I, Podified...
I was plugged into my new iPod (grad gift from E.) listening to Vivaldi's “Four Seasons” this morning for two reasons. One, to drown out the sound of my neighbor's workmen building the new addition to his house (the guys are so close I have to close my blinds if I want to change), and two, to see if the multi-layered beauty of classical music really does make one smarter, and if it might tap into unknown reaches of my brain and wake up creative genius I did not know was there. We’ll see on the latter.

I cannot say enough about my ipod; it has opened up new possibilities for distraction from the world around me! I can listen to music when I garden, when I walk down town, when I jog or take walks. I can listen to music anytime I must wait in line, at the post office or the bank. I never have to be subject to the white noise of my neighborhood ever again. It helps me drown out traffic and construction workers, loud neighbors and those damn crows that start a caucus each morning. I am now just a head full of sound. Now all I want to do is sit around and upload music to my pod. I'm busily putting all possible cds on it that I can stand to sit still for. I wish there were more places to download free music, but alas...at least my investment in these cds is getting a second life.

Witness me...
I want to publicly state that as of next week I will formally be finishing my novel (I intend to have the first rough draft done by my birthday in August). I will be writing from 6-8 each morning, which means I may be slow to return your emails until later in the day. It means I may not shower until nine, and so you will definitely not want to drop by unannounced, as I will quite certainly not smell very good. Right before I left for Bennington I hit a strange high, and I wrote a synopsis of the final half of my novel because I knew I was going to ride my own ass to finish it when I got back, but knew I’d be out of steam. I have plot details, even dialogue notes and the final touches for each character in there. Damn, did I write this? It’s good! I mean, it saves me the work of having to try to come up with it right now when I’m fried. It’s as if I have a little personal assistant-self who was working for me back then. I need to give her a raise and take her out for a nice dinner. Maybe a bottle of bubbly.

I feel the need to write here, but am sort of sapped of interesting anecdotes or good ideas. I should be full of them considering the past few weeks, but my brain is on re-direct. I can only handle what is in front of me. I’ll have more to say soon. I hope.

Now Playing: Beth Orton’s “Central Reservation.” Oh god is she good. I have loved her ever since a friend introduced her to me about four years ago.