Time Waits for No One, Not on My Side

Where's the "off" button on this thing, anyway?

Sorry it's been so long between postings, but, some time during early October, life accidentally bumped the hyperdrive switch, and I've been violently sucked into an uber-accelerated time vortex, and it's been all I can do just to clutch the safety bar while my rattling little cart has climbed, dived, slid, and shuddered into the curves.

Hyperbole? Well, yes. But it has been busy. In addition to working 50+ hour weeks at my day job as a mild-mannered technical editor, I finished the working draft of Immaterial Matters--a new full-length drama I've very pleased with.

I'm helping Playwrights West, a new Portland theatre company, get off the ground (including building and launching a last-minute Web site to serve as a placeholder until we can build a better site).

I shot, framed, and hung a photo project for a production of Sam Shepard's Fool for Love and served on a public panel discussing Sam's work.

I reconnected with one of my oldest friends (then promptly dropped the ball when the schedule overwhelmed me--sorry, Scott), and I got together with Jack Boulware, a college/journalist buddy, in town to promote his terrific new book Gimme' Someting Better (and more to come on that).

Deb and I managed to go see Bob Dylan and B.B. King, both beyond wonderful but Tuesday-night concerts which left me wasted the rest of the week.

I shot a portrait of a charming transvestite for Pulp Diction, a January new works reading series and part of Portland's Fertile Ground New Works Festival, which includes my newish full-length play The Rewrite Man--which, of course, I had to rewrite.

I've made huge leaps forward with my guitar playing (I think), bought Deb a new Ibanez acoustic as an anniversary present (we've been jamming together, which has been wonderful), bought and broke in a new Vox amp (because Deb's new guitar has an electronic pick-up, and I happily returned the great Roland amp she'd been loaning me), and, this week, completely lost my mind and bought an Epiphone Sheraton II semi-hollow body electric (more on that to come as well).

Plus the car blew up and needed major repairs, we had a small dinner party for my yearly winter dish, Beef Bourguignon, and, after writing three full-length plays in two years, I decided to take a break from playwriting...to write a non-fiction book (and stil more on that down the road, naturally). In my spare time, I managed to begin writing a song. Because, you know, I didn't have enough to do.

Finally, three vetebras in my neck went out (stress, perhaps?), and I've pretty much been in constant pain for weeks, but I've been so busy that I couldn't get to my doctor until this past week. (Getting better, thanks.)

Things, pleasantly, look to slow down in a little while--right after the PR I have to do for Playwrights West (also part of Fertile Ground), rehearsals for The Rewrite Man (and possible rewrite), two grants I should hear yea or nay on this month, a new round of play submissions, some work as a regional Dramatists Guild representative, photos I owe some friends, revamps of Playwrights West's and my own Web sites, research on the new writing project, and then this upcoming "Christmas" event...whatever that is. Plus another couple play rewrites with looming deadlines.

So my apologies for the posts I haven't written, phone calls and e-mails I haven't returned, or any other balls I've managed to drop. I've been lucky to hang on to the pair I was issued years ago.

At some point, the fatigue morphs from agony to giddiness. At least that's what they tell me: I'm still waiting.

In short, if I owe any of you stuff--scripts, pictures, calls, or new blog posts--please bear with me. I'll get to it right after.... Well, it's on my mind, okay?

My to-do list includes: "update to-do list."

S