Confession Tuesday

Dear Reader,

It's confession time and I'm up early because my posse of pets were throwing a party at 4:30 am this morning. It involved a golden retriever dance off, a 20 lb. cat passing out on my nightstand and knocking everything off, as well as lonely drunk grey cat circling the bed until finally deciding to sleep on my head (think Russian hat).

So now I am awake--somewhat--and ready to confess. But I've been pretty good this week, haven't I been? You decide.

To the confessional--


I confess our family had a brief debate whether a chocolate shake counted as chocolate (which I gave up for Lent). I realized I entered myself into the mass of idiots when I googled, "Does a chocolate shake count as chocolate for Lent?: Strangely, not many other people asked this question, though a few were looking for chocolate alternatives.

In the past when I have given up dessert completely for Lent, I would have skipped the chocolate shake, but this time, because it's okay for me to eat ice cream (though note, I don't really like ice cream- though I do love Dick's Drive-in chocolate shakes), I could have a chocolate shake because it's not my downfall. Chocolate is. (And technically, that's what I gave up, the good stuff--if the shake had chocolate chunks in it, I wouldn't have had it).

~

Oh and here's a funny thing about having a sweet tooth and always keeping candy, sweets, chocolate around-- because they are always available, my daughter couldn't care less about them. However, when her friends come to my house, they all know where my candy drawer is (yes, I confess I have a candy drawer.)

When I was 9, if someone asked me if I wanted a Hershey's kiss or cookie, I'd say yes (whether I was hungry or not), she will no to chocolate. For you non-chocolate lovers this may not be any big deal, but to us chocoholics, it's pretty amazing to me to see a kid pass on candy.

~

I confess that last night I thought of a really good confession and thought it was so good that I wouldn't write it down (I was in bed and knew I'd remember it...) Um, it's tomorrow and I have no idea what this confession was.

~

I confess I applied for an NEA fellowship in creative writing.

I confess I applied for an NEA fellowship in creative writing.

I confess I applied for an NEA fellowship in creative writing.

I confess I applied for an NEA fellowship in creative writing.

I confess I applied for an NEA fellowship in creative writing.

*****You may be asking yourself why I have that 5 times. Because it seems, that is how many times I applied. Good one, Kells.

My computer kept giving me an error that the "network timed out," so as a good Capricorn, I resubmitted. And again. And again. Finally, I received the confirmation email that my application has been received. Then again. Then again.

I hope the NEA people are used to things like this happening and I don't come off as a complete dunce.

When I applied online 3 years ago, I remember how easy it was. This grant took me all day of submitting. I had everything I needed uploading it and submitting it was a bear, a great big grizzly bear that liked to keep ransacking the same cabin 5 times over.

But I guess the good news is I got my app in! (Apply early and apply often, I guess.) Sheesh.

~

I confess I have a large To-Do list, but am working on catching up as much as possible this week with my own stuff as well as the new issue of Crab Creek Review, which will be coming out shortly.

I am also working on not over-scheduling myself, which I did very well in January and February.

But it seems I'm leaving the confessional. If I haven't called or emailed you and I should have called or email you, my apologies. I will definitely call or email you soon...

Amen.