The Boston bombing and Chechnyan boys. What a boon for the xenophobic conspiracy theorists. They can wrap up Russians, communism, Islam, foreigners all in one big bundle of anti-immigration, anti-Islam and anti-Obama-who-is-responsible-for-all-bad-things.

It feels like a tragedy of novelistic proportions at every level. The beloved Boston Marathon, happy celebrants and then bombs and death, and the young guy of Chechnyan origins who from all reports was completely Americanized which is, sadly, not the same as being non-violent. Was he bullied into this by his older brother who does seem to have been involved in some suspect activity? No excuse. But… As I write they have just taken him into custody. The details are still so murky. But I keep thinking he just really intended to be a student and lead a regular life. What the hell happens to people?

It remains a puzzle of bombs and hold-ups and shootings and carjacking and motives and family. It will be a hell of a film someday.

I could continue writing about Boston or switch to murdered Texas judges and chemical plant explosions or I could write about Senators and the gun bill. Or not.

Looks like a writer of great future fame and fortune to me.

Friday evening now. The day began with an early morning coffee chat at Java Joe’s with a writer friend who also teaches at North Fourth Art Center. We commiserated about the near-impossibility of just being writers…it seems a day job is always essential. Not that we don’t like our day jobs but I think we both could envision ourselves in book-lined offices gazing out over the intellectually-stimulating but emotionally soothing wilderness of a rural backyard–brilliant new story ideas infiltrate our brains and inspire our computer/notepads. Back to reality. My friend is early in his writing career while I am just hoping to be legitimately labeled a writer before I succumb to reading large-print Readers Digests at the nursing home.

Java Joe’s low-cal breakfast burrito.

Then my office. It was hard to work today. Went out for a luncheon Starbucks—an iced venti non-fat latte and then back to making flip charts outlining future work! Friday afternoons are excellent times to make lists of all the things you’ll accomplish the following week. It is almost as good as actually accomplishing them! Here are the people at the office who were actually working.

I was bored this afternoon. Which rarely happens to me I am happy to say. And which I cannot existentially afford since life is what I alone make it.

So then. Gym. Home. Messy apartment. Yogurt. CNN. Downton Abbey, last two episodes Season 2.