January 4: Cold, Sister, Classic Saint Marty, New Cartoon

It is cold.  Damn cold.  Twenty-below-zero-windchill cold.  My daughter and son's Christmas vacation has already been extended by a day.  Their school cancelled just a little while ago.  My six-year-old son did a victory dance.  My daughter simply said, "Ye-esssssss."

It has been a busy day.  Played in the praise band for church in the morning.  Played the organ for a funeral at the local Episcopal Church in the afternoon.  Snowblowing after that.  Then I helped make dinner at my parents' house.  Cheese quiche.  I'm beat.  Looking forward to a quiet evening at home, reading a good book.

Quick update:  my sister is still in the hospital.  They're testing her now for meningitis.  She's still not mentally sound.  No hallucinations, but she still has moments where she's not in touch with reality.  She pulled her own IV line when nobody was looking.  She insists I visited her in the middle of the night.  This is not the sister I know.  I hope the doctors get some kind of definitive diagnosis soon.

Tonight's episode of Classic Saint Marty first aired three years ago.  Unfortunately, its subjects are still pretty current.

January 4, 2012:  WiFi, Loser

Yes, I got the WiFi working at my house.  Actually, I just got the wireless working, and I'm feeling a little smart.  I don't know why I'm feeling smart.  The WiFi is working because of a very nice guy named Mike from AT&T who spent about 40 minutes on the phone with me this evening.  I just followed Mike's instructions.  Before that, I was an angry mess.  Setting this Internet up at my house just proved two things to me:  (1) I suck at doing technical things, and (2) I need  more friends who know how to do technical things.

I just checked my e-mail to prove to myself that I could check my e-mail at home.  I shouldn't have.  There was a message from the people who sponsor the Phil Levine Poetry Contest.  I've been waiting for about three months for this e-mail.  Unfortunately, the news wasn't great.  It wasn't even good.  I didn't win.  I wasn't even a finalist.  I really thought I had a shot with this book.  I worked harder on this manuscript than I did on my MFA thesis.  It has better poems in it and holds together better.  I'm really tired of disappointment. 

Yup

My friend Wonder Twin told me this afternoon that I'm never going to be named a Blog of Note because people don't want to read whiny, jealous rants all the time.  She's probably right.

I said I was going to write another post tonight if I got the wireless up and running at home.  Here it is.  Not very uplifting, I'm sorry to say.  I shouldn't have checked my e-mail.  I should have just basked in the success of my WiFi.

Saint Marty pretty much feels like a loser tonight.


  

Confessions of Saint Marty