But hell. My mind was on other things, and I didn’t come up with anything. Because, you know–I have that luxury. I’m straight and cis. This day is very important, but it’s not about me. It can slip my mind.

Here’s hoping for a day we no longer NEED this day.

That’s okay, though. I will read more. And also I have lots of other things to do.

This blog will be looking different soon! I am wandering blogs I like, trying to sort out what makes a good-looking blog, and then I shall get experimental.

Be sure to tell me what you think. Feel free to drop suggestions in the comments.

I can’t remember what else I meant to say, so I’ll just drop this, one of those things that one clicks on when not in a hurry to meet a deadline.

Granted I’d barely written in the ten years before that (Life, marriage, family, you know how it goes) but when I got back to writing–that’s what I did.

Even now, some seven years later, when I’m writing I’m not doing much else. Drag me out to see a movie, even one I want to see, and I’ll be annoyed. Take me out to dinner and you’d best be ready to talk about my book, or let me sit there with a dazed look on my face.

Turns out I’m much the same about reading. I went to the library Thursday night, and I’ve read four books since then. I have not, however, cleaned my room as intended, finished clearing my desk (in fact all the library books are now on it…) (yes, I do enjoy parentheticals, why do you ask?), or even washed all the blasted dishes.

I really gotta get better at this life thing. Some things MUST be attended to! I gotta go check on all things TDP, for instance, and get started gathering what I need for the site redesign. I should, like, actually say Hi! to some of my friends. And…and I should do other things that are on my to-do list, which I’m fairly certain is under one of these books…

I should totally not dive into Perdido Street Station quite yet. Or any of these other tempting treats sitting about my desk.

Right?

At the end of each project, of course, I have a big ol’ pile of God-knows-what to deal with. Writing materials of various shapes and uses, with or without notes that may still be important. Expired coupons I thought I’d use. Magazines that might have been useful a month ago. (Case in point: In the bio for Lukas and Alan’s story, I stated that I “fervently wished” I’d had more time to research a bunch of things, including the Civil War and reenactors. When I dug into the pile on my desk yesterday, I found a National Geographic, still in plastic mailing bag, with the headline, “Eyewitness to the Civil War. Plus: The Curious World of Reenactors.”)

Mostly I don’t have dead pens. I toss them when they run out. But I do have limping ones, that I set aside because–I don’t know, I’m hoping they’ll recover? That if I stop using them, they won’t actually run out? Which is true, but not exactly useful. It’s not like they’re going to get BETTER with a little rest.

My daughter’s school pictures are on my desk. I should, like, deal with those. >_>

I have post-its on my hutch. Little reminders. Pick Something! refers to the way I tend to wander through an edit, deciding with every revision that the theme is something other than I’d thought, so I’m aiming it in different directions. Or rather, muddying everything beyond comprehension. It’s my reminder to do as Eve does–pick something, and if it comes out wrong, muscle it around until it’s right. Because I will never get ANYWHERE changing my mind all the damn time. Perfection is for perfect people.

There’s a note on blurbs, because I tend to a) flail a lot when trying to write a blurb, and b) not look for notes or anything on how to do it because I forget that such might exist. So it’s up there, reminding me to start boring, then look for metophors already used. Like “Rafe liked being useless” to “Rafe didn’t mind being baggage.”

I have a note full of tiny writing to remind me which bills I paid what last month (all of them and all of the amounts, thank you very much but I still keep track.)

I still have “GO DEEPER” on a pink post-it by itself to the left of my screen. Because if I’d remember to go a little deeper in the first draft, it would make the second draft SO MUCH EASIER. Not to mention there would be a lot less room for my “today I think the theme is this” habit.

One little yellow post-it reminds me of the words of a song I heard and wanted to get. I went and looked it up and decided not to buy it, but the post-it is still there. Maybe I’ll go get it after all. (It’s a Daughtry song–don’t remember which atm.)

Another has mostly useless notes–which draft of Joss is the most recent, how to position elements for the Queen’s Man cover, a phone number I needed once, and the words “flux capacitor.” It’s “flux capacitor” that keeps it on my desk. I don’t recall why I needed to remember that, and until I do…well, I probably will throw it away eventually. But I’m reluctant.

This is why this stuff collects, you know. The “what if it IS important?” thing. When I don’t have time to be stern with myself, it stays. But hey. I might actually need to remember “flux capacitor” for some reason. So it’s for the best.

Suggestions for things I should get rid of forever while I’m at it? Things you’d like to see? Toss ‘em down there in the comments.

In other news, spent the evening surfing around the community college’s website. I wanna go back to school! But I do not have a dependable car. I could start with online classes, but that would eat the money I’d need to get that car that I’m still gonna need eventually…

Anybody know any scholarships/financial aid programs for people who want to get a degree in FREAKING AWESOME? Because while they have lots of interesting classes, I’m not much interested in any of the programs…

Sigh.