Thursday, August 22, 2013

August 22, 2o13 The New Daily (W) Rite Week 4

The Daily (W) Rite
 
Wk 4
Thursday, August 22, 2o13
   The first day in the last week of August. That means autumn and winter are not too far away. Because we've had a rather mild Oklahoma summer this year, lots of folk are predicting a very COLD winter. Pessimists! I'd rather believe that a mild summer means a MILDER winter than usual, hope I'm right.  I don't take well to winter . . . however, my writing tends to like bad weather (rain, snow, ice). Bad cold weather seems to inspire me. We'll see if my writing gets any better as the world begins to slow down. I don't know why, but I am not inspired by summer so much. I haven't really figured out how to use a summer day as a metaphor. Something to work on towards before the summer's all gone. Maybe I'll work on an "end of summer" poem tonight.

Friday, August 23, 2o13
   I sometimes try not to be political. Never works. Like all Americans I DO have my political point of view. This theater owner somewhere in the South decided that to protest Jane Fonda's being in
The Butler that he wouldn't show the movie. He had involvement in Vietnam. Folks he trained were killed. And of course, Jane Fonda was a war protester who went to North Vietnam, of course, lots of American Vets hated Fonda for it . . . still hate her for it. The movie owner is one of those guys who consider Jane a "traitor" to her country. So, he decided NOT to show the movie that she is currently in. My friend David posted the article on Facebook. http://newsok.com/article/3875211
And here is my response to the article:

"When I got back from Viet Nam, I went to my mother's house to stay for awhile. I was getting ready to watch Ali fight on TV. Just as the fight started mom came in and turned off the TV. I said, "Hey, what are you doing?" She told me I couldn't watch Ali fight in "her house" because I went to Vietnam and HE didn't. "Well, I said, "Thanks, Mom. But I really want to see Ali fight." And she turned the TV back on, but wouldn't sit down and watch the fight with me. If we do believe in this whole freedom of speech thing, this idea of protesting when you think something's wrong with this country, how do we say that people who protest what they truly believe are wrong for doing so? I don't agree with the way people think of Jane Fonda. I think of her as fighting the Vietnam War . . . but in a different way than a lot of us did. However, I support theatre owner who in good conscious protests what he believes to be an American wrong. Good for him."

And . . .  again . . . of course this caused a bit of a hubity-bub from all kinds of anti-war folks and others calling me this and that. One particular Vietnam Vet had some choice words for me. I replied to him in a "civil" manner . . . but did get the point across that he needed to "shut up." No, I didn't say, "shut up" or "Shut the FUCK up" but I did nicely suggest that his tone was "trollish." And that ended THAT conversation. It's hard to talk politics without getting emotional about it. I try not to sound angry when I'm talking a point. I try to explain my ideas with "passion" but not in a negative way. I would prefer that others do the same.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Friday,  
   Spent a wonderful evening with my friend David. We went out to the Midsummer Nights' Art Fair at Lion's Park in Norman. Not a lot going on at the fair, a couple of stages set up for live music, lots of tents for individual artists' paintings, drawings, sculptures. One guy had a booth full of tie-dye t-shirts. I had to laugh at that one 'cause all that David wears are tie-dye Ts. I asked him if he was going to purchase is fall  wardrobe. Don't think he got the joke. One booth had a sort of "petting zoo." Well, there was a snake and a hedge hog. I didn't see anything else. The whole place was made-up of mostly old hippies and their families. Well, not all of them were old. But they seem to be mostly artsy types, middle class, you know? They had some bands too that were pretty good. Norman has a lot of local  "players' that ain't shabby. One guitar player David knew. he said the kid was nationally known . . . would give Clapton a run for it. Hmmm, I listened with a critical ear . . . and yeah, the kid had some fingers on him . . . but better than Clapton? I'll leave that for the history books to sort out. But we did have a good time. Didn't last long, though. I
know. Old guys. As soon as the back starts to ache, art needs to sit on the park bench. I got home around 9 PM.

