Tuesday and Wednesday

Yesterday went well until about 2:30. I got up on time. I made the bus. No aches in my back or joints. Turned out they were short on work, so we were told to carry one box and go slow. Then they put our crew with another crew. That crew was goofing off - knocking down boxes without picking them up, one fellow sat down amidst the downed boxes, he also sat holding hands with one of the females - and I decided enough. I told the tram leader I was getting dizzy. He told me to sit down. I did. First I sat on the #17 bus to the bus station and then on the #3 bus to and from the grocery. I walked over to the old courthouse thinking I had a phone session with my counselor. 

I took this photo waiting for the call. The newer jail/courthouse is being overhauled for condos. Give Delaware County credit for finding uses for its old public buildings. 

The call did not cone. I assumed the usual kind of SNAFU that is my life. I caught the bus back to my room.

After dinner, I put my final touches to Chapter 9 of "Death and a Kiss." I did some posts for this blog. Over the phone, I walked my sister through making changes to my petition to modify my supervised release. I took a shower. i read a little of Lillian Hellman. I watched "The Mayans." I went to sleep.

I woke at 5 am. My right hand, my right leg were numb. Numb as in I could not pick up the phone to turn off the alarm. Not without pain. I stood up - barely. Stooped over, dragging my right leg, I got to the bathroom. Things were no better by 6:05 when I called in sick. I stayed in. I heated up the bag given me by my sister. Put up against my back, my right leg spasmed. 

I did get my call done about my CPAP mask. The doohickey is in the mail. I got caught up on my email. I went through my email addresses and sent out a notice about having published the last chapter of "Death and a Kiss." I got through some articles I wanted to read. I got another rejection for "Colonel Tom"

Dear Samuel Hasler:

We have carefully considered your submission, "Colonel Tom," for this year’s Fiction Prize and regret to inform you that your work was not selected.

Thank you again for submitting to Indiana Review. We are grateful for your support and wish you luck in placing your work elsewhere.

Sincerely,

The Editors

I got an email from KH about the cut down version of "The Masque of the Red Death"  - he thought it cogent. He seemed a bit surprised how well the shorter version worked. That was while I caught the bus to the newest courthouse to do my weekly registry thing. I had a 90 wait for the next bus. I wrote a post or two there and spent some time checking out videos on YouTube. I got a liitle damp from the rain while waiting for my bus.

Turned out my telephonic counseling session was today. I found that out when I was at the bus station. It was rescheduled to next Thursday.

By now, my right leg was only limping. I ate a little. I listened to a WPRB show. I had scheduled a Library of America video interview at six.  I had the bag of hot gravel at my back as I started listening. It was only warm when I woke at 7:36.

It was off to McClure's then - bottle of RC and a celebratory ice cream. More jotting articles for this blog. I uploaded "Masque" to AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought. While there I read one of the short stories Snicker-Snack - and decided I was outclassed. It was a brilliant and hilarious story. Ben-Gay along my right shoulder and right calf got through all of that. Including this post.

I close with the story having hit 565 reads.

Freeform Pathogen is over. Bedtime. Good night. I can safely sleep knowing I have not harmed the Republic in the last 48 hours. American literature may be a different story.

sch