I love having my life back!!

I love sitting at the laptop all day and working on the novel — it’s been a long time since I was able to sit and focus like that (since COVID, actually, after which, everything in my life changed).

It takes some adjusting, though, to be closed up in my room now with 4 extremely frisky kittens and a Mommy-cat, in such high humidity — and not be able to even open the door.

But it’s temporary. It’s all temporary, in fact, when you think about it… Life.

Anyway.

Once I get back from NYC, I can focus on letting the kittens get out and roam the house a little. But I was informed that I can’t get Little Blackie spayed until at least one month after the kittens are completely weaned.

So on we go. Until then, we’re all in this room together.

************

Oh! Here’s one nice thing the kittens did for me yesterday, while I was having a quick chat on the phone with Sandra about the play!!

They relieved me of that pesky Himalayan salt lamp that I absolutely LOVED!

Looks so much nicer now than it used to look, doesn’t it, gang??

Anyway. Just a long line of things that I have to let go of around here, between the kittens and the foster cats. (I can’t tell you how many times a day I find myself saying , “You didn’t just do that, did you?? Oh my god!!”)

But onward.

***********

Before I forget, my eBooks that are published on Smashwords will once again be FREE to download during their Summer Sale for the month of July.

This will include: Freak Parade, and The Muse Revisited Volumes 1, 2, & 3.

eBooks only and on Smashwords, only. And these titles are absolutely for Adults Only. Thank you!!

I will remind you when July 1st rolls around.

**************

So, I have my plane ticket to NYC . Out hotel rooms are booked. The rehearsal space is booked and the rehearsal schedule has been sent to all involved. And I’ll be seeing Wayne probably a couple of times while I’m there, and Valerie from Brooklyn will be meeting me for dinner on Tuesday, July 9th.

The cat-sitter has been confirmed and doubly confirmed. I have THREE new sundresses — plus a couple more that are almost new.

AND I’ve reserved about 7 trillion Uber rides.

So it’s safe to say that I’m ready and the trip to NYC is right around the corner, gang. And the much beloved play, “The Guide to Being Fabulous” officially starts its journey to Off-Broadway.

*************

Okay, here’s this!!

From the photographer Peter Anderson’s Instagram account — Nick Cave, back when he was with The Boys Next Door:

**************

And, honestly, that is really it.

I have to see my favorite 94-year-old Japanese man today — it’s Sushi-Sashimi day, if he’s up to it!! So I gotta scoot.

Enjoy your Wednesday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

***************

Another one from Steve Earle!

“Hillbilly Highway”, 1986. From the album Guitar Town. Enjoy, gang.

“Hillbilly Highway”

My granddaddy was a miner, but he finally saw the light
He didn’t have much, just a beat-up truck and a dream about a better life
Grand mama cried when she waved goodbye, never heard such a lonesome sound
Pretty soon the dirt road turned into blacktop, Detroit City bound

Down that hillbilly highway
On that hillbilly highway
That old hillbilly highway
Goes on and on

Now he worked and saved his money so that one day he might send
My old man off to college, to use his brains and not his hands
Grand mama cried when he said goodbye, never heard such a lonesome sound
Daddy had himself a good job in Houston, one more rollin’ down

That old hillbilly highway
That old hillbilly highway
That old hillbilly highway
Goes on and on
On and on, on and on, here it goes

Granddaddy rolled over in his grave the day that I quit school
I just sat around the house playin’ my guitar, and Daddy said I was a fool
My mama cried when I said goodbye, I never heard such a lonesome sound
Now I’m standin’ on this highway and if you’re going my way

You know where I’m bound
Down that hillbilly highway
On that hillbilly highway
That old hillbilly highway
Goes on and on

Hmm, yeah, that’s the road I’m on

Hillbilly highway

Hillbilly highway

c- 1986 Steve Earle, Jimbeau Hinson

The humidity is just god-awful around here today, gang. The heat’s not so bad, but being closed up tight in this room — even with all the window’s open, there’s just no AIR!!

But it’s my final day off until next Monday, and I want to get this novel DONE as soon as I can, so I’m just going to deal with it.

