Rejuvenated

Man, I needed that.

The grant that we turned in at work last week resulted in some comp time, so I am coming off three and a half days off and it was heavenly! My buddy Patti was in town for the Detroit Marathon (she ran the international half marathon, which crossed the bridge into Canada at sunrise—AWESOME, and well done, Patti!!!)

Patti was ALSO attending several of the Skate America sessions, which really makes for a PERFECT houseguest... someone THERE to visit, but with other activities so I could do some of MY other activities (some obligatory, some fun).

So this weekend I got my chore time... I got to go to a neighborhood harvest party (more on this shortly). I drank wine with Patti and the Couch to Keg team, arguing politics, as Jean and I often do after several glasses (I love that I have friends I can passionately debate and still like).

What I DIDN'T do was any writing... I think I needed a total break... from ALL the work, both the one I get paid for, and the one I'd LIKE to be my vocation. I wrote a little yesterday.

After the fun stuff was done, I managed to get some real writing done. And some blogging... a book review I will share later this week... some personal paperwork annoyances I've been procrastinating for months. And a handful of pages of my WiP, which is currently 70 pages and needs to be 100. It's the first time I've sat down for quite a while that I really felt equipped to approach these things (that obligatory paperwork piece, in particular, is REALLY hard to face). I just was tapped. But now I feel better.


The Social Tart

I might identify...

Know how I'm awkward? If you don't know, I am. I act like I'm not awkward online... pretend I'm naked and outrageous... and I sort of am. I want that to be me. But that is NOT real life me. I am too inattentive for small talk. Too shy for real disclosure... In fact I confess to doing better talking to people after a few drinks. It's not admirable, but I own it.

But I live in a REALLY fabulous neighborhood. And I'd forgotten Holly, the party host, worked in such a totally overlapping area.. That sounds stupid, right... to not think about what your neighbors do, but she is a larger-than-life, super-friendly gardening enthusiast, so I KNEW she worked in violence prevention at the University... but it just didn't cross my mind how many of her associates would be related to MY day job (health equity)... Man, I met the most INTERSTING public health folks. Had GREAT conversations.

Conversations that felt 'on' which is weird. I'm not sure why that seems so strange, but it does. Maybe it is my insecurity about my social competence, but whatever the case, it felt good.


As For the State of the Writing

I am writing book 6. Book 5 is with first readers. 4 is with my copyeditor. So there.