Today I worked from home, and at lunch I drove to Governor's Island and walked there. It seems a shame to drive more than necessary, but it's a wonderful walk, and that way I don't run into that crazy neighbor who stalked me back home. There were some partiers in Three Foot Bay, but the really loud music was off the front of the island, and when I was able to get to a spot where I could see the water, the source was Midnight Splash, the big party boat in our neighborhood. People can rent Midnight Splash, and I believe it's a house boat so they could stay on it all weekend.
In the evening Travalon and I went to the Monona Terrace for our first (and probably only) Dane Dance this year. We had some soul food (catfish, hush puppies, cole slaw, cheesy hash browns, and street corn) for dinner and a cornbread muffin for dessert. The first band was a Latin band, but the leader spent entirely too much time talking for my taste. Travalon said the colors of my hat and shirt went well together, so I asked him to take a photo.
It was a gorgeous night. Here we both are enjoying it. Travalon took this selfie.
The second band was a Motown cover band. The sun set, and the sky was pink.
Here's the same scene after darkness fell.
Here are the lights of the Monona Terrace.
Sitting on a roof under the lights, listening to music, made me think of a novel I never finished, one where the characters lived in St. Louis and Kansas City. It was my adolescent fever dream of what life as a sophisticated adult would be like, but I still wouldn't know, since I have yet to become a sophisticated adult. However, I do get to listen to music under lights on a rooftop, and I do get to go to St. Louis and Kansas City. I also thought of the novel I did finish, because Kathbert was able to salvage a couple of files of my poetry that Rich had, and so I asked if she could work her magic on the files from the novel. (Each chapter is its own file, and I shuddered at how pretentious their names were.) I remembered this novel as being atrocious, but I read a chapter in the middle of it and had some trouble remembering who was who in the cast of thousands, but I found it hilarious. Then I read the first chapter and found some of the cringier stuff. It's quite dated in some ways. Kathbert said maybe I could salvage the good stuff and write a leaner, better novel. What I need is an editor who could help me do that. Is any of it worth saving? That chapter in the middle is, but it can't stand alone. Also, the pace was frenetic. Reading this novel always puts me in a weird headspace, so I haven't done it in years. The only other person who ever read it was Hardingfele, and she said it was so weird that she couldn't put it down. Is that a positive review?
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