cow-dogs

Jeff and I call this statue garden "the Metro Hall cow-dogs", though upon looking at this photo I think they're more like rabbit-cow-dogs. The sculpture is actually called "Remembered Sustenance", by Cynthia Short (1992). More info about Toronto's land animal sculptures here.

Note about Polls:

I've decided to drop the daily polls since relatively few people do them. Instead, I might occasional post poll questions which can be answered in the Blatherchat message board.

walk-in clinic

I went to the walk-in clinic at First Canadian Place yesterday morning. I had to fill out a registration form and show my OHIP card, then waited 45 minutes before I was called. The waiting room was pretty packed; I tried not to imagine what kind of germs were floating around, what with all the unwell-looking people. Have to wonder how many people come away from the clinic sicker than they were before.

After my name was called, I was brought to a small examination room and asked to wait. A few minutes later, a nurse came in to ask some basic questions about why I was there; she seemed to be in a hurry. The doctor came in a short while later; he also seemed to be in a hurry. I remember this from when I first used walk-in medical clinics shortly after moving to Toronto from the Hockley Valley, before I found a regular doctor. Walk-in medical clinics definitely have a "factory line" sort of atmosphere, as if they want to squeeze in as many patients as they possibly can.

My doctor looked as if he was in his early thirties. He managed to look bored and skeptical at the same time, but was polite as he fired off a volley of questions, poked and prodded me. His stethoscope felt as if it had been stored in an ice box until right before my examination.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that I don't have bronchitis after all. Apparently I have some kind of bronchial irritation that's causing me to cough; I think this happens with asthmatics sometimes. He wrote me a prescription for an inhaler (Advair, which contains a bronchodilator and corticosteroid, whatever the heck those are). Midway through writing it, he paused briefly and asked without looking up, "Are you on a drug plan?" When I said yes (Jeff and I had signed up for one last year), he finished writing the prescription.

When I went to pick up the prescription, I could understand why he asked. My inhaler cost $95!!! Yikes. Since I was covered by my drug plan, I only had to pay $5. I wonder what he would have prescribed if I had said no, I wasn't on a drug plan?

Since taking over the Market Watch column, I've been getting letters from people who knew me through Inkspot.

Sample letter:

---

Dear Debbie,

You don't know me, but I was an Inklings subscriber from many years.

I just found out today from the Writer's Market newsletter that you are back! I sat up in my chair and cheered (I really did -- then I ran downstairs to tell my husband about it.) I was so happy and excited to read that you will be handling their market watch section!!! :)) I got really mad at Xlibris for buying Inklings just to shut it down. All the hard work you put into it to make it as good as it was.

Anyway, I hope Writer's Market will value your great contribution to the writing world, I know I sure will!!


---

It's nice to know that people didn't completely forget about me while I was on sabbatical.

:-)

Today's Blatherpics:

- The first photo is of Alex Allcock during a swimming lesson last year (photo by his mom, Lissa).

Today's Poll:

Do you know how to swim?

leech motifs

Remember the movie Fame? Remember the television spin-off? I used to watch the tv series, at least until Janet Jackson became a regular character. According to Reuters, there's going to be another tv sequel to the movie. The new made-for-tv movie will focus on the auditions to get into the school. If successful enough, the tv series will follow the students and their families through their four years at the school.

Have to confess I'm getting pretty tired of multiple remakes and rehashings of old material, no matter how good the material. It's seems to be all the trend in the movies, especially with turning old television series into full-length feature films. Can't anyone come up with original ideas anymore? Or are movemakers afraid of venturing into new territory, taking risks?

Having said that, of course, I probably will watch the "new" Fame movie, just out of curiosity. I'm so weak.

My sister and her husband convinced me to go to a walk-in medical clinic rather than wait until next week to see a doctor. I'm going to check out the walk-in clinic at First Canadian Place. I haven't been to a walk-in clinic since we first moved to Toronto; I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm hooked on lemon tea these days, by the way. My lemon tea is pretty dull...just a slice of fresh lemon, add boiling water. No sugar. I'm drinking this by the gallons. Sometimes if my throat feels really sore, I add a dollop of honey. Yum.

One of my favourite wedding presents (from ten years ago!) was an automatic breadmaker. After not using it for several years, I've taken it out again. I like the smell of freshly baked bread, plus I like the idea of having control over what goes into the bread. I've made white and whole wheat this week, but plan to start experimenting with more unusual types soon.

Sesame seed? Pumpkin? Eggplant? The possibilities are endless; the main trick will be convincing Jeff to try all of them. :-)

Off to the clinic...

Today's Blatherpics:

- I took this photo at a bad Indonesian (I think it was Indonesian) restaurant across from the Eglinton theatre. I thought the tablecloth pattern was particularly ugly, but perhaps that's because I kept seeing leeches in it (some of you may recall my unpleasant leech encounter last summer). I have to wonder what was going through the heads of those tablecloth pattern inventors. "HEY!" says one, "I've got an idea. How about a fetching leech motif? That'll be a hot seller for sure."

