Early returns

Only 10 and already good results this morning: I made an incredible beef stew, using some pointers from a French cooking show (like using much more red wine than I usually use); and I approved the new cut of The Farewell Wake, watching a DVD, and now I'm rendering files for uploading online.

The new cut is so much tighter, and as a result I like this film a lot now. No more side trips off the spine of the story. It's tight, layered, deliberate. Much more "together" than a single viewing may suggest. At any rate, I'm delighted with the new cut, 10 minutes shorter than last summer's director's cut.

I hope to start writing the novella today. The weather is looking good, I need to get out and do some yard work. If it's still nice at noon, I'll do just that.