notes on a life

• Zucchini plant has its first blossom opening! Lettuce ready to harvest. Green onions coming along well. Tomatoes going gangbusters on the front porch in late-afternoon sun. Strawberries died. :( BUT! You-Pick-Em berry farm discovered in Brighton, offering strawberries and rhubarb this month! Expedition imminent.
  
  
• The Guide at work goes to press tomorrow evening. I get the final color proofs tomorrow and plan to spend the day scrutinizing them for any last-minute changes, typos, etc.
  
  Oh, and did I mention that we still don't have a decision from the Bureau on a cover? That bit is giving me a bit of an ulcer. Three days 'til we go to press and they sent a photographer to the zoo because they didn't like any of the photos the zoo photographer sent us to use. (Remind me to tell the "attacking elephant" story someday.) Also, damn your run-off elections; we're holding a page back so that we can slip in the names of the city council after the city decides who they're going to be.
  
  
• Business trip to Dallas is planned for next weekend, except that we don't know what hotel we're staying at yet. I kind of hate traveling by the seat of my pants like this. On the plus side, I'm getting to do several things I've always wanted to do in Dallas: the Women's Museum, the Sixth Floor Museum, and Shakespeare in the Park. And on Friday? I get to spend the whole day shopping. For research. God, I love my job.
  
  
• Met with a new writing group last night. All children's authors, several published with small presses. All considerably older than me; when I said that I had been writing since childhood, they said, "And that was what? Ten years ago?" I kind of hate it when older people judge me because I'm young. I'm not even THAT young any more, for goodness' sake. They all shut up when I mentioned that I edit a travel magazine for my day job.

Looking forward to a calm weekend of berry picking and pie making before the crazy sets in.