Breather

Good progress yesterday, her best day yet, and I got work done in the basement before sunrise, so it's been an inactive day so far. Will move boxes from BR to LR to deal with tomorrow.

Goal still possible.

Glenn Miller sounding good.

Good morning

posted from Bloggeroid

Theater v Film

The difference between stage producers and film producers is huge. The former have good manners, thank you for submissions. The latter act as if they're doing you a favor by even reading your query.

Haven't dealt with theater companies for a while, had forgotten!

Reality

Oregon

I thought you might like this story from The Washington Post.
After Oregon verdict, a hot debate: A victory for liberty, or license to intimidate?
http://wapo.st/2eQi92Z

Every right wing nut in the country has been encouraged now. My best friend used to say he loved Oregon but hated Oregonians. This jury is why.

posted from Bloggeroid

Tweet of the day

By shauna: "Trump goes on trial for fraud in November and child rape in December but YOU GUYS the FBI found emails Hillary didn't send, so."

posted from Bloggeroid

Toward sanity

posted from Bloggeroid

A typical "literary life" story

Turned down 18 times. Then Paul Beatty won the Booker …

http://gu.com/p/59c9a?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Bloggeroid

Happy bday to me

Hired yard crew to get us spiffy for showing. We're getting interior spiffy ... in theory. I may do it all in the end.

Whew

Furnace passed inspection with flying colors. Onward.

The best thing in Russia

Pussy Riot's new video slaps down Donald Trump and celebrates the vagina

http://gu.com/p/596hc?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Bloggeroid

posted from Bloggeroid

Drama

"Negotiations" even before listing with agent of neighbor interested in buying. Goal, highest price possible. Our last income stream!

posted from Bloggeroid

The starting line

posted from Bloggeroid

Stunned

Suddenly progress is sprinting forward. With or without help, I need to keep up!

We should be out of here before the end of the year, after all.

Wow

Realtor doesn't fart around: house being listed Nov 10.

A ton TON of prep to do! And Harriet needs to get on board.

Eventful week

Realtor visits today. See how close we are.

Furnace inspection tomorrow. Knock on my wooden head.

Birthday Wednesday. 77. Hayden just died at 76. Vee just died at 75. Hmm.

Had expected to celebrate it at Russellville.

posted from Bloggeroid

Great World Series

Can't wait. Something to do while I WAIT. Frustration is my middle name.

Passed annual check up. Why am I not excited?

52-49

Exciting game, Cal beating Oregon, but I had to listen to most of it on radio with Oregon's broadcasters, the most arrogant, biased, whining voices in sports. Hard to root for alma mater with those clowns.

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Lunch at Russellville

First rate. Saw art studio. Both eager.

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Too much

90% of BR done ... And done in, think I overdid it.

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Long live Rothko!

From TS: http://roundbendpress.blogspot.com/2016/10/rothko.html

posted from Bloggeroid

Seeing an ending

Cleared a dozen boxes out of the living room, moving them to basement, a step toward making house presentable. Lot of labor for the old guy, carrying boxes downstairs. Catch my breath and do same for bedroom.

posted from Bloggeroid

Ghost of Monica

I have progressive friends who loathe Hillary. I think they hugely underestimate the danger of Donald.

Besides, the ghost of Monica may propel a President HRC into surprising directions to show up Bill, including progressive ones. After all, her nickname as First Lady was Madam Bolshevik.

posted from Bloggeroid

Community

I hope in Russellville, in time, I regain a sense of community. I haven't had it in Portland for 25 years.

In the 1980s Portland's theater community and the city itself felt like home. But as the decade wound down, a number of things changed: my three "directors" left the community (retiring, moving, dying), my work's focus shifted to hyperdrama and an audience overseas, and a retrospective of my work felt like a funeral. I haven't felt at home here since then.

Maybe I can find community in Russellville.

posted from Bloggeroid

When I was 42 ...

... I performed my one-man Woody Guthrie show in Bend. Read about it.

Listen to it.

posted from Bloggeroid

Jim Wylie & Charles Deemer, the revival

Not all chicken sausage is the same

I buy it for Harriet and get Jimmy Dean for myself. I added some to my Prime Now order from New Seasons ... and it is great! Actually tastes like sausage. A keeper.

Blessings

Get organized

With major downsizing done, goal is to get presentable with house full of boxes, as well as reduce number of them. Potentially can make much progress today. Bring in realtor next week.

Time out

Mellowing out after stressful morning ended with good news.

posted from Bloggeroid

Knowledge

Car wouldn't start. Seemed like dead battery to me. Called AAA for a jump. Soon as he heard engine try to start, he said, That's not the battery. Then something amazing: he said, Did you pull up a few feet and shut off the engine?

