vacating

This morning I woke up in Iowa (Bettendorf) with the Mississipi River spread wide outside my window, barges and bird creatures slowly drifting by and then had the most amazingly delicious hotel breakfast before heading back to Rockford. There have been many day trips, inluding a run to Monroe for beer and sub par Swiss Colony chocolate and cheese. Also, a day at the Wisconsin fair feeling like a kid again, eating corn dogs and real lemonade and longing to ride the rides without getting nauseous (a skill I lost as an adult). Otherwise, I have been doing nothing much besides making my way through a trashy Stephen King novel and taking naps. Until today, it's been decidedly fall-like and rainy, which is a nice reprieve from the scorching summer. Today, I ordered some "back-to-school" clothes--two dresses, two cardigans (a dark chocolate colored one and a deep peacock blue), and a pair of brown boots to replace last winter's casualties. I am getting ready for September and the new semester, which is already intimidating me with its business and frenzy.

I have been avoiding writing/press related things this week, though I still have a couple chaps queued to release before I get back. I will have entire evenings in the studio after 5pm when I get back for a couple weeks, which will be nice. Preparations are also afoot with Sundress on the JF chapbook and I am putting the last touches on girl show before I send the final version to BLP. What seemed to be forever before it would be published is narrowing and narrowing. I am also beginning to muse about fall art projects and open studios and possible dgp readings, all very exciting things..