First thing on my agenda today was to attend the Vera Bradley clearance sale. I should have known better!

I get to the Charlotte Merchandise Mart (without getting lost, thank you very much!) just as the show was supposed to open and there already at least a hundred people in line, but the line was moving since they had opened the doors. There were already people pushing carts with bags and bags of product who had probably paid to be in the early group that went in at 8am.

I enjoy a good sale/show such as the Southern Women’s Show that comes to Charlotte each year but I was just amazed at the number of women shopping for just BAGS! I took a few pictures which I may post later.

At first I was confused about how I was going to make it through the place but I checked my watch and said–this is your exercise for today, get going! At the entrance they handed you a listing of everything that was for sale and how much it was marked down and what looked like a large pink garbage bag. I decided to use my Disney World theory and I went left first. I took each aisle in turn picking up whatever I thought I, or my friend Jamie (who got me addicted to the bags in the first place!), might want. I was also looking for a birthday/graduation present for my youngest sister.

Two laps of constant movement with a really heavy bag got me extremely hot and sweaty and 1 HOUR had passed. Whew! I called and sent a text to my sister. I called several times to my friend Jamie and finally had a good picture of what I was going to buy. But then, I made another lap and even a spur of the moment decision at the register. $230 later I was out of the building. I completed about an hour an a half of walking with a heavy bag. I think I earned my exercise for today!

What did I come away with? For me: a toiletry organizer (I was going to buy this soon for the trip anyway) for $24, a travel backpack for $47 (the one I was going to buy once I hit my first goal weight is $90–I’m not going to use it until I get to my goal), an umbrella for $10, a wallet for $2 (I bought a bunch of these to give away as gifts) and a $5 pouch that you could use for travel–maybe dirty laundry or something.

I had picked up a really nice microfiber hipster bag but since I didn’t reach my sister during the sale I asked her to look at it online and since she likes it I am letting her have that for her present. My buyer’s regret for a pet carrier is now going to be a really kewl gift for my niece to carry her toys in. Lots of people were buying them for that. My friend Jamie will owe me for a beach bag but I am going to give her one of the umbrellas and a wallet for her b-day coming up. Oh yeah, and I sprung for $1 for breast cancer research.

So yeah. I went nuts. And yeah I’m still not working!!! But tomorrow I have orientation for substitute teaching. Will that help?

Been wanting to tweak the website. This is a pre-made template but I like it. May want to change it a little but working on the motivation.

Now if I could also clear up my house and do the vacuuming which I didn’t get to yet this week or last week. OOOPS!

Finally, I got a rejection. I know, you must be surprised I am happy about being rejected, but let me explain. I have never had as many poems submitted as I do right now and I am proud that I keep sending, however, when you go weeks and weeks with no acceptance or rejections the idea of sending more poems out does get tedious.

Also, I do not simultaneously submit. It is just too much for me to keep up with to be honest with you and there was one poem in this group that I think with one more tweak (of course I say this everytime) will be good to send out in next weeks submissions. Oh thank goodness for September when you have a wider choices of where to send your poems!

I got the rejection in after I went to my weigh in where I only lost .4 according to the WW scale. So that is down 7.6 according to them and according to my scale down 2 for a total of 6.5 since I really started counting. I do take measurements once a month so that is due on September 1st, maybe that will give me some more hope.

After getting the rejection email, I finished up my reading and housecleaning and then got to spend a good 2 solid hours working on writing projects with this being the culmination of my day. I used to always write in the morning but I am finding that I do better getting reading done in the morning and that after I have digested the day I am more ready to write in the evening.

Not that writing in the evening is giving me better hopes or feelings about my current lit mag submission necessarily. I just typed up my first line edits and I am particularly fond of two of the poems–not that I can read an editors mind. Two others feel complete but while I like them I don’t know how others will react. One was workshopped and didn’t get much of a response. The final two are an interesting pair: one old and one new. The old one is a type of poem that I like but doesn’t seem to get much appreciation; what I call snapshot poems–little moments I capture. The newer one is from a strange dream I had so I’m not sure how strange to keep it.

ARGH my husband’s computer locked up again so I lost my train of thought. Choo Choo.
Summary, Good day. Trying to feel better about myself as a writer. Looking forward to compiling the next set of workshop submits, maybe that will get my juices going again.