YES! To make room for Managed Moves truck. This floods the engine!

A lot of cranking to get engine to catch but finally on the road again. Lesson learned.

This is why I am an elitist. Knowledge rules.

posted from Bloggeroid

Amazon Prime Now

What a great service! I'm hooked. Driver said he can barely keep up with the deliveries, so popular. I'll use again.

In fact, I look forward to quitting driving. Soon!

posted from Bloggeroid

Test drive

Dead car this morning. Best case scenario, dead battery, get s jump from AAA tomorrow. Drive to my mechanic.

Needed groceries. So trying out Amazon Prime, their food delivery service. Nearby New Seasons, user friendly, reasonably priced, 2 hr service. Might be addictive ha ha.

posted from Bloggeroid

Failure

Feeling like a failure a lot lately. Not as in boo-hoo poor me but as in, what the fuck, what am I doing on this alien planet? A failure of navigation.

A first

I was listening to jazz this afternoon when Autumn Leaves came on. I know it with movable chord shapes. I found the key ... and played along! Almost felt like a real musician. Almost.

Inspiration

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-travis-bradberry/38-of-the-most-inspiratio_b_12389984.html

posted from Bloggeroid

Dinner

Photo by Harriet, who loved it. My simple Korean marinade is the secret.

Cornish game hen

posted from Bloggeroid

Dylan's lyrics

http://bit.ly/2elJQ4p

posted from Bloggeroid

Bob Dylan!

http://www.breakingnews.com/t/BfXP

Nobel Prize in literature. I like it.

posted from Bloggeroid

Another evening ...

Appalled, horrified, saddened ...

... by what is happening in the once saner USA. Suddenly intelligence, even common sense, are "elitist" to 40% of our citizens. The dumbing of America has found its expression.

posted from Bloggeroid

Chilly night

Limbo

Treading water, trying to maintain cool.

2 neighbors interested in house. Bidding war?

Zzzzzzzzzz...

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Something new

Olive rolls

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Good morning

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Wow

Two productive downsizing days in a row! Shall we try for three?

posted from Bloggeroid

No hassles

Great doc appt, with nurse, all tests on pacemaker good, 8 yrs battery life, no hassle re med I refuse, a very pleasant visit. Do again next year.

Anxiety

Early doc appt, annual pacemaker checkup. I dread them because eventually we'll have a clash between goals: they to extend my life, myself to manage my death. Last time they wanted to add a pill to the 3 I now take. I refused. Catch hell now?

Really pisses me off that I have no sense of the medical profession's interest in my values and desires. They view life as its own reward, unless I get a terminal disease.

Life itself is a terminal disease ha ha.

No mood for conflict. Hope it is a routine visit.

One chore at a time

A half speed day but progress nonetheless, with H working too. Let's do another tomorrow.

Old age

This morning H couldn't remember how to play a game she's been playing daily. Had to look up the rules. Very upsetting.

And I couldn't find my glasses. I was wearing them.

A thing of beauty

Light rye.

posted from Bloggeroid

Baking bread II

A foundation of my semblance of sanity! At Russellville, I can bake more loaves than we have to eat. Have a bread raffle, take special orders.

posted from Bloggeroid

Baking bread

At 2 am. Probably the highlight of my day.

posted from Bloggeroid

A thesis on my work

If memory serves right, this is the third, earlier ones in Sweden and Spain.

And now:

Hello

       My name is Nahla, I am from Egypt. I had the honor of researching your works a few years back online and I took my MA in arts, English Department a couple of years ago . My thesis was about three of your works which I enjoyed working on. Thank you for taking the effort of enriching the literary field with your rather unique and contemporary works of Hyperdrama_ now I know from my studies that it is NOT an easy endeavor_and I wish for you the best.  I was actually inspired to write a hypertext novel, which I finished most of it so far. Here is an Abstract from my thesis:

      The thesis examines the rising relationship between theater and technology through examining what is known as ‘hyperdrama’, which is a new form of theater that represents an innovative look towards theater in the new millennium. Hyperdrama is referred to as a ‘hypertext fiction’, as it is written in hypertext language and read on a computer. Hyperdrama transforms the rules of theater by using digital technology to modify the rules of writing drama, adding certain unfamiliar qualities to a dramatic text. These features have several implications on the notions of a dramatic text, audience, stage, and playwright, turning theater into a rather unique experience. The new context in which the drama is produced alters several rules attached to theater, as the digital element produces a new kind of drama which is both unusual and innovative as well, and expands the perspective of theater in the contemporary age. The three plays examined in the thesis are The Bride of Edgefield (1994), The Last Song of Violetta Parra (1996), and The Seagull Hyperdrama (2004). Through studying those dramas, subjects related to hyperdrama are tackled, such as hypertext, Electronic literature, and virtual technology.