Today's Poll:

Did you or will you make your own lunch today?

wheeze

I'm getting tired of being sick. I'm sure you're all getting tired of hearing me saying I'm tired of being sick. I finally gave in and called my doctor today; I have an appointment set up for next Tuesday (she was booked solid until then). Hopefully I'll be able to call and cancel before then to let her know that I don't need the appointment anymore.

We all tend to take our health for granted most of the time, I think. We get stressed about other stuff...the squeak in our shoes, the noisy neighbour across the street/hall, the fact that our ordered soup arrived lukewarm instead of piping hot.

But after two weeks of not being able to hold a normal spoken conversation without a coughing fit, I've begun to have a tiny glimpse (VERY tiny) of what it might be like for someone who is unwell all the time, especially for those who have far worse maladies. And I make a silent vow to eat better, to exercise more, to basically do what I can to treat my body better. Sometimes this doesn't help, of course, but I figure I might as well do what I can while I can still do it. :-)

I watched Shawshank Redemption in bed yesterday on my iBook instead of sleeping. I only meant to watch a bit, but hooked into the movie. Great story; I highly recommend it for anyone who hasn't seen this yet.

Updates:

Hey, I have a column on The Muse's Muse! It's a basic music theory course for absolute beginners called Songwriting Music Theory 101.

WritersMarket.com has revamped their main page to help highlight my Market Watch column.

I envy those who are going to GAfilk this weekend (have fun, Andrea and Jodi!) and Confusion next weekend! At Confusion, be sure to check out the Media/Astronomy and Quiz Show panels with Mark Osier, and the concert by Ookla The Mok (Rand Bellavia and Adam English).

Today's Blatherpics:

- Part of my Family Photo Archiving project. I found this photo in an envelope at the back of my mother's photo album. On the back was written in English: "I was sewing my summer dress in my room. My brother took this. July xx". The "xx" was two Japanese characters I have to ask my father about; I'm sure they indicate a year.

Today's Poll:

Have you ever had to stay in a hospital overnight as a patient?

freelance writing

Still sick. :-( I suspect my cold has turned into some kind of bronchitis, probably because I've never been a particularly good sick person (i.e. I hate lying in a bed doing nothing unless I have no choice).

Spent most of yesterday at the Toronto Metro Reference Library. I hadn't been there in over a year, so had forgotten how ideal the environment is for someone like me. Lots of power outlets, lots of empty table space (at least there was when I went late yesterday morning, stayed through the afternoon), lockers available for a quarter so I don't have to lug around my winter coat and mittens.

I love libraries in general, but I especially like the Metro Reference Library; I think I might just have to visit more often. The main reason I visited was to research some of my target magazine markets, browse through recent issues, compile a list of topics each has already covered in the past year. The library's 4th floor periodical section had everything I could possibly need, including hardbound annual compilations of magazines and an electronic directory of periodicals which included all the article titles (and sometimes a brief summary), organized by date. The staff told me I could access the periodical directory from home, if I wanted (you need an active Toronto Public Library card for access, but it's free otherwise).

I came away super-inspired and revved to start querying some of these markets. I'm emotionally braced for a lot of rejection...it's going to be pretty tough to break into some of the higher-paying markets I'm planning to target, but I've resolved to be stubborn about it.

From my own experience and experience through talking with other writers through Inkspot, I think one of the biggest stumbling blocks for some writers is the fear of rejection. You slave over a novel for months, perhaps years. Do you really want to send it out and risk some cold-hearted editor rejecting your baby with nothing but an impersonal form letter as compensation for your efforts? And what if it happens over and over again?

For my fiction, I feel lucky to have an agent to buffer me against the sometimes brusque rejection letters of publishing houses. Almost always, she'll scribble an encouraging note at the top of the copy she sends me; I still have a collection from when my first manuscript made the rounds five years ago. Some of those rejection letters were blunt ("we don't want it"), some encouraging ("we like her writing, but fantasy isn't selling now...we'd be happy to see any other material that -isn't- fantasy"). Each one was an ego blow, however, no matter how positive. It's one reason I agonized so much over the rejection letters I had to write as editor of Inkspot. My non-fiction book was published in an unusual circumstance...Writer's Digest approached me to do it, rather than the other way around.

Anyway, wish me luck. My goal this year is to have at least a dozen magazine article queries or manuscripts (ideally more) circulating to potential markets at any one time, and to have two books finished by the end of the year. Just think of the potential number of rejections coming my way. No, no...must think POSITIVE. Just think of the potential number of paychecks coming my way! :-)

Jeff spent most of yesterday evening helping me set up a Filemaker database to help record my submissions. He's also a database genius, in my unbiased opinion. My files are now set up so that I'll be able to easily generate reports on what manuscripts or queries are still circulating, which editors I'll need to bug about response or payment, the contact history I've had from any particular market, payment earned (in various currencies, no less).

At times like this I'm especially glad I married a Technonerdboy. :-)

Today's Blatherpics:

- Photo I took during the Christmas holidays.

Today's Poll:

Do you remember what you dreamed last night?