It's back!

Blogger unblocked.  Whoo-hoo.  It isn't like I couldn't post during the day, but I like to be able to see what I posted and to be sure that I didn't make an error.  Plus, I like to be able to scroll back and find some little snid-bit of information that might be hiding in the blog that I can easily recover.  Anyway, whew!  But now, ReadWritePoem.org is blocked.  The blockage message calls it a "malicious web site" which is soooo not true.  In fact, it is the opposite.  Now I'm bummed because I can't pop into the site from work when I'm on my breaks.  Hopefully the IT "professionals" will discover the error in their ways and realize that poetry cannot be malicious. 

So much is happening in life right now.  Things are whizzing by in a blur.  I feel like there is so much to say and not enough time to say it. 

I have fully come down from last week's poetry high and am looking forward to being re-energized.  From the 9th-11th, I spent the weekend in Portland, at Wordstock.  It was great to be around like minds and get some inspiration.  I took workshops with Amy Minato, Sage Cohen and Kim-An Lieberman: three cool poetry chicks.  I didn't get too much time to wander through the exhibitor hall, but it is probably for the better since I think I probably spent too much money in the short amount of time I was in there.  I should have written things down.  It will just be a surprise in a few days when things are posting to my account.  Eek!  I couldn't pass up some of the purchases though.  I discovered an adorable pair of earrings that were made from old typewriter keys.  Totally had to buy them.  Then there were books, journals, etc.  I picked up Dave Jarecki's new book Backwards on a Train.  It is an exquisite first edition published by Imperfectpress.net.  I am in awe of their production skills.  Books like those are the reason that the world will never completely transfer over to digital publication. 

Also last week, I got an invite (along with 2000 other people) from Martin Espada (via Facebook) to attend a workshop he's putting on at the Hugo House in Seattle.  I thought it was quite timely since his workshop is called "Barbaric Yawp," and I was just reflecting on Dead Poets' Society just the day before.  I promptly decided to give myself a birthday gift and signed up for the workshop with the money my grandma gave me for my birthday (she would never approve of something as frivolous as a poetry workshop, but I'm doing it anyway -- niener niener).  I'm totally excited.  Two days in a row of Martin Espada.  How could things get more cool than that? 

I'm still slogging away on my "art door" and have seriously considered waving a white flag of surrender and not participating, but then I feel like a loser for doing that.  I will get something accomplished tonight and finish it the best I can.  I just have to keep telling myself that no one else will know that it doesn't look like what I'd envisioned it to look like.  Ugh.  Hopefully someone will like it in spite of its loss of direction.  I'm looking forward to seeing how my brother's door turns out.  He's doing a tile/glass/stone mosaic.  Should be cool.  He's got mad skills with tile. 

It feels like I just finished turning my craft & form "draft" in, but I just received an email from Harvey preparing us for the upcoming module.  Really?  That soon?  I have to get some poems written.  Ugh!!  Why am I so stuck???

I read a great article in Psychology Today the other day.  It was all about procrastination.  But even though it really resonated, I'm still struggling with it on a daily basis.  Is there a 12-step program out there for procrastinators?