Now while waiting for hubby I’m going to fiddle w/ excel and see if I can get all “white and nerdy” on making a new submission tracker. (too bad I don’t still have glasses, that would TOTALLY complete the picture)

Today has felt quite long. I used to say that a lot when I was working because of the boredom and stress. Today, however, was long in a busy, contented way.

I got up a little earlier today and immediately hit my writing. Adding a page to each of the three non-fiction items I am working on. One, on genealogy, has stalled because I haven’t done much in the way of family tree research in a while. I also handwrote out edits on the 6 poems I am working on for this week. This set is the set I am most nervous about. I want them to go to a very specific publication that I have high hopes for, but since I have so many poems out right now these aren’t my favorites. In other words, they have a spark somewhere in them but I haven’t been able to tease it out. So I am nervous and want to make this batch burn w/ life! Ah, melodrama.

I’m glad I got the writing done early because I had a follow-up w/ the allergist today and wanted to get my walking in before that. I did get my walking done but even inside the mall the heat is just sapping the energy right out of me. The allergist had little to say. Gave me some saline stuff to try. Oh well.

Once home again I finished my reading and caught up on some house cleaning that I let slide a little bit. I also got a call from the local school system. I have to go through a few more hoops but looks like they want me to substitute teach. I am pretty excited about trying it. I always wanted to teach but the whole reason I am not doing it is a long story that no one really wants to hear (although I think I should start a –Hey I was an NC Teaching Fellows and I didn’t teach– website. I am amazed at the number of people I find and the similiar reasons they give for not ending up in teaching.

Tonight? Catch up on the Tivo and the new Poets/Writers just arrived. At some point this week I need to make a new submission/publication (that is wishful thinking) tracker to. It is amazing to me how busy I am now that I am unemployed. Probably due in large part to not being mentally drained once 4 pm rolled around. I am SOOO much more productive. Oh yeah, should cook dinner. Dinner good

Last night I typed up a quick blog entry about finishing up my 3rd attempt at a chapbook and other events of the day but then they storm finally came in and well–bye bye internet connection and for some reason the periodic saving of the blog didn’t happen. Ah well!

The chapbook is going out today. It is the best one I have put together of the three. I feel 70% good about it, but I am more excited about the chapbook I am getting ready to work on.

I also got some communication about a possible poetry publication, but I’ll give you more on that once I know the details *wink*.

Can’t remember much of what else I wrote but I was drained after reading the comments that came back on the 5 poems I turned in for distance workshop in August. The comments were generous I think because after I went back and read the poems I wasn’t really happy with them. My pod leader brings up a good point, that edge of writing I keep feeling I am on, that I am trying to find that imaginary space. I feel so close.

So time to get more done today. Emailed a lit mag submit as well today, feel a nice light coming in for next week

Toodles

One of the first tenets of writing, especially poetry, is to make sure that your title and/or opening pays off. So think, good reader, will it?

I spent he day in Raleigh yesterday. I got up later than I had planned but I still made it in time to get weighed in at a WW meeting there. Nice that you can do that anywhere as most cities at least have one location. I was down 2.6 for a 4 week total of 7.2.

After the weigh-in, I met my first date (one of the three–see your dirty minds) my girlfriend Jamie that I used to work with. We hit Red Robin. I couldn’t finish my food. Could the small fry I had at like 10:30 in the morning made me so full? They were nasty french fries from Mickey D’s inside a Wal-Mart that I only ate about 5 of. Guess I just don’t have as much a taste for that crap as I used to.

Next stop was good ole Crabtree Mall. I walked there for about an hr and 45 minutes with some breaks to read this book I am reviewing for Amazon.com and to edit my lit mag submission for this week. Out of the 6 poems for this weeks submission I only feel good about 2 of them and the newest one I pulled may be the worst. I think the poems I had pulled for this week just need to be retired. **sigh**

After the mall I went over to Quail Ridge Books and the Whole Food store there to wander around and kill time until my dinner date called me . Before that date #3 called, but we’ll get to that.

