“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

Last week’s accomplishments include finishing a chunk of chapter six of the novel, inquiring to two journals about the status of my submissions, and doing two of my three required exercises.

I’m going to go ahead and include my list of to-do’s, though this is going to be a crazy week as I’m prepping for a work trip to Mexico City on Sunday (which will require some shopping and a trip to the drycleaners) and have a work dinner tomorrow, among other bits and tidbits of things going on.

So, while I’m posting my to-do list, I’m going to go easy on myself. If I don’t get it done, I don’t get it done.

That which must be accomplished in the coming week:
– Finish second half of Chapter Six of Under the Midday Moon
– Write, edit, and submit poem to Love Lettered
– Edit Letter Box poetry chapbook and submit it
– Workout at least three days with two workouts being running training (0/3)
– Practice my Spanish

– Make Progress on Organization (do one or more of the following):
• Shred papers and dispose of them
• Find a minimum of ten items (big or small) that can be gotten rid of and get rid of them
• Take box of items to donate to Goodwill

varying states of stasis

The good thing about housesitting is that I have access to internet and Netflix instant streaming (hello, Fringe), which I don’t have at home. The bad thing about housesitting is that I have access to internet and Netflix instant streaming.

That said, I did manage to get a minimal amount of work done on my novel (about 350 words), so it wasn’t a total bust. I also did 2/3 of my workouts, which isn’t ideal, but not too bad considering it was Hades hot outside this weekend.

I only have three days to get things done this week, as I’ll be off to Clear Lake for an extended weekend, where I intend to relax and not stress about a thing.

That which must be accomplished in the coming week:
– Finish Chapter Five of Under the Midday Moon
– Submit something (poetry, fiction, whatever)
– Send inquiry emails to two submissions I’m waiting on a reply for
– Edit Letter Box poetry chapbook and submit it
– Workout at least three days with two workouts being running training (0/3)
– Practice my Spanish
– Make Progress on Organization (do one or more of the following):
• Shred papers and dispose of them
• Find a minimum of ten items (big or small) that can be gotten rid of and get rid of them
• Take box of items to donate to Goodwill

My mom is awesome and other news

Saturday, my mom and I decided to hit the local trail in Los Gatos. I had intended to just do my run and then head home, but upon hearing my mom’s plans to walk the entire trail loop (a 4-ish mile stretch that involves some steep hills). In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the best idea I’ve had.

We did the running intervals first, which went smoothly, then started walking up the hills. It was hot and one of the hills looked almost like this /, so it was very difficult. I probably didn’t drink enough water or eat enough food that morning, so I got extremely light headed halfway up. I was fine when I reached the top and the trail leveled out, but it was rough going for a while there.

But the trail being rough isn’t the point of the story. The point is that my mom is awesome.

At one point during our walk, my mom drifted ahead of me with her headphones in her ears. To music only she could hear, she began to fan her arms over her head in circles and loops and spirals in a kind of walking dance. She followed this with childlike skips and hops and tippy toe sprints, all smiling and in tune with what ever she was listening to. I couldn’t help but smile at her dancing, at her freedom of self, at her willingness to just play. It made me want to skip and cavort, too, so I did (for a little bit). It made me think of the way as a kid I could just run around and play without embarrassment, and that I wanted more silliness in my life.

Here’s a new goal for myself: Live life with childlike abandon and joy.

So, in other week roundup news, exercise was very successful with four of three completed.

Writing and organizing was less successful, as in nonexistent. I’m giving myself a break on the organizing, though, since I’ve been housesitting and thus haven’t been at home to work on it. I’m housesitting this week, too, but I’m leaving my organizing goals on the list, because maybe I’ll work on it next weekend.

That which must be accomplished in the coming week:
– Finish Chapter Five of Under the Midday Moon
– Submit something (poetry, fiction, whatever)
– Edit Letter Box poetry chapbook and submit it
– Workout at least three days with two workouts being running training (0/3)
– Practice my Spanish
– Make Progress on Organization (do one or more of the following):
• Shred papers and dispose of them
• Find a minimum of ten items (big or small) that can be gotten rid of and get rid of them
• Take box of items to donate to Goodwill

I'm getting settled back in …

… or at least as much as I can as I’m still sick, am not sleeping in my own bed because I’m house sitting, and will be this very week looking for an apartment to move into with my friend. Needless to say I’m going easy on the goals this week and they almost all revolve around finalizing my trip to Germany.

This week I need to
— get my photos together, posted to flickr, and labeled
— post some of my experiences from germany
— scan some pages from my travel journal for posting
— more of the same, I’m sure, as I get to thinking about it

* * *

The one report that I have for this week is that I came back to a rejection from Zyzzvya for a set of my poems in my mail box. Ah, well, on to the next market.

[x-posted to my livejournal. If you are inclined, you can comment here or there.]