Saturday,
  Guess what? I rolled out of bed at 9 AM Saturday morning! Yeah, I know, astonishing since I usually don't get up until noon . . . or later! Bu I was up drinking coffee by 9:30, brushing the teeth, a little bit of a shave at 10:30 and me and the bike were out the door on the way to the movies by 11 AM! Actually, would have been a little later IF the modem for my computer hadn't crashed. But it did, and I took it as a sign to get the hell out of the house.
   I stopped to mail some bills off at the OU post office and then started peddling away across campus, down Main St. to NW 12th, over the bridge . . . and there it was, the Spotlight 14 Theater. To be honest I hadn't decided which movie to go to before I got there. I was thinking about Kick Ass 2 or Earth's End . . . but the reviews on both from Facebook friends had been pretty bad. I don't normally listen to what others say about movies . . . I usually LIKE movies my friends hate. Yet, I decided to go see this flick titled The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. I had read the book . . . well, okay HALF the book. It's a YA read and I tried to read it because I liked the Hunger Games series a lot. It was REALLY a poor read  no really! I did like the storyline, though. So, I decided to watch it and. . . I loved the acting but HATED the 19th century Melodrama dialogue that even these young, very good actors couldn't overcome. I know, the movie and the book were not written for me. Yet, somehow I'm not sure even 21st century kids would enjoy this clunker. I think it was written more for 13 year old girls . . .  from the 19th century. However, it WAS better than Twilight!

   Laidback day. Sunday. And I did just that. Didn't even read the Bible though I said I would. Sorry, God. Maybe I'll read a bit tomorrow before I start getting busy with my life. Oh, yeah. I decided to get my "creative" life up and running starting tomorrow. I got two "old projects" I want to jump start. I mentioned before that I had a play script, a man in morning, that I want t type onto a flash-drive. All I have right now is a hard copy. AND I got an extended poem I started back around 2o11 that I want to clean up and finish. I got a sample of it I'll post. So, I made up my mind to start working on those to projects tomorrow. here's a bit of Monster Man And Moon Girl:

Monster Man & Moon Girl
       

III


There were lots of stories about the monster that lived up

in the Puente Hills. Some said a kid got murdered up there

years back by some hobo guy passing through. Cut the kid’s
throat with an old Boy Scout knife and threw him
into the ravine right below the Plateau. Cops found
the body about a week later, but it was a mess, all eaten
up by dogs and crows and stuff. The kid’s old man got so upset
seeing his son all chewed up like that, that he went
home and shot himself. The story says that the old man’s
ghost now haunts them hills around the Plateau looking
for kids to kill just like his son got killed.
The night I heard that story I had the worst dream.
I was lost running around in the Puente Hills in my pajamas.
There was all these shadows growling at me so
I started running. I got so far up in those hills I couldn’t
see anything except trees... big oak trees. And right
behind one of them was that kid’s dad, all moldy looking
with large yellow teeth and razor sharp claws.
I ran, man, did I run! But the Monster Man
was way faster, He knocked me down and jump on top
of me. “Now you’re gonna die!” He howled.  And I
screamed, I screamed my head off...
What the hell is going on in here?” I opened
my eyes and the lights where on in my bedroom
and my dad was standing at the foot of my bed.
I told him the whole story about the “Monster Man,”
and his dead son, and it chasing me through the woods.
Dad stared at me for a long time then said,
Son, are you out of your fucking mind? Go to sleep.
He shut off the light and went back to bed.
I learned a lot of things from my dad.
One of those things was how to cuss good.

Tuesday, August 27, 2o13
   I didn't get around to writing on the blog yesterday because I was busy . . . writing! Yep, up early and spent 3 hours on the script. I don't know if it's a waste of time. I mean the original manuscript was written back in 1990. that was 23 years ago, damn. It's had a few stage readings but never could get anyone interested in a full blown production. No one was interested back then, why do I think they will be now? I guess it means something to me. It's a story I really want to tell. BUT . . . not sure that anyone wants to hear it.
  

