Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Catching Up With The Encyclopedia Veronica

tonight after work I met up with the EV at the Brewer's Art. She left me to pulverize the crab dip with pita points on my own because she'd had an intense medical procedure today that left her unwilling to eat. i had this weird feeling in the BA. I imagined us four, maybe five months down the road, in a full-fledged depression, the bar abandoned--maybe it'd become a location for a soup line instead of the neighborhood happy hour joint.

i've been on a debt reduction/expense cancelling mission of late. it's my way of battening down the hatches. whatever happens, the less i'm paying out a month, the better.

it was good to see my old pal for some solid catching up. i think the martini's going to help stave off the odd malaise i felt settling over me. a few people at the office have been sick and i don't want to be next.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Parallel Realities

Laura Lippman, Native Baltimorean and Baltimore Writer, has several Tess Monaghan novels as well as stand-alone offerings that take place on the very streets I walk, in the restaurants where I eat (or have passed on my walks), and in the places I frequent (Tess "belongs" to my gym, for example). I've listened to several of these via audiobook--and the plot construction keeps me right on the edge of my seat; keeps my breath baited. and Tess has become real to me. The other day when I was on the Arc Trainer, I thought 'Tess was just in here yesterday,' and I expected her to come through the door any minute.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

on silver linings

i'd been feeling discouraged, lately, about my prospects for making it as a writer. today, i found out that i won a Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Grant in poetry. it was not the top prize, but i still placed, and given how close i was to throwing in the towel on all writerly pursuits, i can't help but see it as a grace from God--as the affirmation i most needed.

it's sunday night and i'm puttering, doing laundry, putting away groceries, and planning meals for the week ahead.

i'm gearing up to make progress in all areas of my life, as much as i can. i'm reducing debt, taking chances, and falling in love with the idea of buying a house by this time next year.

it's my hope to let go of some old ideas, too. i'm going to try harder to have the life i've always wanted. it feels like a good time to stick my neck out.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Moving Day

My youngest sister moved from my mom's place today into a tiny basement apartment (a glorified room for rent) with a friend of hers. it's conveniently situated near all kinds of public transportation, a bustling downtown area in a MD suburb (there's so much she can walk to, including tons of hotels--where I'll stay when I visit her!). The move went off without a hitch. She doesn't yet own enough of anything for a move to be difficult, but even still, it was incredibly smooth sailing. The weather was beyond cooperative. If you're in the dc/balto area, you know we were well above 60. Stellar.

Yesterday was somewhat seinfeldian. We waited (my youngest sister and I) at my stylist's salon because my christmas present to Caryl was highlights. Well, we waited for a while only to find that she'd too recently gotten another chemical treatment and that it wasn't advisable for her to have another so soon. We rescheduled for two weeks from now, left, and proceeded to take care of some other stuff related to moving, etc.

i even managed to get some homework done. i'll finish up some tonight, and then hopefully head to the gym.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Whole Wheat Peanutbutter & Jelly Wrap

I'm at the end of the grocery cycle, so I'm reduced to creative reinterpretations of classics. My coffee's gone tepid, but I'm nursing it dutifully, because that is just my way.

Working from home today to accommodate my 2 pm lecture, so I'm at the dining room table in my pajamas and listening to an audio book (my version of whistling while i work)about a happily married woman who runs into "the one who got a way" at a busy New York intersection.

I've made something of a decision.

I don't want to prolong my time in this master's program beyond the prescribed 3-year period. Taking 2 courses a term is going to add at least a year, so I'm taking one Independent Study this summer to help mitigate the issue. And next fall, I'm taking 3 courses, which will put me in the full-time bracket, regardless of whether I'm in a position to reduce my working hours or not.

I'm doing what I have to do so I can do what I want to do. I read that Denzel Washington and his family use that as their creed. He said something like "I'm not going to have anything to say to my kid about wanting to go to a movie if his homework is done. We do what we have to do so we can do what we want to do..."