Post-Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2012 - A very relaxing enjoyable weekend spent in Oakland and San Francisco.  Alice and I spent Thanksgiving morning at her house preparing for our visit to Richard & Lisa's at 4.  We took our time preparing appetizers, cleaning, reading.  At the Youngs we feasted on delicious everything, cheese, nuts, crackers, hummus, then turkey, potatoes, rolls, green beans, more turkey.  It was the Youngs, Rodney & Spike and me and Alice.  I had three pomegranate champagne cocktails.  Wow, they were good.  We stayed until 10:30, the time I can barely keep my eyes open.  I've become such a morning person.  Friday was another Thanksgiving at Alice's with her family and another round of non-stop eating.  I feel heavy all over.  Saturday and Sunday have been leisurely and enjoyable.  Last night, Alice and I finished up our viewing of Pillars of the Earth.  This morning we played badminton until noon.  I went to the library later today and checked out Julian Barnes's The Sense of an Ending, which I've been wanting to read all year.  

Thought On the Election

Two weeks after the election, I'm struck by the various reactions from Republicans over the election.  Newt Gingrich said it best when he acknowledged the President deserves our respect over his great victory.  He was shocked that Obama won, as was Romney.  Romney's concession speech on election night was graceful and poignant; however, his remarks a few days later over the reason he lost -- the gifts Obama gave to his constituents -- has been criticized by everyone.  Apparently, he's still reeling from the defeat.  Did he really think he was going to win?  Still last year, I really thought he was going to lose.  Romney had one core conviction throughout the campaign:  I want to be president.  That's all he really believed in, and he would say anything to make it happen.  No one told him that strategy doesn't work in this country.  You have to believe in something and stick with it.  That's what we respect.  You can game the electorate, at least not on the national stage when running for president.  I'm glad we will no longer have to listen to another Romney political speech in our lifetime. 

It seems to me the problem with the Republican Party can be traced back to the Republican Primary debates and some of the extreme positions so many of the candidates chose to take.  The competition to see who was the most conservative candidate became a contest to see who possessed the most extreme hostility toward the federal government, women, immigrants and Obama.  If Republicans can remove their extreme hostility out of their primaries, they'll stand a better chance in 2016. 

Giving Notice

After 2 1/2 years at Wendel, Rosen, December 14 will be my last day.  After that, I'm writing full-time, starting first with a non-fiction book proposal with Chris called "Bad Uncle's Guide to Adult Life," followed by Austin15, an online poker novel.  My year will be very busy.  I plan to build my presentation PowerPoints to schools and write a few short pieces for magazines.  I'm excited at all the time I'll have to produce. 

We Got Your Back, Obama!

I'm in a GREAT mood today.  Really great mood.  Last night played out close to how I had envisioned back when I was watching the Republican Primaries last September 2011.  Team Obama is simply one of the most incredible political machines in American political history.  They played this game like clock work, running a campaign that exploited every weakness of their opponent and getting their voters to the voting booth.  It was amazing.  To have the race and Ohio called for the president at 8:15 p.m. Pacific Standard Time is a testament to the trouble the GOP faces in future presidential elections.  They have a serious problem with their party.  Every one of those Republican Primary debates from last year is still on the internet for voters to listen to.  That's where Romney lost the election when he made the decision to become the severely conservative candidate who chose to go to the far right of everyone on immigration and women's rights.  Romney gave an appropriate and moving consolation speech last night.  It seemed genuine and heartfelt.  I wish him well in private life.  I'm so ready to move forward with our re-elected president and the rest of the country.  Fired up, ready to go!  Great call last night, America!  It's why this country rocks!

  

Martin Martinez is Almost Here!

I've been at work on a new novel since April while working a 40-hour/week job.  I will never do that again.  Not only have I been ungrounded for months, I've practically ignored all other aspects of my life.  Work, write, racquetball, Alice, work write, eat, write, work, racquetball, Alice, write, shower, write, work, write, brush Sandy, write, work, send an email to someone, write, work, write, work, sleep, work, write...Needless to say, I can't wait to finish this thing.  It's called The Arrival (and departure) of Martin Martinez, Future President, and it's all narration, most of it anyway.  I write in the mornings and evenings before and after work, and sometimes during lunch or between rushes.  Fifteen minutes here, an hour there.  It's no life, that's for sure, at least not for me.  It's not sustainable.  I'm not happy when I'm not grounded. 

All the chapters are on paper, all 36 chapters, each over 1,000 words long with the whole thing coming in at around 40k, but the last 12 chapters in particular need a few more passes, and the middle section is thick with explanation and short on excitement.  In other words, there's so much left to do. 

I was hoping to finish by August, then September, now October.  I really hope to send it off to Sam on November 7, the day after the election.  It's about a famous 21st century president who first gets into politics as a ten-year-old boy during the 2012 presidential election between Obama and Romney.  He comes from a Republican family, so he's rooting for Romney to win, even though Obama pulls it out...at least in the book he does.  The race was looking so good until Obama's lackluster debate last week.  I still think Obama will win, but anything can happen.  I've learned a lot writing this book.  More than anything, I've learned I really do enjoy sitting down in front of a computer and banging out words all day.  I never thought that would happen.  It just sort of snuck up on me, like so many other things these days. 

Our Man Joe

Vice President Biden looked into the camera last night and in so many words said, Paul "Voucher" Ryan, I am going to eat you up and spit you out in our debate!  If Clinton is the big dog, Biden is our big hearted attack dog.  His speech was Awesome!

What Biden said about GM's day of doom under Obama's Way versus the Bain Way was truly brilliant, truer than true, and the reason why Obama is the right choice for America.

Two Jobs

I've been writing a new novel since April called "The Arrival (and departure) of Martin Martinez, Future President."  It's 36 chapters long, around 40k words, and it's about board games, childhood and presidential politics.  Whatever spare time I have is given over to writing, research and revisions.  The first half is getting there, but the second half is still being revised.  It's the first novel I've written from beginning to end while working full time.  It's like working two jobs at once and logging in 80 hours of week each week.  Poor Alice.  She's been a writer's widow these past few months.  Next weekend we go to Bellingham for a few days.  I'm looking forward to it.