and the winner is

I'm sick today, ceremoniously handing over the victory cup to the virus I've been staving off for days now and feeling totally defeated. Funny thing is if you keep smiling and pretend you're not getting sick the virus is not fooled into giving up. If you tell it you don't have time to get sick, chances are it won't care. Viruses are smart and they don't listen to a word you say...welcome to my life.

On a brighter note, if I can muster one, I heard a keynote address by Ann Cannon, my favorite feature writer for the Deseret News last night while trying not to get sick. As usual, she moved me. She advised, amid a number of endearing stories of her imperfect world to which I totally relate, to 1) find the humor 2) revise the ideal 3) cherish what you have, today and 4) just keep at it. I felt normal and it felt good.

She also suggested writer-wanna-bes like me who don't have time to write should spend 20 minutes a day writing and that many of her writer friends have finished entire books after a year of this exercise. I have no such aspirations; but I do like to write.

And my 20 minutes is up...