Junk mail.

Today, in my old Hotmail account's junk mail folder, I got a message I considered opening.

Subject line:  Contact your agent

I was like, "Ha ha, spammer!  You can't fool me.  I don't even have an agent!"

But then I thought:  Wait!  Maybe I do.  Or could!  Maybe there's an agent who wants to offer me representation, but can't reach me.  So, this email is, like, their last effort to make sure we connect.  They're like, Mindi!  Please, contact me!  PLEASE! 

So, if I didn't open this email, it might all be over. Over!  I'd have to go through life never knowing there was some Seth-loving agent out there.  Beyond tragic, right?

Then I remembered that I use a different email account for all agent correspondence, so there is no way their last attempt would come to Hotmail. 

Oh, and the email address it came from was a series of seemingly random numbers and letters.

And that is the story of how I deleted a piece of junk mail unread today.

high-larious.

I thought of a new title and a hook for THE FAKE MCCOY this morning.  The latter, of which, will require a few small changes to the story.  Just details, really.  I think it will be fun.  I'll all excited to get going on a revision now.

Ha!

Naturally, this has happened because I'm in Week Two of my twelve-week class.  I'm supposed to be spending the rest of September and all of October and November writing a draft for Kae's story. 

Seth's story had all freaking summer to inspire me and did not do so.  Revising will have to wait, I guess.  Unless I can get enough time to work on them both somehow.

Yeah, I work better on a deadline.

I've been "working on an outline" for ages now, right?  I've put together detailed backstory and character profiles like you wouldn't believe.  I had a vague idea of what was going to happen in the course of the actual story.  Very vague, really.

My instructor posted feedback for me four days ago from the story idea I posted.  Since then, I've put in as much time as I was able for a real outline.  I now have a beginning, middle, and end!  And 32 scenes summaries that show a good progression of the plot and subplots!   (Of course, this would not have been possible if not for all getting-to-know-the-characters work I did on the front end.)  Yes, this outline is really rough and subject to change 2.75 billion times, but it's workable.

I'm still in shock that I can move forward now and know where I'm actually going.  And I'm looking forward to completing some things of Kae's 17 By 17 list that I've never done.  Like kayaking.  And I think I'll be going parasailing in Hawaii next month.  And I'll get a tarot reading.  Hooray!

Crushed.

Even though I'm old and married and all, I get crushes all the time.  Sometimes, these crushes are on characters from books, media, and um, Harry Potter fanfic.  Occasionally, I crush on actors and boys in bands.  For months, I had an ongoing crush on a Chevy Nova at my park & ride.  (No, really.)  But, most often, these crushes are on real people -- guys -- that I encounter. 

Currently, my big old crush is on a co-worker.  He's cute and friendly-seeming.  (I've never spoken to him to know for sure about that last part.)  He looks like he's in his early-twenties.  (Then again, some people think I look like I'm in my early-twenties, but I'm older than that!)   I looked for his photo in the employee directory and there discovered his name.  Which is an unusual one that I wasn't familiar with, but that I now like a lot. 

Now, I have a bigger crush on his name than on him.

Anyhow, my manager had me take a walk in the sun with her this afternoon.  As we were riding down the escalator, Cute Young Boy With Cool Name was riding up.  He waved and smiled in recognition of us.  I gave only a tiny smile in return and continued my conversation as if he hardly existed while my heart beat all crazy like. 

BECAUSE I'M SO SEVENTH GRADE LIKE THAT.  Ha.

OMG.

I had lunch with mandywriter  today. 

She totally let me go back to work with SPINACH IN MY TEETH. 

Can you believe it?