For my sister...

Yes, I know I've been bad. Really, really bad. But you have to understand that I'm pretty much writing a constant stream of words as it is, not to mention all the words I have to put back in my head. So cut me some slack. Or don't. Just quit sending the swine flu over here in retribution.

Here are some glimpses from my life the last month:

1. Village Hall Dance.

I went with my friends Zak and Janie up to Zak's hometown for a weekend. It was a family friend's 21st birthday, which is a pretty big deal in NZ, so we attended what was essentially a barn dance in a village hall. There was fiddle music, the chicken dance, traditional dances, and a bunch of homeschoolers, so it felt like being back in Wisconsin!


2. Mordor


During our Easter break I went on a 3-day hike with my Canadian friend Brodie. We decided since we were in LOTR ground zero, that it would be fitting to hike through Mordor. It was the right choice. We trekked through a beautiful, at times alien, landscape that seemed to completely change ever couple of miles. Our bodies were sore, but we had a great time. Brodie even found spots for text messaging. Ahh nature.



Since we had a lot of time together, I was able to learn some new facts about Brodie. My favorite Brodie fact: he was once ejected from a WWF event. Apparently he really didn't like one of the wrestlers, so he threw his Big Gulp soda at him as he taunted the crowd, hitting him right in the face. This did not please the wrestler too much and he came into the crowd, grabbed Brodie by the shoulders, shook him a whole bunch, and then tore his favorite Canuck's shirt right down the middle. Brodie was promptly ejected from the arena. This is the type of story I wish I could tell my grandkids some day.

3. Writing

I think I'm going a little crazy. I have to have the first draft of my novel finished by June 28th. The date looms in the distance like a huge Texan storm cloud.

4. Reading
The Rifles - William T Vollmann
The Savage Detectives - Roberto Bolano
We Love Glenda So Much - Julio Cortazar
Less Than Zero - Bret Easton Ellis
The Inner Life - Thomas a Kempis
Lost in a Book - Victor Nell

5. Music
Lots of Elvis
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Kiss - Very Best Of
Lots of 50's love songs and girl groups
Dead Luke - The Black Plague in Mono

Most Recently: An awesome mix cd from Emily

6. Friends
How we hang out: Team Fortress 2 at a 16 person LAN party, dancing at Boogie Wonderland (complete with disco balls and light up dance floor), LOST, poetry readings, Indian Food, Film, Gossip Girl, Shakespearean play starring Ethan Hawke

This weekend: 48Hour Film Festival (I am a writer for a competing team)

More to come...