Monday, December 22, 2008

Year two





A year has gone by since I last wrote this blog, but it's not because I haven't had anything to say, it's just that I'm not much of a blogger - - yet. It's one of those things, like exercise, that you tell yourself you're going to start doing on a regular basis, but then there's always something keeping you from it. Especially if you've been as busy and distracted as I've been these past twelve months.

Here's what happened when I wasn't blogging:

Last January I was living alone in our house in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while finishing work on a book I've been writing. My partner, BB, had taken a new job in the Detroit area and was living in a tiny apartment there. We were trying to sell our Grand Rapids house, but had no luck.

We decided to rent our house to a family member and I spent most of February and March packing up, getting rid of junk, and looking for a new place for me and BB to live.

In March we took a trip to Chicago & saw Wicked, and in April I got to meet Ira Glass, host of This American Life, at a reception in Lansing Michigan.

In mid April I said a sad goodbye to Grand Rapids, and BB and I moved into a ranch style rental house on an island south of Detroit.

In May we took a car trip all the way up to Copper Harbor, Michigan. A beautiful, memorable trip.

In June my first Grandchild, Benjamin, was born, a happy, happy day. I also began writing a regular column for my local newspaper.

In July I finished editing the book and started the process of looking for an agent. In August we spent a wonderful week at a condo in Grand Haven.

In Spetember we participated in the Labor Day walk across the Mackinac Bridge - the five-mile span that joins the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan - and, happy surprise, our house sold.

In November we were in the Thanksgiving day parade in Detroit, and in December I got to play a part as an extra in a Hollywood movie!

So, I'd have to say it's been a pretty good year, an interesting year, in spite of the crappy economy, and even in spite of the new stack of rejections from agents that I've accumulated. Money's tight, I'm unemployed, another year older & unhappy with the place that I'm living, but... I'm never bored, I love BB, I have creative outlets, and no idea what will happen next.