  
   Also started on rewrites on the long poem yesterday. Didn't get to far with it. Mostly, I just reread some of it, and I decided what I want to do. I'm stalling a bit, I guess. But it's going to take MAJOR rewrites, and I'm not ready to get that deep into it right yet.  But I will.
   My friend Rick Lockett is coming over to watch a movie tomorrow night. We haven't seen each other in a while. Little bit of a argument between the two of us, but we are "making up" and continuing our friendship. Anyway, I probably need to clean the house up a bit if I'm having company tomorrow. Early to bed tonight.


Wednesday, August 28, 2o13
Worked a bit on the revisions. Taking most of the day to think about the march on Washington and the greatest American speech written in the 20th century. It 's a day for reflection, thought and action. I'm not sure I'll see Dr. King's dream come true in my life time. But I hope that we Americans will get it through our thick minds that, "All men are created equal."  As individuals Americans we have an obligation to work toward the dream without any certainty that we will see it fulfilled. But that's what life is all about anyway, isn't it? Struggling to do that which is right and honorable in the eyes of the Constitution and the eye of God. So, the fight continues.

Friday, August 3o, 2o13,
My ex-roommate came over last night and we had pizza and watched DJango Unchained. Rick pretends to be a QT hater. I know better. It was nice to sit around with Rick. We lived together for a year or two back in the 90's. He was a student when I was doing Adjunct for OU Drama. He was a good roommate . . . well, other than he liked and play ABBA all the time. I hate ABBA. We stopped the movie a couple of times to go outside and smoke. Yeah, I started smoking again about two days ago. Don't worry, quitting again. Sometimes I just miss it. I loved to smoke. But these days my lungs don't care for it at all. Oh they do for about two cigarettes or three but after that they are ready for me to quit again. I always wanted to try those new electric cigarettes . . . HELL! the EC seems harder to run than my computer. So, I'll stick with nicotine gum.
   Game Day weekends start tomorrow. Seems to soon. Norman Town gonna be filled with football fans. Hard to get out and around even on my mountain bike during game days. Cars parked all over the place . . . just a huge river of fans (drunk and sober) walking around, tailgating, singing Boomer Sooner. But The town proper needs the "tourists" to survive. An old superstition: If a business don't make a shit load of money on Game Day, They'll be closed by New Years. And that's pretty true . . . NOT a superstition at all.
   I'm gonna take a break and read some poet from Ireland or somewhere that just died. Suppose to be a great poet, though. So, I'm off to check him out.
 


 

 

 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

August 15, 2o13 The New Daily(W) Rite Week 3

The Daily (W) Rite
 
Wk 3

Thursday, August 15, 2o13
So, Thursday's here! We don't really celebrate or consider Thursday much. Every other day of the week we have some kind of feeling about, but Thursday? Don't tell anyone... but I like Thursday because it IS that sort of "throw away" day. Thursdays are good days to do laundry... go to the grocery store... maybe clean house. Thursday is a preparation day. "What am I going to do this weekend?" I have a whole day to think about it... most theatre advertise the movies opening on Friday on Thursday. Good time to call people, "Hey, what are you doing this weekend? Nothing? Well, do you want to go see Kick Ass 2 with me?" Thursday is also a very good day to do new animation for my blog (see above), and for writing poetry and catching up on other people's poetry too. AND it's also a day to start contemplating how you're going to change your life, make said life more exciting! You don't ever start a new life on Thursday, no, no. You just think about. If you decide to dramatically change your life, you have all weekend to work it out so you can make the change happen on Monday... Monday is the best day to be reborn... Die (metaphorically) on Sunday and... rise on Monday... a new man.

Saturday, August 17, 2o13
   Okay, I'm stalling, damn it. I said I'd write everyday... and of course I don't. Not the blog anyway.  So, maybe no one will actually want to read these little bits of thought I write down... and maybe I don't really have anything worth talking about... AND maybe I just don't have the skill and the genetic make-up to be interesting and exciting enough on the page. Well, fuck that! I don't care.
   Racism has been in the news a lot lately. A lot of the pundits are on air trying to prove they are NOT racist... and all they prove is that they are racist. It's really not hard to figure out if you're a racist or not... do you lump everybody together based on myths about the color of their skin or genetic make-up? If yes, you're a racist. If not... congrats! You're a Liberal. Pretty easy to figure out.
   Oh, did I have big plans for today! Was gonna wake up early (8:00 am) and get myself all ready to go see Kick Ass 2 at 1:30 pm today. BUT I had to stay up until 2:30 am to finish watching the Da Vinci's Inquest. Okay, no problem, I'll just set the alarm for 8:30 am. I do, and I go to bed at 2:34 am and I lay there for an hour... itching like crazy... Okay, so I get up at 3 am and write awhile... and then it's 5 in the morning and I finally get to sleep... and wake up at 2 pm! Damn. Well, better luck tomorrow.
   I guess we all want to be profound... no, not want to be profound... we just want others to think that we are profound. Big difference. That's me, really. I just want to be liked and thought of as having something worthwhile to say. Something pretty to say, poetic, meaningful. Yeah, well, good luck with that one too.

