Archive for July 22nd, 2007

7/21/07: Barbecue. Grunt.

Word count: 54103 | Since last entry: 1682 | Days until retirement: 72

A big package arrived today: my anniversary present for five years at my employer. I had selected from the catalog of watches, clocks, and jewelry… a Weber grill. Cool! I am Guy, hear me grunt.

Naturally my plans to buckle down and spend the day writing went right out the window. I spent the afternoon assembling the thing, finding propane (in the peculiar tank size it requires), and buying a stand, barbecue tools, and other necessities. I read the dire warnings of explosions and devastation, then fired the thing up. As it happens, we had already planned burgers and cole slaw for this evening’s repast. It was fabulous. And when the yellowjackets came round, we took advantage of the fact that we were grownups and eating in our own backyard and just went inside. Take that, yellowjackets.

Also today: some Japanese study, a fun lecture on Portland’s neighborhood movie houses, and a viewing of the new Harry Potter film (better than I’d expected) in one of them. And I did get a few hundred words written. I am amazed to see that somehow I have accumulated over 2000 words in the current chapter, and I might conceivably finish it before next week’s crit group meeting. Will wonders never cease.

More writing tomorrow. I swear.