I worked all last night and about midway through the night took some stimulant (legal) to get through the rest of the night. As a result, I am a little wired, as happens whenever I do this, and am having trouble fathoming going to bed. Before I even thought about going to sleep, though, I decided it was time to make the loft-slash-lair-slash-office a bit more hospitable in the sleeping realm and ended up moving my desk, the printers, the DVD’s, and other things around so that an A/C could go in the window and wouldn’t interfere with my computer, monitor, and etc. As a result, I’ve been working on stuff for the last few hours, the office is far more neat and orderly than it was when I started, the stuff Erin put into bags and sucked the air out of are now hiding behind bookshelves, and I am sitting here listening to Brandi Carlile‘s album The Story and want to purchase it because of her melodic singing and haunting voice. I mean, wow! if you haven’t encountered her yet go, encounter, listen…. The last time I had this experience was listening to some of Sting‘s more recent work and realizing that the  man is more than just a dude with a guitar, he’s a musician. Unfortunately, Brandi Carlile is considered country music (yes, I’ve started listening to country again), but I don’t think that can be held against her as she is just that good. Better than the Beatles.

I sent off an email this morning to a professor at BYU asking for a reading list he referenced during the class I took from him during that last semester of the undergrad. I was hoping he would (at least) respond saying something by now… but I have to allow for the notion that he either isn’t at work (summer) or retired or just not interested in sharing the reading list with me. The list was produced by the author Annie Dillard who wrote the partially untrue and partially true book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Anyway, I want her reading list to see how it compares to some other reading lists I’ve come across and because I can’t be expected to write great things if I don’t read what is considered great. That professor considers her great and I do have to admit there is a compelling tone to her writing . . . I am just not sure what I will do with a reading list that will, invariably, exist on top of other reading lists.

As an aside (and somewhat related) I started getting emails from the MFA-Writing program which implies (to me) one of a few things. First, that all of the “jumping through hoops” material finally arrived; or second, that paying $1000.00 toward tuition means they are taking me seriously; or third, that they are tired of waiting and are gearing up for the summer residency and have just started sending me email. In any case, I get to introduce a lady at a faculty reading who has two books, a bunch of short stories, and some essays and columns under her belt at the residency.

<brief update – the professor just wrote me back to tell me he has not seen the list in some time, thinks he remembered seeing it on a shelf under something meant to keep it in place, and will go home, look, and if where he remembers it to be, scan it in for me.>

Anyway, I think I am going to attempt sleep. I’ve sent emails, looked up authors, checked on books and book lists, asked for assistance in some areas, and spoke to Erin who tells me CAMPER handled the flights, late nights, and early mornings like a trooper. Is it bad I am glad it is now about six days until they come home AND I missed my CAMPER time this morning?

Real Heroes Fly