I want to keep getting better as a writer, I want to sell well, I want critical approbation and to get starred reviews and appear on "Best of" lists, even though those are all just subjective and aren't really a reflection on how well I can write.

I know the two are not remotely related, but this reminds me of Castle , where Rick's just released a new book and is trolling the net for reviews and debating what he's going to do with himself now that he's a has been. His mother finds a good review for him in some smalltown paper, and he says "I wonder how long it took her to find that."

There's also the line from the police captain at the precinct where Castle's hanging out, about why the police department puts up with Castle: "Do you know how hard it is for the NYPD to get good press in a magazine people actually read?"

Have a happy release day Barb.

I'm already getting some jitters about getting to the submitting part of writing. I know there's going to be a lot of rejection.

Any weight concern that's not prefaced with a hearty and sincere "if" presumes to know too much. And, even then, no, it's not my business. McGee from NCIS has lost more weight than I would if I were him, but why should he care? It's between him, his mirror, his doctor and his conscience.

is the toothpaste thing Tom`s?

I actually have travel size Tom's. And I don't like it. I want travel size Jasons.

I'm with Steph. I haven't always been of that opinion but came to it in the last year or so. I'm sure my behavior on the matter isn't always perfect, but I try.

Argh! The mention of Tom's reminds me that I forgot to pick up some Tom's deodorant when I was at TJ's last night. Grr.

"Do you know how hard it is for the NYPD to get good press in a magazine people actually read?"

I just attended a Gov 2.0 forum where one of the speakers called the CIA "the Lindsay Lohan of the federal government - they always make the news, and it's always bad."

The volcano thing is apparently because kids will be traumatized by death or something. Dude claims to have 4 kids, but somehow he's missed what kids are actually like. Of course, he may keep them in kennels with no TV or internet in a room painted with rainbows and ponies.

And because it's worth a separate post:

job~ma to Aims

it's nothing~ma to Frank and Sox's relative

best-possible~ma to bonny and sumi

I want to keep getting better as a writer, I want to sell well, I want critical approbation and to get starred reviews and appear on "Best of" lists, even though those are all just subjective and aren't really a reflection on how well I can write.

I don't know... I know I'm good at what I do. And while I have no illusions of being the next Toni Morrison or Isabel Allende or Michael Chabon, I at least want to be really good.

Barb, I totally get this. You're fine. Happy release day!

Thanks for the reassurance, y'all. It really does mean a lot.

Oh, and release day is actually next Tuesday.

You lucky people get to deal with me for nearly another week. I apologize in advance.

Matilda likes to compliment me on my belly size, as if I were some Diamond Age industrialist and a solid belly presence was a sign of health and prosperity.

She always says it so admiringly, and yet... yeah, not so much.

Mostly I'm just grateful that she hasn't yet said it about some poor random stranger on the street.

The volcano thing is apparently because kids will be traumatized by death or something.

Oh, as usual, dear. I just had a senior faculty member here worry that Allyson's book needs to be rewritten because the parents of third-through-sixth-graders will never let their children read a book that starts out with an earthquake. And, yeah, this is a man with three children and seven grandchildren. Have people like this never read, say, ANY FAIRY TALE EVER? Without death and orphans, you lose about 98% of Western children's literature.

I need some reasonable retort advice.

The message I sent to the bff expressing my concern with the way things have changed in our relationship and how hurt I have been by some of her recent behavior got an interesting response.

In my message, I said that I really understand that she's super busy these days. I also pointed that I asked 7 months ago for us to be able to use video chat, rather than the usual squeezed-between-errands calls or one line emails with zero personal content from her.

It also included a good deal of emotional content that was appreciative but not willing to pretend that I don't feel the way I feel.

I got a response that said she was 'shocked' and has 'a different perspective'. At no point did she step forward emotionally or acknowledge my feelings. She said she'd get back to me after thinking about it.

Eventually, she responded that she was looking for her camera and wants to schedule Skype so she can see me. Again, no emotion. In fact, it 'sounded' pretty demanding.

I should have asked for advice sooner because I responded saying that I'm not comfortable pulling out the video chat at this point and that I would rather not have a conversation about how she thinks my feelings are wrong.

Her response was, "okaaaay...not sure where this leaves us." Full stop.

My initial thought was, well, that leaves us with you basically admitting that the only reason you want to talk is to tell me my feelings are wrong...and you have to do that on your own terms. So. No thanks. And, by the way? Thanks for proving my point about the annoyance that is the one line email.

What would be a better thought, and/or response?