Saturday, October 14, 2006

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.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

YAYAYAYAY You did it! Congratulations Arlene on passing the exam.
XO
Valerie

sam of the ten thousand things said...

Congratulations Arlene.

Sharon Hurlbut said...

WHOOOO-HOOOO!! Way to go Arlene. (I knew you'd pass. After all, I was praying for you, er, black cats). The picture cracks me up. I love the expression on your dog's face.

SarahJane said...

hi arlene -
congrats on getting your license. could you please come and take my son to soccer practice? oh and pick my daughter up in westofnowhere? smile. that's great. be careful of those italian drivers.

wow about the frogmore books! what could be better than free poetry books? enjoy

sarah

michi said...

aspirin,

hahaha! how much did you pay that dog to get him to share photo space with you?! a lifetime subscription of dog's delicious bones? or, maybe he was drugged. i wouldn't put it past you.

and heaven help us. stay south of the austrian border, will you? venice used to be so lovely, but now ... don't know if the area is still safe. they can deal with high water there, but you are a natural, er, hazard much, much ... er, more challenging!

congrats on the pub, and well done for going through all the subs for tpm. i look forward to the issue.

and free poetry books ... ah. i will send you something too. soonish.

acset!

maudlin

Anonymous said...

ooh, I'm so stoked for you!

drive, drive, drive!

woot!

s.

Collin Kelley said...

Congrats on your license to drive, Arlene!