Last night at sundown began the first day of Passover. I wasn't supposed to work at all today. You are all witnesses to how writing turns religious practice into Epic Fail.
Around 4:30 a.m.: I hear my roomie's phone vibrate and it wakes me up. I live in a studio with a guy who works at a hospital and has to be at work by 6 a.m., so I keep my apartment at a frozen 65 degrees so I can sleep through the entire night without him waking me up. Last night, since it was so cool outside, the air conditioner kept stopping, so he woke me up. And, I couldn't go back to sleep.
Around 5:30 a.m.: With my roomie out the door, I turned on my laptop to check some email.
Around 6:00 a.m.: After just falling asleep, I woke up to the sound of him coming home. It turns out he almost got to work before he realized he didn't work today.
Around 7:00 a.m.: I finally get back to sleep.
Around 11:00 a.m.: I wake up almost bright eyed and bushy tailed. I check my emails, respond to a few, and get dressed for the gym. I also eat a pickled tomato and sliced turkey lunch meat for workout fuel. I eat it over the sink. My roomie is sleeping right next to the fridge, because we're cramped for space.
11:45: One hour workout plus ten minutes in the steam room.
1:05: Get home, call city hall to confirm info about problems election signs for a story, take a shower, eat a bit of food, and read over some letters I have for another story.
2:00: Call the guy who put up the signs and get his comment. Call the director of a local org that helps businesses to try to get my hands on their budget, which I've been trying to do for a week. Informed she is out sick, but hopefully I'll get the budget soon. Look for the emails of two people I need pictures for by tomorrow; I've already talked to them about the pics and left them voice mails, but the pics have not been sent.
3:00: Try to get in touch with the host of a Passover dinner I thought was today. Field questions about whether or not I can write press releases and whether or not I'm willing to write articles for $5 a pop. Get all of my files and notes together for a story I had to write tonight. Get all of my files and notes together for a feature I had to write.
4:00: Drive to the used bookstore to trade in books. Most of them are not indie enough, so I get $7 in store credit and buy The Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories. Drive home in defeat.
5:00: Roomie apologizes for waking me up over and over and we end up going out for sushi and drinks (his treat). We head to my new local favorite for sushi and I drink a Woodchuck hard apple cider at the bar next door.
7:00: Get home and watch Better Off Ted, because it's awesome. Try to take a short nap. Fail.
8:05: Write On the cheap about The Taco Bus, start reading the ghost story book, change the filter on my AC and put a load of laundry in. Field more emails, from inquiries about my broken love life to more about the possible freelancing opp.
9:00: Work on my new, untitled WIP, realize my washer isn't draining and try to fix it, start looking at my notes for the new story, read a little more in a couple books and try to start watching The Dresden Files.
10:OO: Write the election story I've been working on the past few days, look over an email from another disgruntled person, send off a couple more emails, and realize I'm not going to finish The Dresden Files Ep. 8 tonight. Find $10 extra in my Mechanical Turk account!!!!
11:00: Start gearing up for bed, watch a little more Dresden, and write a blog post about my busy day. Get very sleepy, and very cold, because the AC is on 65 degrees again. Take my now dry clothes out of the dryer and throw them in a heap in a laundry basket. Pray my cats don't roll around until their debris covers the newly cleaned clothes. Pray I will have a night where I sleep the entire night through.
What I've accomplished:
On the cheap: 521 words
Times article: 481 words
WIP: 1,252 words (approx. 500 from tonight)
This blog: 793 words
