Best Intentions
-Aimee Mann, "Mr. Harris"
February 28
9 p.m.
So I had a typical sort of work day, you know. I talked to Meg around 6 tonight, shortly after I got home, and she said "So how was your day?"
I said "I dunno-- it hasn't really started yet."
I went to Pergolesi with the best of intentions. Novel chapters to read, a story to finish. The barista was clairvoyant, and had my mocha half-made before I even reached the counter. I sat down in a quiet corner and opened up my bookbag.
By the time I got my clipboard out, I noticed that Scott had just come in. He saw me, came over, and said. "Hey." He raised one eyebrow. "Have you eaten?"
"No, I haven't," I said (Normally I'd say "Yeah, but I could eat again." But this time I really hadn't eaten).
"I was thinking," he said. "I should really go to work. But I sort of want... sushi."
"Sushi?" Thinking: I must be strong. I must not be tempted.
"Oh, yes. Sushi. And this particular sushi place has more to recommend it than the quality of the food."
"Ah," I said. "That sushi place."
"Yes. The very same."
And, in unison: "With the hot waitstaff."
"You finish your mocha," he said. "I'll have a soda. Then we'll go."
Must be strong! "I'd have to go get some cash..."
"No." He waved that away. "I'll put it on a card, and you can pay me back later."
And so I was lost.
[Portions of the conversation above not affecting the outcome have been edited. Conversation has further been altered for content, time, and funniness.]
*
The sushi was really good, of course-- it's always delicious there. The waitstaff was still quite attractive... but you could tell it was a Wednesday, and not a peak day, like a Friday or Saturday. An absence of the usual tight skirts and short dresses. Still, quite the pleasant dining experience.
And that was all over by eight, which left me plenty of time to get started writing. So I came home, and sat down at my computer... and read journals. Because, really, how could I concentrate on writing with a bunch of unread journal entries out there in the ether?
Then I had to read the Santa Cruz Comic News, because a new one just came out today, and how else am I supposed to keep up with newsworthy happenings, hmm?
Then I started my CD player and prepared to get to work. But how could I work with such music? Music I'd heard scores if not hundreds of times before? Clearly, new music was needed, and my payment for "Plastic Scorpions" would cover a couple of new discs...
So I went to Streetlight, and didn't linger long, actually. I bought The Moon & Antarctica by Modest Mouse (which features "wild pack of family dogs," perhaps my current favorite minute-and-forty-five-second-long succession of sounds). Also Aimee Mann's old one, Whatever, because I wasn't in-the-know enough to like it in 1992 (when I was, like, a freshman in high school), and I've got a lot of lost time to make up for.
So now the Mouse is playing, and I'm ready to write. Last night of the Dare!
Here I go.
Except I have to go make some tea first.
And maybe take a shower.
*
12:13 a.m.
"Romanticore" is finished! With only a shower break, a tea break, a Simpsons break, and a random-surfing-break. I think the last few scenes are very good, and in revision I'll have to strive to bring the rest of the story up to that level. It took me some time to hit my stride with this one, but about halfway in I figured out where I was going. And yes, M'ris, the monster does finally appear on-stage, at the climax. So I'm not a total tease.
What a nice night! New music, a story finished, sushi... Mmm. A life of lovely goodness.
Well, for me, anyway. I did some pretty nasty stuff to my characters tonight. But we can't all have a good time.
Total, Final Dare Word Count: 48,971
Today's Word Count: 3,663
The Daring Darlings: