let there be fire

A new room has opened up. Throughout my 34 years in this house, the living room has been used for big gatherings, for my home classes, and for watching TV. But in a semi-detached house, the part in the middle without windows is the darkest. I've spent all my years here in the kitchen.

Today, planet living room was made possible by my Valor Madrona gas fire stove. It's not quite finished; the 'driftwood' logs have not arrived. But the rest was installed this morning, and now I think I will not sit anywhere else until April. Merry Christmas to me.

Another important event: I sent 33,000 tentative words of the next book to my favourite editor, Laura Cameron, who has a fierce and perceptive eye. Today I received her remarks. Invaluable - what works and what does not. The most important thing: the material is interesting. A ton of work to do to fix what's there let alone move ahead, but there's hope. 

On the other hand, I had another battle of words with Anna today. Bill Maher was back on HBO last night after two months off; he had the temerity to interview Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump's despised press secretaries. It was fascinating to listen to a true believer; she's not an idiot, as she appears, she's smart, and like a cult member, she seems to genuinely believe what she says. But to the woke left, giving her any kind of platform is unforgivable. 

Maher also talked about the woman who was shot during the insurrection, an Iraq vet with a failing small business and huge debts; she'd taken a loan and was paying 165% interest. He pointed out that the Democrats of California are not protecting people from predatory loan sharks. His point was that 74 million people voted for Trump; no matter how wrong they were, we should listen and try to figure out what they wanted and hoped for. Not the violent ones, but so many of the others - ordinary people who for various reasons swallowed the poison. 

But according to the woke left, they're all white supremacists and we should not grant them time. I accused my daughter of being in a bubble just as closed and judgemental as the Trump people's. Fighting words. I adore her and she me. Families disagree. I'm old and she's not. Long may she battle.

Okay, it's so hot in here, I tried to turn off the flames and the remote for the fireplace did not work properly. And so it begins.

Only four more sleeps until President Biden.