Note to self: Buy new candles

My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends –
It gives a lovely light.


Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote that in the 1920’s, a time most of us believe must have been quite placid and unhurried. No computers, no jetting around the globe, no cell phones, no TV, no traffic jams; in fact none of the hundreds of things that seem to suck up our time in the modern world. Yet, she says it perfectly, and I bet all of you can identify with her sentiments. I have definitely been sitting in a blaze of light for the last 7 days, letting the rushing press of time and my desire to do it all overwhelm me. I won’t bore you with the before dawn to long after dusk details, but trust me, the candle burned down to a flicker and a puddle of wax by week’s end. What I find most frustrating is that my time for writing has been broken into short segments, none of which give me time to craft my stories the way I want. So what are the important things I have to show for the last 7 days of my life?

- A handwritten note from the vice president of my division praising my work ethic, thanking me for applying for the job, and encouraging me to try again.

- A clean house, even though no one but myself gives a damn.

- Three more pounds gone, and finally being able to squeeze into my last pair of formerly too small jeans. Time to go shopping!

- Ten, count them, ten new stories, started but unfinished, sitting in my “get your ass in gear” folder, making little whimpering noises.

- Twenty four miles on my treadmill and three hundred on my car.

- One delicious afternoon devoted to hedonism.

It’s all about balance, now isn’t it?