Bose Ears

Our new condo offers a rich audio bouquet. On a street with other condos and apartments, there are trash trucks crashing into dumpsters, leaf blowers, horns honking, sirens whooping, kids yelling, Armenian parents yelling back.

Then came Bose Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones.

Ahhhh.

Mitch Watson at the Actor's Gang

Pal and playwright Mitch Watson has a hit on his hands. Klub (umlaut pronunciation on the "u," — Kloob — but I can't find the character on my keyboard) takes a dark look at the world of theatre through the eyes of a bitter clown. (Portrayed by the very busy Mitch Watson.) Check it out at the Actors' Gang.

Note: The website mentions a run through July 19. But Mitch assures me the play ends July 12. Believe the author and not the electronic page.

USC and Writing for T.C. Boyle

Last night, MDW and I attended a film screening on the USC campus. Having graduated in 1987, I believe this was my first trip back. (Though I have been to the Colosseum for football games.) My final semester was taken up by a creative writing project under faculty mentor, T. Coraghessan Boyle. Professor Boyle had an arid sense of humor, dropping out dry koans then moving on. In class once, he suggested we always write the last paragraph of a story in French so the reader would feel stupid. He was a great resource and a warehouse of story-crafting knowledge even then. But I never took full advantage of his insight. I was eager to get back out in the world and write for real.

My plan had been to take a job somewhere overseas and write something very expatriate and wry. But having focused so hard to finish college in two and half years, I folded immediately after graduation. I checked out jobs, sent out stories, started new ones, began a book, but my follow-through was shot. The only thing I completed was jury duty. Finally, a few months later, I stopped even pretending to write, returned to acting and spent the spring and summer performing bad plays.

What's this got to do with anything? As Dummy Fever gathers dust in its third draft tomb, I've started thinking about acting again. Maybe it has something to do with all the energy we put into selling the old place, getting a condo plus my training for a marathon, then running two in less than a month. I fear my follow-through has crashed again.

Could just be a 21-year cycle. In any case, I will complete the book. And no more acting.

'Bye TNT '08 Marathoners

Thus endth the saga of the San Gabriel Valley Summer 2008 Team in Training. A few folk showed up yesterday for a farewell run, nursing injuries brought on by the San Diego Marathon and partying after the event. Among them were teammates who didn't think they could complete 26.2 miles and made it in style. Others who should've cruised, struggled. And a few who looked like they'd only cross the finish line in an ambulance, gritted their teeth and limped to victory. Which is all a way of saying that the marathon brings out the most surprising elements in people. Now it's time for the deck to be reshuffled. I will miss this motley bunch at the same time watching the new SGV Winter Team form.

My best wishes and prayers go out to teammates Stacy and David, both of whom were recently diagnosed with cancer. A season of running has given them good health and mental toughness. If anyone can meet this disease head-on, it's these guys. Do send them your very finest thoughts.

My first TNT coach, Jimmy Freeman, swung by practice on his way to run a crisp 22 miles. Jimmy is training for the upcoming Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. With a course winding through terrain accessible only to helicopters and animals that grew up there, Western States is an event Jimmy's hankered after for years. Finish under 24 hours and you win a coveted belt buckle that says you've gone where others have only flown over. Jimmy is not a half-way man and stands an excellent chance of success.

And now back to writing about funny insects.

Photo by Alfredo Cacho.

Old and New

Brother coach, Alfredo, shot this as I ran up Broadway in San Diego. At that point, it was a young marathon, barely beyond seven miles.

Tapings for the second-season Freakazoid! DVD are being scheduled for early July. As I glean more intelligence, I shall be delighted to pass it on.

Cyber Juggling

Work arrives in the form of a fine animated show about insects. Just a single story for now. But Herr Computer pines away in the digital hospital and I'm forced to shift between MDW's machine and another computer that isn't connected to the Web. But persevere I shall. Then I'll stop writing like Yoda.

Mr. Computer is Ill

A corrupted file - a file keen on drink or cards. In any case, I'm off to a computer doc today to seek repair.

Last night, I watched Beowulf. Maybe it looked better in 3D. As it was, I couldn't help feeling I was watching an R-rated version of Shrek. I kept expecting the donkey to appear. ("Say, Grendel, s'up with those bad ass teeth?")

Barer of Good Tidings

Thanks to Freak-Friend Danny Barer for the shout-out on his blog. Scroll down to read how 2008 Comic Con attendance is expected to spike.

Cool.

SD Marathon This and That

Natasha and I performed a ritual mombo around mile 21.

Running and walking around the course on my coachly duties, I covered at least 30 miles.

A common medical condition treated that day was hyponutremia or over-hydration. People drank too much water and washed out valuable salts and electrolytes.

Teammates Chris and Scott threw a victory party yesterday at their secluded Monrovia estate. I learned we have at least 3 Ph.Ds on our team. Also, two older teammates referred to me as a "punk kid." You don't get that a lot at age 55. It was rather refreshing.

Comic Con Freak-a-Note

On the subject of San Diego, as of this hour on a quiet Sunday morning, the pre-order info on the first season Freakazoid! DVD stands at:

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,033 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#82 in Movies & TV > Kids & Family > Television

In addition to Paul Rugg and I, our old boss, Jean MacCurdy will be at the Comic Con panel on Thursday, July 24, between 10:30 and 11:30 AM at the San Diego Convention Center. (Tom Ruegger, alas, must attend to sundry family matters.)

Stop by if you're in the neighborhood, with time on your hands, and a desire to mingle with Klingons.

San Diego Marathon Notes

As previously noted, my marathon finishing times continue ending in different hours.

2008 San Diego: 7:28

2005 Honolulu: 6:01

2007 Chicago: 5:48

2007 Phoenix: 4:21

2008 Eugene: 3:59

17,828 runners and walkers started the marathon and 16,372 finished.

Average finishing time was 5:01:08.

Many junior high and high school cheerleaders lined the course. While most groups remained upbeat even to the bitter end, a few were sullen as if present under threat of a beating. Trying cheering under duress and see what comes out. Inspiring to others? Not a 100 percent, I'm thinking.

Teammates agreed that the latter miles of the marathon were made unneccesarily grim by the terrain — concrete freeway underpasses and smelly tidal inlets. Interestingly, the same company (Elite Racing) that hosts San Diego puts on the Phoenix Marathon. There also the crucial final miles wended through a bleak industrial district that looked like the terrain you see in movies where zombies attack. I suggested that Elite Racing worked with a psychologist who designed the courses to mirror the inner make-up of runners. They've certainly got beyond 20 miles down cold.