Nora, take off early. You've had enough stress and deserve a treat.

I, myself, am leaving early for a last-chance-pizza-before Passover meal.

I just had a turkey pot pie for lunch. Frozen pot pies are as close to comfort food as I can get without actually consuming chocolate or booze. (Or, I suppose, pot.) Mmmmm.

Susan, I'm sorry you haven't heard from the contest, but winning contests isn't your goal, publishing your book is. It would have been nice to get some validation, but I doubt the judges are going to give you terrible feedback and advise you to stop writing right now. And even if they do (which they won't), screw them, what do they know?

I know, I know. And I've pretty much decided if I don't final at any point this year, I'm giving up on contests and spending the money on an extra writers conference or two instead, that being the other major way to bypass the slush pile and get a quick read from an editor or agent. But I still want to win, you know? I'm just hardwired to be extra-competitive.

And I've pretty much decided if I don't final at any point this year, I'm giving up on contests and spending the money on an extra writers conference or two instead, that being the other major way to bypass the slush pile and get a quick read from an editor or agent.

Ooh, good plan. I see you are not in need of my advice at all.

But I still want to win, you know? I'm just hardwired to be extra-competitive.

Well, sure, winning is fun. I get kinda bummed when I lose at Monopoly (and that's pretty much every time I play Monopoly - you'd think the MBA would help, but no, I keep losing to the guy who has the rules memorized and played practically every week as a kid). what was my point again?

ION: Healthy Choice French bread Pizza is, IMHO, tastier than Lean Cuisine's.

I had a lean pocket for lunch.

I made cinnamon rolls this morning and neither my wife or my son ate any. What's up with that? My daughter thought they were quite tasty though.

Gud, can I have a cinnamon roll?

Gud, I'll be right over to eat their share.

How can anyone turn down cinnamon rolls?

I made cinnamon rolls this morning and neither my wife or my son ate any.

Obviously, they were either waiting for you and your daughter to go away so they could eat like gluttons and later tell you that there was an "accident" and they really only had a bite each; or their noses were so stuffed up that even cinnamon couldn't penetrate.

I sort of think the first explanation is more likely.

POD PEOPLE

Susan, remember that most RWA contests are judged, at least in the preliminaries, by other writers and would-be writers. It's very much luck of the draw whether you get good judges; it's easy to get stuck in the first round because of one bad review.