Still more things that help me feel strong

1. Paying bills; having enough left over to get to Oct. 1
2. The change of light that comes with the Southern fall; whiter, lower, but every bit as intense as the blue of May, the gold of July
3. Collecting seeds from waning morning glories and flowering tobacco
4. Feeling like a rock star after a few days of puny
5. Chalking up the rock star feeling to a vat of caffeinated Starbuck's and a big fuck-you to the directive to knock off the caffeine whilst in the company of Topo Gigio
6. Anticipating A coming home, stepping up to M's camera tripod as though it's a microphone, and "reading" what she's dubbed The Daily News in a loud, disturbingly authoritative voice; "Today, we will count votes. How many voted for Barack Obama, raise your hands, great, Hillary Clinton? Great. Kindergarten is adopting a live fox who lives at the zoo, please give money, that is all of the news."
7. Friends and admired writers who drop by this blog to encourage and compliment; lifts me like helium; thank you
8. Skipping out on poetry workshop but getting a note from my greatly admired poet-instructor declaring she "cannot wait to discuss" my poetry with me; more helium
9. Wearing vintage Nikes and blue jeans and running around campus sans pain meds; no pain; more helium
10. Getting shit done; picking up A's vaccination records from the pediatrician; stopping by the circulation desk to confess I've misplaced a library book; catching a really nice break from the guy at the circulation desk (he renewed the book, so no fines); billing freelance clients; reading manuscripts for novel workshop tomorrow night; getting out of my own head; feeling as though I can do this; I can do this; I can do this