Last night I was talking with Marci about Sex and the City and Grey’s Anatomy, and how Carrie & Big are essentially Meredith & Derek, or vice versa really since SATC came first. Marci is not a big fan (to put it mildly) of how fuc– erm, complicated, these relationships are, yet how they are protrayed as true love. I told her that as someone who has had 2-3 breakups or breaks or whatever you want to call them with my current boyfriend, I was hardly in a position to judge. However, in my relationship, no cheating was involved. Mostly it was miscommunication, and/or being 20 years old.

Anyway, what I realized today is that my relationship with Andy is by no means the most fuc– ahem, complicated, relationship I’m in. May I present to you…

Writing a Novel: A Love Story

It’s not The Notebook, but it’s pretty darn accurate. It’s also not written by me, but read it anyway.

Note: Foto Fridays will resume next week.

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Remember yesterday when I was mocking Andy for being a 12-year-old boy and wanting to do the African safari twice? Well, um, on the last day of our Disney World vacation, I asked if we could go back to Hollywood Studios and play Midway Mania. FOUR more times.

Proof of his love: he said yes.

We also tried to win one of the three-eyed aliens during our lunch at Pizza Planet, but the game was somewhat rigged. We spent most of our quarters playing air hockey instead.

And yes, Andy wore the unnecessarily warm Posluszny jersey all day. To his credit, he did not whine about his accidentally scheduling our vacation on the first Sunday of pro football. (I made him get all that out of the way before we left for Florida.)

And last but not least, we took a backlot tour of Hollywood Studios, where we saw Walt Disney’s private plane, the Mickey Mouse-eared water tower, and this beautiful, beautiful sign.

Beautiful mostly because the people ON it are so attractive. From what I’ve heard, I may be disappointed in Grey’s moving forward. But you know what? Meredith and Derek are back together. So if needed, I can pretend the show ended last year with their reunion. Just like I pretend that Vaughn never died (AND THEN CAME BACK TO LIFE WTH) on Alias.

Anyway, that was the end of our lovely vacation. I have to say, Andy did a superb job planning it out — and making sure I was fed at proper intervals throughout the day — so I think it’s my turn to organize our next vacation. Unfortunately I am both averse to and bad at planning things, and Andy is both averse to and bad at flying by the seat of his pants. So stayed tuned, friends, because next year, our vacation recap may contain a whole lot more CRAZY and whole lot less “magic.” :P

Another day without Andy, another Atlantic Monthly article.

Riley spent most of his day going between the two pillows I laid flat on the couch, taking turns lying on each. Sadly I am not that easily entertained. Instead, I spent most of today tearing up over television (We Are Marshall and Grey’s Anatomy reruns) and cleaning. Much more interesting, right?

Aaaanyway…

Once you get past the intro, “Writing, Typing, and Economics” is pretty good, contrary to what its title might suggest.

All writers know that on some golden mornings they are touched by the wand — are on intimate terms with poetry and cosmic truth. I have experienced those moments myself. Their lesson is simple: It’s a total illusion. And the danger in the illusion is that you will wait for those moments. Such is the horror of having to face the typewriter that you will spend all your time waiting. I am persuaded that most writers, like most shoemakers, are about as good one day as the next (a point which Trollope made), hangovers apart. The difference is the result of euphoria, alcohol, or imagination. The meaning is that one had better go to his or her typewriter every morning and stay there regardless of the seeming result. It will be much the same.

The best place to write is by yourself, because writing becomes an escape from the terrible boredom of your own personality.

And one of particular interest to me, She Who Cannot Be Funny To Save Her Life:

I would urge my young writers to avoid all attempts at humor. … Humor is an intensely personal, largely internal thing. What pleases some, including the source, does not please others. … Also, as Art Buchwald has pointed out, we live in an age when it is hard to invent anything that is as funny as everyday life.

Hmm, should I let Dooce and Jon Stewart know? Oh wait, their humor IS based on everyday life.

Dear Shonda and Grey’s writers,

Now THAT was a good episode.

Love & thanks,
Kristan

Dooce likes Grey’s too!

I feel so… validated.

Also, the new episode on 4/24 didn’t suck. (Shonda and the other writers must have gotten my letter.) It wasn’t a classic, but there were some good moments. Enough to make me stick around, anyway.

Next week’s gratuitous Kate Walsh appearance has me wary, though. Don’t get me wrong, I love Addison (in fact, bring her back from LA FOR REAL, SHONDA!) but her cameo is, as I mentioned, gratuitous. It’s a feeble attempt to remind people to tune in to Private Practice when it returns. And I don’t like being manipulated. Especially if it doesn’t involve chocolate!

Dear Shonda Rhimes (and other Grey’s Anatomy writers),

Please don’t suck.

Love,
Kristan