Almost TGIF

This has been a bad week. Weird news from home, friends having difficulties, my best friend acting odd and I haven't been able to buckle down and focus on work. I feel like I want to be anywhere but sitting at the computer with doctors plugged into my ears and typing their reports. I don't know what's wrong with me. I haven't had a week like this for a very long time.

I am, however, geared up on the writing and am in search mode tracking down publishers and redoing my submission package to fit each publisher's guidelines. For some reason Gail just popped into my head, Gail who doesn't know and has never read a guideline in her life and who regularly makes $20K+ every year with her stories, despite not following a single guideline, other than producing a story. I just want to write. I'm up for a grant for my project to preserve history in the form of providing materials, tape recorders, whatever is necessary to record histories from a generation of people fast disappearing to the predation of time and age. I'm in the final ten and it means $50K for two years of work. Thing is, it also means more time, a commodity that is fast disappearing from my schedule and my life. My plate is getting fuller by the day.

The other day I was looking for a painting or some kind of picture to illustrate a piece on envy and I came across this, which led me to Kendra's studio and to an email inquiring about pricing. The painting is mounted and framed with a black metal frame and only $100 and will look fabulous on my newly painted bare walls, which means more pages and more work at that desk I am beginning to loathe this week. Surprisingly, Kendra lives in Golden, Colorado and that is on my way to Estes Park where I'll spend a lovely week in June with friends and at the Hamcon doing VE sessions and manning the club table when I'm not looking around to see what kind of electronics and radios I can fit in my budget.

Did I mention I made it into the final phase of Google's Da Vinci Code Quest? Now all I have to do is figured out how to open the cryptex, decipher the four puzzles and do it before the other 9,999 people so I can win this. All I need, if I win, are three people who want to see New York City, Paris, Rome and London on an all expense paid trip.

Now I know what's wrong. I passed through spring fever and right into the vacation itch. I need to get out of here and onto the road for parts known and unknown for a week of no work, no hassles, no bills (I'm sure they'll wait until I get home), sunshine, hikes in new places and spending time with friends I have and have not met yet. I won't be able to play and have fun though if I don't buckle down and focus on work. So, without further ado...