Holidays, Knee Surgery, Writing.

It's already early February, and submissions are slow AF. I have 41 submission sets out in the world, including six copies of my full-length manuscript. Everything is a waiting game. I'm going to try to send a few more things out this weekend; I try to keep my submissions around 48 or 50.

A few pieces have been picked up by smaller publications . . . but I'm going to try to start being a bit choosier about presses in 2022.

I had an arthroscopy on my left knee three weeks ago, and it's healing nicely. I feel like I am finally able to start worrying about my knee, after almost a year since I hurt it. I did have a torn meniscus, and some scar tissue from the injury, and the scar tissue was sanded out, and the tear was fixed. Within a few days of the surgery, I could already tell my knee was better. It still gives me some discomfort when I'm trying to get comfortable to sleep, but that's lessening almost daily. 

I spent two weeks over Christmas with my family in Weirton . . . it was such a pleasant visit. I spent a lot of time just hanging out with my parents, watching TV and talking. I didn't spend much time in my room, which is usually a big part of my visits, though I did get a good number of submissions sent out. No arguments, which was great, and I made minimal excursions into public, due to covid. I did get to the Warhol museum and to the Carnegie Museum of Art, but both were quick trips with no side stops. It had been nine years since I was in Weirton for Christmas, and four years since I've been to Weirton. My trip was extended by two days due to snow in Oregon, but I fortunately was able to be at my parents' house instead of stuck in a Chicago hotel, halfway home.

I haven't been doing much of anything creative. Still. I feel like except for the poems I wrote last June in workshop, I haven't really done anything spectacular in 2021. In 2020, I filled four altered books, and wrote a ton of new poems. 2021 was a lot harder. I am sure being at home is finally starting to wear on me; I was in a funk most of the year, and I watched a lot of television. I am trying now to be more conscious of getting things done, making sure each day has something that offers me a sense of accomplishment. I am putting final touches on last year's altered books--only two, and one of them is a small, thin book. Both have new found poetry in them, and I'm hoping that if I give it a few weeks, they might be springboards into new work. I am eager to begin this year's first altered book, and to spend more time writing. 

Classes for me are still all online, because of the knee surgery, and it's my three-course term, so my load is light . . . in spring term, I'll be back on campus for one class that meets four times a week while the other three will still be online. I think it will be really good . . . last term I struggled with those on-campus days, but I have grown to enjoy them. I've been going to campus on Thursdays for four or five hours, and I'm finding that I really miss being there, in my office, interacting with colleagues.