death of the old

so my computer goes down again for the umpteenth time and the extended warranty is finally up. this time it is the most petty of reasons -- a combination of short battery life and a short somewhere in the power socket. but what it comes down to is whether to fix the beast on my own dime or just buy one that works.

buy one that works.

then the problem is, which one? the introduction of windows vista complicates things, since you can't get a new pc without it, and since it is bound to be full of bugs since it is new. so a mac, perhaps? perhaps.

if only it wasn't so hard to spend a thousand plus dollars. anyway, wish me luck on the hunt for a suitable, portable, uncomplicated machine. that works.

smell that--

it's the scent of a new story hitting the mail for the first time. it reminds you of hope, doubt, overconfidence, deep despair, elation, and sadness all at the same time. but then, if feelings weren't complex, they wouldn't be worth experiencing, and neither would the smells that so often bring them back to life.

but aside from all the associational gibberish, the perfume picture will make a whole lot more sense to someone who reads my new story. (which is my usual these days, it seems. post a picture that has something to do with a recent story and hope it brings good luck). let's hope that some editor out there reads it and loves it.

in other news: we are gardening like mad. peppers, tomatoes, and more. a post on this later.

getting close

really. i can feel it. because i received another almost-acceptance today, this time from Story Quarterly.

yes, it was a rejection, but so nice and complimentary (read: they said it was seriously considered). and no, i did not detect any sarcasm. to close, they said that they thought that the story was so well done that while they finally decided not to use it, they think another editor will pick it up in fairly short order.

so not really a letdown. because this is the nicest rejection note to date. and because i think it means that i am getting close to publication.

next time, or a time soon to come, the letter will say yes, not no.

thursday

the sun is out! be happy!

aaaaaaaand relax

because i passed my language test. no summer chinese. no 3 hr a day class. no daily quizzes. no homework. no temporary insanity when i can't read the characters. no mind-blank when all i can think of is chinese phrases but can't remember what they are supposed to mean. no deposits, fees paid for creditless class.

but best of all--time with barb. time with the little dude. time to write. time to actually have a summer.

only five weeks till the due date. buckle your seatbelts.

moving

moving season is upon us. which means that i'll be hauling the furniture of neighbors and friends for the next few days/weeks. interestingly enough, all the moves mean a lot of furniture is being unloaded for little or no money. our house has benefited to the tune of a dresser or two, a nice side table, and a small shelf--not to mention a few other upcoming items. well, i won't complain. now if only the rain can hold off for a while so everyone doesn't get wet while hauling boxes...