Saturday, Saturday, SaSaSaSa Saturday...

Yes, time for an Elton John crackback...I am in the most unusual position on a weekend.  I actually have the day off.  


The coven was supposed to perform a public ritual today, but due to scheduling, we can't.  And I work Sunday, so what choice have I but to opt out?  Too bad, because we've not done anything like this in years.


The last few days have been pretty hard.  Work was the easy part, two Senators games; I've spent the better part of the past three days whipping SDS-1 into shape again.


My writing style has changed a lot since I started this series nearly four years ago.  Since the Sweet Dreams Series was created, I've written a great deal more, and as I say, my style has evolved.


The book needed help again; I had to make a lot of changes, and take under scrutiny the advice of many to make this thing a whole lot better.  And it is better.


So that madness is done...while thinking of it, I have to have another bash at the series, because I know there is a lot missing, and a lot more needs to be done there.


First...I probably should finish the edit of "Silk Road Days."  Some have asked what that is...well, it's gonna sound almost stereotypical, but it's set in Japan (yes, I know), and takes place largely at an exclusive private high school, Silk Road Academy.


My thoughts immediately went to the "Ouran High School Host Club," which I've seen bits of, and my anime dork ~URRR!~ enthusiast friend Lex likes.  But there's no crossdressing in my book.


Not yet, anyway.


The plot revolves around a young woman who is an alumnus, and returns from university to take a teaching job.  It becomes clear that Keiko Miyazaki has some kinks about her, and we learn why she is as she is.


As Keiko reintegrates to the school, she views the differences, as the curmudgeonly old Founder has passed on, and his son has taken over.  Things are a little bit different now, thanks to him, and we soon find that some of the teachers are nearly as crazy as the students!


When you put a ton of smart kids in a boarding school, they're still gonna be kids.  Keiko also is a Floor Leader (at St. Joe's they were called Residence Advisors, or RA's)...so she also has to keep an eye on 13 twisted girls!


These include the foreign musician, the Goth, the loud girl, the extremely quiet girl, the book-smart, blorange-haired space cadet and the mysterious one who lives right across the hall from Keiko.  Then there's the charismatic boy, his jock roommate, and the deranged faculty to contend with, including a hook-wearing Frenchman, a persnickety old German lady and Zen Masterish professor who just lets everything roll by like it didn't happen.


We also learn another reason Keiko has returned, and we wonder just what is going on...


...anyway, that's it so far.  Just having fun with it.


Now...does that interest you...too much like the other stuff?  Working on it, believe me.


###


Last night, Dan made it over, but we spent nearly an hour trapped in a parking lot!


Someone at the West Manchester Township Highway Department I'm sure has gotten more than an earful about that horrible job of traffic management on Carlisle Road yesterday!


Dan live in the city, and we took Carlisle out toward 30, which is a straight shot to my house.  We did not know what they were up to...


First:  they depress Carlisle in our direction to one lane.  Okay...we saw a long line of traffic.  Dan suggests we try to do an end-run through the Lowe's parking lot...well, us and about 200 other vehicles had the same idea.


Would have worked, but for the closure of EVERY exit in the parking lot!  But for the one by the traffic lights!


Gridlock in a parking lot!  We proceeded to not move for a long time...pretty bad...bad job, townies!


So:  we did finally go back the way we came and got to the house.  The patience paid off, for we had a good work out on some new stuff.


We did some old stuff to warm up, then tackled a new song I've written, "Denied."  Folk-type of thing, and the music came fast.  Really good; has something special to it.


Now, I'm mentioning "SRD" again, because of a song I wrote for the story.  Dan liked that one, too, and Katie needs to sing it.  Actually, it needs piano and a female voice, because that's what that character does.  I'm sure she can handle it well.


So, I'm back at the Office and wondering whatever to do with myself.  Well, I have work to do, and I also have to consider errands, bleah.


What else, no idea...very strange to not have a plan today.  We'll see what happens...

Da Bruins, Radio Coverage, Writing and Stuff

Well, congrats to the Boston Bruins are in order...they pulled out Game 7 in fine fashion last night, beating Vancouver on their home ice, 4-0.


