As I do every morning, I woke up and said hello the bridge and -- after getting ready for work -- said goodbye to the cats.
I felt a little hungover after all of yesterday's excitement; my friend B____, a published author, had written to me saying that the two most excitement parts of getting published were 1) seeing the cover and 2) getting paid; this morning it seemed plausible, as much as I hoped that better things were still to come!
I think one of the reasons I've grown to admire cats so much is their unapologetically habitual nature, which has given me an appreciation for the same; they aren't looking for huge emotional payoffs, just a few sips of milk and a few minutes chasing a toy seems to be more than enough.
Outside I was entranced by the morning light.
It doesn't matter how often I see certain buildings; each day, perhaps because of the shifting light, they appear a bit different and I'm newly impressed by how beautiful they are. (This is obv one of my favorites.)
Walking up the block to the subway, I noted with approval the newly mulched tree beds. These trees were just planted last year, so I'm hoping they make it through the winter.
The sun appeared to be emerging from the windshield of a car parked in front of the fire station.
In the subway, I did not feel at all sorry that someone had vandalized the poster for this new 'rom-com.' I did feel sorry, however, that despite looking, I was unable to locate the new location of the mouths.
I arrived at work, where time passed. I heard from my mother, who -- like just about everyone it seems (and I should take a moment to express my gratitude to all who commented so positively)! -- was impressed by the cover of the book. She asked me to send her a printout, which struck me as a tangible difference between her generation and mine; I honestly can't remember the last time I printed out one of my photographs, but to her, it doesn't feel quite 'real,' I think, unless she's holding it in her hands, something she can admire away from the computer screen and perhaps show to her friends. (Whereas I would just 'send them a link' or post on twitter/tumblr/FB.)
Given that I spend 98 percent of my waking time in front of a computer, it no longer seems necessary to have 'hard copies' of many things. (One exception is my novel, i.e., the words, not the cover; I've yet to find a 'digital' format that does not entail a 'branded' reading experience, which (e.g., seeing the ____ logo) is the last thing I want to infiltrate my mind during the course of reading.) All of which is to say that I plan to send my mother a printout of the cover as soon as I can locate a printer capable of doing the job.
Outside it was not quite as dark as it has been, although for some reason there were a lot of red lights at the end of the block.
Back in the apartment, I took a GPOYW in the mirror of the hall tree.
I went to look at the bridge and noticed that an orange orchid had just bloomed.
I want a printout of the cover too, but I will kill two birds with one stone when I just get the book instead.
I noticed yesterday too that it wasn't as dark as it has been!! Here's to being "on the upswing."
Posted by: katiebakes | 01/27/2010 at 08:56 PM
Thanks katiebakes!
Posted by: Matthew Gallaway | 01/27/2010 at 09:03 PM