Up. Early, 653a. Still reflecting upon that beer, last night. My further intensified obsession with simplicity. Minimization. Blog [or log], and book. 1 hand-scribed journal. That’s it. Tonight, progress on book. Haven’t contributed in a while. Longer than I’d like. NOTE: going after old blog entries, mikeslognoblog and bx. Discovery, fruition, profitability. Jack’s counting on me.
1:17pm. No class tonight. So, grading, lesson planning, writing. Have to stay ahead of students, that’s how I’ll have a prosperous quarter. I mean semester. Must have Stanford on brain. Was in a cynicism mist, early, this Valentine’s Day. What pulled me from, Jack. Of course. This little character, to be 1 on morrow’s turn, has an odd power that shifts my shape with only seconds of interaction, minimal contact. Need as much of him in day’s intervals as allowable.
Gorgeous outside. Low 70’s, I want to say. Going to coffee shop on 12 & Mission. What do I want done? 1 target [in this new hyper-obsession with simplicity]: BOOK. That’s all. Analyzing my character Kelly, my Self, whomever’s around me sitting. And focusing on older entries. I’m starting to see them as THE key to getting on Road. Jack, asleep upstairs. Me, down here, with only this monster, its cranky keys. Looking at beginning entries, where I link Literature, Writing, with wine. The energy on those screens reminds me of how I am now with winemaking, with a carnivorous passion jog in my efforts, small or grandiose.
Speaking of winemaking, I need a new wine for tonight. What, what… May actually buy one at store when picking up groceries for this V-Day dinner. What varietal? Cabernet? No, tired of the Bordeaux bull. Surely not Zin. Pinot, maybe. I do love that Moshin Sonoma Coat bottle. Think the last I had was an ’09. Still thinking about the man from yesterday, from Montana, who made blends from fermented berries and cherries. Another just sprung to memory tarmac: the lady from Florida, writing down everything about each wine I poured, reading aloud her descriptors, several times with each wine vocally noting “the bouquet.” And I thought just now about my winemaking aims, how what I want to do with making wine will influence my “career” moves in “the industry.” I want to make wine on my won [yes, I intentionally wrote “won” instead of “own” …] terms, for mySelf, and a potential future label. I don’t aspire to be on a winery’s winemaking staff, in lab or cellar. Not yet. Unless I knew the offer would truly do something significant for me, for MY wine. Think I may stay with social media, blogging, sales, some VIP tours, the like, for now.. all while saving for my future crushings. I can’t afford a pay cut, that’s for sure. And, I want to make wine how I want to make it, translate varietals how I want them to be seen, tasted. How I think they–the varietals, their parental terroir–want to be portrayed. And since I have a Merlot in barrel, in the winery’s cave, I should probably pull a Merlot from Oliver’s shelf. Decided. But what vintage? Want to see how they age, so maybe an ’08, or a REASONABLY priced 2007. No more than $35. OR 30.
Older entries, “reviewing” wines I was that night or a night recent sipping, giving me story ideas. Magazine ideas. How does a wine get formally “reviewed?” Can you be formal in reviewing wine? Something else with which to toy this evening– or on 12 & Mission, in BOOK. Needing coffee right now, actually. Had a couple cups at Omelette Express with Jack and Alice, with my eggs, “country potatoes” [or whatever the owner calls them], two bacon strips. Which is different for me, outside regular character, as I usually have Diet Coke. But that’s a beverage I’m looking to remove from my Now. Why? Simply, I’ve found it to be poisonous. Jack needs me HERE, and I can assure so not just through career efforts, but ones nutritional especially. Need to do some blog maintenance before working on book, in this sitting, on couch here in living room, as both J and A upstairs slumber. I need to keep adding to my catalogue. In the “All List,” I’ve recorded 15 standalone’s. Wonderful, but I need SALES. Much as I’d like to Self-pub a 100+ page ms, I simply haven’t the funds. SO, my brand, MIKE MADIGAN: one of 50 to 60-pagers. Releasing one every month. Want this to be steady stream. Thoroughly Picasso-like, completely Cubist in habit, shape. ~2/14/13, Thursday