Sunday, August 18, 2o13
   Spending a bit of the afternoon reading the New Testament. I don't read it enough. I need to stop thinking so much about my life here on Earth and focus on my soul a bit. By doing that I think this "earthly life" will be a bit better. Belief is a funny thing. A lot of times we humans wind-up doing that which goes against what we try to believe in. I want to be a follower of Christ, I truly do, but I often find myself more involved with doing bad things to myself and others rather than acting the way Christ suggests we act in "this world." The disciple Paul says something like, " I know what I should do... yet, I don't do it. " I'm paraphrasing, but that's petty much me. I know how I should think and act... but I don't. Lots for me to learn. I'll get back to you later on today.

Monday, August 19, 2o13
   David and I went to see The Butler  yesterday afternoon and it was really good. Even though I was around for the Freedom Riders I really didn't know much about them other than they fought  nonviolently against the South's Jim Crow laws. And it was brutal. The movie shows the horror of the time very well. Sometimes we live in times important and never actually know how important they were. I want to change that about myself. I want to be more aware about my life on this Earth, in this town that I live in. I spend too much time inside my head and not enough time looking out at who and what is around me. Maybe that's what I should write about. Less about me directly and more about life that's flowing all about me. I need to look, explore more this world.

Tuesday, August 2o, 2o13
   I had some pleasant dreams last night. Not quite sure what the storyline was, but I do remember that when I woke up? I was smiling. There was a girl, you see. Blond, young. Don't get the wrong idea... I was young too... in the dream. We were saying goodbye... but not "so long.." not forever gone. I was happy, she was happy, I was leaving with the dead certainty that she would be there when I returned. We were in love... and for a moment it felt real. I guess that's why I woke up smiling. I don't remember where I went... though I did go somewhere... on a ship, I think... I didn't return. I woke up instead. I hope tonight I'll continue that dream. make it back  to her. She'll probably be pissed that it took awhile for me to get back. Who could blame her?

 

Thursday, August 8, 2013

August 08, 2o13 The New Daily (W) Rite Week 2

WK2

 Thursday, August o8, 2o13
It's a warm day. Not killer hot. But warm. Took a bike ride up to Walmart to get nicotine gum and a DVD, Cloud Atlas. Sweated a lot both up and back... but you know... I felt good. Good to be out peddling away... riding a bicycle is freeing... and enslaving... both. It's a good day for writing too... and riding... but don't do both at the same time. (smile)
 
I'm loving the Norman Town weather this summer. Lots of sporadic rain when it shouldn't be anything but HOT. We got thunderstorms and  the threat of flash flooding tonight... I can do without the flash flood... but a rain is always nice. Hope it gets here soon. I hate waiting up for it every night. Usually the summer rain doesn't pull into Norman until after 1 AM, and I am, of course, obligated to wait for it or wake up when it arrives. That's what happened last night when it thundered in. The lightning flashes through the window popped my eyes wide open.

10:57 pm
I had a few weird dreams last night. One had to do with a serial killer who knocked out his victims and then set the house on fire! Too much news and too many episodes of The Bridge wartched, I think. In the second one I was walking with a friend and a BIG dog came up to us and growled! I just patted it on the head and it changed it's attitude, allowed me to pet him. The first two dreams really didn't bother me. But the third one had me working back at OU teaching acting. That made me a little sad. I guess I really want to be back in the classroom. I don't think that's going to happen.

