Gwenda

Why am I beginning to feel like my MFA program wasn't the sole cause of me constantly being behind on everything, but especially e-mail? Surely this state of affairs is temporary, right? Oh, and because I like staying overwhelmed, I'm officially taking on freelance assignments again when they come up, so if you're looking for someone to write an article or do some reviewing…

Of course, this hand-wringing over not having completely caught up on life, the universe and everything, and finished my revisions, could also be the usual case of my never quite cutting myself enough slack*, since I only got home from two weeks of insaneness in Vermont last Friday and we've had something called a catastrophic ice storm this week (we only lost power for one night**, thankfully–so far, anyway). Right now the sun is out, and the trees outside my window are shining like they're made of glass, or possibly covered in soap bubbles. But not melting. Not yet.

Also, um, we aren't going to Wiscon this year, because we're going somewhere else really cool the week after. This makes me sad, but it seems like many of the regulars are taking this year off, too, and I'm sure those of you who aren't will provide the good goss after. Promise? 'kay. This could always change were we to win el lottery. I'm keeping the reservations until the last minute, just in case.

*Slack is for slackers! Except I only believe this when it comes to the lady in the mirrortron.

**It went off during the middle of the gobsmackingly brill Let the Right One In, drat it. Will finish watching tonight.

There was this moment on the first leg of our return flight–Burlington to Newark–before we safely made the abruptly announced "precautionary landing" in Albany when I leaned up to my classmate Gene Brenek and said,"You know, if this plane crashes, it'll be great PR for the Vermont College of Fine Arts, what with two recent grads, a faculty member, and at least one other student on board." Happily, it didn't come to that. And we even made it home on our actual second flight, which had been delayed in a most fortuitous fashion.

Anyway, the graduation ceremony was lovely and fun and slightly disconcerting as all events with bagpipes must be (Martine gave such a great speech though, and Leda did such great readings for everyone, and Rita didn't decapitate us with our hoods), and I feel awfully lucky to have graduated in such fine company. Dorky berobed pictures to come. But to all the Revisionistas–Micol, and Gene, and Shawn, and Lynda, and Galen (AND dearie dear Kate, who will always be one of us one of us, no matter when she graduates)–y'all are all rock stars, and I'm so glad to know you. And that goes for all the fabulous other people I've met in my time at VCFA too, especially those of you I hardly got to jabber with this time around (Jess, Margaret, and Insert Name Here, I'm looking at you).

Dogs are crazed. Hemingway is mad. Peoples are exhausted. Laundry piles could be developing sentience. And I'm finding it much easier to develop the energy for little tweets than for posts, but I'm sure that'll pass as soon as I get a really, really good night's sleep. (Plus, with Monday being awards day, there'll be lots to post about!) I was largely kidding myself about having writing time at residency, of course, and find it's actually nice to have the revisions on the book to launch back into right away. AND I believe I've decided what I'm going to work on next, once those are done.

Never too much rest for the wicked,  as the ever-nebulous they have been known to say.