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the lists monsters (a monday update)

I love lists. I love making them, lining up my to-dos or to-be-reads or hope-to-bes all in a row of possibilities. I love their logical assertions, or their assumptions of logic regardless of whether any single item has anything to do with any other single item. I love the feeling you get when you get to cross one off and feel as though a job’s been well done.

But I have a habit of making and then poking them idly from a distance with sticks. Or of simply abandoning them entirely as soon as they are composed.

This is a dangerous thing, this making and then abandoning. Because lists have a tendency to grow of their own accord, to become feral and monstrous and hungry. They will attack you in your dreams if you do not attend to them. They will scratch and paw and bite at your inner calm and security.

It’s best to tend them, to bring out the shears and prune them by striking out your accomplishments. Or better yet, by making your lists no greater than you can manage.

Which is to say that other than a few minor sketches in my morning poetry journal, I mostly ignored my list this past week (and many more lists in the weeks before), and I am beginning to grow concerned. So, I post this week with tentative fear and the hope that I can accomplish what I set forth in order to keep myself from being eaten alive.

To Do in the Coming Week
— continue to make progress on the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
— write, edit and/or polish 1-2 of my current poems
— write a 500 word article to submit to Matador
— submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
— do 3 walking/running routines for Couch to 5k
— do 5-7 days of morning yoga
— post a youtube video
— art, doesn’t matter what, but something

[x-posted to my livejournal. If you feel inclined, you may comment either here or there.]
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Monday Update

What’s been Accomplished

— I have written, edited, and submitted a poem to the Bang Out Reading Series, which means I may or may not be participating in the even in August. Will let you know if I do.

— I also managed to get some more work done on a couple of other poems, and have made tiny, itty-bitty baby steps toward continuing the short story that seems like it will never be done. I’ve also been periodically been adding some sketches alongside the words in my morning poetry journal.

— My ass is sore. Seriously. Though I suppose that’s a sign that I’ve done something right, because it means that my workout went exceptionally well (or was perhaps slightly overdone) this weekend. On Saturday, I did lunges, squats, sit-ups, and push-ups, which was immediately followed by my 45 minute yoga routine, which was immediately followed by a 2 mile walk/run at the track. While I admit that I most probably over did it (I had a major headache Saturday night), I also know that my currently sore muscles are a contributing to my good mood this morning.

Relatedly, I’ve learned about a training program, called Couch to 5k, which is a plan for a beginner like me to get up to running 3 miles in two months. The plan will be slightly interrupted by my trip to Germany, which is now less than two months away (o_O). But I’m hoping I can pick up from there afterward, as I really, really would like to meet my long time goal of comfortably running a mile (let a lone three) and eventually running in some sort of marathon or race.


To Do in the Coming Week
– continue to make progress on the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
– write, edit and/or polish 1-2 of my current poems
— write a 500 word article to submit to Matador
– submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
– do 3 walking/running routines for Couch to 5k
— do 5-7 days of morning yoga
– post a youtube video
– art, doesn’t matter what, but something

[x-posted to my livejournal. If you feel inclined, you may comment either here or there.]

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Monday Update

I am not even going to bother with a round up since my productivity (or lack thereof), was pretty much pathetic. I am, however, going to set some Work Week Rules for myself. Numero Uno being Fallout 3 can only be played once one of the day’s tasks has been done, and then only for an hour. In fact any form of television-related entertainment can only occur after completing a task.

I have to comply by this because my semi-conscious decisions to simply veg instead of getting things done is kind of becoming a problem at this point.

I’m starting a free yoga class this week, so at least I’m guaranteed that amount of exercise, and I’ll still be keeping up with my morning yoga routines, as well.

To Do in the Coming Week
– continue to make progress on the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
– write, edit and/or polish 1-2 of my current poems
— write a 500 word article to submit to Matador
– submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
– do 2-3 walking/running routines
– post a youtube video
– art, doesn’t matter what, but something

[x-posted to my livejournal. If you wish to comment you may do so here or there.]
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Monday Update

The big announcement for this week is that Bear Creek Haiku has selected three of my short-short poems for publication. I don’t have the dates, but at sometime in the next several to six months “Dear Tree”, “Shrodinger Haiku”, and “white cat in a windowsill”. Bear Creek is a great little publication with some rather nice short form work in it.

I meant to get my entire list done over the two week period since I last posted. Didn’t quite happen. I finished a new poem, kept up with my daily yoga and some of my morning poems, and got a few sketches completed in the notebook, too.

I really need to get more submissions out this week. I think that’s my main priority.

To Do in the Coming Week
– continue to make progress on the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
– write, edit and/or polish 2-3 of my current poems
– submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
– do 3-4 walking and/or running days
– post a youtube video
– art, doesn’t matter what, but something

[x-posted to my livejournal. you can comment here or there.]
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Monday Update

Feeling good about this last week. I’m slowly building up my level of “getting shit done” again.

A set of four (short, short) poems were submitted to Bear Creek Haiku. I’ve been published in that journal before. Some really nice short poetry and haiku in that one.

In terms of actual writing, I’ve finally managed to turn back to the short story that I’ve been avoiding for a while. Up until this point, it’s been in a jumble of different pieces, which I have now assembled into one document. Now I just need to work my way through a rewrite so that I have a draft that I would actually allow someone to read.

I also edited and polished three more poems, which are now not quite complete, but at the point where they are starting to resemble completion. The morning poetry journal progress was only sporadic this week, mainly due to my keeping up with yoga in the mornings, which sometimes conflicts.

Also got two really good walking days in. In fact, my Saturday walk was more intense than intended. My sister walked the loop we always walk, taking us up a rather long hill, and then down a short steep one, before looping around to our car. Except, there was no looping around, because the trail was closed off. Our only choice was to return up the really steep hill in order to get back — which kind of sucked, but also turned out to be less difficult than I though. I guess I am improving, after all.

To Do in the Coming Week
– continue to make progress on the story (actually finishing = triple bonus points)
– write, edit and/or polish 2-3 of my current poems
– submit a set of poems or a short story for publication
– do 3-4 walking and/or running days
– post a youtube video
– art, doesn’t matter what, but something

[x-posted to my livejournal. you may comment here or there.]