Fri. Aug. 29, 2025: When You Have to Plan Relaxation

image courtesy of  Candice via pixabay.com

Friday, August 29, 2025

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde

Cloudy and cool

We’re moving into a holiday weekend here in the US. Hope you’re having a grand time.

They were using jackhammers around the corner from me yesterday, not far from my office window. I’m not sure if it’s part of the sidewalk thing (in other words, breaking more before finishing anything) or if it’s something else that’s breaking. Very frustrating.

AAA wants me to renew my membership two months early so they can double-dip for the overlapping months by changing the next renew date to September (I asked about the next renew date). No, boo. I will renew it when it’s time to renew it. I wish I didn’t feel I had to renew, but with an old car, I feel it’s necessary.

Read the really wonderful play for WAM – it will be this autumn’s show, and I’m very excited to see this script on its feet. It echoed some experiences I had, and definitely brought up some stuff I thought I had resolved, but that’s part of what theatre is meant to do.

Bea let me rub her belly yesterday. And we managed peaceful co-existing playtime with Bea and Willa in the same room. Willa grumbled a little, but she wasn’t otherwise aggressive toward Bea.

Wrote 9 pages of a new play. Not sure if it will be a full-length yet, but it’s a tight 3-hander, and we’ll see. So far, it’s doing what I want it to do. It’ll hit some of the categories I need to fill in the coming months, if I can sustain it. Yes, I used what’s been going on as the catalyst, but it goes into other relevant issues as well. It’s a contemporary piece.

Hung out in the virtual #FreelanceFriends meeting, and it was good to catch up.

Turned around what was probably my last script for the coverage agency. Time for us all to move on. Especially since they informed us we won’t be paid until the middle of September (“the week of September 12”). Um, my contract states that I’m paid the day after the pay period closes, which is Aug. 31. Even though they claim their “new” pay period closes September 6, that would mean paying out by the 7th. And yet, they’re vamping so they don’t have to pay on time. So glad to be done with them. Even if something else shows up in my queue between now and the 6th, I’m not taking it.

Made some character notes on the other play idea that’s rolling around in my head. That, too, is contemporary, and only has four characters.

Couldn’t remember why I ordered a biography of Michael Curtiz from the library until I realized it was because he was married to prolific scenarist and screenwriter Bess Meredyth, and I haven’t yet been able to track down a biography of her. Hopefully, there will be some leads to more about her in the bibliography.

Started reading the September Agatha Christie book club choice, AT BERTRAM’S HOTEL, which is interesting, but a little odd.

Overslept until 6:30, which meant the morning routine was behind by an hour, but I’m all caught up. Today’s 10-minute writing session started well, stalled, then started up again right before the bell. It’s interesting how different each day is. It is not prompt-based (and, for the purposes of the experiment, cannot be).

Today, I have a bunch of errands: post office, library, grocery store, a couple of other errands. I will get some writing and some ghostwriting in. I have to write and submit a book review, too. It’s not due until Sunday, but assigning a due date on a holiday weekend is a red flag. And then, it’s the holiday weekend! Windsor Lake is shut down (again) for a weird algae problem, so my hopes to spend some time up there this weekend are for naught.

I hope you have a great weekend, whether it’s a holiday one or not.

Off to the page!