Well, my life suddenly got busier, but in a good way, I think. Yesterday I had an interview at Wells Fargo; today I start work at a temp job. It's somewhere between secretarial and tech-writing (with the pay closer to secretarial), but the commute is only 45 minutes, and I will be really happy to have a regular paycheck for a few weeks. It's a two week gig; depending on how we like each other, it may go longer.
I'm still working for eHow, and I need to get some of that stuff done today, so that's the plan for this evening when I get back. And I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to get a Clean Sheets newsletter out today (for last week), and write a book review. I'm hoping to do the newsletter before I leave for work (with luck), and the book review at lunch or on the train. So today is basically a wake-up-and-work-until-you-fall-asleep day.
I did have a pretty relaxing day yesterday, so I was kinda asking for this. After the interview, went to Berkeley, bought a cable I needed, and then hung out with Karen at Anna's until 7-ish. Did some work there, but mostly talked. I kind of needed it -- as y'all know, I had somewhat of a crisis Friday (actually, I think something like four different people were mad at me within 24 hours, which may be a record), and it helped talking things over with her. Karen has a great perspective which is different enough from most people's that it really helps clarify my thinking. Karina and Kevin and Jed have similar effects. I was thinking it was K-names but Jed screws up that theory.
We then went to her house where I worked a little more and we talked some more (mostly about writing), and then Par (her husband) treated us to Thai food, which was very yummy. Thai e Sun, I think the restaurant name was; a little sweeter than I'm used to, but good. Then home again, where I crashed like a big crashing thing.
Btw, for those who asked, Kevin was here for less than 24 hours, but they were lovely hours. We had lunch at Au Coquelet, worked together as Pasqua, eventually wandered home, and I hid in my room with him and we ordered Ethiopian food so I wouldn't have to deal with the world for a while. I blubbered all over him about the friend crisis, and by the end of the night was feeling much better. Was good having him there in the morning too; put me in a much better mood before I started cooking for the party.
It's 6:30 now, so I suspect I'd best hop to it on that newsletter. I'll talk to y'all later -- have a good week! Make money! :-)
9:00 p.m. -- As usual, I didn't get quite as much accomplished as I'd have liked today. Managed to do the newsletter for CS, but I still need to write that book review. I'm not sure where the time went. I did finally hook up Jed's laptop to my desktop and copy over "Lakshmi's Diary". Made a few edits and then sent it out to the readers' list. Somebody say something nice about it before I wake up, okay? Pretty please?
Had an idea for a Beltane story, set in a medieval-ish sort of environment. Not sure what the market would be, since I don't think it'll have any magic in it.
The new job is going fine so far; nice people, relaxed environment. Tomorrow I need to do some eHow stuff in the morning, and then go in to work; I'm hoping to take the evening off from working and just hang out with Jed (who is back from Portland, no doubt with many stories to tell :-).
In the interim, for those too lazy to read through my story -- and heck, for everyone else too, here's a poem I wrote a few days ago:
The Cafe at Four
with you a Thousand Miles Away
Warm breath on the back of my neck,fingers against my cheek,
hands grazing sore nipples and sliding down
between my damp thighs...
A silver-haired woman stares at me,
and I know she knows
I know she remembers how it feels
muscles tense, and blood pounding
skin against wet skin;
she flushes, and crosses her legs...
I admit, it feels good,
your hand, right there, yes...there.
It could be so much better,
it will be so much better
but for now...
For now, my dear,
I hate to say it, but...
do you mind?
I'm trying to work.
*****
May 1, 1999