A Good Day

It was a red letter day for me, my friends--I put myself out there not just once, but twice, for others to judge. I sent away my God essay to a local contest (hundreds of dollars at stake for the laureates!) and then dropped off my Mediterranean tostada recipe at our local Trader Joes (a $20 gift card possible there!). Not that it's about the prizes. Right? Just the zen of doing, crafting something for public scrutiny, is all worthwhile.

The essay was the first personal writing project I've spent significant time revising in ages. Usually I just bring a first draft to writers group, take copious notes, then stuff it in my cute polka dot expandable file folder. For this essay, the writers group gals had a couple of cracks at it and even M chimed in. It definitely improved, but is it good enough? Is it done? Well, nothing is ever done, in my mind. Having a deadline helped. And I used every moment of the time allotted, throwing it in the mailbox just ten minutes before pick up on the final day of the contest.

I thought about not entering after all, even after I'd told a couple of people that I would--and I told them so it would be harder for me to back out. But as my time for revisions shrank, it felt harder and harder to complete. In fact, I used one of my precious evenings this week to answer work email rather than revise! Dork. Anyway. But now my white envelope is in the mail, and that's that. I know I'll feel bad if I don't win any of the prizes, but I hope it won't be so discouraging that I'll stop altogether. I have a few other essay submission plots/thoughts for this year.

*****

In other news:

- Mom is coming down for long the weekend, bringing various sewing supplies. I'm looking forward to shopping and food. It's chilly, Mom, so bring your sweatshirt!

- I'm planning a road trip with a friend to Hearst Castle in May. Maybe we'll even be able to work in a soak in the Esalen baths. Neither road trip nor Hearst Castle nor Esalen have I been to in years, so I'm excited about it.

- Back is definitely better. On track for going back to the gym next week.

- I'm starting to use instant messenger. I know, I'm a Luddite, I know! I can see where it might have a certain place in my life, but even if this multitasking mode of life becomes the norm--three IM windows open while you answer a call on your cell phone, listen to music, and watch the latest video on your laptop--I don't know how much I'll use it. Email was cool for a while too, and now it's just another, albeit more convenient, piece of mail. In some ways, I like knowing when other people are online and available to communicate with, but I think this is going to become a given soon. I wonder if people felt this way about the telephone? Convenience, almost a freedom, to reach out and touch someone instantly, but also one more possible intrusion.

- On a related note, I'm also starting to get the hang of MySpace. I can see why people have so many friends--that's the only way you get any new action. Which is why I don't keep up with Orkut and a couple of the other networking sites I joined. I have a grand total of 17 MySpace friends now, and if it weren't for my cousin's daughter, I wouldn't have much new stuff to look at at all. Yet I'm getting to know her and a couple of other people better this way. But for this passive communication, I don't know that I would keep in touch at all, so I'm grateful for it, and I'll keep it up as long as they do. I did just get my first bulletin from Elvis Costello--that was fun, if impersonal!

- This new schedule is definitely making it harder to blog as much. I'll have to find a way to remedy that.

- Ushered for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy last night. An excellent show, made me want to take dance lessons with M again. Well, maybe after he passes the Bar.