Another Friday! Had an early go at "Love Minus Zero," then took care of small business around the house. Lovely day, though a bit overcast and humid when it started out. Finished up work at the office, made a trip to the bank, and ended the day at the gym. Well, not ended. Ended the day mowing and edging the lawn. Looking forward to settling in and enjoying a nice quiet evening. Reuben sandwiches for dinner!
Checking in...
Been days since updating this baby, though not for lack of interest. Lots of yard work over the long weekend, including the building of the final set of teak gates. A minor setback with the drain on the east fountain, but nothing tragic. Should be able to kick back this weekend and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
Up early to the gym, then off to the orthodontist for what is getting close to the final visit. Should have the braces off in August if all goes well, and so far, all seems to be going well. Put in some good revision time on a new story I'm calling "Love Minus Zero." Yeah, a nod to the old Dylan number on Bringing it all Back Home. Had doubts about the story a few days ago, but think it's going to be all right providing I get the last page in order. Back to work on the untitled piece tomorrow.
Big storm tonight. Rain, hail, the whole nine yards. Looks like everything survived.
Comings, goings, and more...
Up at a good hour. Coffee, paper, and straight to revisions on new story. Knocked off at the keyboard around noon, and dedicated the rest of the day to planting, and cleaning up the back yard. Found a tall amphora for the northeast wall. Looks great. Cleaned the fireplace in anticipation of the first blaze of summer, then went over to Boreillo Brothers for a hand tossed pizza. Gonna get cleaned up now, and kick back for the evening. Received a note of condolence from Loras College today. Thought it was a give letter. Hit me hard when I opened it. The grief comes in bits and pieces, always when you least expect it.
Pushing toward the weekend...
Cool, overcast day. Wish I could have spent some of it in the mountains. Nothing ever seems dreary up there. On the positive side, the lawn and shrubs are going gangbusters, and the moisture should give them a good head start on the dry, hot weather ahead.
Fly vest! Need to find my fly vest! Been dreaming of a day on the water, but no way it's going down unless I remember where my gear is. This weekend for sure. I'll put even money the treasure hunt ends somewhere in my tragedy of a garage. Hope so, anyway. Have looked high and low through the house, and come up empty ever time.
Read a nice story in the New Yorker last night. "The Midnight Zone" by Lauren Groff. Not familiar with her work, but hope to get better acquainted in the future. Same issue had some terrific old photos by Diane Arbus. Unpublished works from the late 50s through the 60s.
Revisited an old draft today after a late night revelation on how to move the story forward. Think maybe it's going to work. Put in a couple of hours revising it, and am pleased with the results. Knock wood.
Through the rain...
Rain, two days straight. Too crumby to hang outside, but the lawn sure as hell looks good through the front window. Weather's supposed to be iffy all week. Ought to build a fire and settle in with a book.
Speaking of reading material, got a chance to read my buddy G.O.'s new treatment last night. As always a real pleasure. On a completely different front, received news an essay I promoted made third place in the 2016 Winter Contest. Quite proud to have been a part of the process.
Put in some good work on my latest, untitled piece. For all intents and purposes, it's nearly finished, and I should have a reader copy soon. Been studying the story and wondering if maybe it could be the opening section of a novel? I like the protagonist, and think he has room to grow. Might put in some extra time to see if I can make it work. Worth a try, I suppose.
A quiet Sunday...
Up late this morning. Read the paper over coffee, then went upstairs to work. Put in last set of revisions on "Frank the Redeemer," took care of a few housekeeping details, and closed a submission. Afterward, went off to the nursery looking for hostas.
Spent the afternoon planting and cleaning up around the back yard. By July it's going to be a showcase. Six weeks into spring, it still isn't spring. Weather's too cold to plant flowers, and the threat of hail is omnipresent. Off spine, I still haven't found my fly vest.
Got word late in the afternoon from Willard & Maple (Champlain College's literary magazine) they've accepted my story "Missing." Nice. I think that makes number three on the year. Who knows, maybe I'm back on pace for another good year. Fingers crossed.
Remembering...
Miss you, Pop.
A modest comeback...
Almost two weeks since the funeral. Hard to believe. Lots to recon with in the aftermath. Found a letter he'd written to a newspaper in South Dakota, an inquiry never answered regarding the lineage of a certain Sioux chief, and in reading it heard his voice again. There've been moments of thinking I should pick up the phone and call him only to realize, oh yeah, he's not here anymore. Hope, wherever he is, he's been reunited with his dog. She was the last of his great losses, and he never really got over her.
Finally have a reader draft of what was once called "Bad Good Friday." I've renamed it "Frank the Redeemer," which seems to be a much better fit. Anyway, giving it a couple of days to cool, after which I'll start researching pubs. Have good feelings about the piece, but then I should after all the time it's taken to mould in to something respectable. This was one of those labors you never forget.
