roll over, roll over (updated)

(From one of the songs my granny used to sing, because I'm still in bed.)

So, it's gray and overcast and Mr. Rowe's out riding 600 miles in a loop of the county we live in with one to more other people. I got up an hour ago to turn on the VCR to tape today's Tour coverage, but am going to forego watching it till he gets back. Because if something exciting happens, I'll be moved to spoil it when he comes back, mostly likely because he would _ask_ if anything really exciting had happened. Yesterday was all gray weather and rain in Belgium, though still there were many, many fans doing odd things in the towns and on the sides of the roads -- like a giant display in a field with bicycles and mocked up team jerseys in a tableau and a huge model of the Titanic (or what we think was the Titanic), though we never really understood what it was doing there -- and there were lots of little crashes, one outstanding bicyclist who I'm guessing we'll find out today is overextended and leaving the tour and Mario the Outrageous getting dropped but fighting back and managing to finish the day in a placement in the 30s.

We also went to see Spidey 2 yesterday, which was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon and I liked it better than the first one. Lots of nice little moments that seemed to throw the pacing a little, but were nice, little moments nonetheless. Does anyone else think that Kirsten Dunst always looks oh, let's say, just the tiniest bit... STONED OUT OF HER MIND? She has that lazy blissed out look -- even when she's been captured by a supervillain. I don't know. Maybe it's just me. (Also: J.K. Simmons looks just like Al Trautwig!)

Anyway, in the interest of getting a few things done today, something which has yet to occur this weekend, and now the long slippery slope of the Last Day of the Three Day Weekend begins so something must. be. done..., I'm going to put my to-do list up here. Because Christopher's not here and maybe this will shame me into doing some of it. So, a somewhat complete list of the things I'd like to get done today.

1. Get up and turn on VRC to tape Tour. (This is included only because I've already done it.)
2. Try and answer at least a few of the mountain of excellent emails I need to answer.
3. Send Barb Gilly this story from the NYT about Giant Robot. (Done!)
4. Put a link up here to Karen Joy Fowler's review of Louise Erdrich's Four Souls. (Done! First spotted at Tingle Alley.)
5. Have breakfast and some strong tea.
6. Tell you how excellent Candlewick Press's forthcoming spooky young adult anthology GOTHIC! is. (Done! Well, sorta. More on this to come. I'm still finishing it. Favorites so far are: Janni Lee Simner's and Caitlin Kiernan's stories.)
7. Bathe.
8. Watch Tour coverage from today. (Two to two and a half hours.)
9. Take all books that must go to library back. Take computer and revise at least two chapters.
10. Have late lunch at library and check out more books I don't have time to read.
11. Get coffee.
12. Either ride bike for a longish ride or go to gym.

I could add here cleaning the house or any number of things I've forgotten but let's be realistic. Let's stop here. Now, a good look at this list will show you that I've cheated by putting easy things on this list, things that will be done no matter what, so that I'll be able to mark stuff off it, while the important stuff -- revising the chapters and going to the gym -- are unassumingly buried. Those are the items for which I deserve mockery if I do not complete them! (Well, the revision anyway.)

What are you doing with your day?

UPDATED: Well, apparently posting must-do tasks here helps. I did watch the tour, but I worked on the book revisions while I was watching and both chapters for the day are done, though I'm going to go ahead and get started on a third. Also, managed to exchange about fifteen real-time emails about the Tour with Justine while doing so. (Multi-tasking is so much more fun when you're on the couch.)

There were lots of nail-biting crashes today, and I'm sure several teams will be affected by them. But: Aussie Robbie McEwan won today's stage, so all is well. (The Aussies have been having a terrible time so far, so even if he is a jerk, very cool.) Tomorrow comes France and cobblestones -- yes, cobblestones. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather and no crashes.

worm "Wig in a Box," The Polyphonic Spree

namecheck Al "Must Be Destroyed" Trautwig