Just the Latest Geekfest

Tonight I saw Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone in concert at the Ahmanson Theatre. In this photo it looks a bit as if they’ve just gotten to second base, but I think the angle and the contrast are funny. (I hope at least.)

When I was fifteen, I was post-pop music and definitely pre-modern rock (that’s what the radio station called it at least; we called it alternative). My parents bought the Evita cast recording since my dad and I were going to see a touring production, and something about that show just hit me exactly where I needed it. Who knows why! The dictatorship! The casting couch! The death! OK, it’s the music. I know it’s Andrew Lloyd Webber and I’m supposed to roll my eyes, but I love that show and I love that album, and when I saw it that year, something in me woke up and paid attention. And I’m not sure I ever would have gotten to a place where theatre could really speak to me without it.

If you’re thinking, what kind of geek turns fifteen and finds herself into a twenty-year-old musical about a dead South American first lady? You know, hopefully just me.

And tonight, about sixteen years later, I sat in an audience and listened to Ms. LuPone sing “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” and it felt like a religious moment. Fifteen-year-old me would FREAK OUT knowing how long she has to wait for it!

Delinquency

I’ve been told it’s been too long since I’ve blogged… and that is absolutely right. The thing about being a writer is you are probably also something else in your Other Life, and for me I’m actually currently two other things in two Other Lives. And I love Day Job, and I love Freelance Job, but, egads, it’s been a busy time.

Last weekend was full of ridiculously fun YA events,from LAYAPALOOZA at Vroman’s to the monthly meeting of the Pardon My Youth YA book club at Skylight Books. Amazing to think just a few short years ago I was merely dipping my toes into the YA genre, and now it’s become this huge part of my life. I remember I used to feel sort of guilty just going into the section at the library, worrying someone would see this nearly-30 freak looking at books for children and deduce she was a Freako McGee. But of course that didn’t happen, and of course YA is growing and thriving and a fully acceptable place for people of all ages to hang out.

I am thrilled because it is officially summer in my world: Gelson’s has figs back in stock! Before I moved to California, I knew nothing about figs that extended beyond the realm of Fig Newtons. Eating them with slices of brie is one of my favorite snacks. But, then again, so are half-cracker half-pretzel hybrids, so I’m no connoisseur of fine cuisine.

Obligatory Pet Post

When your amazing photographer friend comes to town, you luckily get amazing photos of your pets. Enjoy!

Upcoming Events!

L.A. YA devotees, two upcoming events you shouldn’t miss:

1. Layapalooza Pizza Party (no, I don’t know why it has such a dirty name either…) at Vroman’s in Pasadena! Starring some of your favorite YA writers like Cecil Castellucci, Lisa Yee, Michael Reisman, Ben Esch, and many more. Perhaps your favorite unpublished YA writers will be there too….
SATURDAY JUNE 20 @ 2PM

2. June meeting of the Pardon My Youth YA Book Club at Skylight Books in Los Feliz! This month’s book is Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas of Veronica Mars fame, not Matchbox 20. This month’s meeting will be moderated by Kerry Madden.
SUNDAY JUNE 21 @ 2PM

Be there or be square.

I Still Love L.A.

My fantastic and talented friend Brandi was in town for the weekend, which made for some awesome times. The weekend included but was not limited to:

• Neko Case at the Greek, fantastic of course. I think I’ve seen Neko more times in concert by now than any other artist (not including people I know personally), which is a good thing because she is most undoubtedly my favorite musician, and her live shows never disappoint.
• Asssscat at UCB. Why don’t I go more? It’s dirt cheap and I always figuratively laugh my butt off.
• Driving down Sunset with the top of my red convertible down blasting Hall and Oates. Clichéd or genius? You be the judge.
• Shopping at Amoeba and the Grove. Guess which one feels like it was originally manufactured to be part of Epcot’s Little Los Angeles section?
• A stop at Studio City Tattoo, not for anything involving needles but something SEKRIT that may be revealed in COMING WEEKS, where, seriously, the people are so amazingly nice, cool, funny, the works. I love it there.

Does it go without saying? I love my city, and I love sharing it with others.

And now it is time to attend to work assignments and Current Project, which has firmly stepped into the MUSICAL THEATRE portion. To say I am extremely excited would be quite the understatement.

Not Really a Post

I should actually blog, but in the meantime, this cold open made my day year.

And That’s Why You Always Leave a Note!

One year ago, only a couple weeks after I got my shiny new car, some jerkface mcgee scraped the back corner of it in the parking garage and didn’t leave any sort of note. I buffed it as best I could and used some touch-up paint, but I was honestly pretty devastated. MY NEW CAR. This was especially troubling because the main reason I got rid of my previous car was it appeared to be made out of no heavier a plastic than used to make cups for iced drinks at Starbucks.

Flash forward to this week. I arrived back at my car from a day writing at my usual coffeeshop only to find the same kind of damage. This time, however, there was a note!! And now, only a few days later, my beautiful car has been fixed and is beautiful again. Thank you, Note Leaver!

Now back to reading the books the library wants back.

Good News, Bad News

The more I’m getting done on the book, the less bloggy I am. But! I’m getting things done on the book! There is finally KISSING! Whew!

Works in progress are so funny; I totally treat mine like I’m the very fickle one in a relationship. One minute I love it, the next I hate it, sometimes it’s all I can do to even remember it exists while often I can’t stop thinking or talking about it.

Last night I hung out for a bit in Studio City for dinner and then a little drive around for research purposes, since Current Project just happens to be set there. It’s funny; this is something I’ve worked on before, and that setting was because when I wrote the first draft, it was the only part of L.A. where I’d stayed extensively. So it felt safe to use it as a backdrop when I still lived in St. Louis. Of course now that I’m in L.A., it’s funny that things have shifted so much, and as I haven’t lived in the Valley for years (and haven’t ever lived in Studio City), I find myself doing research right across town. I’m thinking if I was just starting the book now for the first proper time they would most definitely live in Los Feliz or Silver Lake so I’d know what the heck I was talking about.

Then again, if I had, I certainly couldn’t have justified dinner at Teru Sushi last night. And that definitely made for a happier Ames.

CAD Weekend Aftermath

I’m sure you are all on the edge of your seats wondering how I did in the Chapter A Day Weekend Challenge. I am happy to report that while I did not actually succeed, I wrote about 6k words this weekend, so regardless it was quite a productive weekend. I’m definitely now solid into the middle (plot-wise, not page-count-wise) of the book, which is a relief. Also the fact that it even feels like the middle must mean I’m slowly getting better at structure.

Something else I learned this weekend is that I am still very, very bad at Dance Dance Revolution.

CAD Weekend

I am likely going to disappoint on my BETM duties this long weekend (yes, even when you aren’t working, long weekends are still something to look forward to!) because I have accepted Trish Doller’s Chapter-A-Day Challenge, and am going to be writing my butt off on Current Project. Am I crazy? Well, as one of the characters from said project would say, duh.