Fri. July 10: Die for Tourist Dollars Day 52 – Dealing With The Inner Five Year Old

image by Mandyme via pixabay.com

Friday, July 10, 2020
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Saturn Retrograde
Jupiter Retrograde
Mercury Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Foggy and humid

It’s getting hot and humid, although nowhere as bad as it could be.

I got the garbage to the dump yesterday; timed well, not a lot of people, everyone masked. Then went to a grocery store that few tourists visit. Few people, plenty of room, everyone masked. Not hard to get in and out quickly.

Of course, in the tourist-centric areas, they’re acting like college students from the 1980’s on spring break.

You know what these reckless, selfish twatwaffles remind me of? Back in the 1980’s, when the AIDS epidemic was in full swing, some straight men used to pressure women for unprotected sex as proof you loved them enough to risk getting AIDS. It was a badge of –something, it sure wasn’t ‘honor’ —  to see how many women they could put at risk.

It didn’t work on me, but plenty of women I knew succumbed. Several got sick and died.

Because, as women, too often we are told we should be willing to “die for love.”

There are plenty of ways I’d do just about anything in a mutually committed, passionate relationship, but risking AIDS (or risking COVID) aren’t on that list. Not to mention if the guy actually LOVED the woman, he wouldn’t demand she should “prove” anything by putting her life in danger that way.

Toxic, all the way around.

Home. Full disinfectant protocols.

Then, my inner five year old took over and I didn’t wanna. It was triggered by something (someone) very specific and is an indicator of a lot more going on, none of which is appropriate to discuss publicly.

Eventually, I just sucked it up and got the work done. Because, ultimately, being a professional means showing up and doing the work, while holding boundaries and dealing with issues in a competent, cordial, professional way.

That didn’t stop me from enjoying cocktail hour when I was done!

I was too wiped out to do any coursework, which means I have a LOT of it to do today and this weekend.

I have the shape of the article that needs to go out next week done, and how I have to fill it out. And got out three LOIs.

I don’t work well in humidity, and there’s no air conditioning here, so I’m dragging a bit.

My mother isn’t feeling well, which is also worrying. Let’s hope with some rest and over-the-counter medications, she feels better.

I have to do some client work, including a stats report, this morning, get out some more LOIs, make a pharmacy run and a library run, and get my coursework done.

The past few days haven’t been good for fiction, and that has to readjust. But writing in longhand first thing in the morning, like I did yesterday and today, is helping get that back into focus.

I need to get some cards and letters written this weekend, too.

Anyone who remarks on “all the extra time” I must have during the pandemic is going to get a big ole smack right upside the head.

Absolutely loved Vivien Chien’s DEATH BY DUMPLING, and have started DIM SUM OF ALL FEARS.

Lilith St. Crow has been tweeting tales of her neighbors the past few days that make me laugh until I have tears running down my face (for all the right reasons).

Have a great weekend, friends.

Thurs. July 9, 2020: Die For Tourist Dollars Day 51 — Hope for a Happy, Productive Day

image courtesy of StockSnap via pixabay.com

Thursday, July 9, 2020
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Saturn Retrograde
Jupiter Retrograde
Mercury Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Foggy and humid

There’s a new post about the garden over on Gratitude and Growth. If you didn’t see the post on Ink-Dipped Advice yesterday, about red flags in job postings, check it out.

I haven’t been spending early mornings writing in my personal journal or getting my first 1K done in longhand – I’ve been headed to the computer for the past few days. It doesn’t serve me for the rest of the day, it doesn’t set the right tone, so I have to change back to longhand first thing, computer later on. It sets a more creative tone for the day.

Up early, got some work done, polished an ad for a client yesterday. Went onsite for a few hours. The first few hours are fine, because it’s just me, but then it got chaotic. And uncomfortable. But it is what it is.

Home, disinfectant protocols, and made it to Remote Chat, which is also fun. Did a couple of brainstorming sessions with a friend about possible pseudonyms for different expansions in her career. It’s always fun to serve as a sounding board like that; a nom de plume is so personal and has to work on multiple levels. When you hit the right one, you can feel it. It resonates in your body.

Cleared off some other work. Spent some time out on the deck. Willa and the bunny are fascinated by each other.

Finished Deanna Raybourn’s A MURDEROUS RELATION, which was a lot of fun. Started reading Vivien Chien’s DEATH BY DUMPLING, and I’m loving it.

A friend sent me a house listing for her neighborhood. It has everything I want in it, and the price is high for there, but lower than almost anything around here. It’s in the Midwest, and I hadn’t considered moving back there (my family lived in Chicago from when I was 1 until I was 6). Hmm. Lots to think about. I doubt I’ll have the money before it’s snapped up, but still, it’s something to think about.

One of the biggest issues that worries me there is noise. It’s in a medium-sized city. Because of my hyperaccussis, I’m thinking of moving farther away from, you know, PEOPLE. And repetitive machine noise.

It’s one of the reasons we moved to Cape Cod. I need quiet. No, “noise-cancelling” headphones don’t work. They make it worse. Anyway, in the past few years, it’s noisier in this neighborhood than it was living on the corner of 42nd St. & 8th Ave. in NYC, across from the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Saw a job listing for a freelancer. Decent monthly retainer. But if you “apply” you get 72 hours from the moment you hit send to complete an “assessment” which includes a project-specific writing sample. Nope. On top of that, they’re saying, “oh, we’re not expecting you to do unpaid work.” THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THIS SAMPLE IS. How much do you want to bet they don’t hire anyone, change the name of the company, and publish everything without paying the writers?

Next!

The Goddess Provisions box arrived yesterday, and it is delightful. The copy of WHO COOKED ADAM SMITH’S DINNER? About inequity in economics, arrived, too. I’d read a copy from the library, realized I needed it for future reference on many projects, and bought a copy.

People are so happy with the cards we sent out. I’m glad. I’ve heard from several friends, and a friend of my mom’s called her and burst into tears because she was so happy to get the card.

Pandemic stress is getting to people. If a card can give them some pleasure and relief, I can take a few minutes to write cards. I’m going to do another batch this weekend.

This morning, I have to take the household garbage to the dump, do some client work on an online store, and get a rough draft of my new article assignment done. Plus, finish fixing THE BARD’S LAMENT and finally move on to the next section, and catch up on my Miracle of Human Languages coursework for the week.

Busy day, but I hope a relatively calm, happy, and productive one. With time put aside to sneak off a read a few chapters of the Vivien Chien book.

Have a great Thursday!