What a depressing day

Actually, let's call it a depressing couple of days. Got the email I was waiting for -- and it turned out to be the one I was dreading. Manhood Road was rejected. Darn it all, anyhow! I had a great little story going in my head -- someone (his name was Jim in MY story) -- was fighting hard for the novel about a serial killer loose in small town somewhere, right down to the wire. But it was not to be. So, the novel goes back out again. I'm sending it out to a few places this time. I'm going to be an old old woman by the time I'm published if I keep doing this one at a time. And yes, I'll be good and write simultaneous submission in the cover letter.

I tried to be -- gee what's the word? -- oh yeah, positive about the whole thing, and decided to throw a little party for myself. Hey the novel was gone a long time, and in my head, it fought the good fight. So, I bought food, and a movie, and some bouquets of flowers, but when I finally got home, the hubbie was napping. I didn't want to party by myself -- that is one of the signs of alcoholism, and I'm not that depressed! So I decided to do the same thing, then have a late night party. However, Hubbie woke me at 7:30 this morning to let me know that the tree guy had decided he could make it this weekend. So, I slept through my own party. Maybe I'll do it tonight. The movie's perfect for the way I'm feeling. Syriana. Lots of stuff blowing up, and some torture, too. I'm still in the mood.

The reason we got the phone call from the tree guy was, we have to have two of the trees removed from our yard. They are big (huge, actually) weeping birches, and they are both dying of old age. One in the back yard, and one in the front yard. What a drag. So, the guys from Rob's Tree Removal are in my back yard right now, dodging the dog doo I didn't find, and hacking the tree into manageable pieces so that friends can haul it away.

So, it's that kind of a day. Trying to keep the dog from going nuts because there are STRANGERS in the yard, trying to find other suitable publishers for both my unpublished novels, and trying to keep from thinking about how bare our back yard will be without that tree.

I'm starting to understand my grandmother a little better though. She was bad for starting "a little grass fire" just to get things cleaned up around the yard (yes, she lived out in the country) and then, when it took off on her, making coffee for all the firefighters. I caught myself thinking "you know, just a controlled burn, and this yard would look pretty good." Must not think those bad thoughts, though. I haven't yet developed any kind of rapport; with the local firehall, and I don't have a clue how they take their coffee, so I better just get out the rake and forget about the rest of it.

The good thing is -- the huge evergreen tree we have in the front yard will start to come back now. It was looking like it was curling up its toes too -- but the tree guy -- nope, his name's not Rob, it's Joe -- said that the birch is crowding the evergreen, and it will do better once it's by itself. So. Good. I'll take that as a small ray of sunshine on this dismally bleak day.

Oh -- Happy birthday Mom! (See? I did remember.)