Finally licensed... to drive

Loads of thanks to everyone who crossed their fingers (and toes) for me! Hah. It worked like a charm, too. I actually passed the test — by pure luck. Got lucky not only once, but twice. First, because the driving examiner turned out to be a laid-back fella who was more interested in telling his life story to the instructor while I was driving. I don't think he even noticed when the engine died on me towards the end. Hee. Second, because I ended up being the last one to take the test. All of us were bundled into a SUV behind the test car — taking turns with the driving. My mantra the whole time was: No intersections. Please. No intersections. Just when my turn was about to come up, we lost track of the test car and had to return to the school office. I actually heard the angels go in my mind. Since I was the last one, the examiner made me go only a few blocks in empty streets as opposed to everyone else who had to deal with the traffic.

Am scheduled to take the husband for a spin to the supermarket tomorrow. Yikes.

Books received:

Just when I was thinking life couldn't get any better, I received a surprise package from The Frogmore Press this morning. I know I've got a lifetime subscription on the magazine, but never imagined I'd get their press publications for free, too. Wooohooo!!

I am the thrilled owner of the following books/chapbooks (I've only skimmed through them, but each one looks quite a treat):

• The Alternative Version, Jeremy Page
• Other Lilies, Marita Over
• The Silent Key: Selected Poems from the Crabflower Pamphlets, Kate Pemberton (editor)
• Decade: Ten years of the Frogmore Poetry Prize, Jeremy Page & Kate Pemberton (editors)
• A Plutonian Monologue, Brian Aldiss
• A Dozen Villanelles, Matthew Mead

Recent publication:

Issue 5 of NOÖ Journal is now online — with poetry by Jessica Rowan, Jason Fraley, Doug Draime, Sarah Ruhlen, Peter Schwartz, David Thornbrugh, Sean Kilpatrick, Eric Gelsinger, Jennifer L. Knox and some sort of omnipresent weed.

TPM update:

The submission period has been closed. I'll be sending the last 5 acceptances in a few hours. I've read tons of great poetry for this issue and it's really quite a shame not to be able to offer publication to many.

Found photo:

While looking for a decent photo to send to Fringe Magazine, I found this... taken way back when digital cameras were still considered the latest in moron technology. What a riot. I remember sneaking on my hands and knees behind my favorite pooch to get this snapshot and teeheeheeing myself silly in the process. As a result, I cut off parts of my —erm— head. As the husband commented: Well, it's quite easy to pick out which of the two is the more intelligent species.