Divine Intervention Trumps Verizon?

[dr_pretentious]

I finished the faerie jailbreak story last night, largely because Verizon's DSL is kaput all over my neighborhood. So many people have crowded into the cafes that offer free wi-fi that the only way I could post my latest Black Gate blog post was by parking at the outermost edge of AT&T wi-fi range of Starbucks at 1:30am. Not only was there no available seat inside--the parking lot was so full of orphaned internet users that it looked like a drive-in movie theater with personal screens inside the cars.

I have no idea what caused Verizon's little problem--they haven't had any useful answers about why, when, or whether, and to heck with them, we're switching providers now--but I'm grateful for it. Dionysus (or, as Gareth calls him, Mommy's storytelling god) stepped into my head and informed me that last night was the night to Finish The Story. I had thought I had another two weeks of chipping away at it ahead of me, but bang, bang, bang, I got straight to the end.

There are lots of commitments I haven't been able to make progress on, and if you're one of the people I need to write something to or for that requires a more versatile internet tool than a smartphone, sorry, it might be a bit longer. For once, though, I got to keep a commitment to myself.

My younger kid has befriended the sons of a very conservative Christian family, so I've been on a lot of playdates lately alongside a kind, thoughtful mom who is culturally completely different from me. About half of her communications with her children include at least a reference to, if not a quote from, Bible verses. The only speck of the Bible I've been able to call to mind all month is from the Song of Songs: They made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. I'm sure my storytelling god is amused. Well, we'll see how the story ages in its little paper cask.

Comments

[violet-moon25.livejournal.com]

Yay! I was looking forward to seeing how that story turned out. Would your storytelling god like some fresh grapes as an offering? I know very little about picking a good wine so it seems a safer bet.

The playdates sound like an interesting exercise in diversity.

[onyxtwilight.livejournal.com]

If your only goal for a wine is to be an acceptable offering to Dionysus, there is actually a wine that's named for Him: Sangre de Toro. Not the best red I've ever had, but certainly quite drinkable if you like reds (not as tannic as a merlot, not terribly sweet). About ten bucks. And it comes with a little plastic bull attached to the bottle. :-)

That said, He's not likely to be terribly picky. I mean, try to do better than Mogen David, but any reasonable wine that isn't utterly disgusting is likely to find favor.

Or, y'know, grapes work just fine. But fear not the wine. :-)

[showingup.livejournal.com]

I would love to know more about Dionysus as storytelling god. How's that work for you?

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

He likes the stuff the Dionysia was about. He seems especially to like stories that combine comedy and tragedy. I've had my anxieties about him, because of the long-ago alcoholic ancestors, but he mostly wants stories and the occasional token of my consideration. Drunkenness not required, or at least he doesn't seem to require it of me. Anybody can get wasted, but not everybody can tell a dramatic story that combines pity and terror and a bright thread of laughter. Shortly before I left academia, back in 2003, he told me that if I wrote every day, he'd change my life. And he did. I couldn't keep up the every day part once the kids were born, but that seems to be all right.

[showingup.livejournal.com]

There are all kinds of intoxication :) I seem to recall something about a bottle of red and no hangover in my past, so I know he's kindly when you make the effort.

So, essentially, you offer him your writing practice as a devotional act?

[violet-moon25.livejournal.com]

Check your email for comments about the story. It was a very good read. Also, what is the Rugosa coven up to these days?