JUST DROPPED IN

Made the mistake of watching the news right before going to sleep last night. Strange dreams, full of foreboding, and woke up at 5am, sure something really bad had just gone down.

Which is probably true. We are in a pandemic, the numbers are spiking, and our current President seems unable to do anything other than say "everything's great! We go this, don't you worry." I mean, did you watch that press conference yesterday? I think asking what he would say to a frightened American was kind of an easy question. But he freaked out. Why? What is up with this guy?

On other news, I've decided to start work on a new screenplay, pretty much straight up autobiography kind of thing, coming of age and all that. It just feels like the right story for me to tell at this time and place. Maybe by tonight, I'll think that's nuts. But that's where I am today. And as far as writing goes, I do what I think I should, unless being paid large sums of money by some studio.

I am also seriously thinking about filming myself reading my journal from high school. Working title: I Was a Teen-Age Born-Again.  Used to do it at parties for laughs, because I was sooooo full of myself back then. Still am, of course. I mean, I post a blog daily during a freakin' pandemic.

What else? Mind scattered this morning. Got up late, making coffee now, just let the dog out. My dog Padfoot. He's a bit of a nut, but most awesome. Great thing about dogs, they always have their priorities straight. Eat. Sleep. Love. Play. I am getting to his way of thinking.

And Kenny Rogers died. Maybe I should look up one of the Gambler movies and watch it in his honor. And for sure, The Big Lebowski. The dream sequence song is by him, which always surprised me. We've been watching lots of stuff. As has most folks, I think. We turn to the arts. I am also making my way through BoJack Horseman, finally. It's smart, funny, and also a bit sad.

Also, last night while cleaning up after dinner, I came upon a livestream home concert by Toby Lightman. She used to tend bar at Bryant Park Grill when I was a waiter there. I used to always call out to her light Sweeney Todd "Toby, where are you?", and she'd smile kindly and then make d drinks I needed. She went on to have a career in music. It was so beautiful to just clean up and listen to this heartfelt lovely music streaming live. You can go HERE to follow her on Facebook.

Ok. Gotta go in a sec. Taking our daily morning walk, while we still can. Priorities, people. Priorities. For the Duration.

THE DURATION

Waiting for the cabin fever. The worms. The Man. Godot.

Not really, though. Set up a sort of schedule yesterday, and that was great. Cleaned house. Worked on script. Played a game called Hunt a Killer. Got set for a campaign of D & D. Watched Schitt's Creek. Watched it Snow.

It snowed here yesterday. Several inches. I've always felt snow is magic, that it portends to good things. Sometimes, I think it is a sign from my old mentor Taft Miller. I remember, in the spring of 1993 I think, there were floods all over the country. Huge floods. And Taft talked about how Mother Nature can only be contained for so long. That levee's break, hurricanes and earthquakes are part of the deal. We can't control everything. Much as we'd like to. Makes me think of my favorite quote from The Lord of the Rings, which I remember being on posters after 9/11.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

That's pretty straight up accurate.

Speaking of these times. As I was working on the script yesterday, I came to a scene that involved a line of people at Costco, waiting for free samples. Remember those? I wonder if they will come back, or if that will go the way of the DoDo? It was always a chance for grown women and men to cut in line, hover like vultures for scraps of food they most likely didn't need and often didn't even like all that much, and behave badly. Not that samples was a bad idea in and of itself. Having some nice person say "here, try this, you might like it" is quite nice. But there were times, on a busy week end day at Costco, where people would go a little nuts, mashed around the hot sausage or pizza tots or whatever.

So, not sure if scene will stay or not. The plan for the moment is to finish the script- episode two of a ten episode limited series. I want to finish at least three episodes. Maybe, after the Duration, I'll have something to sell. Lord knows I'll need the money. No work sucks. And not knowing when I will work again, or how bills will be paid, sucks even more.

But enough. Things suck all over. Just have to decide what to do with the time I've been given. Things suck, yes. Things have been bad before, and will be bad again. But things will also get better. Victories will come. Joy will arrive. This too shall pass. We will get through the Duration.

That's what I'm calling this time period. The Duration. A rough patch that will require ingenuity and courage and determination. I think it's what they called World War II while it was going on. The Duration.