far and away

Remember all that talk about how I was looking forward to the ski vacation? Do me a favor: find the heaviest bus you can and squash that sentiment underneath. This resort- besides the actual skiing -is the ninth circle of hell. Mama is so far from civilization and wi-fi service, that I am literally going insane. As it is, I'm writing this from the community lounge downstairs. We are sharing a 500 square foot condo with my in-laws and, because there's only a bed and a nefarious looking couch downstairs, my husband and I are sleeping in the attic Anne Frank-style. The food is atrocious, the accomodations are wanting and I really, really want to go home. I would murder someone for an airlift out of here. And that's not even the half.

My mother-in-law is the Queen of Opinionated. After spending three days with my son, she announced that he needs more protein in his diet and I should feed him what I eat. I'm not lying nor am I exaggerating when I tell you that I almost separated her from her life that day. She has no idea how I raise my son and she damned sure has no idea what goes in his belly. Unfortunately for my husband, I have to spray paint these feelings on a wet tee shirt for him to understand. No matter. We only have two and a half more days before this hellacious "vacation" is over. I cannot wait to get back to my friends, my bed, my office, and my charmed life.

Not much to report on the writing front. While checking my email via phone the other day, I saw that I'd received another rejection letter. This one was from a playhouse in Minnesota (I think?). Anyway, I took it in stride and have been working on the re-working of my dramatic opus (the 60s squatters of Haight-Ashbury thingie). In reading "Elements of Playwriting", I realize that I wasn't employing The Unities (time, location and theme) in this full length play. I'm sure I would have recognized it, had I majored in Drama or English, but now that I know, I've been a revising fool. From the opus, I've removed two characters and tightened the timeline between the first and second acts. I had to leave in the three weeks long gap between the second and third acts to give Mitzi's drug addiction time to take hold.

My entries into another playwriting contest have been submitted and the winners will be posted on 22 January on their website. Woo-hoo!