I went to a talk given by Ray Bradbury when I was a college student. He mentioned a number of rejections. It seemed absurdly large. I believe he pointed out that writing is a strange profession, requiring a person to be very sensitive to observe the depths of people's emotions while simultaneously being thick-skinned enough to deal with rejections. The way I figure it, if I had been serious about writing, I would have imagined myself as a successful, older writer, saying to a gathering of young impressionable types, "When I was starting out, I got rejections by the shovels-full. My rejections file currently has ____ notifications in it. I haven't closed it, I'm still getting them, more of a teaspoonful these days. If writing is your passion, start your collection of rejection letters proudly...." and not quit until I had reached that number. I don't know what your number should be, erika. But I do know that the process sucks.

I mean, I have read about the 10,000 hours Malcolm Gladwell thing, but he doesn't really tell you when the clock starts, either. If it starts when I was five, or eight, when I started to make stuff up, I'm covered, but maybe not if we think about writing *professionally*. I just don't want to be the woman who got published in one famous magazine and never got over it, either.

I'm pretty sure my lungs hate Pennsylvania. After a week in Hawaii, where I was coughing some but definitely coughing less, I'm back to the gagging wheeze/cough now that I'm back in PA. So, back to the doctor tomorrow.

Now that I think about it, the places where I've had the least trouble breathing have all been desert-y places next to an ocean. Though I haven't spent much time in desert-y places not next to oceans, so I can't really say if the ocean is part of the breathing. The ocean is certainly nice, though.

they charge for valet with a handicap plate.

That's some bullshit.

Vortex, they do charge a discounted rate, but I am used to my other hospital charging nothing when you have a plate.

I've been up all night with terrible stomach ick, probably from all of the antibiotics I've been on. My stomach seems to be finally settling down, but I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight.

Hil, for me the ocean definitely helps with both my lungs and with my allergies. I was feeling much better by the ocean last weekend than I do now that I'm home.

I have not read this, but the description cracks me up: An erotic novel about Clippy

Christie Aackerlund doesn’t need help with anything. So when the world’s biggest technology company offers to fly her to a remote location and investigate an alien artifact, all by herself, she’s all like “I’ll do it!”

But the artifact isn’t what it seems, and soon an overly helpful giant living paperclip is getting her all bent out of shape.

I have not read this, but the description cracks me up: An erotic novel about Clippy

Ha!

I'm a little better this morning, and I managed about 6 hours sleep, which was more than I was expecting to get.

So, you have to read the Tetris blocks one first, cause Conquered by Clippy is story two in a series.

Umm.

I may own them?