***************

Before I forget!!

Wow, did I have a wonderful time with my client yesterday. (I hadn’t seen her in 8 months.)

She was in great spirits. She looked fantastic. We had a whole afternoon of great conversations, and as I was leaving, she said, “It was so great seeing you again! I had such a nice afternoon.”

That kind of thing just makes my day, gang.

And being back in her home again — wow, what a feeling. She lives way out in the country and her home is a HUGE old farmhouse (14 rooms), built in 1839. Surrounded by hills, trees, a small lake, a couple of small barns. And the house is absolutely filled with love — you can feel it the moment you walk into it. She and her husband were married 63 years before he died (during COVID, but not from it), and they lived on that property the whole time and raised a really happy family there.

It was just so great to be back there, with her.

**************

And for whatever reason [HINT: novel-in-progress} I am feeling really wiped out emotionally today.

Although, while I was doing all that driving yesterday, I started to get little inspirations — primarily that there needs to be a Part 3 . A very short Part 3.

And I know what needs to happen in it and I felt really excited about that.

But meanwhile, I am working on completing Part 2. It feels so strange to just pick up the story where I left it, 26 years ago…

And Part 1 is 152 pages long and, in essence, takes place during one day — the protagonist’s 24th birthday. But, of course, it’s full of flashbacks, memories, thoughts.

Part 2 is similar — it takes place 2 years later, on the evening where the protagonist has to turn over the funeral urn with her lover’s ashes in it to his brothers, and then flashbacks, memories, and thoughts ensue for 100 more pages.

So I’m guessing what I have here is a novel that will be about 300-ish pages, that unveils a young woman’s lifetime over the course of 2 specific days. Well, 3 — since there will be a Part 3.

It takes so much weaving and weaving and weaving, and making sure you aren’t leaving any lose threads.

**************

Okay, enough!!

Here’s this!!!

One of several great photos posted to Instagram by Marlon Richards’ wife on Father’s Day:

*************

And here’s this!

The decision was finalized last night, at about 9PM, while I was lying in bed, chatting on the phone with Sandra!

We’ll be staying at this hotel in NYC in July:

The Empire Hotel, across the street from Lincoln Center.

And our rehearsal studio is only 4 blocks away, so it should be a really great trip.

*************

From James Tabor —

Mystery Solved–Here’s How the Shroud of Turin Was Produced! (2 hrs):

**************

And I think I better get started around here today!!

Have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

*************
As promised!

Another great one from Steve Earle.

I think this song was probably everybody’s first exposure to his music, back in 1986. Well, it was his first single released, anyway, and it was a huge Billboard hit.

I loved this song!

“Guitar Town,” Steve Earle. Enjoy, gang!!

“Guitar Town”

Hey pretty baby, are you ready for me
It’s your good rockin’ daddy down from Tennessee
I’m just out of Austin bound for San Antone
With the radio blastin’ and the bird dog on

There’s a speed trap up ahead in Selma Town
But no local yokel gonna shut me down
‘Cause me and my boys got this rig unwound
And we’ve come a thousand miles from a Guitar Town

Nothin’ ever happened ’round my hometown
And I ain’t the kind to just hang around
But I heard someone callin’ my name one day
And I followed that voice down the lost highway
Everybody told me you can’t get far
On 37 dollars and a jap guitar
Now I’m smokin’ into Texas with the hammer down
And a rockin’ little combo from the Guitar Town

Hey pretty baby don’t you know it ain’t my fault
I love to hear the steel belts hummin’ on the asphalt
Wake up in the middle of the night in a truck stop
Stumble in the restaurant wonderin’ why I don’t stop

Well, I gotta keep rockin’ why I still can
Got a two pack habit and a motel tan
When my boots hit the boards I’m a brand new man
With my back to the riser, I make my stand

Hey pretty baby, won’t you hold me tight
I’m loadin’ up and rollin’ out of here tonight
One of these days, I’m gonna settle down
And take you back with me to the Guitar Town

c- 1986 – Stephen F. Earle