The Six-Dollar Mistake

Really? Really? That's all I can say about the person who snuck into my car and stole my diaper bag yesterday. I had Cece and our dog in the car and she had fallen asleep, so I decided I wouldn't be able to lug the bag, her and the dog. So I parked the car and left it unlocked as I often do when I know I'll be right back down and it's the middle of the day. I take Cece and the dog upstairs, but I walked slowly because Cece's getting to be so heavy now, and add being pulled by an 80-pound dog to that, and I was turtle-pace. So I'm assuming someone watched me and then when I was finally far from the car, they moved in. I'm sure they were thrilled to see that I had left the bag on the front seat and that I had left the car unlocked. I'm guessing what they weren't thrilled about was that although, yes, the diaper bag did have my wallet in it, the wallet contained $6.00. So, to you, Mr. Criminal who gets off on robbing a mother, enjoy your $6.00 and thank you for not hurting me or my precious family.

Ah, yes, today I wrapped up my grading, and it's officially the summer now. I really was hoping to do some freelance work this summer, but nothing has popped up, so we'll have to deal with it. I took advantage of a rare opportunity to get out of the house Monday night while Trey was home with Cece, and I got to go hear some great essays at Essay Fiesta in Chicago. I read at last month's gathering, but this time I got to just sit back with a cup of hot chocolate and listen. It was so great to hear these personal snippets of writers' lives and insights. I was actually even crying my eyes out as I drove home because one writer's essay affected me so strongly. I'd try to explain what she wrote about, but it wouldn't be as amazing as it was coming from her. It's just nice to hear what other writers are doing because it inevitably gives me ideas for my own writing and encourages me to keep at it as I sit home for the next 3 months not earning a dime and eating bread and water. I'm seriously not complaining. I wouldn't go back to corporate America for all the money in the world. Putting me in a cubicle is like putting Elton John on a football team. It's just not right.

Mortgages and Meatloafs

It will be a long, long time before we ever buy a home again, especially in Chicago where the taxes alone set you back about $4,000 a year. If I could turn back the clocks, we would've never bought a condo, but people kept saying renting is the equivalent to throwing your money away. I'd much rather throw my money away if it's a smaller amount and there's virtually no responsibility or risk attached to it. We eventually want to move to Kentucky or somewhere more laid back and nature-filled than Chicago, but darnit, Chicago's pretty awesome and the thought of leaving it is not easy. I guess it's expensive to live here because they know people will pay it. There aren't many cities in the world where we can walk to the beach, pick up homemade tamales on the way home at the corner store and then go to the zoo downtown. But the price is enough headache to make me want out of here, especially since I know I'll never make a lot of money unless Obama decides teachers should get raises across the board. Boo hoo, poor me, I have a job I love.
Speaking of my job, the spring semester is over, so the summer is all mine! This doesn't help our money situation, but it at least affords me the time to work on my second book, "I'd Like to Thank My Colon." I will be done with it by the end of August. It's so daunting because now that I'll actually have time to dig into it, I'm getting cold feet. It's almost more convenient to not have time, so I can fall back on that comfy excuse.
I made meatloaf tonight, and anytime I think about it, I get sick. I was a vegetarian for about 11 years and I've never liked meat, but I try to eat it because it's cheap and easy, but I think I need to stick to my bean and tofu-filled recipes from my old life. I just hate the taste of meat unless it's a Culver butter burger or bacon or pepperoni pizza! Okay, it turns out I like meat that's really disgusting and so processed that it's really not even meat, but pretty much just a clogged artery on a plate. Yuuummmmmy!
This is a random blog post, but my summer of writing began today, so I'm digging in full-force. I also want to read more, and right now I'm reading a book of essays by Stuart Dybek. His name is familiar to me, and I have no idea why.
Can't stop thinking of the nasty meatloaf and the layer of fat that bubbled to the bottom of the pan....
Good night.

To-Do Lists and To-Don't Lists

So this should be pretty easy--I put a sign up next to my bed of daily tasks. There are only 3 things on it: Exercise for 15 minutes, write for 15 minutes, and read for 15 minutes. You'd be amazed at how hard it is to squeeze those 3 things in. The exercise is easy since I have a 30-pound daughter and live on the second floor and have a dog. The reading, I've decided, I will get done at night when my daughter is in her crib fussing. We have a tiny apartment, so if she hears the floorboords creak once, she'll call for us. So this is a good excuse for me to stay put for 15 minutes while she settles down. The problem is, tonight I fell asleep by minute 13. Why can't reading be more energizing like a cold shower or sleigh ride? Instead, it's incredibly relaxing and you always want to put your feet up and drink wine while you're doing it. I just nodded off, and then sat up straight again and finished my two remaining minutes, then came out to the living room to do a homemade workout of lunges meet kick boxing meet yoga meet who-knows what crazy moves I was making up to imitate exercise. Then I sat down to get some work done for the class I teach tomorrow, and I instinctively turned on the TV. I was creating a grammar quiz when I realized how distracting the loud commercials were being. I turned off the TV and have been sitting in silence ever since. This is not a rare thing for me. I like to end my nights in silence, but I thought it was a thought worth passing along to you. Think about how much TV sucks from your life. We instinctively turn it on for background noise, but silence is such a sweet, soft blanket instead of a Viagra commercial spewing off side-effects of a 4-hour-long boner. I'm just sayin'.

Fresh Start!

So upon looking at a spreadsheet I made to track our monthly spending, I realized we can save $13 a month if I canceled my homemade website. I've had that website since 2006, and to be honest, it was a selfish thing to have. Sure, maybe about 10 people have stumbled across it over the years and bought my book as a result, but really, it was a stagnant piece of nothing that was an excuse for me not to market my book. Since I had the website, I felt that was enough marketing, when in reality, it was next to doing nothing. This blog is a fresh start--an active way for me to get my first book out there even more and a way to find a publisher for my second book.

I have one more week left of the semester, so I have the whole summer to finish up (well, really, START) writing my book. I have a lot of written in my head. I just need more than a half hour here and there to get it on paper, and I'm so excited to dig in!

Today is Mother's Day, and Trey got me the best gift ever--take a look at the photo. My nickname is Birdie and I love coffee. Perfect. The other part of my gift that is still happening is that Cecelia has been napping for almost 3 hours, so I got to drink coffee in bed from my bird cup and read "Of Mice and Men." It, officially, has been a great day.