 Feb

Maybe I’ll just start driving and hope the road holds out, or magic flowers start growing by its side that whisper the right direction. 7 Feb

Spent the afternoon revising one thing and another. Being in that cold-eyed revision mode, I think I made good progress. 7 Feb

Eat now? The ginormous cranberry muffin I wolfed at 9:30 won’t hold me til 5, but def not hungry now. Just have to get hungry, I guess. 8 Feb

Ick. I just took a Promark poll and I feel so slimy. Prolly skewed their demographic way Leftie though. 8 Feb

JoshMalina Joshua Malina RETWEETED by pj_thompson “Gnomeo and Juliet” looks pretty cute, but Disney’s “Lawn Jockey Othello” strikes me as racist. 9 Feb

I feel zero envy for people who’ve lived privileged, sheltered lives. In fact, I feel kind of sorry for them: they miss the nuances. 9 Feb

I do, however, resent the hell out of them telling other people how they should live their lives. 9 Feb

Word nerd! @pj_thompson scored 522 in The Times #WordNerd test. Discover your score at: http://thetim.es/word-nerd 9 Feb

You, Madam, are a douchebag. I’m so glad I don’t work for you, but I hate having to listen to you deal with the people who do. 10 Feb