Alrighty,  got my census about March 15th.  I open it up and it says MAIL BACK TODAY.  I say to it, “Dude,” (I often call stupid mail Dude), “the letter carrier has already come and gone from my house.  How am I supposed to mail it today?”  No answer.  So I read the directions, then start the questions.  The questions go something like this, “Where were you living on April 1st?  How many people were living in your household on April 1st?”  Ok, so I am already late in returning it on March 15th and they want me to use my psychic powers, which apparently everyone in the U.S. has, to know how many people WERE living in my house two weeks from this date.  Where have all the English Majors gone? 

It may be cold and rainy, but I am snug in my new socks - wool, alpaca, nylon blend.  Yes, indeed, I am back on the sock knitting bandwagon

Okey Dokey - Second draft of magazine article all done.  Yay for me!  I am new to the editorial staff on my trade magazine, but the monthly virtual meetings with others in my profession around the state is great therapy.  And I am learning the art of pitching articles and giving feedback.  Now onto my next deadline - the next installment of my novel to my critique group. 

Yosemite in October

Wrote a couple of pages of my story and fleshed out some character background and plot points, intermingled with texting back and forth with my daughter, wherein the names Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle and Oprah were used.  Went to a talk by Steve Lopez, writer of The Soloist, where the audience conversed with him and each other regarding mental illness and community.  Got up every day and brushed my teeth and went to work where I try to get things accomplished and help people work through challenges.  Polished up a magazine article.  Discussed art techniques with an artist friend who creates in a different medium but we bounce ideas off each other.  Finished reading one book and started another.  Let’s call this one a good week.

My and the D man are walking downtown in the plaza Saturday evening (cuz its the kind of thing we do) and an out of town couple stop us and ask, what is there to do here on a Saturday night?  We stammer a bit and point out a couple of things to do and walk off.  But it gets me thinking, is there anything to do here on a Saturday night if you aren’t into loud music and drinking? 

I kind of like the hand-holding aimless walks me and D engage in on a regular basis, but we are pretty lowkey.  After a couple of live theater or movie choices (so happy to have the El Rey back - this week they showed Army of Darkness - 2 weeks ago it was The Big Lebowski - I am experiencing bliss just knowing that this exists) I am thinking that the town is not vibrant on a Saturday night.

I experience a slight chagrin, as though my town does not hold up to outside scrutiny.  But on second thought, it is this very lack of frantic energy that makes me glad to be here.  I like that walks and bikerides are a major form of entertainment. SaturdayS

Adding a sidebar with bullets as per editor request this weekend.  My article should be wrapped up and winging its way though cyber space in the next few days.

My fabulous writer’s group (don’t tell them, they’ll get big heads) helped shape my novel’s direction.  Now they are expecting production from me.  Sigh.  More hard-core typing is in my future.

Bubble wrap is a strangely compelling modern artifact.  There will come a time in the distant future where archeologists will be pulling reams of the stuff from landfills.  They will sample the atmosphere from the small bubbles to find out the chemical composition of the air of our era.

In the meantime, a giant wad of it sits in the corner of my room.  I cannot bring myself to toss it.  “It is so useful!”  Did I spend a lot of money to obtain this strange plastique?  No.  The nice people at the local UPS store bestowed it upon me for free!  Well, if you find you need some of the stuff, just give me a call and I’ll hook you up.  I hope it doesn’t mate with my dust bunnies in some freaky cross-breeding accident.

This is a quilt challenge in process.  I’m illustrating a book.  First came the book and the idea.  Then my daughter showed up and sketched the idea (so handy having an artist to call upon).  Then I struggled to get some drafting paper (so handy having a newspaperman as a friend).  So here we are with a reversed draft with registration marks and piece identifiers.  Now I am auditioning fabric choices.

What to do with a brilliant piece of fabric?  Don’t mess it up