These are the thoughts of a Texas transplant in West Michigan who makes his living as a newspaper reporter by evening, and a struggling novelist by day.

Saturday, August 06, 2005

the woes

dawnie and i had severals long conversations about my writing over the past few days. still feeling crappy about writing. i'm such a downer. i'm beginning to feel that sometimes nothing will come of my ideas but turn to mush in my already mushy brain.

dawn's confident, tho. she's pointed out some things i could be doing that i'm not doing. sometimes i think she (a former teacher) would have a better gig writing than me. she's more analytical and thoughtful than i am. i simply rush forward blindly without regard.

i have done some revising and now changed my POV on my story. i will write my outline and move forward, never minding if dialogue and other things are left out or unfinished for now and let it all move ahead. see where that takes me.

in the meantime, we're looking into magazine article writing. she'll be good at it. i will attempt some and see how it goes. but i'm happy dawn is jumping into the writing ring. it will give us another commonality.

McGee here i come, with full disregard. heh heh

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Rockin' with INXS

When I first heard INXS had plans to look for a new lead singer, I initially thought it was bogus. I liked the band in the day and turned up the radio when some of their songs came on the air.
But I thought I'd give it a shot when Rock Star INXS started a few weeks ago. Dawn started to watch it and recorded the show for me. While some may call it a rip-off of American Idol (the bottom three voter-getters are isolated and then one booted off), the show has a much harder edge than Idol.
The gang sings some cool stuff and usually songs I know, as opposed to Idol where sometimes I'm wondering why some of these songs are being sung. Or the show picks a genre that's lame or cliche.
While Idol has the never-failing-to-be-cruel Simon and the too sweet Paula, Rock Star has the funny and mostly honest tattood Dave Navarro and the four dudes from INXS. The band is usually frank with the contestants -- but never cruel or demeaning to them and crushing their egos.
Call it gimmicky or whatever, but I'm really digging the show. Dawn informed me that it probably wouldn't be picked up after this is over. Too bad.
I guess come this fall it'll be back to the bickering Simon-Paula duo and William Hung freaks wanting to be on TV for their fifteen minutes of fame. Although I must admit that I do watch the show when it's on and really thought Bo Bice rocked like crazy. Mmmmm, would he have fit in with Rock Star INXS, long hair, great vocals and stage presence and all? I guess we'll never know. Rock on Bo!

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Auntie Lynda came to town

What a surprise when Aunt Lynda called this morning to say she was on her way up from Chicago and wanted to stop by and visit for a few hours while on her way back up north near Houghton Lake.
Lynda is Dawn's aunt, who I met several years ago before we married and I really enjoyed meeting and her ice fisherman husband Monte.
Lynda has treated me so well since the beginning and I've always appreciated that and remember it from the first time we met.
so even though the visit was on a sad note -- her cousin from Chicago died -- it was good to see her and chat a bit. We don't often see her or Monte or even Grandma Jackie (adorable lady that she is).
Big hugs Lynda.