A few weeks ago one of the clients at work said, "Don't worry, Pete, there's light at the end of the rainbow." I haven't been feeling worried but I do see the light: Next week I switch to day shift. I've been working swing (which is 2:30-11:00; a lot of people confuse it with graveyard) for eight years now so this will be a major change, almost like getting a new job.

The actual working aspect isn't ideal, I'll be working at the same time as my bosses and sharing the office I had to myself--with the stereo to myself--with two other people, but the other changes more than outweigh that. Most importantly I'll get to see my wife for more than thirty minutes at a time. We'll be able to eat dinner together (no more institutional lasagna!). We can go to movies. Poetry readings. Plays. We can see friends! It's all very exciting.

Since I'm such a slave to routine there will be a period of adjustment, especially figuring out when I'm going to write. If I can write a couple hours a day and get some amount of reading and music listening in, then I 'm fine. But right now I'm in an unmotivated limbo. We just got back from LA and that was so fun that it's hard to focus on a daily grind. And it seems silly to start any new poetry projects since November is going to be devoted to doing what Dup is doing: writing a novel for National Novel Writing Month. Join us!