Got a light rain late this afternoon. The grass already looks like Augusta, and when the trees and shrubs fill in, the yard ought to look like a showpiece. Knocking wood as I write this we don't get another debilitating hail storm this spring. The two previous springs have wiped out more plant life than I care to remember.
Good to be back at the journal. Gotta keep punching.
Looking ahead...
Got a notice from the Flint Hills Review today. They've accepted "Into the Sunset." Kind of surprised it took so long to find a home, but then again not. Happy about the acceptance. Means I can move on to other pieces.
A lot on my mind. Will leave Friday for my father's funeral. So numb I can't even find the words to talk about it. Maybe that's best. All I know is, make the most of what's ahead because, in time, there'll be no ahead.
Discovered I've misplaced my fly vest. Can't believe it. First time that's ever happened, and all I can hope is that it's buried somewhere in the garage. Gotta mount a full-fledged search once I get back from Albuquerque.
The day after...
Late to rise after a quiet night. Made it to the office around 9:15 and worked out a few revisions, paid a few bills. Got to the gym at noon and hit the heavy bag for a while. Hadn't realized it until late in the day, but the weather was perfect. High clouds, blue sky. Sun. Cut the lawn for the first time since fall in anticipation of the sprinkler man's return tomorrow. Looks as good as I can ever remember this early in the season. A few sinkholes where the old trees' root system had collapsed, but otherwise green and healthy. Not looking forward to the trip to Albuquerque, but not much to do about it either. Just suck it up and soldier on.
Darkness visible...
Be at peace, Pop. Be at peace.
Tuesday...
In the immortal words of Sam Spade, "One in, one out. That's the way it goes." Gonna be a strange week. Strange summer. Strange year.
Really? Really?
Seriously? I want to blow this @#$%% up! Just wrote a long-ass post only to have it disappear. Snow on the way. All else has flown out the window!
Meanderings...
On the road for a couple of days. Trip south. Quiet drive home listening to Joan Didion's Year of Magical Thinking. Back to work this morning, putting in revisions on a new coming-of-age story. Think it's gonna be a nice piece if I can get the end right.
Note from Boston University morning before I left. A complimentary rejection of "Occurrence at the Night Owl Liquor Store." Said writing was quite nice, but "stereotypical" in its characterization of three crackhead gunman. The acronym AAVE was used. Didn't know what it meant. (Sigh.) Just a guess, but I bet they don't teach Huck Finn, either.
Changes coming. Big and small. Just want to keep my eyes on the horizon and fingers on the keyboard. Tired of stupid people. Need to spend a little more time with my friends, the fish. Though not this weekend. More snow predicted. Lots of it.
Friday, in the nick of time...
Not sure where the day went, but happy it's over. Bills paid, letters out the door, etc. Read a good story today and a nicely written essay. More about these later. For the moment, just want to unwind.
Mamma tried...
Merle Haggard bought the farm today. Sorry to hear it. Pneumonia. Started listening to his music back when I was in high school. Regarded it as highly as the Stones, the Who, and most of my favorite rockers. I guess Jung would call that the duality of man. I don't know. But Mr. Haggard will be missed. His nods to Jimmy Rodgers, to train songs, were classics.
Wind, rattling the windows...
Weather's turning. Again. Beautiful sunny day is on its way out, and a long bank of gray clouds is steamrolling its way over the mountains. Not sure what the forecast is, but by the look of it we could wake up to snow tomorrow.
Early morning visit to the allergist, then home to work. It might be Tuesday, but it had Monday written all over it. Slow going, start to finish.
Read an article in the NYer by Gay Talese about a motelier (I'm coining that word, by the way) in Aurora, named Foos. A voyeur. Could say more, but--
Looking ahead to summer. Fishing. Time in the mountains. Been locked up all winter and finally starting to feel it. Nine new pieces in from N. Gonna read all before making any decisions.
It's the little things...
Back in touch with some old mates from SF. Good to be able to read their work. Easy day here in the Springs. Weather sunny, temps in the 60s. A good day all around. Up early to do some revisions, but mostly took things in stride. Quit the keyboard around noon, and went off to a movie. Dinner out with family later.
Albuquerque on the mind. Changes coming in spades, though it's hard to say when and in what proportion. Been surprised more times in the past month than the previous five years, total. How is it the most obvious things can still sneak up on us?
Nice thing about getting older, you look forward to stuff like planting a new bush. Painting a window sill.
Resurrection...
Quiet Easter Sunday. Brunch with family, long distance calls to more family, then off to the Dodge dealership to ransom the truck from it's water pump woes. Sun came out. Big snow of yesterday is all but melted. Grass is almost green.
Good (sort of) Friday...
Tugged in all directions.
Put last touches on "Unseen" this morning. Will start sending it off next week. Spend rest of the day researching markets...trying not to worry about the future. Weather took turn this afternoon. Looks like that mountain of snow we've been promised might actually come though.
Truck needs new water pump. Ouch.