###

Really glad she used my Chekhov, my Magnum Opus in ambition. My CJ novel in execution.

posted from Bloggeroid

Satisfied customer

From cousin in LA ..."The olive bread is delicious! Make that Deemer-licious! Ha ha. You could have a new career as a baker! Getting ready to enjoy the last slices while watching the last Angels game of the season. Hope Trout hits a HR to get to 30 and 100 RBI."

Kudos II

Re booze article, "...wanted to thank you for writing it. It had a tremendous impact on me, and I’ve posted about it on HSM. I expect that because of that exposure (HSM has over 100,000 members), it will be read by many more people who need help."

posted from Bloggeroid

Homeowner blues

Letter from city, two weeks to clean up brush behind house, stress and expense not needed right now. Will call tomorrow about it.

Still can't get H to pitch in and help.

posted from Bloggeroid

Kudos

In the email: "Charles,
I have just read your BRILLIANT article.
I stopped drinking 3 years ago this month. I was 54 and my life was shit."

My reflections on booze have many fans.

Poem

my life in old age
is a life of puttering

I dabble at this
I dabble at that

my life in slow motion
until I take notice
and a year has passed

I wait for a bus
that is very late
and try to pretend
that waiting is fun

all this could be worse
so I keep silent
knowing better than
to piss off the gods

once upon a time
I was saner than this

amen

Poem

it only takes one

an excited reader
who shares the energy
in a review
in an email
in a blog

to let me know
this deafening silence
is not eternity

and my constant work
my inconstant faith
that my demons
have human company
gets proven true

and this can be
a basis for connection

it only takes one
to make me believe
against evidence to the contrary

that my work/life
has not been

a waste of time

Poem

To a reader, 2030

I write without certainty
of your very existence
despite certain delusions
of grandeur that prompt
writing in the first place

Poem

the older I get
the more who are
dying at my age
or younger

the more
my own passing
becomes probable

the more
I worry about
having control
over my own exit

the rub is this:
making the decision
before circumstances
make it for me

and knowing when
it's time to act
too late a disaster
too soon a waste

ah the glory
of the existentialist!

Poem

my mental health depends
on thinking as little as possible

analysis only reveals
considerable horror to come

our bickering leaders are
impotent to address it

handing the rest of us
a miserable waiting game

which I'd rather not think about

Poem

I am a citizen of the world,
which means I'm powerless
except for whatever I hold
privately close to my vest:
my thoughts, attitudes, values.

Given all this, freedom
amounts to wiggle room,
existing under the radar,
disappearing from authority,
minding my own business.

Traps are everywhere, usually
called a Sale or Free Sample
to feed the insatable appetite
of our consumer culture,
measuring souls in dollars.

If you buy, you die.
Amen.

Poem

personal good fortune
baffles me as much
as worldly horror

you can't explain it
it just happens
and always happened

under the circumstances
the best I can do
is avoid wrong doing

is cherish friends
and manufacture moments
of laughter and joy

a riff by Mulligan
trumps a suicide bomber
if you know how to listen

Poem

On the BBC
I heard a woman
who owns a restaurant
on the island of Lesbos
where in recent years
boats filled with refugees
have landed on her shore
men, women and children
cold and hungry and frightened
fleeing war and despair
and so this amazing woman
put her staff to work
making sandwich after sandwich
and she called on friends
to gather warm clothes and medicine
and she continues to help
the endless fleet of refugees
to this very day, sounding
on the BBC
like it's just another day
at her bayshore restaurant
on the island of Lesbos

Poem

Until recently
I've regarded the cliche
"ignorance is bliss"
with a scorn reserved
for philistines and dunces

but the digital revolution
has opened my eyes
to overwhelming realities
universes of ignorance
the future of mankind

how much more blissful
if I didn't know
a conspiracy of stupidity
now determines the fate
of humans and Earth

Poem

Every now and again
someone does something special
to inspire outrageous praise
and all kinds of hype
and I go check it out
curious what the fuss is about
and discover something that someone
of my generation did thirty
or forty or fifty years ago
and did considerably better
which makes me laugh at your ignorance
and capacity for self-congratulation
though I don't laugh one bit
about the disrespect for old age
in this day care center called America

Motivation

Need energy and motivation for next ten days, get real progress. before return of MM. Neverending, jeez.