So much can happen in just a few days. As reported by my last post, I blew a lot of money at the record store. Today, I'm trying to figure out how much I can save in the next 3 months.

My parents and I had a talk and, well, I'm 23 and I probably should move out of the house and live on my own. However, this ideal conflicts with my attempts to save a whole chunk of change for graduate school. But not leaving the house imparts a sense of unreality to my life, which my hinder my writing with immaturity. They want me to stay. I have no idea what I want. Hmm...

Oh, I got new albums last week!

I re-got Rufus Wainwright's "Poses" - I lost the other one, I guess. At least the new copy has a bonus song.
I got an EP of Gorillaz remixes - not my fav. band, but the CD is fun, fun, fun.
Since I was blowing so much at one time, I felt that a Strokes single w/ an extra live performance was worth it.

I'm such a consumer whore. I just bought a t-shirt that says that. Oh god, I'm dying from irony overload...Gah!!!

(Note: I haven't spent any money since then, so that's a good sign =) )

I always love it when an author holds a torch for one of his or her characters. Case in point: Last night's "West Wing" was everything a "West Wing" should be - rapid fire dialogue requiring fast comprehension (but allowing for none), repetiative dialogue that becomes funny only because it's repeated, gratutious shots of Allison Janney's full stature (a good 5 inches taller than M. Sheen), and a heartwarming ending that makes you happy to be an American (because, dammit, there's real people taking care of everything for us...people with feelings). With that said, Aaron Sorkin decided to give the one huge line to an inconsequential character, Donna, who's a secretary in the White House Office. Poor Donna doesn't get invited to the big party downstairs, poor Donna finds out she's really a Canadian because of a border mix up, poor Donna is entirely too honest with the First Lady and thus, instead of insulting the First Lady and losing her job, changes the course of history, convincing the First Lady to give up her life's work to support the President.

I wouldn't care about this if Sorkin hadn't of given this very same actress the key lines in more than one "Sports Night" episode. Hmm, wonder if something's going on off-screen.

Either way, it reminded me how writers will have a character (or in this case, an actress) they absolutely love. Even if that character is a completely devoid of good traits, you can see the love. It spills out on the page - the beloved character can steal any scene.

Is this good or bad? I can't tell.

Congrats are in order for Juan, who just finished another novel. Another? you say. Yes, as in more than one. Good job. His committment to writing regularly is a huge inspiration to me.

Well, if inspiration means "the creation of guilt inside of Keith over not doing what could be done if he applied himself".

Oh, I saw the most hilarious thing last night. Sir Ian McKellan was on the Craig Kilborne show, which I usually don't watch because he patronizes everyone (if I want patronizing, I watch Letterman, who does it right). They had McKellan do the whole five questions bit, but one of the questions was to read the instructions for a flat tire change in a Shakespearian theatre voice. Well, not only did McKellan do it, but he did it with gusto and precision. I about died laughing and I almost woke up the parents. Too fun.

I'm about to print out my two stories for Writers Workshop tonight. I'm so happy that they're done! One is a tale of an apathetic American in Moscow who has to take care of an apathetic Russian orphan for a day. The other is a story I keep reworking and reworking about a girl just trying to get home after her job at an all night pizza joint, but she gets accosted (mentally) by this Billy Graham-ite. She ends up being the cool, compassionate one.

Unfortunately, the class is going to have to read the long one - the Russian story is 6,000 words. The teacher gets to read the other, closer to 1,800 (barely a story! you say. Well, pray that the teacher doesn't).

I'm worried about the Russian story...the prose is fairly direct and un-flowery - I was trying to evoke the cold and bleak stuff surrounding the main character, but it might just sound flat. The ending might be corny as well, but - (This drivel has been stopped by DrivelWatch (tm), coming to a blog near you).

There was a little boy in the backyard connected to ours. He was skipping school. He was swinging a machete. My mom went outside.

Now he's helping her with her roses.

My mom is the coolest.