Seriously, though?

[megwrites]

Sometimes, I really wish that I could say, "Just because you're a published author does not make certain things okay or, yanno, cute. What's gross for the rest of us to do is just as gross for you." There's a reason there's a T in TMI, and no matter how many people read your LJ you can't make that T go away.

At least, for the love of sweet zombie Jesus, cut tag that kind of stuff.

It will be a long time until I venture forth to that blog again, if ever. I just don't feel like risking a full gastrointestinal rebellion just to watch someone act like they're that interesting or that witty. Newsflash: nobody's interesting or witty enough to justify that amount of TMI.

In other, less snarky news, I had to turn down an invitation to a writing workshop in May. I hated to do it, but I couldn't justify the expenditure or time when I'm unemployed and my full focus needs to be on finding employment and holding onto it with both hands and my teeth and some superglue and possibly a hand clamp if I can come by one.

I would've loved to go and I was flattered to be asked, because I was asked by one of the readers for the Tower!Guy novel, so doubly flattered. And I've never been to Michigan.

But I just couldn't justify the money. Especially when my fiancee looked longingly at a hardback book he wanted today when we were in Borders (just to get the new Futurama DVD, FYI) and put it back on the shelf without even considering it, because we can't even justify buying new hardback books anymore.

You know that scene in the Disney version of Robin Hood where everyone is broke and poor because the prince took all their money as taxes and it's raining and half of them are in jail and Allan-a-Dale is singing "Not In Nottingham".

I feel like the entire world is kind of just like that right now. I'm actually one of the really lucky ones, but I look around see people who make Mother Rabbit and her brood look like the picture of good fortune in comparison.

I try to keep that in mind. And even if I can't go to that workshop, I can always do what writers through the ages (who also didn't go to workshops) did. Just keep writing and doing my best and trying until something works.

Not as fun, but if life was always fun, we'd either never die or die too quickly. Not sure which.

Comments

[ladyslvr.livejournal.com]

Out of curiousity, what's the name of the workshop?

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

It's the Hasting Point Writer's Workshop.

It's here: http://pointwriters.net/index.html, if you're curious. It's by invitation only this year, since it's new. I would dearly love to go, but you know how it is. *le sigh*.

There will be other workshops.

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

Nope, not invitation only this year--about half invitees and half participants. The deadline is past, but I'm trying to fill the last two spots in the next couple days.

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

Oh, sorry, I must have misunderstood that bit!

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

It's not totally transparent. :)

[ladyslvr.livejournal.com]

Huh. I wish I'd known about that workshop earlier ... and, uh, had something, you know, finished. I might have applied. Or at least been motivated to get something finished. Maybe next year.

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

I can usually crack your codes, but today, I do not know this TMI whereof you speak. And I'm oddly curious if it's because I'm just too gross to have a TMI threshold anymore.

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize I had codes. Do I? :)

I may have a sensitive TMI threshold, but let's just say I really would appreciate not being stunned away from my computer screen by pictures of people's really nasty feet. And I will leave it at that, because I'm honestly not looking to pick fights or anything. Just needed to vent that a little.

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

Ah....

[fashionista-35.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, I really wish that I could say, "Just because you're a published author does not make certain things okay or, yanno, cute. What's gross for the rest of us to do is just as gross for you."

My sister!

*scoots over on the Bitchy Bench*

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

If I ever (God willing) find my way to some measure of success and then start doing things like that are way out of line, for the love of all that is holy, please promise me that you will not hesitate to smack a bitch?

Because honestly, I just...I don't ever want to get to the point where I start thinking so much of myself that forget about things common sense and appropriateness and the fact that some things that happen in private should REALLY (REALLY!) stay in private.

[fashionista-35.livejournal.com]

Trust me, babe. You ever go all LKH on me, I will smack you from here to next Thursday.

So long as you do the same for me.

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

So long as you do the same for me.

Sure. I guess you could call it Mutually Assured Bitchslapping. :)

[kara-gnome.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know! Sometimes you wonder what the heck is going on with these people! I mean, everyone can have an off day, I understand, but good grief...I defriended a lady's blog I've been following for a very long time because she, for whatever horrible reason, had to post a gigantic picture of her foot. Uck. What universe is it we live in...well, you know...:-D I have no problems with feet, I just don't want some stranger's shoved in front of my eyes!

What does TMI mean? And cisgendered?

Your blog is fun and fascinating and very enjoyable to read, but sometimes there's a "whoosh" sound as something flies right past me *g*.

