We watched them unloading containers yesterday afternoon, before even realizing that it was the same cargo vessel (thanks Jim) that caused an environmental disaster when it bashed into the bay bridge pylons, near Yerba Buena Island last week, 8:30AM. More news here. Turns out it was newly loaded up and heading out to Asia. Well, it had to swing around back to the Oakland port and unload all the containers as well as stop up the hole, etc. Ugh.

I have a lot to write today. Took yesterday off, so I’m up to 3200 or so-odd 4,811!! One of the great things about doing Nanowrimo is the fact that 10,000 other people are at the roughly same point in their novel as you are. Sue Grafton wrote a letter to the bunch of us about what it means to be in chapter 2, and it was very uplifting. She recommends not posting it for all to see. Whoops!

OK the post idea of “waiting” is that I stood in line for about an hour to swap out my old iPhone. Waiting was OK, but it is what it is.

Here quoting the master, Jane Austen, in a rather complicated paragraph. Three parties meet by accident in the street. First, Wickham and the Bennett sisters. Then, Darcy and Bingley. Darcy and Wickham are sworn enemies. They know each other through the Bennett sisters. So much of this book seems to require a diagram like a Facebook app. Anyways, the brilliance, for me, is showing the enmity in this interchange, without knowing what’s behind it.

Bingley was the principal spokesman, and Miss Bennet the principal object. He was then, he said, on his way to Longbourn on purpose to inquire after her. Mr. Darcy corroborated it with a bow, and was beginning to determine not to fix his eyes on Elizabeth, when they were suddenly arrested by the sight of the stranger, and Elizabeth happening to see the countenance of both as they looked at each other, was all astonishment at the effect of the meeting. Both changed colour, one looked white, the other red. Mr. Wickham, after a few moments, touched his hat — a salutation which Mr. Darcy just deigned to return. What could be the meaning of it? — It was impossible to imagine; it was impossible not to long to know.

Whenever I think of this book I think of Elizabeth Bennett as the narrator, but in re-reading it this time around it really sounds like more of a limited omniscient narrator. So much of the perspective is Elizabeth’s, but it’s not written expressly from her point of view. Austen can get more background and social commentary in there than if it was strictly by Elizabeth’s view. Another key element, to me, is tracing the gazes between parties. Someone “arrested” one, another “astonishment,” “fixing eyes,” etc.

OK I’ll post my paragraph once I write it. Not that I’m one-upping Austen or comparing her to myself in any way, just that I’m inspired by her. It’s, derivative, that’s all.

“I’ll get them, you’ve gotten everything else.” Liz said, and leaned over the bar to get two drinks. She realized she had no idea what he liked, so she turned back to face Raul, asking, “Martini?” He nodded an affirmative.

“I’ll get two martinis, and…” She noticed that the guy she was leaning against to make this order in the thronged bar was no other than RC. She looked past him and saw Johnny, Brenda, and a few other familiar faces standing and chatting around their barstools. He smiled at her, then looked past her at Raul. His face froze on the smile and didn’t budge.

She turned to Raul, to introduce them, and Raul said, “Oh yeah, RC, how are you?”

“Fine.” RC said, and turned to Johnny, “Look who’s here, Johnny!?”

Raul tapped Liz on the shoulder. “I’m going to go get us a table.”

Liz agreed, and turned back to RC and Johnny. “Heya Johnny! Yeah, I’m with my friend, he just walked down to get us a table. Neat seeing you guys. By the way, I had a great time up in Sonoma, Johnny.”

Johnny smiled and said he was glad to have her.

“Melanie says Hi. I didn’t see her as I was heading out, or I would have invited her out.”

“Oh cool,” Johnny said, “Well, I’ll see you around. Good running into you!”

“Oh yeah, totally. See ya!” She got the drinks, and paid, and walked back to where Raul was standing, at a tall, small table.

“God, I feel like we should invite them over. I mean, what do you do when you see clients at a bar? Like, buy them some drinks or something?”

“Oh please do not invite them over. That guy, RC, we go way back, and not in a good way.”

Latest up to date version: Chapter 2, Beer & Chocolate