A Hazy Shade of Winter

I have to say that the death of Heath Ledger has really thrown me. Certainly it has a lot to do with the whole "Brokeback Mountain" connection; when you're moved not only by a film's characters that seem so real, seem to resonate so clearly, it's easy to be tricked into imagining that you know the person. Also, I know that there's a level of respect given to an actor willing to step up and portray a "risky" role, knowing the richness and honesty is what's most important. Judging from the outpouring from fans and colleagues, it seems that others felt the same. He'll truly be missed.

I had my first "review" of my book appear in a local newspaper the other day. It was wonderful to read kudos, to have a positive acknowledement of the hard work I put into it. At the same time, the article did include some inaccuracies, some benign, others a bit more important. There's not much to do about it now. For anyone who's read it: I teach 4th grade, not 3rd. There has been no definitive explanation for why the rape accusations were made by Irene Tusken and Jimmie Sullivan (only speculation) and, while my family was certainly messed up in a lot of ways, the one thing I know they did right for me was to instill a sense of tolerance of differences--I make that point unequivocally in the book. That being said, it was a flattering article that I hope will peak interest to read more. www.thelyncherinme.com is the place to do that...

Boys, What Have You Done?

It's the one line I remember from the movie, "A River Runs Through It." When the sons, played by Brad Pitt and Craig Scheffer, put the boat over the falls, the father (the wonderful Tom Skerritt) looks at them wearily and asks, "Boys, what have you done?" It's a thought that enters my mind often with my three sons (cue 50's sitcom music). Constantly active, fearless, exploring without foresight, my boys will be lucky if they reach adulthood without looking as if they've been pieced together, ala Frankenstein's monster, scars marking their faces and arms like the landscape of the Los Angeles freeway system. This week alone, my eldest, now 15, called his father to tell him that he'd "shot super glue into (his) eye." The details don't matter. He wasn't where he was supposed to be, not doing what he was supposed to be doing. Oh, and a helpful future tip? When opening a package that is liquid in nature: unless it's marked as "Visine", it's not a good idea to hold it close to your eye, squeezing at the same time you're prying open the top. My youngest, age 9, the next day, came home with a bruise on his face. He'd been playing with a friend on the playground and, according to him, "The sun was too bright (I don't remember sun yesterday) and I had my eyes closed." Continued to run, ran right into a pole. Just like my middle son did last year, running to catch a football, slicing open his brow where he has a scar to this day.

Health insurance is a good thing.

A Surreal Thing

Seeing my book on bookseller sites is something completely unreal to me. The whole process has been something unusual: working through revisions, having complete strangers read the intimate details of my life, hearing praise for the writing that over which I labored so much. And then, to see both the cover of my book, along with my name, for sale is both a dream and an unsettling...something (I know that "nightmare" is the opposite of "dream", but I wouldn't classify it as something so negative. Whatever is in between, I suppose). The next couple months will really be the test. I got a phone call from a reporter with our local paper and I imagine there will be more of the same. My publicist is working on the book tour, which will happen in early April and I know some reviews are around the corner. I think I'm prepared for it, but then who knows?

I've been able to touch base with a couple family members and friends from many years back who have gotten wind of the book. It's really been great, getting advance support and understanding from those who I feared might be put off by my stories. It's also been great to hear of their own memories--of my family, of me...of moments that I'd completly forgotten or had been unaware of. Life continues to surprise.

Now THAT'S a Road Trip

The last (nearly) two weeks have been something just short of a Chevy Chase movie. We left our home in the wee hours of December 26th with the sole purpose of getting somewhere warmer and drier than the Puget Sound. Actually, we'd planned to visit some friends and family along the way. Suffice to say, we covered a lot of ground in our minivan and have (so far) emerged relatively sane and alive.

In a nutshell: We went from the Seattle area to just outside of Sacramento in one haul. The next day, it was off to Pasadena to visit a friend, and jump off from there to make an appearance at a dear friend's 50th wedding anniversary in Palm Desert. While stopping off at a Starbuck's in Palm Springs, a rather large man with an equally large burst of grayed beard entered, only to be stopped by a very excited little boy who was eager to thank him for the bicycle that had been left under the tree.

The next day, we surprised the boys with a trip to Disneyland, where we squeezed the most out of the day--opening (8 am) to nearly closing (11 pm). From there, it was off to Vegas for New Year's Eve, then through Death Valley on our way to Reno to see my partner's grandmother. Next day, we headed back to Sacramento, where I sit right now, not so eager to make the drive back to the northwest in two days. My youngest is overwhelmed at all the things he wants to put into his journal to share with his class on Monday.

Saw "Sweeney Todd" last night with Johnny Depp (I didn't see it WITH him, just that he was in it). Amazing film. I've decided that there's probably nothing the man can't do as an actor. While I was startled and a bit put off by the amount of gore, I don't think the film could have been done in any other way. I needed to be darkly humorous and the character was, after all, "the demon barber". I suppose it would have been hard to make him completely demonic if you couldn't get the audience to gasp. Helena Bonham Carter, while her singing wasn't particularly strong, is spot-on in the role of his accomplice. Sublime. I think that Depp and Burton are the John Wayne and John Ford of today's generation. Or Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart. Just a director and actor who truly "get" one another.

The rest of the family is playing conasta while I type this. I've never been much for card games. I can play them, and usually have fun when I can be roped into them, but in the end, I'd rather read a good book or play something that relies on creativity rather than strategy. I'm selfish that way.