I'm sorry about you having to turn down the writing workshop, and it's a sad, sad thing when you think that just a few years ago you could have gone without even thinking about it. I'm doing the same sorts of things, too, like subscriptions and all, and yet, I'm like you in that I'm extremely fortunate, even with thousands disappeared regarding retirement *sigh* well, so many have it worse, and you're exactly right. Just keep writing and hanging in there, and something will work, probably when you least expect it :)

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

I defriended a lady's blog I've been following for a very long time because she, for whatever horrible reason, had to post a gigantic picture of her foot.

Actually, that was the thing I was referring to, just so you know. :) It wasn't someone I still had on my f-list, but I dropped by the LJ once and a while and, well, now I really know I won't because I just don't have the stomach for that.

What does TMI mean? And cisgendered?

TMI means "Too Much Information. It's an acroynm.

Cisgendered is a term referring to someone who's mentally the same gender they are physically (in simple terms). It comes from the Latin prefix "cis" meaning "on the same side of" and it's the opposite of transgender.

Don't feel bad for not knowing the term. It's relatively new, and started when transgender people needed a word to describe people who felt and were the same gender.

Just keep writing and hanging in there, and something will work, probably when you least expect it :)

That is my sincere hope.

[kara-gnome.livejournal.com]

It really was such an odd thing to do, wasn't it? It's like one step away from, "Here, let me show you my mole!" or scab or something. I've enjoyed reading her writers journey and all, and think she's cute as can be regarding process, I like the climbing updates, but sheesh, nothing's worth a gigantic, ugly foot, I don't care who you are :-D

Ha, re TMI. When you know, it's very obvious, huh? I seem to be losing some ability to figure things out--I think there was a time I could have parsed that acronym myself. I keep meaning to get checked for dementia, but my chicken side is bigger than my 'oughta' side.

I like the word cisgender! that is a cool word, and much better than what's commonly used: normal. There is no 'normal,' when it comes to people, anyway. Or we're all normal--something, anyway *g*

Oh, congratulations on getting married :-). Is there a date set, yet? We've just passed our 22nd anniversary, which is incredibly hard to believe.

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

Ha, re TMI. When you know, it's very obvious, huh?

Don't feel bad, there are times when I do the same thing, and I'm a reasonably young person. So I don't think it's dementia, I think sometimes your brain just doesn't do things every once and a while, especially if you're distracted.

I like the word cisgender! that is a cool word, and much better than what's commonly used: normal.

Sometimes I think the biggest hurdle to groups getting accepted and being able to talk about themselves is not having a word for people of the mainstream who aren't affected by the same thing. So for transgendered people, being able to call non-transgender people "cisgendered" instead of "normal" really helps them have a way to describe themselves and others without having to automatically categorize themselves as being "abnormal" just by virtue of being opposite those described as "normal".

Wouldn't it be great if one day being transgendered was considered as normal as being cisgendered? I think so.

Oh, congratulations on getting married :-). Is there a date set, yet?

Not a date yet because of complications with the venue not getting back to us about available dates (GRRRRRR!). But thank you.

I aspire to one day be able to say that I've passed my 22nd anniversary, and congrats on that. Because getting married is easy, staying that way is what's really the accomplishment, so my hat is off to you and your spouse for making it work. Especially since half the couples that get hitched can't seem to!

[kara-gnome.livejournal.com]

**Wouldn't it be great if one day being transgendered was considered as normal as being cisgendered? I think so.**

Yes, absolutely. More sensible and supportive, certainly. I would hate it if any of my daughters avoided me because of narrow beliefs when the fact is, is that none of this really matters. No, it does, of course it does! but it's part of the whole and no reason to make things more dramatic or over the top than needed or wanted. Well, it really is about loving each other no matter what, children, siblings, spouses, everyone. Or at least not basing acceptance and approval on something so not really another person's business, anyway.

Bob and I have managed all right, I think :). I read a great thing in Reader's Digest when I was a young woman, and it's basically this: When I was a young wife, I resolved that I would make a list of ten things I would always forgive my husband for. The trick is, is that I never wrote any of them down, so when he does something that is just so maddening I can hardly stand it, I think, thank goodness that's one of the ten

I have personally used this old anecdote several *ahem* times LOL.

Another thing that happened was that I was really venting regarding something or other that drove me crazy about him--something little, you know? and a friend of mine paused, giving me enough time to remember that her husband had died several years earlier. She said, "If he died (meaning Bob) that would be something you'd miss."

Mostly, though, marriage is great and a lot of fun, sometimes in a train-wreck sort of way, but still... :-). You'll do fine, I feel it.