Friday, August o9, 2o13
David called about 7 pm tonight and asked if I wanted to go to art walk with him. And hell, yeah! So we walked around for awhile and saw a lot of art and lots of beautiful people. I'll post a lot more tomorrow when I have some pics.   
The Art Walk is a fun thing that Norman Arts Council promotes. It's a chance for the community to get out and see what the local artists are up to. They have an art gallery where they feature local artists. There are also a great many artist's studios that are open to the public. They have street musicians performing and a lot of the sandwich shops and bars host bands. This evening the main gallery had a dance company performing. It's one of the first performing arts exhibitions I have seen. I'd like to include some poetry readings if I can get some folks together. I'm also hoping to display some of my poetry and art work at a later date. I came across a local silkscreen shop that's pretty reasonable. I'm thinking about getting some of my poetry printed on t-shirts! that could be fun and maybe profitable.

Most of the pictures I take are of artists and patrons. I like to take them without people knowing. Most of the pictures here are candid shots, but a few are of tonight's dance performance. As I said, it's a fun night. It happens on the second Friday each month. You should get out and see it all.

Monday, August 12, 2o13
Been going to ground since Friday night. Shut my door to the world, so to speak. Haven't done much but sleep till noon, eat, watch TV. Waking up is difficult. I don't want to get out of bed, I want to sleep forever. But I do get up after an hour or so of arguing with myself. And here I am. Writing my blog about me whom  I am finding rather dull today... well, every day. I've made up my mind that I need to start doing... something. Just do... something. Practical things at first: clean the house, wash my close... take a bath... get up and not spend all day in BED! Not necessarily in that order.  First off I probably need to get out of bed... before attempting anything else.

Tuesday, August 13, 2o13
It's been raining all day. Well, at least it looks like it has. I slept through most of it. Didn't get to bed until around 5:30 am. I enjoy the rain. It's a nice time to write. It calms me, I guess. Why? I don't know. I just feel better about things. Not happy, no, never that. I just feel more at peace with living when there's a nice, cool rain outside my window. I write a lot about the rain. Again, don't know why.
A guy I knew back in undergraduate school, a guy I liked, died a few months ago. Steven Vincent. I just found out about it yesterday. No one seems to know what happened. He had been "sick" for awhile I'm told. Usually when people say "sick," they mean cancer. Don't know for sure. Vince was 56 years old. People from my past keep dying... all around me. My friend Nate called yesterday. He lost his job. They just kicked him out... just like that. He and his wife had just hired a contractor to do some expansion on their house (two kids from his wife's first marriage).  They had to call the contractor to cancel the work. And on Facebook someone sent me some pictures of a show that one of the folks who was responsible for me being fired from NMHU directed with the caption, "She is such a good director!" Oh, bother. I deleted it and went on with my life... feeling a bit less lively than before... but still living.

Anyway, the rain is nice. Makes the worldly problems a little less important... At least for a bit of a while.

Wednesday, August 14, 2o13
Last day of writing, August, Week 2. I went out for ice cream today at Braum's! Mmmm. I shouldn't do it... well, very often. They are looking for part time workers. It's about a block and a half from the apartment... pay's $8.00 an hour. I did promise myself back in 1999 when I got the teaching gig at NMHU that I would NEVER work fast food again! But I need a little extra cash. I am living okay on the $1,188.00 a month I get from SS and my retirement fund... but a little more wouldn't hurt. I'd like to be able to buy a few more clothes... and be prepared if anything happens where I need cash fast. I'd only work maybe 3 days a week. So, that wouldn't be too bad. Besides, I really need to get out of the house! Well, I'll write more tomorrow to start off Week 3 of August. Night, my reader(s).

 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

August o1, 2o13 The New Daily (W)Rite Week 1

THE  DAILY (W) RITE

WK1

Thursday, August o1, 2o13
   Having a difficult time deciding what to write about on this blog. not sure if the too personal is the right way to go. I mean, do people really want to read about the "daily" routine of one old guy? Maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure if being "personal" is wrong. Maybe the problem is that the ramblings aren't personal enough or artistic enough. I've got to treat this blog (or blob) with more care.

