Jenny in the Park

See Serena in park. Jenny adores Serena and pulls me toward her. Would like to think that Jenny is attracted to Serena's presence and Way, but cynical side reminds me that it is the liver treats that Serena keeps in her pocket that Jenny is excited about. Serena uncharacteristically bellows Fritz! in frighening tones, well aren't you about done yet with your book? Tell her yes, pretty much. Good, she says, why don't you send it to My Friend. Do not like to say that as haven't shown book to anyone, it may be a bit premature to show book to My Friend. But my friend turns out to be an agent who the other day said that what she really wanted was a mystery with decent prose and, Serena says, I feel certain that your mystery is well written if nothing else. Feel terrified and I am under no such illusion of having written anything decent at all, but have lost the use of my mouth so merely nod and try not to throw up. Jenny romps with Serena's great dane--both of them a bit slow moving and romp more like slow motion modern dance for dogs, and conversation turns to canine behavior--always amusing and frequently odd. Tell Dave about My Friend. Dave is very enthusiastic, and says that soon we will be able to quit our jobs, which follows my line of thinking exactly, but which know is unrealistic to the extreme. Tell The Contessa. She says That is great but--hmm. Ask her what Hmm means. She says, well you ought to get somebody to proofread it (have painful memory of first draft of book I showed her.) Ask, Who? It is too much to ask somebody to proofread a whole book. The Contessa says she will read it herself. She may not be good with budgets and what not (this point made very strongly later when we both try vociferously, and with strong opinions, but ultimately unsuccessfully to explain the contents of an excel spreadsheet to each other,) but she knows the rules of grammar and has a good eye.