8

There is too much good news, plus too much rain, to be too crabby. Plus it's Friday even though it's the last Friday before Flagstaff Unified School District schools begin.

1. It is raining. I never ever ever ever ever ever want it to stop raining. Do I mean that? I don't know.  I lived in Portland. It rained every day some years. I think I did want that rain to stop but this rain is different. It is dramatic. Big drops. Hugely swollen gutters. Flooded intersections. Thunder. Lightning. Portland's rain is gentle but, like most things in the desert, Flagstaff's rain is violent. It's as wet today as the tomorrow will be dry. I prefer the wet, but possibly only because the opposite force is so imposing.

2. I'm revised a lot this week.  It's possible I should stop making mediocre metaphors. For instance, revising is like rain in Portland. Revising is like sun in Flagstaff. Ubiquitous. Constant. It insinuates itself into your daily life, making your socks wet, in Portland, and your chest wrinkly, in Flagstaff. Yes, revision wrinkles and wets. That's my metaphor and I'm sticking to it.

Also, how does one count progress revising? It's so great when people post on Facebook, I wrote 1,000 words today. But no one posts, 1 page revised today! Why? Because it shows the true kind of progress one can make, which is nearly zero and zero is also wrinkly and soggy.

3. Jase, the Junior Counselor at Max's bug camp came up to me in the middle of the Piñata festival to say that Max fixed the piñata. Somehow, the head came off and no one knew what to do and Max suggested they poke holes in the head and the shoulders and restring the thing. Nice work, four and a half! And, Jenna, the art-teacher at Zoe's camp, came up to me to say that Zoe has been a delight to have in class. She said when the kids had a chance to either say something about themselves or about someone else, about half the class had something nice to say about Zoe. And that whenever Zoe came around, this teacher was filled with peace. I didn't tell her that Zoe's aunt and uncle call Zoe, Zoe-Jesus but this seems like a Zoe-Jesus moment. Of course, when I saw her, she was hula-hooping with her foot, which, if I recall from my New Testament (Jesus Christ Superstar) knowledge, Jesus never hula-hooped.