There�s fungus among us.

One of the inspirations Janice sometimes gives us in writing group is a first line which we use as a jumping off point for a 20-minute exercise. I am forever coming up with great first lines when I drive the car, walk to the university, sauter broccoli and garlic, and hang clothing on the line (though there�s been none of that lately; the river is running very high from all the recent rain). The problem is that I never remember these lines, so when I sit down to write, I have nowhere to start.

I feel that this is a problem with my diary entries as well. I want a hook, something that will pull a reader in, make him want to stay and continue reading to find out if my computer is still fritzing on startup (it is), if there is fungus growing in my basement (I certainly hope not!) or if I have changed my laundry detergent (I haven�t).

Actually, I�m finding it rather difficult to concentrate at the moment. Hubby is in the livingroom playing (and singing) St. L0uis Blues on his archtop, the L0uis Armstr0ng version that he transcribed from the recording with Bessie Smith (I think--I might be wrong), and he plays on his guitar all the fancy trumpet solo work that Satchm0 does. We performed this one on our blues concert last fall. God, that was fun!

Speaking of which, there is a plan in the works to do another. Most of the musicians are on line (we�re not sure about the bass player, but I�m sure we can find a substitute if need be) and there are a whole bunch of new tunes I�m anxious to learn, especially some beauts by T-B0ne WaIker.

I�ve figured out how I�m going to break the news to Vlad that I won�t be singing in the UpIands ensemble after this concert. I will tell her that she really needs someone who blends well and is not a soloist, and since I really am a soloist and have to �put my light under a barrel�, so to speak, in order to ensemble with the rest of the singers (all amateurs), she would be better off finding someone who doesn�t have to work so hard at it. That way I don�t have to tell her the truth, which is that she treats me rather shoddily and doesn�t give me any plum parts, even though I really am the best singer in the group. That makes me sound so callous and conceited, I know. Oh well. I feel especially bad because after our concerts people always come up to me and tell me how much they enjoy my singing, what a beautiful voice I have, and so on and so forth. But if I am no longer enjoying myself, there is no point in continuing, is there, especially as this is a volunteer thing I do?

I could really use some sunshine. Couldn�t you?

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P.S. What�s with my apostrophes and quotation marks going ballistic? Do I have to go back to using ditto marks?

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