March is over?? What the actual !@#$%
Today is the last day of March, and I have no idea where the month went. I also have no idea where January and February went, or where 2022 went, or where my youth went. I’m not alone in my inability to perceive time accurately. At least once a day here at Camp WTF, Long-Suffering Husband or I will say something like, “It’s Friday? How’d that happen?” or, “Damn, we’re old. How’d that happen?” Kind of like Groundhog Day but with more whining.
So today, let’s look back at March. Maybe if I have a record of what happened, I can wrap my head around the idea that another month has passed. Maybe.
But before we get started: This post is part of the What’s Been on Your Calendar link-up, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb.
I started my end-of-February post by complaining about having a whole bunch of work-related deadlines in the first half of the month. I don’t usually talk about work on here, so I’ll just say that I met all of them while still retaining a few shreds of sanity. Go me!
Writing
The Revision from Hell
This month I finished gathering and organizing my literal reams of notes, making some decisions based on those notes, and [drum roll please] actually started revising the freakin’ manuscript. It’s slow, painstaking, sometimes frustrating work, but it’s happening.
The Index from Hell
… is finished! I whined about this project (a book on leadership in libraries – for my day job) in my end-of-February post. I even finished it a couple of days before the deadline, though I thought my eyeballs were going to fall out from all the proofreading and messing with index entries and SEE references and… yeah. I’m happy to report that my eyeballs did not, in fact, fall out and should survive to see the book launched in May.
Activities
- Tucson Festival of Books
- Left Coast Crime
Details in last week’s post.
Publications
A short story, “Adam Carmona and the Case of the Saguaro Ripper,” publishing in Trouble in Tucson. Details here.
Blog posts
Because I was crazy busy, I only managed 3 posts this month:
- More Snow in Tucson!
- New Short Story Published in Trouble in Tucson
- Tucson Festival of Books and Left Coast Crime
The Rest of My Life
March was all about work and writing, but I did manage to squeeze in a little fun:
Tucson Botanical Gardens
Long-Suffering Husband and I paid a brief visit to the Tucson Botanical Gardens to attend an event related to both my work and Tucson Festival of Books – a lovely presentation by the author of Desert Jewels: Cactus Flowers of the Southwest and Mexico. The Gardens is currently hosting an exhibit of Lego sculptures, which they have on display among the plantings. Here are a few pictures:
Also a few flowers not made of Legos:
Hiking in Sweetwater Wetlands
In between the craziness, I went hiking with a friend in Sweetwater Wetlands and spotted this adorable turtle:
More pictures of Sweetwater Wetlands available in this post from last December.
Gardening
Ah, spring. The days get longer, the sun gets brighter… and gardeners across the world lose their effing minds. We shamble up and down nursery aisles, filling rolling carts and mumbling, “plants… need more plantsssssss…”
Most of the plants I’ve bought in the last month (and you don’t want to know just how many plants I’ve bought in the last month) aren’t blooming yet, but a few old favorites are:
That’s about it for March here at Camp WTF. Let’s wrap things up with:
The Memery
First, let’s answer the question I get fairly regularly on here:
Yes, yes I do.
They do say necessity is the mother of invention, and some people just need to be stabbed.
While we’re on the subject of murder and mayhem:
Time to eat another quesadilla so I can be bulletproof.
I used to work at a Chuck E. Cheese. Can confirm.
DIY burial at sea?
And finally, I snort-laughed at this one:
How was your month?
21 Comments
Joanne
Those Lego sculptures are so neat! It sounds like a fun little outing. Yay you for getting the index done.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! And yeah, the Lego sculptures really are cool. I’m amazed anyone has the patience, let alone skill, to make them.
Bobbiem91
Adored the lego sculptures and the memes. And we were supposed to get something done this last month? Needless to say, I’m looking forward to warmer weather, less wet, and getting more done.
Janet Alcorn
Yeah, you’ve been slammed with winter up there. It’s still chilly here (42 as I type this). Such a weird spring.
Susanne
Those lego sculptures are fantastic! And a big yes to having more plants. Although I’ll do more moving of plants than getting new ones. But that’s only until I’ve started digging more holes in the garden!
Janet Alcorn
I’m so bad about not getting around to moving plants, although I’m proud of myself for moving a shrub and dividing perennials last year. I like to build new beds, because then I have room for new plants!
Jo
Ummm that lego! Stunning! I’m afraid the indexing project would have made my brain hurt – focus and detail are not strong suits of mine. As always the memes are chuckle worthy. Here’s to a great April.
Janet Alcorn
It made my brain hurt too, and I like focused, detailed work. It was… a lot.
Wishing you a great April too!
Sue from Women Living Well After 50
Hi Janet isn’t it amazing what can be built using lego. I enjoyed the photos of the visit to the Botanical Gardens I’m sure it was a welcome distraction from your Revisions and Indexing projects. Enjoy April and I look forward to you joining us next month for What’s Been On Your Calendar? x
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! And yes, Lego sculptures are amazing. The blend of big-picture visualization and nitpicky detail boggles my mind.
Elizabeth Seckman
I have been asking myself those very same questions! I enjoy life too much, so it speeds right by.
Janet Alcorn
Same. And sometimes I’m just so busy that whole months go by with me barely noticing. Too busy living life to notice the passage of time – not always a bad problem to have.
Elizabeth Seckman
I don’t know where my comment went. Did I fall asleep and hit delete?
I’ll try again. I ask myself the same question- where does the time go? We must enjoy life too much to make it speed by so fast.
Retirement Reflections
Hi, Janet – Thank you for joining us for What’s Been On Your Calendar and for the morning giggles. I have no idea how March slid by so quickly, or where my youth went either. Hopefully my youth is with yours having margherittas on a beach somewhere warm. Wishing you an awesome April ahead!
Janet Alcorn
I like the image of our younger selves chilling on a beach somewhere!
Denyse Whelan Blogs
I agree about the year going fast..how are we already in April…I do love colour and your post had a feast of it in both lego and nature. Denyse #WBOYC
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! I love color too, which is why I take so many pictures of flowers.
Debbie
Your post made me chuckle Janet so many thanks for noting down your activities in March. The lego masterpieces are amazing as everyone has said and that archery meme made me splutter into my cup of tea!!! Hope your April isn’t so busy and work oriented, indexing doesn’t sound like too much fun! Thanks for joining us for WBOYC and hope to see you again next month. The year is flashing by and if you find my youthful persona send her back to me please!
Janet Alcorn
Thanks for stopping by and glad you got a laugh out of my ramblings. I’m hoping for a saner April too.
joylenebutler
These memes were crazy funny. Thanks, Janet.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks!