Thursday Thoughts

A list of random things in no particular order, since I have no coherent theme for the day:

1) I wasn't nearly as productive yesterday, but I did have choir practice. I tried to work some after choir but hit a brick wall.

2) It turns out that was for the good because while in the shower post-brick wall, I realized I was taking a totally wrong approach to the part I was writing, and if I'd forced myself to write more, it would have been wasted time because it all would have been deleted.

3) This is more proof that my brain is apparently water-powered. I need water around me to think.

4) I think if I redecorate my office (or, really, decorate it in the first place, since the current look is essentially Early Junk Room), I should get one of those tabletop fountains so I will always be able to have running water nearby and I won't have to wait for rainy days to get a lot of good creativity going.

5) Trying to read Terry Pratchett while I'm supposed to be plowing through a book probably isn't the best idea.

6) Even if it's a book I've already read.

7) Especially if it's a book I've already read and one of my favorites, and reading a few pages while I make tea turns into reading until I get to that part I really like.

8) I'm a little sad that tonight is the season finale of The Office. That show makes me happy in ridiculous ways. I've watched last week's episode three times now. It's a silly episode where nothing much happens, but the whole Cafe Disco concept gives me a smile.

9) Cafe Disco might be a fun theme for when I decorate my office.

10) TV cliffhangers can really mess up my productivity because my brain can't deal with an incomplete story and insists on writing the ending -- sometimes multiple permutations of the ending. It doesn't help that I know the ending of the book I'm writing, so to that part of my brain, completing these incomplete stories feels more urgent. NCIS is killing me right now with a four-week story arc. I probably should have just let them all pile up OnDemand and then watch them together when it's done. But then I couldn't have discussed them with Mom.

11) Have I mentioned that my brain is a very funny place? On the up side, I'm very seldom bored. I could entertain myself for days alone in a totally empty room. If they put me in solitary confinement, when they came to release me I'd probably ask for a few more days because I still had this story going in my head that I wanted to finish.

12) That voice class I took a couple of years ago to make me get over my phobia of singing in public may not have worked. At choir last night, the director announced that our summer pops show would be a tribute to Rogers and Hammerstein, and he was looking for people to do solos from the various shows. Well, I pretty much live for show tunes, so that's the sort of thing I dream about. I actually fantasize about performing in that kind of concert review. I have most of the good soprano solos from all the big R&H shows memorized. My brain was going "Yes! Let's do this! I've been living for this!" and then immediately, my heart rate shot up to "just finished the 100-meter dash" levels, I could feel my pulse pounding in my head, I started shaking violently, and I broke out in a sweat. I thought I was going to pass out just sitting there in the choir room contemplating the idea of singing a solo. So maybe I shouldn't volunteer (and then I'll sit there in the choir during the concert feeling jealous of the people doing solos).

13) And, really, would it be more fun to do a slightly funny song like one from South Pacific or one of the more romantic ones like "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma? (I actually like the swingy Ella Fitzgerald version of the latter.)

14) It looks like I will end up seeing the Star Trek movie. I'll be getting together with friends tomorrow to see it. I will have to report if I was wrong about it.