it's been a busy few days, and not just because of work, although that's a large part of it. but i've also been working on a scattering of other things, including a couple of larger projects, not the least of which is my writing. sometimes i feel like i have way too much in the air at once, but i also know there's no way i could really shut anything down. i like being busy and i like variety in my busyness - it seems to be the only way i can actually get anything done.

yea, i'm weird, but we all knew that. ;)

the busyness will "slow" a little at least for tomorrow, though. froggy is apparently coming down with something, and i'm not a parent to send my kids to school contagious. since saxy makes more money than i do in a day, when it comes time to stay home with a sick or out of school kid, i'm the one to do it. that will change if i get full time though - a full time, permanent position is more important to keep, so saxy, whose schedule is more flexible than mine will be, will stay home at that point.

speaking of which, i almost feel like i'm back in school myself! i've started my pII study guide, which is going to be one heck of a monster. i already have a few things i need to look up in my school notes or need to research online and i'm only on my 4th page. for the actual list of terms, i'm still working on like the first 1/4th of the list! add to that all the reading i'm doing to try to familiarize myself with enough authors and writings that might show up on the test. it's like assigned reading, just no analyses or book reports to go with it - although there will eventually be a test. i get to register for that on the 10th of next month because that's the last day i can without paying a late fee and the earliest we'll even remotely have the money to do so.

as for my reading . . . insane doesn't even begin to cover it. in books that i currently have stacked in the pile (and there is indeed a pile) there are half a dozen novels and novellas (combined) purchased just for the pII, a half dozen single fiction novels and 2 or 3 omnibuses to read just for pleasure, and nearly 2 dozen on writing! this doesn't count the stuff on my shelves that remain unread either. i just had to clean out my basket that i use in the place of a night stand on my side of the futon because the books had not only taken over, there were spilling out of it while the rest of the stuff that should be in there is spread al over the floor by the side of the bed. and, thanks to the amazon.com gift certificate i just received as an amazon.com associate, another 4 books for the pII will soon be on their way as well. i have over a dozen others on the wish list that i should try to get a hold of but probably won't. honestly, there's only so much reading i can do before the test, and after it i don't know if i'm really going to want to get all those monsters. i've already dumped one book as unreadable for me, and i expect at least a few more will end up on that list.

sunday we took the girls to get haircuts. we got them for free because we did a locks of love donation of their hair. jewel is not happy with her hair being short. she just doesn't understand that her hair isn't made for being long - she tries it and it gets stringy and raggedy looking even with a trim cut. monday i finally emailed a possible realtor for us. i had tried calling, but it's looking like i generally won't be home when they're open.

the shrine project i was working on got slowed down on, but the writing seems to have picked up a little. i've spent the last 2 days revising 2 stories that are really close to ready for the market-go-round. i haven't had a chance to pick up the next chapter in my novel despite it being in my "current projects" folder. i also have 2 or 3 pieces for crit, a piece i need to finish writing, and at least one other short story to revise, as well as the beginning plot building for 2 other novels that are both unrelated to and probably going to be a lot easier than the current trilogy project. problem is, i haven't had time to pick any of them up and actually do what i need to do with them.

my web projects came to a screeching halt this week as well. i'm managing to keep up on my dii duties (which reminds me - as soon as i'm done here, i need to work on and send out the newsletter for the month, as well as the warning letters), but the shrine hasn't had anything more done to it, and i haven't been able to touch the archives of whysper at all, much less do the fixes for the 2 journals that got moved.

tomorrow i should be able to find some time to get some of this managed - though the shrine may be the only web project that gets touched since the fl is due in 2 weeks. still, with the checks getting thin and the fact that i catch everything under the sun, the possibility of managing to get stuff done (including maybe calling the realtor and contacting the lady that helped me get started on my provisional certificate for more info on a few things) isn't really much of a positive side for me at the moment.

and, with everything i have on my to do list, i doubt i'll really get that much done. which i suppose is fine. in another month, i'll have all the time in the world and then some - and have plenty left to do even if i do get everything on my current to do list finished.

maybe i should rethink this whole busy thing after all. really, there's got to be a point where there's too much busy, and i think i passed it a looong time ago!