   I 'm up really early today. 7 am. Yeah, for working folk that me be considered the middle of the day. When I was teaching up in NM, I was in the office by 7 or 8 am getting ready for classes by 9. Now  a days I'm lucky if I get up by 10 am. Probably not a good thing. Not sure WHY it's not a good thing. I suppose it's because we are trained from childhood to "get up! You're wasting the day! Lots to do." It's true. I am NOT doing as much as I should. I should be getting up early in the morning to write! And maybe I'll start doing that. BUT what to wrote about? What do people want to hear? What do I want to say? Always the dilemma. But since it IS a new day in a brand new, sparkly month I'll try to be more... writer like.

   There's a poetry reading (open mike) tonight at a local coffee house. David has been urging me to go and read. I've been putting it off using the same old excuses: 1. I don't have anything memorized, 2. My poetry's not good enough, 3. I got stage fright... Well, there are plenty of good excuses for not doing something. "I'm not feeling well" is one I use often enough. Can't use it a lot, though. When you use it TOO much, it just becomes an excuse. AND when folks know you are just using reasons as excuses, they stop asking you to go places. And we all know that going somewhere with friends is not as important as being asked to go. It's the asking that counts, and it's the saying "no" that makes you feel in control of your life. But I should go tonight just to see what's going on. Who knows? I might like it. I might meet some people. Make some new friends.

Friday, August o2, 2o13
   The new picture above I posted as a response to all my Facebook friends who are overcome with the need to bash President Obama. To be honest, I'm not against saying things against the POTUS. If that's what you really feel. My problem is that a LOT of my "friends" believe things because... well, because someone who they admire told them to believe it. Or maybe it's somebody who just has the same mind set: "President Obama is evil." Whichever way it is, they don't take the time to think about what they say. Here's a post I got from a friend:


Yeah, it's real clever. Obama says something you don't like and you dig up a quote from some famous dead guy to prove a point... And what's the point? That's the thing with most of the Right-Winger stuff... there's no point. BF's quote has nothing to do with the POTUS talking about national security. But that doesn't matter. Whatever, this president does the Right -Winger nuts are going to say something. This pic is actually clever... thought out... and well put together. I guess what bothers me... my friend on Facebook didn't come up with it. They just posted something that they got off another sight because it was anti-Obama. Hell, if you're going to make a political statement, make it YOUR statement, create something unique, THINK something that YOU thought up and quite stealing ideas from other people to try and prove a point that's not true.


Tuesday, August o6, 2o13

I haven't talked to my mother in almost 20 years. Yes, I know. I'm horrible. I'm suppose to love and honor and respect my mother. People tell me that all the time. I suppose I do in a way, from a distance. There's a lot of reasons that I'm estranged from my mother, from my entire family... Perhaps it's mostly my fault. I never felt like I fit in well with the rest of the "Woods Tribe."  Over the years my sister has "forced" me into a relationship with her. I fought against it but she is persistent. "Family." Very important to me sister. Last week my mother turned ninety years old. My sister asked me to call her. For some reason, I'm not sure why, I decided I should. Maybe it was because our brother Dennis had killed himself a few years back. I hadn't talk to him either in a very long time, and the last conversation we had had ended in a big verbal fight. maybe I was feeling guilty. Anyway, I called mom and the conversation went something like:
 
"Hi, Mom."
"Who is this?"
"It's your son."
"My son? Which one?"
"The one that's still alive."
 
I realize now that the joke was in bad taste, but I really thought she was joking me. She didn't know who I was? Yeah, she really didn't know who I was. During the whole conversation... well, it really wasn't a conversation because mom, it seems, can't hold a conversation anymore. I wish my sister had told me that before I called our mother. She just kept repeating the same things over and over: " I gotta walker." "I fall down sometimes." "The kids have to go to work." "They leave me alone all the time." "I'm too old to come see you guys." No matter how I tried to steer the conversation to other topics her response was always one of these phrase and not necessarily in any cohesive or meaningful order. I felt sad and guilty for not keeping in touch with my mother more. I should have been a better son. I should have been a better son when my mother recognized me as her son.