Off Track On Friday

 What a miserable ending to the week.

I forgot my phone. This I found out when I was almost at work. I needed to make a call for an appointment later, so I went started the sanitation water because it comes scalding hot and walked back. My knee hurt during the first trip, after three it was blown.

I seem to be forgetting things. Little things. Talking to CC later in the day, I told her this, and it worried her, too.

CC sent me a text early in the morning. She went to the intensive care place in Muncie; her text said that she thought this one would take. That is a first.

I missed the bus by about five minutes. I was on time; the bus was early. A nice lady gave me a ride up to my place. I finished watching Longmire on Netflix.

I did the group therapy. I still need to put up my notes for the lectures. I did learn that I failed the polygraph. I cannot remember any contact with CC, other than kissing her. The polygraph guy said this was not enough. I said maybe I grabbed her hind end. CC does not recall anything, either.

I did not get back here until after 2 pm. I spent some time chatting with the counselor, the session went past time for catching the 1 pm bus, and my knee hurt enough that I was not walking back to catch the 1:30. I bought a couple of things for dinner at Payless, and this let me catch the 2 pm. bus. I started watching The Union on Netflix while I was on hold with Medicaid. The hold lasted for 30 minutes; the movie was the right kind of silly fun for that amount of time.

I made my appointment at La Casa del Sol downtown on Walnut (great Mexican food). Thinking I could make my Friday fast there, I ordered the vegetarian burrito. It came covered in cheese. Yes, it was that kind of day.

Missing the 4:30 bus, I hiked back to the apartment with a stop at the convenience store on Jackson for cigs and RC Cola. Back here, I went back to The Union, and did some reading. 

CC called, finally. She told me about her meeting, and she got me to tear up. She has finally decided to stand up for herself and show her intelligence. I hope this does take, that whatever time she left is good for her. Maybe taking the slow approach with her has worked. On the way back from Indy on Monday,  I asked her the question I have been holding back since my return: are you more than your addiction? She was honest and said she did not know, but I could tell she was thinking on the question. All she needed was to be pointed at a life better than she thought possible, that there was more to her than she had been told all her life. She always had the character and intelligence to do better for herself; no she has found her determination.

I finished watching The Union, and then against my better judgment, I started The Lincoln Lawyer. It is rather good for a lawyer show. Then I noticed it was a David E. Kelley show. It is on now.

I also broke down and took a pain pill for my knee. I had enough of everything by 9 pm.

I got another rejection for "Problem Solving". It was for a themed submission, I thought it was a long shot, but this rejection gave me something to think about:

Thank you for submitting to Exposition Review Vol. X: "Spring." We truly value your submission and consider it an honor to read your work. Unfortunately, "Problem Solving" is not a fit for this issue.

Our readers appreciated the scenario of this piece, finding something interesting about exploring what it means to be alone in an abortion clinic alongside two couples—two women who have men by their side. They wanted to be surprised, however, and to experience a change in the protagonist over the course of the story.

We wish you the best of luck in your future writing endeavors and hope you will submit again. Submissions for "Spring" are open through December 15.

Sincerely,

Exposition Review

It seems my experiment to catch the process of making a choice to change does not work.

I woke at 4 AM, an hour earlier than expected. It is now 6:43. I think I will get something to eat, I am full of sugar and caffeine right now. The laundry is on the schedule. Hopefully, I can get to my fiction today - after I work on my election post-mortem post.

No sign of the rat.

sch