Ah well. The two stories we did workshop went well, and it was fun, as always, hanging out with other writers -- as a bonus, I heard about the folks applying for the director of the creative writing program at Roosevelt, and it sounds like they have some good ones, including someone I like from within the department who is both popular and super-competent, so I feel relieved that I decided not to even apply for the position. They'll have someone good to take over the program, so I don't have to. With the next few years of small baby (maybe a second, depending on how we survive Kavi's first year), I think the low-key UIC job (2/2, no admin) makes a lot more sense than trying to do something as intensive as running a program (especially given the base 3/3 load).
I had a bunch of bad dreams and woke up in something of a foul mood this morning. But I'm doing better, bit by bit. Kavi's been giggly and cute (we discovered that Lisa Loeb's song "Little Red Caboose" makes her laugh out loud when all the kids in the chorus go 'choo choo'), which is cheering. I started the gas fire going, which is making me warmer; also fire just makes me happier. My groceries were delivered (in winter, we indulge in PeaPod's delivery service -- it's notably more expensive, but not having to tote a baby through winter weather makes it worthwhile), and soon I'll have them all put away. When I finish this entry, tea and breakfast. And then Melissa arrives, and is here from 8:30 - 4:30. She's bringing her daughter with her today, I think; we'll see how that goes.
My plan is to write new material for Arbitrary Passions in the morning. I'm struggling right now with trying to write about me and Kevin, and then about us and Karina, trying to put across at least a little of what it was all like, and why I love them. I'm having a bit of a tough time with it; it's harder than any of the rest of the book so far. Then catch up on e-mail business in the afternoon. Also prep for tomorrow's class, so I'm not doing it at the last minute, which always stresses me out. And I may get started on our Valentine's Day dinner; I'm making some slightly elaborate food, and I think there are a few steps I can do a couple of days in advance, which will help. It's also my week to cook dinner; meatloaf sandwiches on sourdough toast with side salad tonight, I think. If there's time, finish reading Sugi Ganeshananthan's first novel, Love Marriage, which counts as research, because she's incorporated lots of history about the conflict in Sri Lanka. Work, but also pleasure. That's actually true for most of my work these days. Good deal.
That should be enough for today. :-)