A list of what we need to get to make it look like we love to work

Last night was a total wash. Or it wasn't, because the washine machine in my basement broke—oh, my sketchy, sketchy landlords—while all my clothes were in it, meaning that I had to haul soaking, soap-covered clothes over to HGS in a breaking laundry basket and a borrowed gym bag (hans_the_bold is my savior) and get them washed there, meaning that I did not get to bed even remotely early. The last time the washing machines broke here, they weren't fixed for six months. Sleep has been a sorely missed commodity these last few days. I was not pleased.

But when I dragged myself out of bed this morning, I discovered that my poem "Tarot in the Dungeon" (Mythic Delirium #12) has been nominated for the 2006 Rhysling Award, Long Poem, and my short story "Little Fix of Friction" (Not One of Us #33) has been nominated for the SLF Fountain Award. Clearly last night was karmic expiation of some kind . . . I'm still tired to brain death, but I'm no longer in such a hate-the-planet mood: and it didn't hurt to learn that rushthatspeaks' first published story, "The Crying Queen" (Not One of Us #34), has also been nominated for the Fountain Award. (She's right: lesser_celery is an amazing man.) This is its third awards nomination so far. Meine Damen und Herren, watch this woman closely. She is quicker than the eye.

[Last-minute update: I've been Midwest Book Reviewed. This is also very cool. And xterminal thinks yuki_onna and me are poetry vixens. This day is sucking less all the time.]

To-do list, now that class is out of the way. Pay bills. Clean the apartment. Await the arrival of cool people. And figure out somewhere to put the giant blue inflatable Pilates ball before someone gets hurt . . .