As a native New Englander, I well remember the last time the Bruins won the cup, in 1972.  I was only about six years old at the time, and being the dumb kid I was, I wanted the Rangers to win.  No idea why.


I was producing the Senators' win over the Thunder on the Ticket last night, but I made it to my car by early in the third period.  It was already a done deal; the Canucks just could not get back into the game.


I tuned to Home Ice, the hockey channel on Sirius/XM.  Now in playoff sports, S/XM takes the home radio feed, so I got to hear the Vancouver broadcast team handling the call.  To my surprise they were playing it straight.  No real homerism, they called the game right, fairly and professionally.  Something that is lost on NESN and quite a few American commentators.


The only crack came after the empty-net goal...the color guy said, "That sucks."  And I'm sure it did.  The guys appealed for calm, as they were watching a CTV raw feed from the city...does Vancouver have professional rioters living there?  It's clear to me those people were out to start trouble, and were not real hockey fans.


Either way, I'm glad the Bruins won it, a long time coming, and happy for Tim Thomas, the University of Vermont product...yay, Catamounts!


I went to UVM for about two months one summer, that's my only connection.


That said...another day of editing SDS-1...it's getting much better.  My friend Riz and I had a brief talk about the recent feelings thrown down by a publisher...they have good points, but the readability is still there.  Riz of course would tell me if it wasn't...she pulls no punches.


Another game tonight at the Ticket, and I hope I can keep up a good level of concentration on the edit.  This needs to be finished and soon.


"Five Fifty-One," track from Bruce Cockburn's new CD on my Walkman...nice...trying to keep it together here...much to do.


So yeah...B's fans rejoice, Canucks fans clean up their city and I have to get on with life.

The Week in Review (and the Banshee Screams of Various Creatures)...

Well, if that didn't get your attention, I'm not sure what will.  I've managed to crawl from the wreckage of the past week, and can now look back with some satisfaction at how things went.


Another two hours yesterday as the host for "Morning Edition" on WITF.  Getting better, feeling a lot more comfortable in this position.  I'll be back in next week for a few days, as I get my hands on more of the levers and figure out how to do all of it.


Tim Lambert has been quite a patient master, and I appreciate his calmness under pressure.  The situation has now become clear, as to how I suddenly got an opportunity at a job I was passed over for.


Since Tim is now WITF's News Director, he is sitting in on the mornings, and basically doing two jobs and burning the candle at both ends.  I've become the #2, and will continue to sit in on the mornings for a time.  The new guy is coming over from an area TV station, and he's got business to finish with them, before he can assume the host position.


I have never met him, but he is well regarded and respected, and will do damn well, I'm sure.  I'm just happy to get the shot I am, so it's cool.


Got nice compliments from friends and colleagues, and I'm very relieved for that.  If I was fucking up, I'd hear about it!


So yeah, a very relieved individual I am, and I can actually take a little pride in a job done.  Not perfect; I'd give my grade a B or a B-, but that's not bad for a starter.


Also got a chance to play instrumental music from Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters' new CD, Spreading the Love during the tops of the hours.  That's what you were mostly hearing on :58 break if you were listening...great stuff.


That said...I also did a lot of writing in my brain for "Silk Road Days."  Got a little more out yesterday, and have embarked on Chapter 17; still not sure how this is gonna turn out.  No idea.


Gotta get back to it; have the Senators game on 1460 the Ticket tonight, which should be reasonably good.  Then another Weekend from Hell.


At the Office, I heard the banshee screams of a small bipedal creature; not a complete day without that.


Trying to figure out the rest of what I'm supposed to be doing...things are weird like that.  Anyway, feeling pretty well chuffed that I got the worst part of the training over, and I gotta stay cool for the next steps.


I also have to continue the writing, and carry on with the other radio things...KYW Sports Saturday and Sunday, then the Bears playoff on the Ticket, and then early Monday at WITF...this is calling jobbing.  When you don't have a full-time gig, you take the work you can get.


Life goes on.

The Week from Hell...is just a few hours away...

Here it comes!  But first, my updated link at my agent's site:


http://sullivanmaxx.com/clients/gates-tory/


As you'll note, there's a lot of stuff I'm working on, writing, have written, and so forth.  Look about and you will see a very neat little site, and I'm quite thrilled to have them in my corner.


