Week In Review

Lately I've been checking my e-mail to see if I've got an acceptance for a manuscript I sent last January.  The editor said they'd get back to me in May, and here it is the first third of the month.  I've got my fingers crossed, and I am trying my hardest not to get my hopes up. 

Last Friday, after increasing symptoms and difficulties starting, the starter mortor in our car went out.  We'd scheduled maintenance, but it wasn't until Monday.  Luckily, I was at work, and I was able to get a tow to the garage, but it meant that I couldn't take The Child to see Avengers: Endgame.  Waiting in the parking lot, with movie tickets to a show we wouldn't see, felt like it should have been part of "Traveling to the Airport" anxiety dream, but all I really felt was resigned.  The Child was totally fixated, not on the car, nor the fact that he'd have to walk two miles home from school, but on when we'd see the movie.  

Saturday was a new moon day, and I'm sure we did stuff, but I think we were really tired.  Also, there was a fatal shooting in the parking lot where I normally park for work.  

Saw Endgame Sunday morning.  Despite all my efforts, I really had to use the bathroom about a half-hour before the movie ended.  I liked Avengers: Infinity War more than Endgame, partially because Endgame was more focused on the end arc of Captain America and Ironman, and I would have liked more and better treatment of some of the other Avengers.  And while the fatness as an outer sign of a character's emotional distress in the movie has been done before in the comics (New Mutants c 1985), it seemed like lazy shorthand that could have been addressed by good acting.

Drove out of the mall just in time to see the staging of an "Oregon Women for Trump Flag Waving Rally."  And counter-protest.  The Child and I paused our discussion of the History of the X-Men and New Mutants to have an exchange ending with me not pulling the steering wheel out of the dashboard and saying, "while I think they're the Pawns of Evil, I'm glad they're exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression."  I was surprised at my visceral and tribal reacton them.   And then we continued with the Marvel History of 1980's X-men Era (Muslim Travel Ban, er, I mean...) Mutant Registration Laws.  Probably five minutes after we drove over the Harlow Road Bridge, the two groups closed it as they shouted at each other over a line of Springfield Police who were there to keep the two groups from rioting.  

Monday.  Between car rental, car maintenance, and a lot of driving, I somehow managed to get the car back from the garage in time to pick up The Child from school.  Went to the gym and managed most of the workout -- I usually spend some time on the sideways elliptical, but I ran out of time. 

Tuesday I did the final polishing on two short stories -- mostly it's just little tweaks to make character motivation, staging, and plot less confusing.  I was working in the back lounge of a little bar downtown. In the past the lounge has been just me writing, with occasional other patrons.  This week the lounge was Therapy Session Central.  Loud Therapy.  I was glad I had headphones.  Phrases like, "abandonment issues," "betrayed by the community," and "what am I doing this for?" did seep in over the Stary Olsa I was writing to.  Mark says I should have just transcribed the conversations to use for dialog. 

Wednesday I did a final cleaning pass on the short story manuscripts and sent one out.  Then I went to the gym and managed a full -- if out of the usual order while I waited for equipment -- workout.

The tree pollen is very thick this year.  Usually, only my eyes are itchy, but this year I've had more than my fair share of sinus headaches and scratchy throats.  The fatigue is the worst.   April was very wet, but the last ten or so days have been sunny with highs in the 70's and 80's, which I suppose it contributing to the particulates.  I'm hoping we get some rain soon, because the wet April plants are drying out and creating a fire hazard.  Mark purchased an air filter for our room, which I think helps, but Wednesday night Mark was so congested that his snoring forced me to the couch.

Thursday morning I woke up early enough (5:30) to see a wan Venus in the eastern sky.  I'd flirted with getting up at 5 (thanks, cats) and managed to see Mars, but it had dimmed a half hour later and I couldn't find it.   As I was brewing tea for an outside writing session, I checked my e-mail, and saw that I had a 13-hour rejection for the drawing room short story I'd sent out the day before.  The market is very fast and very hard to get into, so I guess I'm not too surprised, but I was sort of hoping they'd look at it for a few more days.