I'm so full of it.


You see, I plan to resume being a public personal story teller.


Oh what a difference a mere nine months makes.


I was mortified by telling the frog story (see last post.)  I stopped telling it.  Mulan was glad, she didn't like that I was telling that story.  That story threw me a curve ball about telling personal stories.


Then Mulan decided she DID like the story.  She came to a couple of my shows, she wanted me to tell the story.


I thought:  I have to protect her from me.  She doesn't realize that it's potentially embarrassing.  But oh, it was fun to tell that story.


Then a bunch of time went by.  Mulan grew up more.  We talked about it from time to time.


I was asked to write the story out for a publication.  I dithered and dathered.


Much discussion was had about the difference between a video of a story and a written story.  Our theory (meandered to while driving with my husband and my brother -in-law, Joel) was that no one really reads, and so the written story would not be read by anyone that might cause embarrassment to Mulan.  What could be embarrassing was the video, which was already up on the TED website.  It's out there.  I can't take it back.  It's done.


Plus Mulan liked it.


Very confusing.  


So I couldn't decide if I should write the story.  I wanted to do it.  I didn't want to do it.  No, I really wanted to do it.  But maybe it wasn't right to do it.  Plus I already made a big announcement that I wouldn't.  Not that anyone is closely following my mercurial agonizing over what to do.  Except me.  Or maybe you, if you happen to be reading this.  ARGH!!!!!


So I decided to do it.  Only the title of this thing is not just that frog story but several other parenting stories.  All the other stories seem very clear to me.  They are really about me, not about Mulan.  My blunders.  The only borderline case is the frog story.   But the really embarrassing way to tell it for Mulan (potentially) is already in existence.  So I would only be adding to this by reiterating it, in writing.  The least embarrassing way.  


So, I'm doing it.  I'm writing it,  I'm almost done with it.  Therefore, I am full of it.  (see above)


Plus, after last March, I really did start focusing on my scripts and my book.  Not writing a lot of blog entries really did help me focus on long term projects.


But this thing happened:  my book became really personal.


It's going to take a long time to finish - two years at least, for reasons that - if it really does get finished and if anyone sees it and simultaneously is reading this, will be understandable.  Oh dear, I'm speaking very murkily.  The point is, I guess I am a public personal story teller.  Even though I really have - obviously - mixed feelings about it.


In the meantime, Jill and I had a blast doing our shows during the summer. We went to Colorado, Montana, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania.  We really had fun and the audience seemed to like it.  It was so win-win.


Jill encouraged me to do a few shows in the Northwest. Since we'd done a show in Denver, Jill's home town, she said she wanted to see Spokane.  (I love her so much for wanting to see Spokane!)  


So we booked a few shows in mid-March in Spokane, Portland and Seattle.  Then we booked a New Year's Eve show in Evanston.  Dave, our bass player and dear friend, is going to fly out too and we will have fun and a happy, laughing New Year's Eve.  I'm looking forward to it.


Even though, on some level, Jill and I are still thinking this is the end of it - or maybe not.  Or I can't even say, because every time I take a stand I have to take it back. Like I'm doing right now.


Lord in heaven.


So, that is that.


But this is my new idea.  A monthly blog posting.  Why?  Because I read other people's blog postings and I am always interested in what they are reading, watching, and listening to.




I thought I would simply post:


The books I read during the month
The movies I saw during the month
The audio books I listened to
The treadmill music-playlist of the month




Anyway...  Here goes:


November 2010


Books read:


1.)  Freedom (Franzen)  My review: Eh.


2.) Ms. Hemple Diaries (Bynum)  My review: pretty damn good.


3.) Life (Richards)  I'm currently halfway through "Life"  and oh my god, I am now obsessed with Keith Richards. I keep putting down the book and googling various people.  Last night I was focused on his girlfriend Linda Keith basically discovering Jimi Hendrix.  That's not the whole story of course, but it's still a thrilling anecdote that I cannot stop picking at on the internet.


Movies I saw:


We have a home theater in the basement and I watch movies there. It makes all the difference.  


1.) Design For Living (Lubitch)


2.) Peter Ibbetson (Hathaway)


3.) Read My Lips (Audiard)


4.) Auberge Espagnole L' (Klapisch)


5.) Red Shoes (Pressberger, Powell)


6.) Agora (Amenabar)  Watched this twice - fantastic!  


7.) City Island (De Fellita)


8.) Adventures of Milo and Otis (Hata)


9.) Men In War (Mann)


10.) Music Man (Da Costa)


11.) Russian Dolls (Klapisch)


12.) Sea Inside (Amenabar)


13.) Kids Are All Right (Cholodenko)


14.) Somewhere (Coppola)


15.) Iron Giant (Bird)


16.) Kirkou and the Sorceress (Ocelot)


17.) To Sir, With Love (Clavell)


18.) Funny Girl (Wyler)




Audio Books listened to:


(I listen while walking the dog)


1.) At Home (Bryson)


2.) Cleopatra (Schiff)  - I'm halfway through with that one.




Treadmill play list


I do the treadmill about four times a week for an hour.  I change my playlist monthly.  I think you can tell I am exactly 51 years old by this playlist.  November was:


1.) Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)
2.) In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel)
3.) Fuck You (Cee Lo Green)
4.) Devil's Haircut (Beck)
5.) Shiny Happy People (R.E.M.)
6.) Nightswimming (R.E.M.)
7.) Radio Song (R.E.M.)
8.) I'll Be Back (Beatles)
9.) Blackbird (Beatles)
10.) Black Horse & the Cherry Tree (KT Tunstall)
11.) The Sunny Side of the Street (Pogues)
12.) Light You Up (Shawn Mullins)
13.) Take Me to the River (Talking Heads)
14.) Slippery People (Talking Heads)
15.) Paint It Black (Rolling Stones)
16.) God's Child (David Byrne & Selena)