updates
- I'm on day four of painkiller detox, and so far it is going surprisingly well. No withdrawal symptoms yet, I guess since I tapered off this time.
The headaches still get bad, but not nearly as the feedback migraine I got with the last pill I took on Thursday night. And I've discovered that they seem to get really bad when I spend time near the cat litter or, like, in my in-laws house where they have three cats. Once I get distance and fresh air, the pain isn't so great.
- I've been getting response trickling in from all the spring/summer submissions - down to 59 out of 80. Lots of form rejections, which blow, but I did get an amused "you-go-girl" type note to one of my essays and a "we're going to hold onto this for the next round of consideration" for one of my poems. Had something like that a few months ago that ultimately got rejected, but really that's far better than an out-right no, don't you think?
After all those ugly, un-commented on form letters, it's nice to know I rate a second look.
But about those form letters - do you wanna know what really bugs me about those? Not that they don't comment - I get that. It's that they don't even put the stamp of their magazine on the SASE. They just come back with the return address blank, with my little stamp and self-applied address label in the center. It's like saying, "you're so unimportant, we won't even waste the little flick of the wrist involved in putting a rubber stamp to this envelope."
Well, phhhhthht.
- The Kinglet started preschool last week. He has already "shocked" his teachers (that's their word) with his ability to read. However, they have also quickly discovered how stubborn and uncooperative he can be. He does not want to follow instructions or do anything other than play, and he argues with them when they don't comply with his demands.
On the bright side, they don't seem particularly worried about it. They must see this (and all other kinds) of behavioral stuff, especially in the beginning. And I'm not overly worried, either, because his father and I have seen a vast improvement in his behavior at home. We've been working with him on all fronts and I know now that he can and will learn. It just takes patience, consistency, and reinforcement.
- I'm settling into a coffee shop routine while the boy is in school. It's grand - an opportunity to get some work done without a little person distracting me, and in my favorite type of setting. Have to say today wasn't so great, what with the gaggle of sorority girl/baristas laughing and gossiping loudly a few tables over. Very hard to concentrate. But, hell. If I can write with the Kinglet at my elbow, I can write with those silly bitches cackling across the room.
Got 600 words today. Not ideal (they weren't even good ones), but it's filling in those troublesome little gaps.
- I finally got the motivation to go out and start doing yard work yesterday: I need to dig up all the ivy and periwinkle roots in the middle part of our retaining wall-garden so I can use it for vegetables in the spring. It's kind of a timely issue, if I hope to do garlic this year... but I spent about half-an-hour digging and ended up with nasty blisters on my finger and palm. The one on my palm looks like stigmata, and hurts like hell when I try to lean on my cane. Bah.
- I really need to catch up on reading your entries. I miss you. Just... I'm so greedy with where I distribute my attention these days. Got so much work to do!
- I have to cook dinner soon. Don't know if the chicken has thawed yet, so it's going to be a total surprise.
- Yeah, I'm running out of updates.
The headaches still get bad, but not nearly as the feedback migraine I got with the last pill I took on Thursday night. And I've discovered that they seem to get really bad when I spend time near the cat litter or, like, in my in-laws house where they have three cats. Once I get distance and fresh air, the pain isn't so great.
- I've been getting response trickling in from all the spring/summer submissions - down to 59 out of 80. Lots of form rejections, which blow, but I did get an amused "you-go-girl" type note to one of my essays and a "we're going to hold onto this for the next round of consideration" for one of my poems. Had something like that a few months ago that ultimately got rejected, but really that's far better than an out-right no, don't you think?
After all those ugly, un-commented on form letters, it's nice to know I rate a second look.
But about those form letters - do you wanna know what really bugs me about those? Not that they don't comment - I get that. It's that they don't even put the stamp of their magazine on the SASE. They just come back with the return address blank, with my little stamp and self-applied address label in the center. It's like saying, "you're so unimportant, we won't even waste the little flick of the wrist involved in putting a rubber stamp to this envelope."
Well, phhhhthht.
- The Kinglet started preschool last week. He has already "shocked" his teachers (that's their word) with his ability to read. However, they have also quickly discovered how stubborn and uncooperative he can be. He does not want to follow instructions or do anything other than play, and he argues with them when they don't comply with his demands.
On the bright side, they don't seem particularly worried about it. They must see this (and all other kinds) of behavioral stuff, especially in the beginning. And I'm not overly worried, either, because his father and I have seen a vast improvement in his behavior at home. We've been working with him on all fronts and I know now that he can and will learn. It just takes patience, consistency, and reinforcement.
- I'm settling into a coffee shop routine while the boy is in school. It's grand - an opportunity to get some work done without a little person distracting me, and in my favorite type of setting. Have to say today wasn't so great, what with the gaggle of sorority girl/baristas laughing and gossiping loudly a few tables over. Very hard to concentrate. But, hell. If I can write with the Kinglet at my elbow, I can write with those silly bitches cackling across the room.
Got 600 words today. Not ideal (they weren't even good ones), but it's filling in those troublesome little gaps.
- I finally got the motivation to go out and start doing yard work yesterday: I need to dig up all the ivy and periwinkle roots in the middle part of our retaining wall-garden so I can use it for vegetables in the spring. It's kind of a timely issue, if I hope to do garlic this year... but I spent about half-an-hour digging and ended up with nasty blisters on my finger and palm. The one on my palm looks like stigmata, and hurts like hell when I try to lean on my cane. Bah.
- I really need to catch up on reading your entries. I miss you. Just... I'm so greedy with where I distribute my attention these days. Got so much work to do!
- I have to cook dinner soon. Don't know if the chicken has thawed yet, so it's going to be a total surprise.
- Yeah, I'm running out of updates.