Tonight if anyone shows up to Playwright's Lab, the THIRD DRAFT of Count of Three will be read aloud for the first time. It's up to 17 pages (don't know where the 18-page draft of it went but no loss, this one is really good) and I've filled two of the primary roles, out of four. Anyone want to come read at Forbes tonight at 6:30?

Has anyone ever referred to the country of Israel as a “gated community”? If not, I call it.

I ordered some Sea Monkeys a few weeks ago but instead they sent me sea urchins. No shiny golden crowns… these wear tattered brown jackets and too-small shoes. My tank's all grimy with soot and they're endlessly hitting up my betas for extra change, or gruel.

“Please, sir, may I have some more?” they whine, plaintive.

Mel·an·cho·li·ac (yes, it's a noun, but I want to change its job description) sea urchins. Urchin infestation; the fishtank as ghetto. It's a total drag. I'm never ordering Sea Monkeys again.

Sheesh, people… so I post one thing that shows I have serious thoughts in my head (“Infinite Jest-ing”), and nobody's commented since. So you can go ahead and comment on this one by congratulating me on MY 200TH POST! Woo hoo!

Of course I'm going to write about Paris Hilton. I mean, duh. I'll be keeping her Jail Journal for her.

45 days in County, starting June 5.

So, what are you going to do this Summer Vacation?

My alma mater times two celebrates its 150th birthday today. That's a lot of cake!!!

Perhaps. I'm just not sure whether it'd be a comedy or a tragedy.

I've contacted the four major players for next week's read of Count of Three, which is good because I will be busy through Monday night and it needed to get done. Waiting to hear from two of the four, but the other two have agreed and they have the second-draft scripts now. I've printed my .pdf files of CoT and Lindsay Lohan's Birkin, wherein I've found 10 words to cut and feel certain I'll add to CoT before the reading.

but at the end of CoT, Anna does NOT understand what's put her there; she has no redemptive moment. That's the only way that the ending will resonate with the audience.

guess I have a little more writing to do before Lab next week.

… if I were a sitcom I'd be well syndicated by now. And speaking of things entertainment, I heard from the first person among four who received Count of Three to read. Anne had the same comments that Monstro did (and was so quick to read what I e-mailed her, she'd already read draft one when I sent her draft two the following morning). Her comments on the first draft were the same as Monstro's: I need to write more and there need to be more soldiers. I've already taken care of the soldiers and added an additional page of dialogue, but Anne thinks “there's a lot more darker depths and crazy shit to plumb.”

That might not be a direct quote. The second draft has my page count up from 15 to 18. Three people have draft two in hand but I haven't yet heard any comments from them. Went to a new play last night and talked one of the readers into taking a role when “CoT” is read at the Mytown Playwright's Lab next week.

I know there needs to be more but my high-school friend's dad died after battling all sorts of cancer; Baby and I will be providing babysitting to said friend's toddler girl, also known as my baby's fiancee — you got to lock in that stuff early.