The Elf Olympics

What the hell's going on here?



Willa Cline, in her online journal, talks about the same sorts of issues I did in yesterday's Paperwork entry in her July 15th entry, only she does it much better, I think. I especially love the quote from The Courage To Write. It's funny/strange how many of the same issues writers confront again and again, and how no one can come up with a satisfactory solution. Last night, as Darin and I walked down University Avenue in Palo Alto with David and Alaina, Darin said how he realized that things he said and did might end up somewhere in public for others' consumption. Yup, it's true. Welcome to living with a writer, Darin.

Speaking of which...


Saga of the Happy Little Elves, Take 2

I have learned that I was a little too oblique in yesterday's PW, so I have come up with this fable to clue in those not previously clued:

Once upon time, Darin, the Alpha Elf, found a show called "The Ballad of the Lizard Man" (not its real name) and decided it was the best thing to hit Happy Elf Land ever, so he wanted all his friends to watch it too. And they did, and it was good. Most of the elves worked together at a factory named "Specific Conjurations, Ltd." (not its real name) and so coordinating the meadow upon which to gather was no problem at all.

Over time some of the elves moved on to other factories, but still the band of happy elves got together to watch "The Ballad of the Lizard Man" and dance in circles (or at least drink beer until they felt like dancing in circles). And they still gathered in various meadows, a different meadow every week.

Then, one day, Pickwick (not his real name) insulted some of the work Gabor (not his real name) had done at the factory before Gabor left to move on. And then Pickwick insulted Gabor's work again -- one time might be chalked up to Pickwick's noted lack of sensitivity, but two times was unforgivable.

Gabor said he wasn't dancing in the meadow any more if Pickwick was going to be there.

The other happy little elves had to decide what to do when it came to "The Ballad of the Lizard Man" and drinking beer and other elvish activities. The elves attempted to find someone amongst their ranks to go talk to Pickwick and tell him what the trouble was, but no one -- even the Alpha Elf -- wanted to be the one.

Pickwick, parse a clue. Yes, I mean you.


Today, while I'm not making up elf allegories, I am being a giant slug. I've been sleeping badly of late and when I wake up, I feel more tired than when I went to bed the night before. I decided that today I was going to be a lump and take naps if I felt like it. Anything to try to reduce this damn lethargy.

Are the Olympics over yet? Am I the only person out there who's severely underwhelmed by the Olympics? A lot of movie studios moved the opening weekends of their movies so that they wouldn't compete with the Olympics...a bad move, as far as I'm concerned. I want an excuse to get away from the Olympic theme song and the ridiculous quantity of patriotism and sponsorship. Why don't we just call them the Reebok Olympics and get it over with?


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Last Updated: 17-Jul-96
©1996 Diane Patterson