Deadwood

I love watching Deadwood.  One of my all time favorite shows.  When it first came out, I would watch an episode a couple of times in order to understand what the world was going on and half the time, re-watching to try and understand the language.  There are wonderful characters, all really flawed.   Our dog Jewel is really named after one of them.  I sent the first years complete episode out to Jim and Mim in Jamestown North Dakota, they had not seen it yet.   I have the second season on DVD and am loving it.

What is upsetting is when someone with some clout pulls the series, in the middle.  Deadwood never made it past mid-season of year three.  Big mistake for HBO, I canceled my account.   Other good shows that have a glimmer of  some promise are also truncated for unknown reasons.  Ian McShane jumped over to Kings,  and it was canceled just when it was going well.  I saw Gravity this summer and it was pretty good, and just when you are getting into it, poof, it too is gone.  So I have now discovered TV on my lap-top.  ABC.Com, CBS,  Hulu and the like.   So I really don’t need a TV service anymore.  Kinda of liberating to say the least.

The problem I am confronted with is trying to write, without the background of the boob-tube.  Radio suffices at work, but I like hearing words spoken when I write.    The need to multi-task my senses while I concentrate is most likely my brain needing stimulation in one area so that the words will come out correctly.  Dyslexic adaptation.  I also like to knit while I have to listen to stuff in meetings. Just sitting still, I wander.  I can listen to classical music without fidgeting, and wandering is what your mind is supposed to do in that situation.  Sometimes I see colors when I listen to symphonies.   I can’t read and pay attention to what someone is saying at the same time.  My ears and eyes don’t work that way.  But if I am using my hands, then I can listen well.  Most folks around town have come to accept that about me and don’t give me too much flack about it.  Work too allows me to have the radio on while I work.

Now I am under deadline for a story to go into the January-February edition of Livin’ the Vermont Way.  I am writing about Emilie’s buddy Mike Dolan.   Story is due today, and given that it is 8 at night, I have a couple more hours to finish it up.   Putting myself under pressure also helps me to focus my thoughts.  I doubt my editor Kyle appreciates that last-minute, here you go, but so far he has been wonderfully patient.

Deadwood is running on the background and the house is quiet.  Time to proof this blog and finish off the piece on Mike.