my ambitious plans for today didn't amount to much. i spent the morning lounging in pajamas, finishing divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood. i'm glad i've read it but i found myself skimming because, while parts made me laugh (and weep, like a good little woman), i was also often put off by how overwritten and overwrought it was. friends appeared, diverting me from my fruitless stabs at starting the screenplay or, in irritation, at the computer. we discussed love and waxing. one of my friends recounted how she'd just been waxed in a very sensitive region by an afghani woman who got her degree there in engineering but had to leave when the war broke out in '84. aside from shudders of sympathy pain, this prompted me to think smilingly about ben who told me he didn't care if i shave my legs. reminder perhaps that if you can't even take security in your country for granted, you certainly can't a person.

after they left, liz called, deciding she'll come visit tomorrow, and then my grandfather. he and i had a spirited talk about recent supreme court rulings and the 1st amendment. i love agreeing with my grandfather -- he's such a staunchly intelligent man, i find it comforting when our opinions align.
now, much calmer, i have a decent start, about ten pages. thanks to everyone who commented here or offered off-screen ideas (including "isn't that a little close to home?") the consensus seems to be that dotty doesn't quite work as her name, so i'm willing to swallow my affection for it and try something else. morgan maybe?
further details: morgan's mom is a republican congresswoman from ohio. no i don't like "morgan dwight." hmm.