what's cooking?

Can it be?


I looked at my calendar and I had a shock. We are literally ½ way through 2011.


My hopes for this year weren’t exactly over-flowing to begin with, but now that we’re into June, well I just don’t see myself getting that big deal to finish that book on How to be a Good Mother-in-law happening.


Sigh.


I did get to “page 10”-so I’m further along in this plight than many others who are also trying to write a book. But not near as far as those who are now doing book tours and are on the best sellers list.


Whatever. I’ve had quite a year-I guess. Let’s see, I pretty much decided a certain company really did NOT have we journalists’ best interests at heart and moved on. I haven’t accepted an assignment in several months. I doubt they’ve actually noticed. It’s not that this wasn’t expected really. My doubts were flooding before the first story was even submitted. Mainly because of how they had treated me throughout the entire interviewing process, so not liking them and their ever-down sliding pay scale came as absolutely no surprise.


Neither did their bad behavior. It was nice though to know that there were 2 other freelancers who felt the same way about them and one of their “editors” burned out within less than 5 months.


Moving on, my “bread and butter” client has kept true to their word and has definitely kept me busy enough so that I couldn’t fit the bad apple in. I’ve also picked up some regional magazines and some supplemental work.


In case you’re wondering what this means in dollars and cents-I’m lucky to have a great husband who has an income or I would be one of those people living at the corner of a Wal-Mart and Costco, holding a cardboard sign reading: disabled writer, homeless, please help.


This is going to be a fun month-the weather is stabilizing, the new BBQ is ready to be used (that is if my husband decides the corroded old one is ready to go to the BBQ heaven in the dump), lots of happy things in the horizon-including a visit from our daughter, son-in-law and grandsons in 6 weeks and Father’s Day and the official beginning of my favorite season-SUMMER!


Heck, I might even tell (not ask, the woman’s a slave driver) my boss to let me take a day off and have a beach day. I know I’d have to go on my own-but I’ve always found the beach relaxing. I don’t even “play” in the water. I just take a chair, a towel, lots of sunscreen and water-make sure I have a new crossword puzzle book and relax.


That sounds like a perfect way to spend some time and do some re-grouping as to what I’d like to do during the last half of this rather perquacky year.


This week a colleague/friend convinced me to try my hand (actually feet) at a 5K. It’s only 3.1 miles and I manage to do at least this on a daily basis-even if I limp and hold on to whatever is nearby. I’ll probably regale my experience for you here next week. Just hoping the weather is good and that the least they can do is have not only water but coffee along the course.


My main goal-still have a Labrador mix sleeping on the fireplace come New Year’s Eve.