I know that I am late (ever so slightly) with this particular entry, but there is a very good reason – at least as far as where I am concerned… and this is also bending the rules a little bit, because I am going to go into a bit of local news (rule number three of anonymous blogging – no locations, no news, deny, deny, deny) about this instance.

There is a bridge that I take in the mornings to go to work… I’m going to call it the Helmsley-Chocolate Coin Bridge (I assure you, that’s not the real name, but if you squint and look sideways, you can figure out what it is). When this bridge was open and running freely, it was about a thirty minute drive from where I live to where I work upfront dealing with nonlivings that a stony carapace for a skull and vomit for brains and try to tell them that they need a checkup: that’s a long but accurate gist of the disaster porn that’s my job. It wasn’t bad getting to work – about thirty minutes, so I could enjoy my favorite radio show in the morning (They Rock) and my favorite music on the way home. The intervening eight hours? Not so much, but that’s neither here nor there.

Then they started construction – still, not too bad, had to get up fifteen minutes earlier, not bad. That was until two weeks ago. Then they closed the whole bridge down. Little in the way of warnings and now I have to get up 3 hours
earlier (note to the local politicians:
I am not happy) to get to work on time. Why? Because the only other bridge that I can get to takes me thirty minutes out of my way. Adding my normal time to get up and get ready to work: 1 hour and just the travel time from here to there is another thirty minutes. That’s not including the stop and go traffic just getting to the bridge which tacks on another twenty minutes. If I add in the side stops to get caffeine, then it comes out to a little under two hours. The only reason why I give myself such a large cushion is because the traffic here is unpredictable at best. All of this means that when I get home, I have enough time to eat dinner and wash dishes… and go to bed so I can get up on time. Which means I have no time to write anything – you may ask why don’t I write at work? Simple – I’ll get interrupted every five minutes if I’m lucky. This is another good reason why I am trying to get out of this job and get something published – more on that when it happens.

Enough of the doom and gloom – on to the Shout-Outs! Today, I am giving a Shout-Out to two writers. Both of them are friends of mine, one I have known for several years and the other I have known for a couple, but she is also an editor who worked on my anthology. Lisa Townsend-Crow has some works out there, and I recommend buying them now. She’s currently working on a creative writing degree and she is a very talented writer. Better than I am by far and also a wonderful friend to have known outside of writing. Go check her out.

Amy Valenti is not only another published author, but she also runs an editing service which I have used with nothing but complete satisfaction. She is quick, very accurate and will let you know what’s going on with the work. She works in England, so be prepared to pay in Pounds Sterling – but it’s worth it. When my novel is finished, she is on the short list to edit it. Very inexpensive (if you’re a student, she does take a lot of mercy on you) to hire, but worth every one of the few pennies you are going to spend (currency exchange rates may apply).

Well – there’s little else to report here. I am growing sleep deprived and slightly mad. However, next Sunday, I might go to the movies and check out something. I will supply a movie review which more than likely dissolve in a rant about why Hollywood is running out of original ideas.

Until then, Good Reader – Good Night to You All.

Sincerely,

Seething With Apathy