That said:  I've spent most of the midday writing out what I hope is a good guide book for my training at WITF, which starts early tomorrow.  It's back to "Morning Edition" training, and I hope to be proficient enough to get a shot at an hour or so on the air.


I've felt incredibly confused and overwhelmed at points, when I tried to synthesize more than one set of notes on this.  This includes a guide on the things you need to do and say, plus the WITF program log, which are two very different documents.


Then there's my notes; now I'm hopeful I've got the guidelines down so I don't sound a complete twat in the production studio tomorrow.


I'll be tanked up on coffee and liquid crack ~URRR!~ Amp, or its equivalent.  Don't get me wrong; I love Monster energy drinks, which was Ahltyrra's unofficial sponsor as certain people in the band trained on it.


Coffee Monsters are fucking wonderful, but also expensive.  Amp is sold in the vending machines at ITF, and they're essentially the same stuff in Monster.  Also cheaper, mind.


Anyway...I'm gonna be a wreck, but I've got a little better handle on things.  I'll be in early to make sure I'm on it.


The Week from Hell is coming...I'll be doing three days of training, then I've got a Senators game at the Ticket on Friday, two days of WITF/KYW sports work, and oh yes, a Bears playoff game at the Ticket on Sunday as well!


This the most paying work I've had in over a year!  Nice.


Walkman stuff...Doyle Bramhall, Senior's version of "Baby What You Want Me To Do" is done...Stones doing "Ventilator Blues" is running.  Walkman been running over time the past two or three hours.


I'm exhausted, and it's not even 2:30 in the afternoon.  In 12 hours I need to be up to get ready for another day in the studio.  Work, work and more work...


The writing is not on hold.  "Silk Road Days" is going through my brain as I try to figure the next step for Chapter 16, and how I'm going to get everything in.  This could be one long book, or perhaps I can fit it all in.  I've no idea.  It could be another damned series, who knows?


I have so much stuff piled up and ready to go; but we need to get that first one done.  Also need to get hold of Riz (she of the Letters from the Disgruntled Fringe blog), and Jen (our intrepid artist and GameStop expert).  


Rargh...need to figure out what else I'm doing here.  This is life, as we know it...always on edge and not always that certain.  Feh!


"Beautiful Swimmers," by Jimmy Buffett now...very different.  Onward...

Long Week, and Another Week from Hell is Coming...

Well, another week has passed.  It has been a strange one for me, where to begin?

First, I have been working hard on "Silk Road Days."  I'm warming to the return to the Japan/Anime/YA Fiction thing, and I think once the framework of the initial script is done, I can go further and figure out where it is all going.

15 chapters are down as of this evening; I do not know how long it will take to finish.  And then there's the gaps that need to be filled in, probably a lot of those.

TrafficTalk, which I've explained in the past, has announced a suspension of operations.  So, I will not need to be in front of a computer in the afternoons for the foreseeable future.  I had guessed we were headed there.  At the moment, talks are continuing about technical aspects of the service and how it can be used. 

This frees me up to go hustle about and add some additional radio work, hopefully.  I did train briefly last week at Clear Channel Harrisburg (WTKT-AM 1460 the Ticket) on the Senators baseball games.  Pretty easy; and I'm hoping for some more hours.

WITF is ready to start training me again this week on "Morning Edition."  I'll do three days of it, and possibly get on the air for a little...daggers.

This is gonna be tough, and I have to be ready to do it right and well.  Lot of timing issues as I've said in the past, but we'll see how it goes.  I'm optimistic.

The Dharma Fools have been quiet, as again we have become scattered.  I know we will return to form, and I must be patient.  Meant to happen when it does.

My friend Riz has finally convinced me to go to Pittsburgh in May and see Jim Jeffries at the Improv!  I'll go for a Friday nighter, because I have to be back the next day.  Also an ulterior motive of seeing an old friend who lives out that way.  Should be interesting if I can pull it all together.

Riz has lost her job; blessing or a curse, not sure.  It is time for her to consider the next move of her life and perhaps reinvent herself, but she knows what she's doing.  All good.

Urg.  Exhausted; must be up early again for the KYW thing...