Another Day of Distractions

I was going to criticize myself for getting very little done yesterday, but while I didn't add words to the manuscript, I did a more detailed map for my other book and sent it to my editor (which involved a lot of yelling at my scanner because it only wanted to give me part of the map), and I planned out the next two or three scenes (one scene is going to end up merged with an earlier scene, so while I planned three, the result will be two).

Otherwise, it was a day of distractions. I found out that our choir director is leaving us at the end of the summer. It's one of those things where it's a great opportunity for him but a sad day for us that we kind of knew was coming eventually. He started as a fill-in when our previous director left in the fall, since there was no way we'd find someone during the build-up to Christmas. He'd been our tenor soloist and was doing this kind of work while he was working on a doctorate in another field after deciding to make a career change. Then after Christmas, he decided to stay until Easter, because it's hard to find someone to change jobs during the build-up to Easter. And then he decided to just stay, so he's been here several years. He finished the doctorate last year and was teaching a few classes as a second job. But now he's been offered a tenure-track faculty position and the chance to build a program -- and have just one job instead of trying to do it all. I teased him that once he got me over my stage fright, he figured his work here was done. I've probably been closer to this director than to any other I've had, in part because he's geeky enough to discuss Doctor Who and Firefly at Wednesday-night dinners and in part because you tend to bond when you spend a week together traveling across the country in a bus full of teenagers. Now I'll have to train someone new. I wonder if I can trick the new person into not realizing I can sing second soprano.

Then there was a surprise baby shower for my ballet teacher. It's weird seeing ballet people in "civilian" clothes, so it took me a while to recognize my classmates, and they really didn't recognize me. In class, I always have my hair in a tight bun, wear contact lenses and usually don't wear makeup. Last night, I had my hair loose, so it was curls to my waist, I wore glasses (since I went straight to choir afterward and it's easier to read the music that way) and had on makeup. I got to play with one classmate's baby, whose pictures I've seen but hadn't yet seen in person.

And then choir ran long because we had to discuss what was happening, and the pastor came to rehearsal to reassure us that they'd tried everything to keep the director but finally had to face that this was the right thing for him. There were a few tears. I suspect I'll say the things I need to say in e-mail because I don't want to get soppy in person.

But today is going to kick off that writing "retreat." I'm determined to make real progress over the next few days. I'm coming up on some of the meatiest content in the book, and that means I'm simultaneously excited about writing it and afraid of writing it. I want it to live up to what's in my head.