I get four blessed hours all to myself this morning. So, of course, I’m spending some of it rambling to the internetz.

We got our second CSA box this morning. Opening it was like having Christmas morning in June—that’s what Ian said so you know it must be truly exciting! We got: 1.5 pounds of summer squash (the yellow kind that look like bumpy UFOs), half-pint of figs, bunch of carrots, bunch of collard greens, a pound of bell peppers, a pound of heirloom tomatoes, 1.5 pounds of fingerling potatoes, a head of lettuce, and a bunch of rosemary. It also came with a recipe for Ratatouille that uses three of those veggies, a recipe for rosemary potatoes (using two box items) and rosemary dressing. Yum!

EDIT: Those figs are fucking OUT OF THIS WORLD! I ate three of them today, carbs be damned.

And some stuff about me . . .

I’ve worked out at the gym three times in the past week. My first two times on the treadmill were pathetic, but on Tuesday when I went I ran for 30 minutes and felt great! Much better than before. I’m eager to get in shape again, but even more eager to improve my mood and coping skills. I know that exercising regularly will help. This morning, I did the 30-minute “cross-training” mode on the elliptical trainer and it kicked my ass. Thanks to

dizzyburner

for the generous use of his iPod and to

foresto

for demonstrating how to turn up its volume.

My mouth is healing, but it still hurts. The backstory: Last Saturday my parents watched the kiddos so Ian and I could join a bunch of friends  on a whitewater rafting trip down the south fork of the American River. The ravishing

nonosays

set it up, with Andrew as the guide for one raft. Frankly, I was terrified by the time Andrew finished the safety lecture about what NOT to do in the river because you can die. My heart was pounding as we loaded into the raft and began practicing the coordinating paddling. I was anxious all the way until lunch time, then I seemed to hit my stride emotionally. When I started getting the thrill of the rapids and feeling the water splash all over me, I decided I really LOVED it. The day was beautiful; it started out really super hot so the water felt glorious, but then later it kind of cooled off when the sun went behind some cloud cover and the wind picked up.

When we hit one of the class-3 rapids (ironically called Hospital, if I remember correctly), I got smashed in the face—probably by the end of my own paddle. Hey, I’m new. It’s hard to say exactly what happened because it happened so fast and I fully do not understand the physics of boats on rapids, but I think the raft under my feet bucked upward while the water forced the business end of my paddle down. I was already leaning in toward the middle of the raft to avoid being tossed out, so I think my paddle nailed me in the nose and mouth. (It’s also possible the raft guide nailed me.) For a few minutes I was dizzy and I got tunnel vision. I felt my body thrown backward but managed not to fall out of the raft. Lost my hat, though. I got a fat lip, slight nosebleed, and the inside of my mouth was cut up. My nose was sore for days and the cuts inside my mouth have become all chancre sore-y. Both rafts pulled over and everyone acted very concerned and serious, which made me feel weird and self-conscious. I was trying really hard to keep it together and not cry. Anyway, I convinced my friends I would be fine and we continued downriver. The last half-hour or so was a bit wonky for me and more subdued, but I still had a wonderful day. The kids never remember my mouth hurts, so I’ve been whammed a dozen times since the accident. It’s been hard having a broken kisser when my husband is so damned kissable.

Work stuff: I seem to have a new client on the horizon. Sometimes just making contact with someone who understands what I do and recognizes my experience is a major feat. I’m told to expect some paperwork to fill out so I can be added to the freelance pool for a computer book publisher. There appears to be no test, which would be so lovely. Anyway, I’ve send out 15 to 20 résumés in the last week and I’m hoping at least 20% of them land on the correct desks. I persevere.

I’m presently taking a proofreading exam for a gimungous science textbook publisher. The stuff I’m proofing is physics for engineers. Shoot Me Now: There’s fucking MATH in it! While I’d like to land another new client, I’m really not sure this is the right fit for me. Why couldn’t they have sent me a biology text? I hate wasting time on an exam that I may not pass, but who knows? I’m trying to take the attitude that if I do somehow manage to pass the test, then I am capable and qualified to do the work. I guess that’s ultimately the point, after all. [Acceleration, yadda yadda, velocity, yadda yadda, x– and y-axes, yadda yadda, kinematics, yadda yadda, square-roots, time t, yadda yadda yadda.]

I’ve got some Asher updates to write, but not till after I work on my exam.