Dear Diary . . . day by day

Tuesday, October 9th, 2001 - Hi-ho! Hi-ho!

Tim wants me to write you all a journal entry about all the stuff I got done yesterday. So . . .
Yesterday I got up early to go to an interview in the City. This is the second interview I've had less than a block from where my sister works, and both of these have turned out to be for temporary jobs in other places. Ah well. This one yesterday I knew I what I was getting into at least. I interviewed for a job working medical conventions as a page/clerk/receptionist/what-have-you. They did us three at a time and had us scramble for job assignments. It wasn't quite as humiliating as it sounds; in a way, I was just thrilled to have some hours, some work that will bring in some income, even if it's not permanent. Of course, this job sucks in many ways: the pay is much lower than what I'm really looking for in a day job and I have to work through the weekends, when Tim will be home. I've never had someone at home I'd rather be with when working a weekend or night job before, and I'm not sure I like it. Last weekend was so pleasant with Tim, and it kills me that it might be the last one for awhile.
Afterwards, I got talking to the older woman in our trio who was commenting on the current dearth of jobs. "Oh, it's always like this now and again, not enough jobs for the number of qualified people . . . I was just hoping I wouldn't have to go through one of these again. The last one out here was in '93." She was making me feel both better (it's not my fault it's so damn hard to get a job right now) and much worse (oh, fuck, how am I going to "get through" this? I've never done this before and I need a steady job!). She looked at me and said, "At least you're young; you can join the service and they have lots of good jobs; they'd never take an old goat like me." I laughed and told her that the service didn't want me, either, that I had a problem with that particular kind of authority.
Anyway, I guess having some money come in, even though it's far from enough, cheered me up a bit. I came home and cleaned/vacuumed the living room (including the couch cushions, inside the couch and all the corners). I took all the books off of one bookcase, dusted it and moved it to a better spot in the room and restocked it. The living room is looking really comfy and neat these days, which does a lot for my headspace.
I chatted with Kellie, who had called because she had the day off for Columbus day. Nice to talk to her again, and we commiserated about low-paying jobs. When Tim came home we made Mexican fare and watched some TV, which was a mistake. It's all news that we get at that hour, and I kept tearing up, sobbing into my quesadillas. Can't take the world right now, I guess.
Tim was moody after dinner but kept trying to tell me nothing was wrong. Finally he said something about feeling cooped up because we're too poor to go out. To cheer him up, I told him we could afford to go sit in a cafe for a bit, just let me put some warmer clothes on. A half an hour later we were sitting at a table in Gaylord's, sipping our steamed beverages and working.
At the cafe I got done another 500 words or so of my Indy guide, which I hope to have done and sent away by Thursday. I love love love having a laptop; I think I get more done when I'm not sitting in my house trying not to be distracted by the myriad projects and chores awaiting me.
We came home and I was struck by something in the Tiptree I'm reading that made me think I knew where to take the current fantasy collab that Tim and I are writing. There I was, at the computer for another half an hour, writing non-stop for about 860 words. Whoo-hoo! Not sure how good it is, but it doesn't really matter. I'm following the urge to write when it hits me these days, and that's a very good thing.
Tim and I had one of our Olympic Gold Medal shags, then I read while he played some Diablo II. I went to sleep very happy, next to an enthusiastic Tim who was even more thrilled at all the cool shit I accomplished that day. I love it that we're each other's best cheerleader; we really have a mutual respect and admiration that is a miracle to find these days.

Exercise log:
Shagging counts when it's this good.
Writing log:
Wrote another 500 words of my Indy guide. Wrote 865 words of my collab with Tim, which I might take and finish by myself if I keep getting this mind flashes on it.
Check out my new Bibliography page.
Current Publications:
In the Shade of You a poem at Speculon.
San Francisco City Guide at EGrad.com. Written by me, edited by someone else.
I'm currently reading:
Out of the Everywhere by James Tiptree Jr./Alice Sheldon
If There Were Wolves a poetry chapbook by Tim Pratt
The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl by Tim Pratt
Okay, so I'm just reading the very rough first draft of the chapters fresh off the 'puter, but damn, it's already good!
My PO Box is:
Heather Shaw
P.O. Box 13222
Berkeley, CA 94712-4222

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