On Saturday Afternoon I visited a friend, Brian, and sat with him as he played on his Fender Precision Bass. We sat in his room in his house in West County, and he brought a plate of snacks. He ate mozzarella basil salad with chopsticks, munched on crackers and guacamole, and drank raspberry iced tea. Brian took out a hookah bowl and a tin of strawberry tobacco from a cabinet in his room and placed them on a table. He improvised with tin foil and lit coal. He opened a window which looked out into a garden under his deck. He turned on his powerbook g4 and opened garage band so that he could play along with drums and guitar from computer tracks. After a while, he took a break and put an album into his turntable. He played some older techno music and smoked for a while. While he was smoking, his cat, Milly, came in through the back window and sat with me on the bed, while he played. She eventually left and sunned, nearby. Afterwards, he went upstairs and made a s’more on the open range in his kitchen. He went downstairs and turned on music, listening to a few songs. Then he started playing again for a half an hour or so. Afterwards, he turned on his television and played video games for about 20 minutes, and then he played again for about ten minutes.

I asked Brian to do what he normally does on a Saturday afternoon, which for him is playing guitar, drums, or bass. I’m not sure if he realized that he naturally took breaks while playing. I included them here, because I think they are important to note.

For me, the process resembles how I feel when I am writing. I like to sit on my roof with a plate of snacks, too, and a cup of something. I generally drink tea or hot cocoa, sometimes juice or lemonade. I usually have a yogurt or a sandwich or fruit. I lay out a blanket and let my cat out the back door, and he sits with me. Sometimes he runs around the roof chasing moths or dragonflies; usually he sleeps near me. I sit for a while and write poems or fictions. Sometimes I use my VAIO while I’m laying out to write, especially for fiction. I like hand-writing work a lot, though. Often, I’ll take a break and read whatever trashy fiction I’m secretly enjoying at the moment. I don’t smoke. Sometimes I’ll go inside and cook, too. I take breaks sometimes. My wireless carries into the roof, so I’ll check email and facebook. Sometimes I chat on MSN or AIM, but when I’m writing I prefer to be somewhat distanced. I play music sometimes while I write.