Here's what I find interesting . . .

J and I watched "This is It" last night (well, parts of it on a bootleg streaming site--I know, bad bad, but hey, we never EVER go out to movies anymore)!  And I'm honestly baffled by all the drug talk surrounding Michael Jackson.  He was, to put it bluntly, fuggin' amazing up on stage.  I've been around drug addicts and this was not a drug addict that I saw.  Period.  End of story.

I've been around tweakers who can't sit still.  Was definitely not him.
I've been around downers who love them some Xanax.  Definitely DEFINITELY not him. (Hi, Anna Nicole Smith?)

He was alert, coherent, even-keeled, conversational, joking, and the dance moves he exhibited were so frackin' unbelievable.  It's really a shame this tour never happened. 

Either he was on some magical pretty pony new stuff that's out there that makes drug addicts behave NORMAL (perfectly normal) or . . . he just wasn't doing all the smack people claim he was.

I dunno.  My husband kept looking at me and saying, "THIS is a drug addict?  Really?  Not in my book...."

I know most of you guys are down with the MJ.  But, yeah . . . something isn't adding up.

Last night I had a dream that an airplane crashed into downtown Denver.  I dreamed that I was in jail (for whatever reason) but out for the day because I had to write a poem for class.  I was driving and I saw this airplane nose-diving into downtown. 

It was so vivid and real and the dream just went on and on, even though I woke up a few times, I kept returning to it.  Yikes.

So, we don't have fiction workshop next week (usually meets from 7pm until 10pm).  This is a good thing.  Tonight, we were a bunch of unfocused, loopy fuckers who kept snickering at stupid shit and were generally rotten.

Next week, we're all still going to meet, but we're all gonna get wasted.  We're calling it DrunkShop.

We need it.

I need it.

I haven't gotten a good buzz in . . . well . . . I don't know.   8 years?

Captains and Cokes for me.  Yessiree.  Maybe a Newcastle.  Ahh.  Sweet heaven awaits.

I just don't post that much here anymore.  I admit, I'm kind of lazy about Xanga.  There isn't that instant gratification and quick response that you get with Facebook.  But, I kind of miss blogging.

I'm loving life.

I'm busy as heck. 

I'm tired.  Still no diagnosis for this stupid fever I've had forever.

My back hurts.

I've been eating like crap.

I LOVE my genre writing group.  I'm making some friends that I honestly believe I will have in my life for a long time.  They are lovely, beautiful women.  I'm so lucky.

My daughter is GROWING SO BIG.  She's all about The Land Before Time. 

Carved a pumpkin with her tonight.

My life is pretty good, ya know? 

I do have one gripe, though.  Do you have friends who only post (here or on facebook) when they are sick, in pain or just complain, bitch and otherwise lead miserable lives?

Now, before I go further, I don't mean Fleener (even though HE thinks he just gripes and whines).  He doesn't.  He rants sometimes and it's awesome.  He can bitch all day long about stupid crap and it's FUNNY when he does it because he writes like a page and a half about stuff and he's a GOOD writer.  (Hope you are reading this Fleener).

But when all you see on someone's facebook wall is:

I'm sick
I have the sniffles
I have a bad cough
I have a sore throat
Ow, my head hurts
I hate work.  I work work work.
I had an accident.

And that's it.  PERIOD.  zilch.  Nothing but negative shit that has no funny-ness whatsoever, it's just stupid.

Yuck. 

Dear Fleener,

Your Xanga is gone, as is your Facebook.  As much as you're probably trying to avoid posting stuff (that you consider "whining" and the rest of us just consider it "an update to your life"), it sucks that you're not here on the 'net anymore.

I hope you get things figured out.

I hope your "friends" who aren't being so "friend-like" get a fuggin' clue.

Miss you lots.  Just sending you some good mojo. 

(hugs)

I'm sorry, but that O, Pioneers jean ad on television is just an affront to the literary snob that lives inside me.

They're disgracing Walt for the love of all that is holy.

It's just crap.  Let's take some monumental poetry by one of America's best and sully it with some GenY emo scenes.

Whoever made that ad needs to be kicked in the junk.

My husband has told my daughter this.

E: "I want a snack."
J: "What's the magic word?"
E: "Rock and Roll, DOG!"

Funny stuff.

Life is going pretty well right now.  Part of me doesn't want to jinx it by talking about it.  Writing is good.  Family is good.  Life is good.

A group of us in the MFA program (fiction writers) are starting our own genre writing group.  Since it's pounded into our heads, "DO NOT WRITE GENRE FOR CLASS" we're making our own group, dammit.  I joked that we should call ourselves The Inklettes.  Silly, I know.

But, our first session is Thursday.  I sent in some work that I had started on aeons ago (in a world that I helped create with FadingSun).  It will be fun to explore those characters again.  I miss them terribly.  Other members:

• Lisa: she writes lots of genre, reads lots of genre and is a walking, talking triva machine.  She is from New York.  Is mega Jewish and damn proud of it.  She's teaching me a lot about Jewish traditions and food (yum!) And there is this Jewish holiday where you have to try something new, so I had a fruit I'd never had before--it was a hybrid plum/apricot. 
• Miriam: writes like a madwoman.  Love her work.  She met and married her sweetheart all in her first year of graduate school. 
• Trai: first year student this year.  Awesome, awesome awesome.  She is inspiring us all.  She's already had some experience in the bus. (working for HBO and a few other studios).
• Maya: Haven't met her yet.  She's not in the program, but is a local writer.

I'm so excited for this.  I can't even begin to tell you guys.  This is an amazing part of my life.  I just feel it.

Not much else going on--just a LOT OF WRITING.  That's a good thing.

No West Nile.  (YAY!)

They also tested me for some cancer baddies.  That test was also negative (YAY!)

No infections present (YAY!)

No idea WTF is wrong with my stupid, feverish ass.  Maybe I'm just HOT. 

I can't tell you how happy I am to be in the clear.  Thank you so much for all the amazing wishes and mojo!

I've sent out 11 submissions of my stories for lit-mags around the country (one in Britain). 

I have two: Chance's Flaws (sci-fi), and Pine Box (mainstream lit).  Both are flash fiction pieces under 1000 words.

Chance is going out to 3 magazines and Pine to 8. 

Yes, I'm being naughty and submitting simultaneously.  Most lit mags have to allow it these days.

I'll keep you all updated.

In the past, publishing has kind of fallen in my lap.  Now that I'm hungry and actively pursuing it, I have no idea what to expect.  This is more of a testing-the-waters type of activity.  We'll see how these are received.

I am being tested for West  Nile.  My doc just wants to make sure.  Lots of ongoing symptoms over the last few weeks point to a possibility.  I, personally, think it's so incredibly messed up.  Who gets West Nile?  Seriously.

If I have it, there's little they do except for deal with symptoms and keep an eagle's eye on your health.

There's less than a 1% chance it might lead to meningitis or encephilitis.  I'm usually right in the middle with "the odds" so I'm not worried about that crap.  Hell, I don't even think I have it.

I just think it's funny that I might have this weirdo "traveling" disease (or at least it began as such) and I never, ever travel.  I'm a total homebody!  That's kind of ironic, ya know?

In other news . . .

I got a flu shot and I feel like crap now.
I am working out like a madwoman and am SORE (but it's such a goood sore).
I've lost 12 lb.  Yay!  I want to lose another few for my first big goal.
E is great.  She's into this phase:

• I can do it MYSELF
• EMMA DO IT

Yay!  (twirls finger in air!)

Later all