Getting down to business

So, I got sick. Then I got better. Then I didn't. Then I didn't some more. Then I did. Or, I'm working on it. And I've made lots of progress. It's amazing how this year's flu ravaged me in waves. Very strange.

But though I'm still hacking, I'm ready to leave off all matters of sickness now and get down to business: life on the verge of spring.

I have workmen in my living room at this very moment, making me a living room where once there was a great dark hole. Oh! You have no idea how glad this makes me.

Next, the bathroom, I think. We still have to negotiate that deal.

I have a feeling I'll be spring cleaning for the next few months. What started with last year's basement purge is now renewing itself and gaining strength. I am ready to oust furniture I hate, jewelry I don't wear, and projects I'll never finish even if I live to be Methuselah. Dust it off, snap a photo, post it to Craig's List. Unless, of course, any of you are in the market for le junque. (But don't give in to the urge; you don't need this stuff any more than I do.)

Last but not least in the news today, I have our Tryst Press web page updated. FI-NAL-LY. It's not what I'd envisioned—sadly, I discovered that my know-how as a web programmer is sorely lacking, and I ended up leaning on some handy Mac software to help me get the job done. That was limiting. When the construction dust clears, I hope to play the autodidact with an armload of library books and educate myself further on the subject of web design. Then eventually, I will (may) update again with a swankier look. But you know what? Right now, it's good enough. That's my new mantra.

There is something about the new web page about which I am practically shivering with excitement, and that is a new feature: a blog. Not just any blog, but a Morning Stories blog. Some of you may remember I talked about my volunteer work as a transcriber for my favorite radio show/podcast out of Boston. Well, the men who create the show were fishing around for ideas about how to make these transcripts more available to readers and open them up for public comment. I had myself a wee brainstorm, raised my hand, and said, in essence, Pick me! They were kind enough to agree to let me do my thing. So, would you like to know about my thing/their thing/our thing?

First of all, before I send you off to investigate, I want to encourage you to read and comment, and not only that, please avail yourselves of the fantastic opportunity to listen/subscribe to the podcast. You who enjoy visiting Bright Street I know will adore this show. Trust me on this one.

But please do go and check out this new venture, and leave your terrific, intelligent, heartening comments. You'll be the first real traffic there. You're the elite! I am rolling out the red carpet for you.

Here's the direct path to the Morning Stories Blog.

Here's the the starting point for the updated Tryst Press page (and don't miss the news and calendar page if you want to see a photo of Rob et moi at the Hertzog Award ceremony).

Some of you will be getting an official mailing today about the Tryst stuff. If you don't receive it but would like to, email me your request. By the same token, if you receive it but don't wish to, just send me a note and request to be unsubscribed from the mailing list, and soon you'll have one less piece of occasional email in your inbox. It's A-OK.

More on the Hertzog Award and other bits later.

Oh, P.S. The Morning Stories Blog will be growing daily as I post more and more of the archives, so keep checking back for more good stuff. I will post progress reports on the main MS Blog page.

xo