MIDNIGHT RUN

When I am in full-scale writing mode every one of my “bad” habits is in full effect.  The sleep schedule is way off, I’m everything but sociable, and the diet is anything but healthy.  I like to give it a good try though.  I usually eat my first meal of the day at noon.  And it is always a good meal.  This week there was yogurt and granola, egg white omelets, flour-less, gluten-free banana pancakes, and the one day I ate bacon, it was turkey bacon.  When I did think about dinner it was usually well after six pm and I tried to think about eating healthy, doing an adequate job of consuming many vegetables, chicken and fish, and very few carbs.    Then of course that midnight hour rolls around and all my efforts go straight to hell.

I am not above making a fast food run in the middle of night.  In fact, I’ve been known to make quite a few midnight food runs convinced that I’m hungry and too consumed with my word count to stop and “cook” anything. 

My partner in crime and I just got back from that food run.  I just had to have a BK Chicken Sandwich.  It was also more economical to get it with the fries and drink.  Since it’s after midnight I don’t have to add it to yesterday’s calorie count which would have taken me well over my daily budget.  It’ll be yogurt and NO granola when I have my next meal.

At the order window my favorite guy ordered a burger.  Then he added this and added that, convinced it all balanced out when he excluded the onion.  In the middle of the night, being tired and punch drunk, justifying our bad eating usually results in much laughter.  As we scanned the order on the screen he noted that he’d been charged some extra change for additional tomato and he took issue with it at the pick-up window.

Him:  Excuse me ma’am, but did you charge me an extra 30 cents for that tomato?

Her:  Yes, sir, it’s policy.

Him:  But I’m not getting onion.

Her:  I understand, sir, but that’s how the system works.

Him:  Oh, okay.  Well, do you charge me if I add extra pickle?

Her:  No, sir.  Would you like extra pickle instead of the tomato?

Him:  Just keep the tomato.  I don’t want to be difficult.

Minutes later, the two late night employees had disappeared from view and we still had not received our order.

Him:  I wonder what’s taking so long?

Me:  They’re probably back there licking that tomato to thank you for not being difficult!

Moral of the story?  I don’t need to be making late night runs anywhere in the middle of the night.

VOICES TALKING...

I’ve got voices talking so fast at me that I can barely keep up.  The writing is flowing like water from a faucet and it feels really good.  As always, with the words there has to be music and between pumping the stereo, the radio, and the TV on loud everyone else in the house is having some issues.  Even my TV addiction and reality show moments have been interrupted by the voices. 

Most everyone knows I’m a junkie for talent searches and still, after all this time, I love shows like American Idol, XFactor, The Voice, and any other TV medium that gives opportunity to those who might not have a chance otherwise.  I sometimes feel like I’m personally discovering new talent when I’m moved emotionally by a contestant’s performance. 

And there have been a few performances that truly moved me; so much so that I can recall them easily.  There was Fantasia Barrino’s performance of Summertime, Joshua Ledet singing It's a Man's World, Adam Lambert’s cover of Tracks of My Tears, Melanie Amaro’s audition performance of Listen and Chris Rene’s original rap Young Homie.  And I can’t forget little Rachel Crow’s survival song, I’d Rather Go Blind or Crystal Bowersox’s People Get Ready.  I watch the UK versions of these shows as well so I have to include almost everything Rebecca Ferguson sang during her season, Danyl Johnson’s A Little Help From My Friends and that renowned performance by Susan Boyle.

Whew!  Now that I think about it there have been quite a few musical moments that touched me!  And now I get to add one more to the list.  Last night, new sensation Candice Glover, a front runner for the American Idol title performed Lovesong by The Cure.  Thank goodness for that DVR!  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve replayed it because the voices couldn’t get enough and many chapters later my characters are still talking fast and furious.  Oh, how good it feels!

So, if you missed it, please enjoy.  I know the voices talking certainly do!

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Excerpted from GRAYE:

As the first sign of a morning sun peeked through the trees she thought about her child and the possessive need he’d had for the young woman against her lap.  Graye had been the youngest of her children, the child she’d thought she’d wanted when she’d inhaled and knew she hadn’t when she’d exhaled.  Her mother had called Graye a change of life baby, coming when no one expected him, least of all Miss Jen Pearl.  She’d started birthing children when she’d been sixteen, the eighth one coming just after her twenty-third birthday.  Nine years later Graye had pushed his way into the world without asking, without invitation, his presence almost a given like the sun and the moon were givens.  Miss Jen Pearl had been thirty-two years old, too old in her mind to be birthing another baby.

She’d had nine children in all.  Treat, Sonn, Carr, August and Graye, and the four girls, Lake, Ginn, Sister and July.  All of them good and decent, except for Graye, the child tainted with an ugly too difficult to describe.  From the moment he’d drawn his first breath evil had wrapped itself around the boy, feeding on his soul.

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