Yesterday I sent query letters to seven writers' representatives. I mentioned my past, present, and future projects for page and stage and screen. We'll see if anyone's brave enough to take me on.

The more I think about it, the more I like Finnegans Wake. With all three books I've tackled this year, I've trusted that the author is taking me somewhere, even if it seems like it'll never pay off. This worked better with Infinite Jest than Gravity's Rainbow, but my belief that Joyce is the master will staunch my doubt pretty effectively, especially this early in the game.

It makes me sad that more people don't give the Wake a whirl; it's funny and if you disassociate from reality from page one it's really not too terribly difficult. For now, I'm reading each page twice — once in the book (my paperback) and once online, with a Finnegans Wake online index.

I will keep you posted on this and other endeavors. I am having my hair cut today and intend to walk out of there lookin' like the most glamourous heterosexual mom in my town. Woo hoo!

I just finished the first 29 pages of Finnegans Wake and so far, I really like it. It's a dream, so I'm not getting bunged up if I don't get something, or if I miss the thread for a paragraph (or even a page). But the wordplay is so inspired and laugh-out-loud funny that I think this novel will be worth the trip.

I have found the best definition ever: Pithy: consisting of or abounding in pith

I received a rejection e-mail from The Cafe Irreal, who in no uncertain terms thanked me for thinking of them, but no thanks. The weird thing is, it was sent at 2:21 this morning. Pretty irreal, huh? Those wankers. 😉

I've determined to read Finnegans Wake like it's a poetic rebus. Otherwise it will drive me crazy. Perhaps either way it will drive me crazy. We'll see!

I'm going to be away for weeks not long from now. Should I call up a guest blogger (or two), or let the site lie fallow? Comments appreciated.

I've deduced that if I read five and one quarter pages of Finnegans Wake every night I can get through it in four months. Who's with me?

Also, thinking ahead to next year: which should I pick, the Russians or Proust?

I read Dr. Zhivago a decade ago and didn't understand the ending, but there's a lot of good, and Anna K. could be especially interesting. Then again, Proust is so… Proustian, and maybe I could pick up a little more French along the way.

I want Finnegans Wake in hardcover — if you search the amazon.com wish lists for Motormouth, you'll find me. I figure I've kept my online journalings ad-free for thirteen years, the least you could do is buy me a book, dontcha think?

so it's 7:30 and I've just put the baby to bed and am watching “Scrubs” on Comedy Central when I hear this really faint honk-honk-honk-honk-honk. I press the mute button and it goes away, so I un-mute and then another minute later I hear it again: honk-honk-honk-honk-honk. This time, when I press the mute button, I still hear it, so I scratch my head for a moment and then go into the nursery, where I'd left my car keys on the changing table, and the baby'd gotten ahold of them and pressed the “lock” and “unlock” buttons at the same time, resulting in the activation of my anti-theft device. honk-honk-honk-honk-honk, indeed.

If she keeps this up, the only role she'll get again will be Madame Psychosis in a filmed version of Infinite Jest. But she'd NAIL it, baby.

Lindsay Lohan was just arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after blowing a .12 percent breathalyzer. The cops found a substance purported to be cocaine in her pants pocket. God bless 'ya, Lindsay, for your ever-lovin' tenacity.