Going to Town

We live somewhere between the suburbs and the country, and one of the things I love about our little town is the ease with which I can get all my little errands run and not have to burn 3 hours and 3/4 of a tank of gas to get everything done. Today, after I finished with the 'day job' I had to pay the water bill and the house payment as well as making two deposits (one for us, one for The Boy, who is now gainfully employed and making money hand over fist). This involved going by the water department, the bank and the post office, and all three close at four o'clock.

I left the house at 3:30.

I was home again by 3:45.

In truth, our 'little town' is getting bigger by leaps and bounds - we've added a Sonic, a new travel plaza with a Wendy's, a Chinese restaurant and a Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell combo in just the four years since we moved up here. We're also adding countless new subdivisions and a new "village" that has a Mexican restaurant in addition to various and sundry other business, condos and even a daycare center. One of these days our little town isn't going to be so little any more, but at least at this point it still hasn't lost that small town feel that I love about it. The center of town is still the center of town - with the post office, bank, grocery store, doctor's office (also new but quite convenient for a stay-at-homebody like me), vet, and a wide variety of restaurants all within a stretch of about a mile and a half. Everybody who works at these places knows you when you walk in the door. Our kids go to school together. It's just a cozy little world.

And, of course, I take advantage of this in ways that might make my neighbors cringe with fear if they knew the truth.

Mwa-ha-ha-hah.

I am a people watcher. I get more ideas for characters and even specific scenes just from watching the sea of humanity going about their daily routines, completely oblivious to the fact that someone is watching them closely. And taking notes.

Popcorn. Microwave popcorn has to be one of nature's most perfect snacks. I know, there's nothing really natural about microwave popcorn. But it hits the spot when I need a little pick-me-up before diving into my electronic world. 'Cause, you know, running all those errands just wore me out.

My resume. Today I had the opportunity to really take stock of what it is I do. My supervisor for the day job offered up some overtime hours for this weekend, and I told her my two free days were already spoken for, what with somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 book reviews to write and a 68-page novella to edit for a client. Plus a few other things, like the landscapers coming to give us some quotes (see Monday's post, below) and having to run down to our church for a funeral visitation.

Her response was - and I quote - "Good grief!"

Yeah, me too.

She asked me who I reviewed for and what kind of books they were, so I gave her a couple or three paragraphs about my writing career. And I realized something.

I've done way more than I thought.

I was talking to the WMVR this afternoon and told her that I need to get a bibliography of sorts together of all the things I've written. Yeah, she said. You need to do that. In your spare time.

Heh. I'll have to put it on the to-do list, I guess ... right now I need to go find a blank videotape so I can record tonight's Without a Trace episode for the WGH, as he is working late (poor baby) and won't be home in time to watch it.

Ah, me and my life. Makes you want to hit me, doesn't it? ;)

Read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB

"A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors."
-- Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) French poet and critic