Willow Rambling

Greetings, Fearless Readers! I am back among you again. I don't come with lame excuses for my long absence, because for once, I have a good one. I moved studio (apartment)! And what a trip it's been. I'm not entirely out of the other apartment yet, having two gigantic wooden type thingies I don't have room for and don't know how to get rid of. Not true, really, my sister is taking one. I'm running out of time, though, and getting a little nervous about their removal.

The new apartment is pretty much... the bomb. I know that phrase is old and perhaps a little tired, but if it fits, well, it fits. Imagine if you will: entering your domicile, but oh! First! You've gotten your mail! Out of the box right next to your door! RIGHT next to your DOOR!! I know that's more exclamations than a lot of you like, but you go get your mail in the pouring rain and then traipse back across the complex and fumble with it as you try and open the door. You'd be excited to find it right there for you when you come home, too! If you have to go potty, you just turn left and there is the bathroom, with a window high up near the ceiling that lets in so much light you need only flick the switch at deepest midnight. If not, just continue down the hallway, beside the 18 foot long floor-to-ceiling closet until you come to the galley kitchen, which is open onto the onlyroom. I call it that, as it is the only room: it's a studio. Bedroom/living room takes too long to type. The onlyroom possesses the star attraction of the apartment, even better than the DISHWASHER! (How did I not mention the dishwasher?)

Anyway - the piece de resistance is the view. A sliding glass door opens onto a little patio. The patio gives way to a little ribbon of grass, and beyond is a gently bubbling, fountain-sped manmade creek burbling along! A small wooden pallet bridge is two steps from my patio. The creek spreads out to a pond to the left, where the fountains and the ducks play, and then meanders off between grassy banks, dotted by the occasional scenic rock. There is even a gentle knoll... atop of which is growing... yes... a willow tree. Not Old Man Willow, but as I have said many times in other places, I expect Goldberry to come around the corner, dripping green and gold, any second. There are no lilies... I imagine she has already gathered them. And no, that photo above is not my willow. I don't have photos yet, but I will when my dad figures out how to forward me the pictures.

All this (as well as deciding not to get cable) has put a motor under my seat. I have edited my 126k gothic romance in little over a week. For reals. I don't know how good of a job I've done with it, as it's still too damn long... but there's a fearless beta out there looking at my less-than-stellar 2nd draft as we speak. Actually, it's a first for me, as I have TWO stories out there being read by folks. Two down. Two more to edit. Four to get going... etc.

For those of you sick to death of my apartment ramblings, I promise this will have gotten most of them out of my system. There will be photos, later, but I'll try and tack them on a post, not ramble ad infinitum. I would also like to publicly thank my family, my mom 'n' dad, my sister Lisa and the tagalong gang of Cassie and Dustin for coming and helping me move. They actually did all the heavy lifting. And my sister got Cricket fixed for me on the same day I moved. Then, the awesome folks at the Oakland SPCA gave me her shots for FREE, so that is another huge worry off the top of my head. I have had many blessings recently. I will try and not bitch about the idiots at AT&T or the crapshot way that my huge utility bill at the other apartment (a big reason why I moved) is still biting me in the ass...

So much for not bitching about those things. Glad to be back, ya'll!