I just bought The Wiz soundtrack today. I found out this week that one of my new jobs at Preston will be to direct the musical. I’m so excited about this — I can’t even begin to explain it. Previously, I only had “Ease on Down the Road” in my iTunes library. But today, I went ahead and finished the album. I’ve been listening to it all day. Surprisingly enough, the birdies were quite calm listening to the songs from the “super soul musical.” Sonja and Misha usually freak when we play music. But some songs have the magic touch as it were.

An interesting anecdote–this past year has been a rough ride for CK and I. When I was feeling particularly down, I would play certain songs in my car as I drove to an event for TV Squad or todance class. I know it’s cheesy but for some reason, Broadway songs always made me feel better. Perhaps it’s because each song is part of a narrative and I could escape if just for a moment into that story. I played “Ease on Down the Road” a lot this year. Those of you who know the lyrics can understand why. Weird how things work out sometimes.

Today is Julie and Beezer’s wedding day. I wish them many blessings, well wishes, and congratulations. I know the bride will look stunning, the groom handsome, and the whole day will be memorable for all involved. C.K. and I are thinking of them today. We wanted to go to the wedding, but alas we are here in LaLa Land.

Random–I heard on the radio yesterday that 8/8/08 is a lucky day to be married. Yes, it’s a cool date — basically 8-8-8–but lucky. I didn’t think that 8 was a particularly lucky number. Truth be told, I think the whole lucky number thing is voodoo. In my family, 13 is our “lucky” number. 13 is just about the unluckiest number there is. For example, my aunt is 13 years younger than my father, I’m 13 years younger than my aunt, her first daughter is 13 years younger than me, and if C.K. have a child in the coming year, our child will be 13 years younger than my aunt’s first daughter. Whoa, that was a hard sentence to follow. And not that obeying the number 13 is a reason to start a family.

This begets a discussion on the subject of luck. A discussion I’m certainly not equipped to dive into now. I’m only halfway through my cup of coffee this morning.

Oh, and just a thought… The only thing lucky about getting married on 8/8/08 is that your spouse will always remember your anniversary. And if he/she can’t remember three of the same number, I think you should question whether or not you really want to marry that person. Think of all the future problems–the forgotten luggage codes, the forgotten birthdays,

Yes, I have a prologue. I think the first thing you might notice is that it’s not in Middle English like Chaucer’s. Oh good one! What an English nerd joke!

Anyway, I put the family tree (it’s a big family drama, think Dallas, that focuses on the lives of these old high school friends, think The O.C., who are now reunited during their college years). And then there’s the prologue which is written in third-person.

Sorry about the alignment of the text. I had to align it center so the family tree wouldn’t look odd. But I can’t get the body of the prologue to align left justified. Oh well…

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Here’s some pictures from our trip to the beach last weekend. It was pleasant day. We drove up to the Pacific Palisades after and had some lunch at Mogan’s Cafe. I go there a lot after my dance classes. They have great soups, fresh granola, and good burgers. I had a tasty turkey burger.

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A short list of what you need from my limited experience (what do I know? I’m just a begonia.)

1. a good story, set of characters, or idea

2. discipline and the time to work on the first draft. (I think the fact that I kept working everyday really helped. I had the same vision for the novel at the end that I did at the beginning. I think any large gaps in my work would have made more work for the revision.)

3. more discipline when working on the revision (I’m finding it’s way less fun to revise than it is to write. You don’t get the satisfaction of having created something new, of seeing the word count go up. I’m trying to work for just a half-hour on my book each day. This is harder than it looks. But when I do get working, I usually spend more like an hour.

4. willingness to change the original story or idea –you don’t have to, but it’s good if you’re willing, I think.

5. seeking out feedback…LOTS of it…from WHOEVER will give it to you

We bought Sonja, one of our eclectus parrots, a harness/diaper with an attachable leash. She really likes to walk around on the floor (I personally think she’s jealous of the pug) and sit at the door to the apartment. She even makes a mock-barking sound as she peers out of the screen door.

Sonja also enjoys playing with the pug’s toys. The pug doesn’t dare try to take it away from her. Sonja is clearly the alpha-female.

The little harness wraps around her wings and has a little pouch to catch her poops. She has yet to poop in it and spends most of her time trying to get it off. *fingers crossed* Hopefully, she’ll get used to it.

(If you are interested in learning about these birds, this site is very informative.)

I’ve got some pictures…

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Well, a little bit. We were watching King Kong today. Actually, we were watching Big Brother After Dark and it came on afterwards. We joked how when the pug is angry, she looks just like King Kong. That got me thinking about what other characters she looks like.

Below are a few pictures…

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Here are some funny pictures I got in a email this morning. The cat one is the best. I actually have a deep loathing for all things feline, as I’m much more partial to dogs. But LOL Cats has changed my perspective. Cats can have personality.

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I wish my dog knew how to play fetch. Thatcher just runs after the ball then brings it back and hoards it. The dog park we go to is full of tennis balls because of the adjacent courts. So, I throw a ball, she tears after it, then trots back and lays in the shade. She kind of misses the point. I even show her when there are labs at the park–see, that’s what you do. you get it and then I throw it again.

“A Pug’s Life”

Wow, it was actually good.  I was worried it would be like A Bug’s Life or that dreadful one with Ewan McGregor (I think it’s just called Robots). However, Wall-E was a good story, well-paced, and the main character was surprisingly well fleshed out — you know for a robot who doesn’t really talk. Plus, the film just *feels* good, pure Disney goodness.

I’ve heard people say that it’s the “best animated movie ever.” Not quite. But it’s the best thing from Pixar in a while to be sure. I would place it with Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles and Finding Nemo — all DVDs we either own or wouldn’t mind owning. Wall-E is certainly better than A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, or that travesty Cars. What were they thinking with Cars?

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