The rains came

The rains came and still haven't left. The Boston area is one soggy mass of wet squishy shoes, overflowing rivers and streams, sodden gardens, and a cat who looks out the kitchen window with absolute amazement. It's depressing when it just never stops raining. We went out Saturday with a full day planned. I was perpetually wet in spite of umbrella and rain coat. Started wishing for one of the ugly-as-sin rain bonnets my mom used to wear. She was of the generation when about the worst thing that could happen was that one's hair got wet. The set melted and the perm frizzed. I don't know, but wet hair created a major grooming crisis.
She wouldn't have liked Saturday.

The rain didn't keep the writers and fans from Kate's Mystery Books on Mass Ave in Cambridge where conversation was brisk and no one seemed to mind the weather. Well, mystery writers are odd ducks, to be sure.

Yesterday, I did not stick my nose out of doors. No exercise, no groceries. A nice leisurely read of the New York Times and the Globe which can take all day. Watched the Jericho series on PBS at nine. Not bad. We watched Capote on cable Saturday night. Good movie. Lots of smoking and drinking. The fifties must have been a lot of fun, except for wearing high heels all the time and dresses (the women, natch).

I managed to avoid writing all day yesterday. Rain was too demoralizing. My next scene is a top secret meeting at Chuckee Cheese's in Natick. This is probably the only crime novel anywhere that has a big scene at Chuckee Cheese's. We went there last summer and took a gazillion photos with a small guest who enjoyed herself. I remembered skee ball from my youth. My parents and I used to play at Elitches Gardens in Denver, lo, many years ago.

The first photo shows our booth and in the next booth is a woman of size exhibiting a large white bra strap. Will that go into the book? What do you think? Love these grubby little details. Another photo is of a half cheese/half pepperoni pizza.

Speaking of pizza, two weeks ago I attended an event where lunch was pizza. The evening before I had over-indulged in raw vegetables and had a belly ache. Guess which pizza I inadvertendly took? Ham, bacon and sausage! Grease to the max. I never even knew there was such a topping. My stomach survived. No permanent damage. Zowee. Bet they don't serve that in Hollywood. Lettuce pizza with non-fat cheese is more like it.

Article in NY Times today about the food wars. You read it here first.

Bon appetit!

Grapeshot