Date #2 and I–the very kewl Da Da Detective (see link to the right) and I went to The Rockford which was a really neat bar/grill type place in downtown Raleigh. I had a vegetarian type sandwich: white bean spread w/ fresh tomato, havarti cheese and basil on french bread. Very tasty. The potato salad was a bit bland. It was nice and cold which was good w/ the hot weather but I think it needed a little sweet in it. For an appetizer we tried sweet potato quesadilas w/ habenero jelly. Not spicy but very tasty. The Detective went for chicken salad and edamame salad. The salad was quite good! We had some good old chatting for about 2 hours when the power went out. We finally get some freaking rain and it would come through then? Oh well, he needed to go home and conquer some more comics. The readers want more now!

My final date I almost chickend out of (see earlier post) but The Detective made me promise I would contact Mr. Bull City Press. So I did and we met up at a kewl joint called The Sunset Grille over in Durham as it was on my way back. We had such a good time discussion mutual friends, life, the universe, 42 (well we didn’t get there but ya know what I mean) and lots and lots of poetry and MFA stuff that it went on for a good ole 2 hours and I didn’t get in until 12:15 this morning. And dude, I realized you must have paid for my Diet Coke. I SOOO owe you a beer.

And all of this. Makes me miss the Triangle area which is always so funny because I have never lived there but I have so many connections there. How can you miss something you’ve never even had? The whole drive home I thought of some many additional things I forgot to add during the conversations of the day. Guess I need to make that trip again sometime soon

Today has been catch up on my reading, finishing final critique to send in for distance workshop and typing up the submit edits. I got back one of my critiques and I am reading over the poems I turned in. Ummm. They are not great..really pretty lame. I had already picked what I would turn in and edit for September but now I think I need to look over them.

On a better note, almost done w/ the final print out of my 3rd chapbook attempt. I think it is my best one yet! (well, that isn’t saying much )

My husband took a day off yesterday from his day job. He needed it to. We had wanted to see _Superbad_ but since he had to fill in for a part day on Saturday (and the Sunday post you have already seen) we went yesterday morning.

The closest comparison I can give is that _Superbad_ is similiar to _Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle_. I think Harold and Kumar is actually better. The trailers for _Superbad_ did show most of the gags in the movie so that is part of the issue. It is a funny movie, don’t get me wrong, especially the first 30 minutes but I found _Knocked Up_ funny throughout. I think you could also argue, however, that this movie is geared at a younger audience then _Knocked Up_ probably was even though both were made by the same people and both were rated R.

I do want to get props (god i sound like a dork) to the makers of _Superbad_ though. For even while dealing with the typical teen issues of this style of movie: desire to try and get sex, trying to get beer, trying to party, there is a sensitivity to this movie in dealing with the topics. I won’t give anything away but I think they give a better depiction of a variety of responses to the pressures of teen partying then you see in some of the other movies of this type.

Well, I’m running behind this morning as I need to run errands and do some visiting so Catcha later!.

I think I mentioned the issue with our porch columns once before but I have to vent!

When we bought this house we new it was mid-range housing at best, but we didn’t expect to end up with some sub-standard materials having been used in the building.

The first issue we noticed was the wooden patio we have. It apparently non-pressure treated wood was used. So it looks horrible. We may just pull it up and lay brick or something but since we never use it and not ready to sell, no hurry.

Last year sometime I believe we started to notice this wooden half columns that are on the covered porch were starting to crack at the seams. We noted that some other columns on the same floor plan homes were doing the same thing. So we caulked the openings and then used sealant paint. Thought we were good to go.

Nope.

The seams split again. I used my insurance contacts but couldn’t get anyone who really wanted to work on a small job. Which to me if I am going to spent $1000-$2000 why is that too small of a job?

Well, hubby saw a guy fixing someone else’s columns so he gave us a contract and we hired him. I wasn’t really comfortable with it because he wanted money up front but he had a good contract and seemed presentable. He did the work but we had to get him to correct stuff.

Forward about 2 months. Yep. The columns cracked again. The guy did not use the materials–pressure treated wood–as we requested. He used freaking MDF! Well we got a hold of him once but he said he came by when we weren’t home and now his number is disconnected.

**Sigh** And people wonder why I have a hard time trusting people.

So hubby and his Dad tried to see what they could do and it is just too daunting so tomorrow I have to start calling, again, to see if I can find someone to do this job! I was looking forward to hubby having an extra paycheck this month but now I know where that is going.

I am tired of home ownership. Once I finish with school I am seriously going to give some thought to putting this house up on the market and going back to an apartment for a while!

Oh well, live and learn.

And if I was a baby I’d then get Luvs. Too many commercials get stuck in my head!