And as summer 2009 winds to a close, I have learned that...

That US Immigration sucks

That I'd better think about what I like about England since I've got to go back

That I'm not a bad writer

That changing the filter in the A/C is a good thing

Work rules my life.

I learned where to shut off the water to the house, and have concluded that everyone should know how, because, damn.

That I 'hate' summer. (Too many health probs. during the summer for us.)

That I'm really looking forward to the winter.

That being on Facebook & AW was way too much and I wasn't doing any writing. Guess
which one I chose to keep.

That I actually CAN lose weight.

That I still love chocolate and sharing it with y'all.

(That I'm sure I'll have more to add)

I have learned that for every single procedure, office visit, or test from any doctor, I MUST CALL MY INSURANCE FIRST, because a doctor saying "Don't worry, they always cover X" is no guarantee.

Let's just say I learned this the hard way.

I learned:

Perks is friendlier than I deserve.

Migraines suck cheesy donkey balls.

I am a better writer than I thought, especially when it comes to writing synopses; I've sold books more than once - for other people, so there's no reason why I can't do it for my own novels.

My 'mother' has never, will never, can never, bring anything good to the table and I am better off without her.

I'm more attractive than I thought, less confident than I need to be.

Totally living in the wrong city.

It's okay to be anti-social, writing-obsessed and grumpy. This doesn't make me 'wrong' in any way; it means I will attract like-minded people who don't need to live in my pocket to prove their friendship.

I prefer writers I've never met to the same old folks I live near.

I still like books better than people, though.

Except Colin, Jared and Shannon.

I'm not one for traditional relationships and it's hard to find someone willing to go along with that.

My skin burns even when the sun's not shining.

Oreos are good. Peanut butter is bad. (HAI MR PERKS!)

*ahem*

You also learned that it's not a fact Scottish pigeons make strange noises BECAUSE THEY'RE SEAGULLS NOT PIGEONS ISN'T THAT RIGHT, PERKS?

Don't believe a word of it, people.

Perks said:

You misunderstood my confusion - Scottish seagulls just make a very foreign noise.

And I know my seagulls, dammit!

Click to expand...

scarletpeaches said:

Don't believe a word of it, people.

Click to expand...

I learned that having an agent is still no guarantee of publication even if the agent is 1) good, 2) active, 3) has several recent sales, and 4) loves your work.

I suspected this all along.

Confirmation still sucks.

People you meet online are real (amazing, wonderful, beautiful) people.

I need to live on my own for a while.

Going back to school is a flippin hassle surrounded by red tape.

I am damn persistent, and will not stop until I have what I want.

What I do at work in a few hours between surfing the web and emailing/chatting with friends is considered a full day's work by others.

I need to live in a different city.

Being lonely is normal sometimes.

I have learned that I shouldn't feel guilty about asking hubby to take the kids away for a few hours to give me a break.

That I cannot drink as much wine as I used to.

That really don't get enough time to write.

That maybe I should come up with a backup plan in case I really do just suck as a writer.

I have learned...

Free airfare isn't entirely "free". The tickets don't cost anything, but the hotels during 5+ days worth of layovers can add up.

There are spiders in Okinawa that are the size of my hand.

I like my socially reclusive lifestyle, and too much human contact actually wears me out now.

That said, I wouldn't trade going to my class reunion for the world, especially since one of my former classmates declared that - based on the fact that I am an author and flew in from Japan just for the reunion - I "won the reunion".

It is possible for two people to stretch $20 for 10 days.

Even with something as frustrating as a dropped contract, there is always a silver lining. I rewrote the book and it is sooooooo much better now.

There's a reason you're instructed not to look directly at a solar eclipse, especially through a telephoto camera lens. *blink blink blink*

Cicadas in Japan are HUGE.

The one single factor that has influenced my writing - quality and quantity - over the last year is my unholy alliance (as she calls it) with scarletpeaches.

I think that's about it. It's been a very educational summer.

I learned what a flamer is.

Not the good kind either.

brainstorm77 said:

Work rules my life.

Click to expand...

Sigh. Yes.

I've learned that I will miss fireflies.

- How to fight spam.

- How to take screenshots.

- How to play music by ear.

- How to sing, and not the croaky way.

- What not to wear.

There's more... but that's all for now.

spamwarrior said:

- How to play music by ear.

Click to expand...

This can be learned??? I thought it was intuitive - either you could do it or you couldn't.

Perks said:

Don't laugh, man. Scottish seagulls sound like pterodactyls. It's terrifying.

Click to expand...

Scottish everything is terrifying. Drunks, wildlife, pubs, accents, toddlers, tea rooms, you name it. Even the lamp posts will kick your heid in if you catch them with peripheral vision.

-I realized just how many people believe in me and though it's extremely pleasant to realize that about yourself it's also shit-assed scary. Now I owe it to them to live up to their unbelievable expectations.

-I rediscovered that life is beautiful

-I learned that stepping on an inch and a half spike of metal and having it puncture your heel isn't really that bad of a thing to happen. It's actually cool to see the life's blood pumping out of you.

-I found out how much fun it is to go golfing with my son, who, until this summer, was too young to get on the links. I also realized that going golfing every weekend with your son makes your wife happy.

-I enjoyed another summer of long walks in the woods with my lovely blonde lady, Franny. I understand that she makes me younger...AND makes me see the world through her unbound joy. I have learned that no life should be devoid of the love of a good dog.

-I had my 20th wedding anniversary this summer...and I'm the luckiest person on the planet.


Thank God we didn't have to write a 'How I spent My Summer Vacation' essay!