Now Playing: She Loves Me (by Stephen Duffy); Some Kind of Wonderful Soundtrack 

Are social outings as draining as I think they are? Word Raccoon woke early this morning, eager to go downstairs and…she didn’t know what. Write? Read? Plot the day? 

She read for a few minutes, fell asleep again, considered chores and writing, and I think she maybe wrote a draft of a poem. Let me check.

Wait, wait, she wrote two poems. One of them will likely never see the light of day, it’s that…bad not’s the word, it’s embarrassing. 

The second is called “Sea Glass,” and I could see it getting a fair shake once I take the time to smooth its edges. 

BTW, I don’t often mention the canned poetry rejections I get. I get those, too, but I ignore those. Some are funny, some are needlessly dry. Some are borderline insulting, even when you can tell they’re a form rejection, which I really don’t get. Why wouldn’t you be kind and supportive even if you were rejecting someone’s writing? 

Not that I care. I don’t want my poetry in the wrong home, so them saying no is a favor to us both. But y’all. Be kind because some younger writers don’t have the elephant hide I do when it comes to my writing. 

Anywho, yesterday WR added onto her full calendar an unexpected dinner with my brother, making for a fun but overly full day. (When my brother texts and tells you he’s cooking at yet another fundraiser for the day and he forgot to tell you, you go. Boy can cook! WR swooned over the rhubarb and cherry pie. And where else are you getting Southern-style green beans in Indiana? C’mon…I know it sounds silly, but I really do like green beans that much.) 

As a result of yesterday’s busyness, I haven’t been able to get WR to do anything all day.

Sure, she made breakfast and went to the gym. Good for her. But from there it was:

• Planning her own info empire, stay tuned. (IDK what she thinks she’s up to…)
• She bought a digital tool and has yet to see it delivered. She’s hoping the weekend is keeping it away and will write and demand it if she hasn’t seen it within 24 hours. (She’s ordered from this company before, and she has no clue why this wasn’t automagically delivered. Hmmm…)
• She made tomato sandwiches with the last of the summer tomatoes and ate the remainder by themselves, trying not to weep. 
• She watched a long TV show and tried not to fall asleep. 
• Oh yes, she also watched an episode of Chicken Sisters. She has a (very) loose tie to the show: it’s a series that is based on the book of the same name. A woman who taught me book marketing had worked with the author on marketing another book, I believe. And I think the author’s podcast is where I first heard of that same woman in book marketing. Very loose tie, but of course I was interested. I started watching it on Prime (it’s a cute Southern soap opera-type show involving women with competing restaurants with famous fried chicken), and then Prime yanked it away and made me sign up for a trial week of Hallmark to see it. 

If you know me you know I am kinda allergic to the Hallmark channel except I did watch Angela Kinsey’s Christmas movie because she’s a sweetheart and I love The Office. Go ahead, dare call me basic. I will give you twenty-five reasons I’m not. Or I’ll write you into a poem. 

No shade to the Hallmark fans, either. It’s just usually a little too sweet-tea-for-breakfast for me. But Angela Kinsey? I’d watch her narrate a tax seminar.

(Ask me how I ended up asking to go hear/see Kendra Adachi for my birthday last year because of The Office Ladies podcast…and sweet Kendra caught us slipping out without doing the meet and greet and insisted on thanking us for coming.

I admire that woman and her podcast, but because I had only known of her for a few months I didn’t feel I should stand in the line and get my picture taken with her when we went to hear her speak. I felt like a fraud-fan. Which is silly, I know, but she was a dear heart anyways when she said goodbye.)

Oh, the connection to The Office Ladies? Jenna Fischer loves Kendra’s The Lazy Genius podcast and it is now under TOL’s umbrella. Kendra is the bestest. She’s perfect for Word Raccoons who have high aspirations but struggle to stick to a plan when the creativity says “I do not for one minute believe anyone will say, Oh, I remember how crisply folded her towels were, and we do not care for the high regard of someone who would only remember that anyway.” 

Don’t tell Kendra, though, but her Change Your Life Chicken recipe did not. I followed her directions (almost) completely. I couldn’t bear to keep the temp that high, and I think that’s why my version was only meh. Did I do something wrong? Probably. I’m sure it’s operator error. I might need a do-over.

Also: Jenna Fischer is currently in a play in Chicago. And there’s that art exhibit that closes the same day as her play closes. You can see where this is going…or, that is, where Word Raccoon and I want to go. 

No, no, WR. You must save your pennies! You didn’t even buy tickets to see FJM this coming week, you good gorl. (Oh, but I am so tempted to buy them last minute!! How can I pass up the Father! Do they discount last minute ticket purchases?) 

This post was written on Sunday, will show up for you on Monday, when I’m getting my nice long cortisone shot and dozing the rest of the day, supposedly. 

They say it takes a couple of days to feel the full effect? Please, please let this be a magic shot. 

If not, we’ll go from there. But I am so ready to live my best life. 

WR says I really ought to go wash my hair, that starting a best life means best hair. 

Gorl, would’ve made sense to have washed it earlier and dried it on the porch, but no, you couldn’t get yourself together.

You know when young women used to use “I have to wash my hair” as an excuse for not going on a date? Now that my hair’s this long again, I get it. (And I just had it trimmed!) 

If WR is saying I should, I suppose I should. 

Maybe I can convince the raccoon to write tomorrow or even this evening rather than watch more Chicken Sisters. But it’s got Lea Thompson in it, y’all, and Wendie Malick. You know how I feel about the movie Some Kind of Wonderful. That kissing scene!! That song!! 

Would it be self-indulgent if I post a link to that scene? No? Great! Let’s do!

And Wendy is fabulous in everything, even if she wasn’t in SKOW. She’s spunk personified.

Shush, WR, I’ll go wash the hair. But if I do, I’m not making supper. You can eat cereal for all I care, WR.