too many notes

I actually spent most of the day not at Ravencon (see previous post). The lawn needed clipping and with my hack of a mower I cut the whole thing nearly twice. A week of rain has done its damage. There was a lot more to do out there. Instead, I relished the fruits of my labor by planting myself in the sun with a book.

I attended exactly one workshop, the Poetry workshop. It was (I should have guessed) about sci fi poetry. Defined as speculative, not necessarily otherworldly. We wrote and read haikus and expanded on them and read those. My poem had too many adjectives. I tried too hard. I just can't write poetry on command. I try but it doesn't work. Anyway, here is my improved poem

Expansive
arrested by a curving range of desert mountains
hovering between beige and aqua
translucent copper orbs
expand
fill the curve
spreading
in silent brownian motion

below
agate bowl of water
tilted in the sand
drink of recognition

Interested in real sci fi poetry (mine's a bit too zen, I think)? Hie thee to Helix and Mythic Delirium.

Attendees were dressed up. Fun to see. I bid on a piece of dragon artwork. I have to go back tomorrow to pick it up. The games room was packed. The hospitality shelter was packed. The halls were packed. It's a party.

And you are ...?

I'm attending Ravencon. My first con. I know where all the geeks are. Well, not all of them. I don't qualify, of course. I can clear a conference room in no time. I came in on the end of the "Are comics just for kids?" forum by which time the seven attendees were engaged in desultory conversation about prejudice against graphic novels. After I sat down they ended the discussion and cleared the room. I stayed for the next discussion on "How to write a blurb." Which turned into "How to write a query letter" which will later be the blurb used on the back on your dust jacket and in all other attempts to sell your book.* The tiny room was full except for the two chairs on either side of me which were apparently off limits to everyone else or were covered with a frost that I couldn't see. Half way through the hour a very senior gentleman entered pushing his walker. I shoved the furthest chair and mine aside, making room for him to exit his walker and enter the nearest empty chair. A tiny rustle stirred the room. Ah, now they knew who I was. Friend of old man. Nah. Guess again.

Last weekend I attended my first non-denominational earth-centered spirituality retreat. For the first 24 hours I got pretty much the same reaction. No one is rude or cold. There just happens to be a larger berth of air around me than anyone else has. I'm sometimes talked to as if I have made a wrong turn and am too proud to admit it. No. I want to be here. Listen. I've tried everything else, why not this? And get used to it. I'm not the only bored boomer out here. There's plenty of us looking for new, different and educational experiences.

*It's scary the amount of marketing publishers expect author's to do. The author is supposed to determine their market, locate the editor or agent who covers that market, sell it, write the blurb and the pitch. Really. I would have thought just writing a good book was enough.

I love you! You're wonderful!

Thanks for hanging in here and waiting for me to return to blogging. I don't know what it is, but nothing is inspiring me to write. Sure sign of an amateur or I might just be lazy or it might be spring and I'm having too much fun or ... Whatever. Pick a lovely reason and hug it close to your heart.

I'll be back.

Current Fads
Listening. Time Waits for Everyone, Viggo Mortensen; Love and Other Obsessions, Spyro Gyra; Deep Sleep Every Night, Glenn Harrold
Watching. L.A. Story (early nineties)
Activity. making others happy
Gadget. iPod Shuffle
News Source. none
Reading. The Terra-Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri; not reading a lot right now even though I am a reading addict. SL is sort of getting that time. I'm building a grove. It's totally cool and I have this pet fish named "Fin" that swims around my avatar's head and blows bubbles. And my avatar has lovely ragged fairy wings and she's blue.

i know where all the ninjas are

They're on the road during rush hour. I guess I haven't been paying too much attention. Now that's I've had a break from traffic and am back into it – it's really scary.

I'm not listening!

All my life I've listened to my parents, my teachers, husbands, children, managers and clients. I'm not gonna take it anymore! Today is a listening-free zone. I'm not even listening to myself. I'm just gonna get out there or stay in here or whatever. No more listening!

I'm starting a new MeetUp group called "Moaners, Whiners and Complainers" and we'll get together just to bitch. Sounds great, doesn't it? Yep. That's the new me. Gone is the kind, listening, attentive, problem-solving helper. In its place is a self-centered, complaining, free-wheeling, independent free-thinker. uh huh

I have a boat-load of things to do today and I know that part of what will make me feel so much better is getting some of those thing finished today. Will I do them? Stay tuned. I might let you know.