Uncle

I give up. I'm tired of fighting.

Today, has been a day of changes, some small and some pretty big. It all started with finding out my Prodigy e-mail address will be discontinued as of mid August. I've had that e-mail address since I went online the first time nine years ago. I run all my writing thru that e-mail address and I have to give it up. I have no idea how many people who have some of my submissions will respond after the e-mail is defunct and I know that sending them a notice will make no sense to them if they haven't even reached my submission yet. It would only confuse things if I send them a note letting them know now. I'll just cross my fingers and hope they will pay attention to the phone number and the snail mail address, especially when sending checks.

I decided to look into setting up a business account just for e-mail, but that makes no sense. I've been threatening to start a magazine of my own, so I did. The new magazine is called Living Voices and will be located at Living Voices in the next few days. It's not active yet, but the domain name is registered and it's mine . . . at least until they renew it automatically in two years. *deep breath*

The past year has been full of changes for me. I lost a comfy job when they down sized me and was thrown into unemployment and writing full time. I have done more in the past few months than I have done for the last several years, but starting a magazine of my own was a bit of a stretch. So many friends, peers, and colleagues told me I should stop spending my energy and talents on unappreciative people or on others period. Two names spring immediately to mind, but I'm going to take the high road and let you read back thru old entries to figure out who I mean.

*Deep Sigh* I just paid out a chunk of money to do this and I will have to make it work. I want to be able to pay writers and poets, but I also want to take this magazine to print within the next two years. I am biting off a big piece of the literary pie and I know a lot of magazines have folded, but it's still worth the effort. I'll send out a general announcement and press releases and make guidelines available and then the feeding frenzy begins. I can't wait for the priceless pearls among the sand.

I guess it's time to get a shower and run errands, go to the post office, and get outside so I can let out the scream of shock and surprise I've been holding in all morning since I decided to do this. Please excuse me. I need to go scream. Thank the heavens I live in a secluded region.

Okay, I'll shut up now.