I hope I can get back into writing this weekend, now that I'm getting some of my focus back. I've been stressing out about some things at work lately, and it seems I'm starting to get a handle on most of it, thank goodness. Plus, I'm feeling all "girl power" today after watching a fantastic episode of The West Wing 
Wing ("The Women of Qumar") while working out on the treadmill this morning. I really think the show was at its best during its second and third seasons. The writing was nothing short of stellar, and I totally want to be CJ Cregg when I grow up, with a healthy dollop of Amy Gardner thrown in. Maybe I can channel some of that into my ongoing "Mission: Simplify" when I get home tonight, and clean out some more of those old boxes cluttering up my closets and attic space. (Ha! How funny. "I'm feeling all empowered with female energy--I must use it to clean!" Doh!) I really feel like reducing and tidying up will help my zen.
I also need to get back to writing my comic. Poor neglected little comic. It's been waiting so patiently while I try to figure out how to get my act together. If I could channel even a smidgen of Aaron Sorkin's genius into my own written word, I'd be in good shape. I know it sounds weird, but I consider watching The West Wing and just about anything Joss Whedon writes for television as kind of homework when it comes to improving my own comic writing. To write well for TV or for comics, it takes more than just a few clever phrases strung together. You need to write visually, or it doesn't work. Sorkin and Whedon do such a great job translating what is written to what should be shown on screen that I can't help but hit the rewind button sometimes and go over what I just saw. The speech President Bartlet gives in "Two Cathedrals" (probably my favorite episode to date) makes me want to clap and cry at the same time, but all of the subtleties that are shown at the end of the episode without Bartlet even having to open his mouth (e.g. the hands in his pockets, the lighting from outside the window--not natural lighting, but lightning, the look on CJ's face when Bartlet points to the center of the
room instead of the guy he was supposed to call on, the little smile Leo gives as he says "watch this", etc. etc. etc.), that's just art. In a completely unrelated genre, Whedon can do the same thing in just about any episode of Firefly. Some of his frames even look like they came out of a comic book. (Inara and Shepherd in the pilot episode, for example.) I know it's probably the fangirl in me gushing, but if you ever feel the need to geek out and really pick apart the scripts for either show, I can almost guarantee you'll learn something new.
Anyway, speaking of Firefly and comic books, did you know that there will be another Firefly comic book coming out next month? It's called Serenity: Better Days. I can't say I'm terribly crazy about the cover (Mal looks pretty doofy, to be honest) , but you know if it's written by Joss, I'm going to pick it up!
(Dinner with the 'rents, UFC Fight Night with my sweetie, brothers, and friends.) This means that I have to pack in my fun time when I can. What's the plan for tonight? Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2, of course! I may suck at it, but it's a whole lot of fun to play. The problem is, I can't get that Britney Spears song out of my head, and every time I sing it to myself I want to tap my foot on an invisible dance pad. Considering where I work, that may be seen as a sign of my impending mental collapse. Don't get me wrong, my sanity's doom is probably inevitable, but I don't need to let anyone in on it. 
-r
t
