Well, I didn't finish everything I meant to yesterday. I got the CS checks out, but not the SH ones (need to buy more manila envelopes). I did redo the CS proposal and talk to Bob about it. I started reading the stories for SH, but only got about 4 in (out of 15). I took a few hours to watch Cafe au Lait, a really charming French film with this hook: "Felix is Jewish. Jamal is black. Lola is pregnant." :-) Highly recommended. Amazon claims that it's currently $80, or I would have rushed out and bought a copy. And in the evening, I did some unanticipated writing.
The movie put me in a very mushy mood. I think it would have been very easy to start moping, feeling lonely and bereft, like my sweeties were all very very far away (which they are, after all). I just didn't want to succumb to that sort of mood. So I brought Kevin's candle tree over to the computer and lit it. I was wearing a grey sweater Jed gave me. I played a mix tape that an old boyfriend, Paul, made me almost a decade ago -- the first of three 'romantic mush mixes'. I opened the windows so I could hear the storm. And I started rewriting "Challah".
It was really wonderful, working on that story with the storm pounding outside (occasional lightning flashes that lit up the whole sky), chilly gusts blowing in and sending the candle flames flickering, the music filling one part of my brain while the other part wrote... I just felt wrapped in affection and caught up in romance. A great mood to be in for that story.
I only got about a third of the way through the first draft of the revised form (third person, nonlinear), but it's promising. I'm hoping to carve out some time tomorrow to work on it. That may be a bit tricky, since the tasks I have for today are:
- Make bread with Prakash (okay, this is fun, not a task)
- Clean up
- Grade half of the papers (so I can in conscience leave the other half for Monday)
- Redo the book proposal (again!)
- Finish reading the SH stories
- Catch up on the Fanon reading
- Finish the Said
- Read A Jewel in the Crown
Before I go, a brief update on the conversation with Crown. The book proposal has morphed again, and now it looks like what they really want me to do is a Best Internet Erotica collection. Oof. That's a much bigger project, and one thing I'm going to do tomorrow is spend some time on the phone with Kevin trying to plan out the next year and figure out if I do have time to take that on and do it right. It could be fabulous -- and in a lot of ways, I think I'm the right person to at least start that series going (I'm thinking I may hand it off to others in later years, rather than trying to be Susie Bright and do it year after year). But it's a real question whether I have time this year; I had hoped to do a lot of work on my own collection of stories.
But gods -- it's so much better to have too many interesting projects, rather than too few!
8 p.m. Hmmm...I think I'm going to have to stop for tonight; getting too sleepy to concentrate. Of the list above, I only managed make bread, clean up (lots of that, though), finish Fanon, start Jewel. Oof. I think I'm going to walk over to the party, just stay for an hour or so, and then walk home. The exercise will be good for me, and it's good to stay in touch with my colleagues. Bed by 11 at the latest, then up at 7, and if I'm virtuous, then I will grade a class of papers between then and noon. If I do that, then I get to toddle off to Borders for the afternoon, and maybe write a little. Evening more Jewel. Monday grade second class of papers, review for language exam, take language exam, make snack for class, class in the evening. Tuesday morning write response paper, class 'til 2. Come home and redo proposal. Finish Jewel in evening. Wednesday, talk to Crown, do whatever clean-up, prep needs to be done, rest a little. Thursday, class, catch a plane to Chicago.
I know this sounds awfully tight -- undoubtedly one or more of these things won't actually get done. But if I plan it all out, I'll get more done than if I don't plan at all. I think. Thanks for putting up with this nonsense sort of entry.
11:58. Okay, yah, fine, bed by 11 didn't happen. I'm drinking water now in an effort to get less dehydrated because I really really don't want a hangover tomorrow. It's hard to take seriously (I had to type that word three times, gods) because I'm still very tipsy (twice) even though this is my third glass of water -- what the heck was in the green punch? It tasted like liquid frosting; very sweet. But I've been sillier in the last hour than I've been in months, I think. (If I could stick out my tongue at you right now I would. Please to imagine.)
I may regret it a little in the morning, but overall, I think it was really good for me. Fuck workaholics. (Hmm...that sounds like fun. There were some very cute boys at the party tonight. But I was virtuous and came home alone -- you know, I actually have no idea how to pick someone up at a party? I've never really done it. Funny, hmmm. I did get the card of one of them, but mostly 'cause I'm actually interested in looking at his work -- he's a furniture maker who works in wood, metal and stone. All together. Cool, huh? Well, it sounds cool, anyway. Really, everything sounds kind of cool right now. I think you're all fabulous!!!!!)
Gonna call Jed. Hee hee. G'night!