Happy last Friday of the Rabbit Year, esteemed friends, and welcome to the Open Mic! If you’re new here, on Fridays we get together here for some chat. (Sometimes there’s a guest artist instead.) The topic varies from week to week, but everyone is welcome to participate in the comments.
This week, as regular readers know, I’ve been busy packing and preparing for our upcoming move. Actually, in spite of the busyness, I’ve managed to do a lot of visiting (including hanging out with some of you, in person!), but I’m reeling a little from all the running around. Maybe you’ve had a similarly active week. Want to just sit for a little while with some tea (or a whiskey, if you’re so inclined) and catch up?
DIY satsuma candle I made this week -- click for directions!
In our second week of IWL workshop, over the summer, Jaime opened the meeting with something he called “Highlight, lowlight.” We all went around the table, sharing briefly the highlight of our week and the low point. Of course a busy week is actually a lot to look back on; some of us couldn’t remember what we’d done, so we just mentioned the incidents that came to mind first. And that is perfectly okay.
I’m aware your week might have contained a highlight and/or lowlight that you’re not willing to share with the internets. Just say whatever you like. I’ll be here, with my tea (Tulsi ginger with honey), listening.
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 
I’ll start. I’ve had a very enjoyable, social week that included visits with Anna, Chelsea, and Apricot, but I think my high point is a tie between meeting Anna’s daughters, and making that satsuma candle I linked above. I’m not sure I like what it says about me that in my mind an afternoon with two beautiful girls (and their lovely mum) is equivalently enjoyable to lighting an oily orange peel on fire… but I felt equally giddy-happy after both!
Low point, hmm. It really wasn’t too bad a week. At the moment I want to say the worst was the exhaustion last night after driving two hours in the rain and rush hour traffic to get home from Chelsea’s place. I’m so glad I went, and I’d do it again without hesitation. Given the full tank of gas and a fabulous audiobook, it wasn’t even that bad a drive. It was how I felt when I got home that was awful. I ate dinner and then just slumped in my favorite armchair for half an hour trying to jump-start my brain. I hate that level of weariness and I’m so grateful I don’t have to endure it often… I know many people do.
It was so lovely to see you yesterday, and I’m sorry we got so caught up chatting that your drive home was miserable 😦 You packed a lot of driving and socializing into yesterday; I’m sure that didn’t help your exhaustion level once you got home. I’ll be coming to your house next time!
Thanks, Chelsea! Looking forward to seeing you again. 🙂 No worries, the drive was good practice and I’m glad I did it. 🙂 I just hate being that exhausted… as a typically energetic person, it always feels like a failure when I have to sit around unable to do anything. ;b
I’ve had a week of being scared. I need to get out of “learning how to write” mode and move into “how do I sell any of it” mode. I have a new idea for promotion, but it hinges on my ability to show the value in purchasing and reading my work. That’s the first rule of marketing, isn’t it? It’s the only one I can deal with now. I can’t stomach all the rules, for the same reason I can’t become Neal Caffery or Jason Bourne. I’m weary of being looked over or down on because of the same character traits that make me a good writer.
I’ve just come back to this after attending to a little ‘bomb’ my cat dropped. I’ll have the jerks who’ve soured me on the job market know that I had a brilliant while idea while sifting through the — well you know. Of course, like most of my ideas it hinges on me producing a lot of good work in a very short time. We’ll see. At least it sends me out to shovel a ton of snow, and then try to get to the grocery store without hurting myself, with a little more hope and a lot more faith in my ability to come up with ideas. Thanks for asking a question and jump starting my thinking, Lisa. ❤
Ooh, glad those thought wheels are turning, even if it’s to face up to a difficult problem. Wish I had some advice to give (or an inside contact!) on selling work. Just know it’s something all writers struggle with, even the “successful” ones — at VONA last year one of the instructors mentioned that even his bestselling friend still gets rejected from magazines like The New Yorker. It is part of the territory.
High point last week ? Well, I’m currently quite happy with the way my guitar playing is going and stretching out to learn more and hopefully put together a set for touting around. Low point ? I’ve been suffering with some desperate headaches due to the air pressure changes we’re having with the weather being up and down (just something that affects me). At the moment though, generally things are good.
Aww, sorry about the headaches! Glad to hear about the guitar playing though. 🙂 We’re currently trying to find a new home for Erik’s electric one, before we start on our travels.
I had a good week too. Good weeks are made up of mostly fine days and that was my experience. I don’t usually have really high or low moments — just a lovely flow. Is that boring?
Boring or not, it sounds pleasant. 🙂
A little late in the game but I’ll jump in! The highlight of my week actually happened today when I walked downstairs and stated rather boldly: “I’ll Take It!” to my new landlord.It’s only the first time I’ve rented a place that was not school housing, and I’m turning 35 in a week! IS that crazy?! I felt so grown up as he shook my hand and said he would cancel any other appointments for viewing the space…my space. My lowlight had to be hanging out in SF on Sunday and Monday trying not to feel homeless. I’ll post the 3rd person narrative I wrote. 🙂
Ahh, Kuukua, so excited about your new place. 🙂 Can’t wait to read what you wrote.