It's been a week. {{huggs}}

Good things, bad things, and this coming Monday looks like it's gonna be a corker.

First, the bad. ;)

Kinda got into a Facebook 'discussion' today with a person who can best be described as unbalanced. A friend posted an article about the posty office mess, and she added a comment expressing frustration over the P.O. pre-funding 75 years worth of retirement, then this unbalanced person went off in a caps-peppered rant about wasting money and politics and I honestly could barely make sense of it all. Now, I'm the first to admit there's a lot of screwy, unsound-financial stuff with the posty office, but seeing as hubby's job keeps us housed and fed, we kinda have some skin in the game. I made a nicely worded comment about small towns and people on social security who need their mail, how small businesses often rely on it, then he comes back telling me I wasn't giving him the proper respect nor keeping my place.

Yup. My. Place. Nor properly respecting a ranting asshat. Oh yes.

In my place.

Does that mean I wasn't properly cowering before he backhanded me upside the head or I wasn't scrambling to bring him his beer and supper the moment he entered the conversation?

I have no idea, but my jaw about hit the floor.

As I type my still polite but much less kind response that included saying I had politely disagreed yet his comments were offensive and misogynist, Bill was right there looking over my shoulder. He was LIVID. There was a little back and forth and the whole thread ran pretty long - unlike some of the other folks in the thread I posted three times total and was consistently polite - but the guy kept ranting and finally wandered off.

It upset me a little (asshats are everywhere and far too many seem to be irate men wanting to keep women under their powerful thumbs), but it upset my husband a LOT. Hours later, he was still cheesed that someone talked to me that way. While I know a hater's gotta hate and some people live to be nasty online, I don't see the merit in it. Even when I'm furious - and God knows that happens - I can remain polite. I don't personally attack people, especially strangers, and never on someone else's feed. It's just rude, ya know? What's up with being rude?!?

Nutters are far too common anymore, but it made me wonder what's happened to polite disagreements. Screaming at people and trying to bully them accomplishes nothing. At best, it makes the screamer side of the argument distrusted and ignored, at most it just makes two sides screaming, neither taking a moment to see the other's point of view. Either way, once the screaming starts - and this guy came out screaming and disjointed - there's no possibility for progress.

That's something to keep in mind as my dice get rolled (probably twice) on Monday.

I don't think that I'm mean, angry, rude or a troublemaker (am I???), yet these folks seem to find me and try to pounce. Maybe since I'm 'nice' they think I'm weak? I dunno. My friend kept apologizing, the guy was a friend of a friend, but I told her not to worry, I'm a big girl and no one's gonna win a typed-debate against a writer. ;)

Okay, the meh.

Surely you've all heard about my stupid foot. I have intermittent pain on the outside at the bone, usually when it's jarred or wrenched, and I went in to have it checked out. Doc thought it was a stress fracture with a ganglion cyst, but the xray was inconclusive, so I had to go in for an MRI, all this while wearing a Boot of DOOM for about a week (said boot sucks, btw). Turns out I have some fluid around the joint. Dunno why, not sure how, but these anti-inflamatories should take care of it. Whee. Meds. I hate taking meds, but I'll be on them for a month. I'm supposed to wear the boot for another week, but I'm not. Can't stand the boot and my foot doesn't hurt. I really need to get back on the exercise horse, tho, because a week off has ruined my habit. Grr!

Got taxes done. We're getting a refund. Also did The Daughter's taxes. She, too, is getting a refund. My calculator is tired and thankful that's over for another year.

We all have colds. Sinusy colds. But we're otherwise great. :)

And, finally, the good!

Most of the good is kinda sprinkled with I'm-not-sure-what-I-think-about-all-this, but here we go.

I heard back from The Agent on Tuesday. His assistant actually emailed me on Monday asking if it was okay to call, but I was out and about and not able to check email until after 5pm NYC time. Anyway, we chatted - briefly - on Tuesday. He loved a lot about the book but had three major areas, and a couple of smaller things, he wanted to see fixed. Two of those things are actually really easy to fix. Have the spores come out of something that's not corn, and not a pod. Easy peasy. My mishandling of the media/spectator circus/hysteria, however, is gonna take quite a lot of work. He wanted to hear back from me in a few days.

I've written up three ideas for each problem (corn, pods, media) and sent an email to his assistant Friday morning (going on the assumption that 'a few days' mean later this week, not 'sometime next week'), but I received no response or call. This is probably because of the weather on the east coast, but it still leaves me sitting and fretting all weekend. So yay, but AAACK!!

(Btw, he compared my work to Stephen King, with it being about regular, relatable people in incredible situations. Rather exciting, that!)

I may be on the city council starting Monday.

There are two people leaving - a retirement and a move - so they're two warm bodies short and our City clerk asked if I'd be willing to do the job. I said yes - I mean, why wouldn't I? I'm a big believer in getting involved - but there are 5 people in the pool, so I guess I have a 2/5 chance? Anyway, the city council meeting is Monday and I'm supposed to be there so if I'm chosen I can get sworn in right away and get to work. I'm assuming the other 4 will be there too, otherwise it'll change my odds. ;)  I'd like to serve, I actually ran for a seat a couple of years ago (came in third of five for two open seats) but with SPORE looming and Bill's job nonsense, I don't know if it's the best time. But when would be? Life is always its own brand of wackydoodle.

Anyway, Monday should be interesting. ;)

Oh! I'm down 25.2 lbs. Woot!

Have a great mid February, everyone!!  {{hugs}}