Fri. July 8, 2022: Creative Start to the Day

image courtesy of Yerson Retamal via pisabay.com

Friday, July 8, 2022

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Sunny and warm

Oops, I did it again. Wrote the first draft of another one act play before breakfast this morning. This one was inspired by an article I read in THE NEW YORKER last night. The title, at least at the moment, is “Inspired By.”

Got a letter from an editor that an anthology for which I’d made the short list of possibilities, telling me that it looks like it’s been scuppered, at least for the moment. Oh, well. At least she told us. And I had the chance to stretch in that direction. It’s worse for her than for me; I wrote one story. She read over a thousand entries.

Sent out an LOI to a company in Bennington, and got a lovely response. We will see if/how things moved forward, but that quick, professional acknowledgement went a long way. Started an LOI to another company, but, on digging into it, their budget can’t cover my rates, and I can’t downsize the scope of what they need to make it work. So I’ll skip that.

Meditation was good. That Thursday morning group has become a lovely anchor.

Willa wanted to go on the back balcony after lunch, so I took her out in her playpen. I worked on the multi-colored draft of the first large arc of The Big Project, and am mortified at how much sloppy language is in it. But that’s the point of edits/revisions. To make it better.

Did another editing pass on “The Little Woman” and sent it to the friend who is a Trusted Reader. She had excellent suggestions, which have helped me on a section I knew was shaky. Hopefully, this weekend, I can dig back in and get it done. There are a couple of script calls coming up where it might fit.

Started a script coverage, but was having trouble concentrating, so I put it aside and will finish today. I love this particular writer’s work and want to give it my full attention.

Ordered Chinese food in, because I was too tired to cook, and none of the leftovers appealed to me. Read THE NEW YORKER, which reprinted one of Shirley Jackson’s stories, the same week I’m reading her biography. Love when that happens.

I need to do a run to the library to drop off/pick up books, put gas in the car, and do some other errands, including getting some more of those Command hooks, so we can do some stuff around the house this weekend. We might actually start hanging a few things up. And, you know, finish that damn kitchen island cart.

Had weird dreams last night. Not bad, just weird.

We spent far too much time trying to figure out where to go for a quick, two day or so vacation in autumn, just for a change of scenery, that will also be COVID safe. Maybe rent a place with a kitchen, so we don’t have to worry about eating out. Sit on a deck somewhere pretty reading books. I mean, we do that at home, in our downtime, but sometimes it’s nice to do it Somewhere Else.

Back to the page. Have a good weekend, and I’ll catch you on the other side.

Tues. May 3, 2022: Windows Update Kerflamma

image courtesy of Joshua Woroniecki via pixabay.com

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Waxing Moon

Pluto Retrograde

Sorry this is late, but I lost half the workday due to a Windows Update that took nearly four hours. And it’s still not running well.

Not much to report from the weekend, I’m happy to say. It was pretty calm. Whoever had the number before it was given to my Mom did a lot of shopping via phone, because the shopping text messages are out of control. I’ve stopped them as they come in, and blocked about 3 dozen scam numbers. I also entered it into the National Do Not Call Registry.

Tracfone can’t call, so they are sending harassing emails. I’m keeping them, in case I need them for a case against them, but I am no longer responding.

On Friday, I got things sorted out with the new owners of the storage facility on Cape. Dropped off/picked up books. Gave my mom’s new number to the pharmacy. Did some grocery shopping, stopped at the liquor store.

Friday afternoon, I attended a virtual DG event on archiving one’s body of work. I knew most of it from library work, but it was good to add the legal aspects into it.

Turned around a script coverage.

There were a couple of parties around us on Friday night, as students finish their exams and get ready to leave. Nothing was particularly loud, and they need some fun, especially after the last few years. They’re still masking and the parties are small and outside (even if they go past 2 AM, so what)? And the college has made it clear that masks are required at graduation.

Saturday was mostly house-oriented stuff – switching the red winter curtains for the lace panels on the front windows, the door between Tessa’s room and the front porch, and the downstairs door. Swapping out the late winter into spring fabrics in the living room for what will take us through summer. I haven’t switched the couch cover yet from the fleece because it’s still in the 30’s at night. I’ll switch over to the yoga blankets as soon as it’s warm enough.

An elderly member of the extended family in Maine was in the hospital for something, and then in rehab, and caught COVID in rehab. He’s 4X vaxxed, but it’s still a concern.

The students are moving out of their housing all around us. That’s part of living near the college – lots of change, at the end of the semesters, and, especially, at the end of the year. I will especially miss a couple and their two husky puppies who lived two doors down.

Focused on contest entries Saturday and Sunday. The second category is complete and submitted; I just have to read the last few entries in the third and make a final decision on those by the end of the week.

Sunday, I grabbed a bunch of scripts for this week for coverage, and a writer whose script I covered recently came back with some questions.

I’ve had my share of raucous Beltanes, so it was nice to be quiet. Work on tarot, do some meditation, set some intentions.

Monday was drizzly, but it was warm enough Sunday night to leave the plants out. A weather person acquaintance warned me we’ll have another puff of cold toward the end of the week, but then we should be able to leave plants out and start setting up the back.

I’m already excited about the Farmer’s Market next weekend.

Paid a bunch of bills, headed off to the post office and mailed them. Stopped at the liquor store. I’m not a big fan of white wines (I much prefer red), but the Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc I bought on Friday was so good I went back and bought the last 4 bottles they had. It’s dry and crisp and just a little fruity, without being overwhelming. Submitted the next category of contest entries, and got back to work on the last category. Turned around a script coverage, and answered questions from a writer who wanted me to expand on some of the points in a previous coverage.

Can’t believe the Kentucky Derby post positions were pulled yesterday. That usually is a Big Deal Event on the Wednesday before the race, not the Monday.

If you haven’t read my post on Tools over on Ink-Dipped Advice, take a look.

I’ll put up a few more things over on Ko-Fi this week, too.

Up early this morning. Took the laundry to the laundromat and worked on The Big Project while I was there. Came back and lost the rest of the morning to the Windows Update.

So we’ll see how the afternoon shapes up. I have plenty to say about SCOTUS overturning Roe Vs. Wade, but this is not the post for it.

Have a good one!