Yep. A good one. My BLBP writing group assignment for tomorrow was (courtesy of Pam) to do a freewrite on the subject of cooking. I had a lot of ideas going through my head, the overarching theme became that my lack of interest in cooking has brought me to where I am now.

I started out saying that rather than write about something that I do, I was going to write about something that I do not do. This was cooking. I then took a huge leap, and began with a title, “The Everlasting Salad,” an essay about my taking a single salad to potlucks, adding to it before I went to subsequent potlucks. I realized, as I was writing, that the chronological time frame was my early years in Alaska. When done, this will be a triptych, a three part essay, first writing about being in Juneau, then next in Delta Junction, then in Fairbanks with Pete.

I can do this. Right now I am waiting to hear back from Christopher about the first part of Shelf Life. I must finish this book, but right now I am wondering if it is any good, or if it will be any good. The self-censor raises its ugly head and I cower.

I will go back to cooking – I think for next week I will revise Cooking and share it with my writing group buddies. And where will I find the time to do this? I am going to stop going to Rotary, for sure. It was a good way to make connections, but it does not seem as if anyone is very appreciative of my single minded intensity of purpose.

I also need to write my People’s Paper article.

And on Monday, for sure, I am going to need to get going on making medical appointments. Yikes. This acid reflux problem could be a real problem. There are a few other things that I also am going to need to take care of. And once these things are taken care of, I will cobble together a fitness program. There. This is in writing. This is what I am going to need to do.

One reason that I am going full tilt boogie on work is because I’ve never before worked at a real job. Never mind that I’m not getting paid for doing what I do – it’s a real job with me in charge. Plus, I am obsessive compulsive, and though I hide it well, I pride myself on getting the job done.

So yeah, Monday I will make an appointment at the Sutton Health Center. I should tell myself that once I decide to do something, that I do it.

I pause. I am going to work on my People’s Paper article tonight – I have been thinking as I write his that I was not going to do this – but I now have a deadline and just a few days to get this done. And I got a partial draft done tonight, as I was zooming on my Center for the Book Meeting.

Enough said. This was sort of a self-pep talk.

Next: 37. 2/6/26: Still Crazy after all these Years