My summer class started two weeks ago. It's on post-modern American novels. The books are good. The class discussions seem aimless. My guess is no one understands the critical readings, and we've quickly figured out that it's easy to get off topic and stay off topic if we use words and phrases like "fragmented history" and "post-modernist ideals." I say "we" because I'm in the class, but it's aggravating.

The book review should be posted either today or Thursday. Yay, name in print.

I haven't been sleeping well the last two weeks. It's not without reason; I have a health issue at the moment. Exhaustion is a funny thing. Being chronically tired must be what a runner's high feels like--you don't realize you're not sleeping anymore, and you're just in this untouchable place. I organize things. I think about my exes and how we've reached the point where if one of us dies, it's irrelevant to the other. The other perhaps wouldn't even know. Isn't that ultimately where we've always wanted to be? Better places and all.

I'm not a runner.

Not much new

I've been juggling a lot of things lately. That's not new. Work full-time, career planning full-time. I can't say it isn't satisfying. I had a mid-twenties crisis the other day, thinking I need to screw around more, but then I remembered it's awesome having my shit together.

I'm waiting to receive a book that Ploughshares arranged to have sent to me for the book review blog. I've never reviewed anything before. Should I admit that? I've been reading tips and do's/don'ts. I've been practicing with my books; it's hard. But it's what I want to do. A lot of writers plan to teach. I think that requires a level of dedication and selflessness that, frankly, I don't possess. I've always wanted to edit, and since reading an article about the number of writers submitting to literary journals being far more than the number that subscribes to said journals (a point with which I both agree and contest), and which proposes that we review a book for every 10 places we submit to, I've decided I'm going to be an active book reviewer.

Fingers crossed.

I don't like having my toes touched. I've stepped on so many.

Is there a try?

Nasty things I proofed this week:

"This Carolina First branch felt a little like a 'redheaded stepchild' of TD Bank, and that impression did not make me want to do business with them."

"Not to be crass, but as I was leaving, I was wondering of perhaps this was Staci's first day and that she had recently worked at a corner feed store. I really can't stress enough how disappointing this shop was."

I have a lot of work to do. Semester ends in 2-3 weeks. New vegan baking recipe book just came in the mail. Long foodie summer ahead of me. Long lovely summer.

I have a lot of work to do.

Things I saw in the last week

1. A dead squirrel sitting against a tree while its squirrel friend/lover/family member sniffed, nudged, and gently bit it, checking for life.

2. A woman seizing in Sweetwater.

3. A wild turkey in the city. (Well, it was in Brighton...the quiet part with some trees. But still pretty urban.)

4. The sun, pad thai, passion fruit sorbet.