where do you go to, my lovely?

Okay so today's new thing was a continuation of a week ago's new thing, which was starting to build that cigar box today.

Today's new thing was finishing and playing that cigar box guitar.

It sounds AWFUL.

But there it stands, in all of its glory! We need to tune it, probably. And re-situate the nails, I think. There are probably lots of things we need to do to it, but it's built.

When we first turned it on, the screech woke up Max. It sounds kind of like aliens descending on earth and firing rayguns.

Awful, awful noise. Kind of disappointing.

Actually, lots of disappointing.

the stars of track and field are beautiful people.

I got rejected by Sci-Fi/Fantasy magazine today. That was my new thing.

It's okay though. I sent in Nancy and the Traffic Light.

I think it's because that story is too slight and flighty for their pages... but that's okay. I think I'll send it off again. I like that story quite a lot.

I'm going to save my rejection letter. Usually, it's an e-mail, and I delete it. I haven't sent in a story someplace in ages and ages. I'm going to be better about that now.

a horror film.

Today, I wanted my new thing to be that I sold a stuffed animal.

Two hours left on that.

If not, then I have another new thing. But I'll talk about it tomorrow.

don't you worry a bit.

Good evening.

What a terrible new thing for the day:

I took a test to become an "enumerator" for the "census bureau" which is government speak for "bothersome person who wants to count things in your home when you've sat down for dinner."

I got there at 3, as they told me to, and did not begin to take the test until about 430 because of the 40 over-40 year-olds who wasted time screwing up their standardized test, their resume, and the pencil lead they took the test with.

The test was easier than the CAT9. I pity anyone who misses more than 3.

At least I made a friend: a late-2o's UCSC graduate who was trying to make it on Etsy.

So, in case you didn't know already, government tests are not a good way to spend your day.

last night, I turned into a fly.

Friday's new thing changed often. I wasn't feeling so hot, so the original plan to make a cigar box guitar was thrown completely out the window. That will be a project for another day.

And then the plan was to win a bunch of money at a scratcher, and that didn't happen either. I was going to do the endless setlist (84 songs, 5.5 hours) on Rock Band, but 8 songs in and the guitar ran out of batteries (one more reason why video game guitars are not as cool as real guitars.)

So, at 11pm, Anthony taught me how to break the bottom off of a bottle using only the force of my hand.

Step 1: Find a bottle with a neck.
Step 2: Fill it up with water, leaving about 2 inches of room at the top.
Step 3: Go outside, hold the bottle firmly against your hip (beginner-style)
Step 4: While only allowing the lip of the bottle to protrude, and only a bit, bring your palm down on the top of the bottle and believe that you are going to hit the bottom off the bottle.
Step 5: Clean up mess.



I was successful on my second try, and then not successful again afterwards. And I really hurt my hand.