I woke up this morning feeling… disinclined to engage with the day.
The preceding sentence, both in structure and content, is what happens when you’re reading too much marketing advice. Bah. It’s not that I dislike marketing, actually — more than once in my previous job, I wondered whether I’d have more fun working for the marketing department. I liked selling books. I just don’t like selling my books.
I keep promising myself that I’m going to work on that piece of the self-publishing puzzle — really, truly, any day now — but it makes me want to go back to bed. The crawl under the covers and not re-emerge until summer going back to bed, not the snooze for an extra ten minutes going back to bed.
Anyway, despite my disinclination to engage with the day, a cute little furry face bouncing around at the end of the bed was persistent enough that I dragged myself up and took her for a walk in the rain. I’d thought it was just drizzle when we left the van, but it become clear quite quickly that it was rain-rain. The kind that’s going to sop through your shoes and soak your socks; force you to keep your head down or get water in your eyes; turn your blue jeans into deadweights with minutes. Bizarrely enough, it was very nice. It fit my mood so perfectly. I was grouchy to begin with and there I was, getting soaked and uncomfortable and cold — it was like the universe agreeing with me, it was a day to stay in bed.
The nicest thing about today’s rain is that it was supposed to be yesterday’s rain. The weather forecast for yesterday was bleak and it was both my birthday and S’s day off, which meant bleak was annoying. As it turned out, the weather didn’t reach us as scheduled, so we had an early morning opportunity to fulfill my birthday wish and take Z to the beach. The only thing better in life than taking a puppy to the beach is taking an old dog to the beach and watching her run around like a puppy.
After the beach, we stopped in Trinidad for coffee. I already had coffee and it had started to rain so I didn’t much want to go into the shop, but I kept S company anyway. It turned out they had gluten-free chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing, so for my birthday breakfast, I had a chocolate cupcake. Yum. And then we went home and I made gluten-free blueberry pancakes and bacon for my second birthday breakfast. Yeah, it was a high-carb day. (Asparagus risotto with chicken-apple sausage for dinner, more carbs!)
Today’s plan: to write some words. And maybe bake some granola. And for dinner, cioppino over rice, possibly with some gluten-free garlic toast, and definitely with a side salad. Meanwhile, to sit and watch the rain turn the view into an impressionist painting while staying dry inside. I might even admit the truth — that despite the date, it feels like winter! — and turn the heat on.
This was just the story I wanted to read this afternoon. I’m sitting at the kitchen table while one daughter is in the living room with her friend planning the vegan table for Friday’s multicultural fest at the school. My wife and other daughter are out walking the dogs. I’ve been banging my head against a wall of an essay I can’t seem to write, worrying about what work to do after June when I quit teaching, and going to whatever distraction is available. Your story was a welcome distraction, a balm.
I’d be curious to hear more about how you get further into self-promotion. It’s something about which I feel absolutely lost.
Thanks for this post.
From my past life, I would say the twin supports of marketing are “know your audience” and “know your product.” That’s where it should always start, if the goal is to sell. But despite all of today’s current jargon, my “product” is definitely not me, so I’m not going to start “self”-promoting any day soon. Maybe just some mild book marketing, to get the actual products in front of a wider audience. 🙂
That said, you should maybe take a look at writingcooperative.com? It’s got a lot of advice for people trying to earn money at writing. I don’t know how much of it applies to your situation, but in a choice between getting up every day and going to a place you hate versus sitting at your computer writing marketing speak for a plumbing sales supply store, the latter might appeal!
Glad I could distract you!
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!!!!
Thank you! Chocolate cupcake, blueberry pancakes, and a walk on the beach — it was a nice one!
I just ate dinner, but reading this is making me hungry!
🙂 It was some delicious birthday food, definitely. The cioppino was a box from CostCo — $15, so not cheap, but way cheaper than buying all the separate ingredients and it was quite good. Adding some parsley, some Parmesan, some more tomato if you eat tomatoes, and a little hot sauce if you want it spicier wouldn’t hurt it.
I said happy birthday on Facebook but I will repeat it. You’re cold in CA and I ‘m cold in FL. Floridians definitely like their AC.
You will appreciate it come August! But thanks for the birthday wishes, and I hope you’re enjoying FL, minus the AC.
One of the first things Robert did when we got home last night was to bump the thermostat up one degree ‘just to get the chill out of the house’. I grabbed my house sweatshirt/jacket and was comfy. Dogs do love the ocean, don’t they? Z looks sooo happy and fulfilled there.
A big p.s. — sorry for neglecting to wish you a belated birthday–my birthday is this coming Sunday!! Your day sounded like it was close to perfect — chocolate on ANY day is great but on your birthday is even better! Hugs — T
Happy Belated Birthday! Maybe I commented on FB? Because I would both swear that I answered this comment and also swear that I never saw it, and both of those things cannot be true. But I hope you had a great day!