Refreshing (or REFRESHING!)

I am in love with my refresh key.  I hear there’s a Function key that does the same thing, but I can’t find it and every time I try, weird things happen to my computer.  Not fun.  And not refreshing in the slightest.

Some good things happened over these past couple of weeks in the snail-paced world of writing.  I got a request for a manuscript from a query sent out in February.  And then yesterday, I got another one from a query sent out in March.  It’s June, by the way…almost July…but I’m not complaining!  I swear I’m not.  It beats the alternative, right?

Now, despite the fact that it took five months to hear from the agents, I have convinced myself that they will respond quickly with their thoughts on the project.  (Because mine is their ONLY manuscript right now.  What?  No?  Seriously?)  So I spend most of my day hitting that Refresh key and watching breathlessly as the little message bar tells me I have two, three, four messages, and then, as they dribble in, I am comforted by the fact that there are still sexy hot singles in my area, and low-cost insurance for the likely disease I might pick up from these sexy hot singles, or that there’s a sale going on at my favorite store(s)…none of which I can afford for a variety of reasons.  (If you want snail’s pace, try applying for unemployment insurance.)

Oh, I remember when I first started writing, lo those many years ago, and how quickly I thought I would sell a book.  Didn’t happen.  And then, when I won a pretty decent writing award, I thought, “This is it!”  But it wasn’t.  And then, when I finished my second project, I thought, “Okay, this FOR SURE is the one…”  Only not so much…not yet anyway.  So now…now I manage my expectations just a little better.  I take it all in stride, or at least I try to.

Nowadays, I just sit back, hit that Refresh key, and pray for a coupon for free dessert at Chili’s because that’s a good day, no matter who you are.