Corinne Camacho

            Because of my sore left arm I had to sleep uncomfortably on my back most of the night. When I woke up feeling less than rested I looked at my phone and all that was on the screen was a yield sign with an exclamation mark inside. I thought it might be some sort of emergency signal but then it occurred to me that it might be saying that the phone battery was low. But that seemed strange since I was sure that the battery showed that it was well over 50% when I went to bed. But after plugging the phone in it became clear that it did desperately need a charge. It seemed stupid to me that they wouldn't just have the message, "Battery Low!" rather than some cryptic symbol. 

            My arm was still aching in the aftermath of Tuesday's Moderna shot. 

            I memorized the sixth verse of "Le java des chaussettes à clous" (The Dance of the Studded Stockings) by Boris Vian. 

            I finished memorizing "Pas long feu" (Not For Long) by Serge Gainsbourg and searched for the chords online. Ultimate Guitar had a set and so I copied them down. It's weird how with this whole Gainsbourg reggae album everybody who posts the chords hears the songs as two chord compositions. I tend to hear a few more in each one. 

            I weighed 89.1 kilos before breakfast. 

            There was an email from Albert Moritz telling me that my draft cover letter to Exile Editions is excellent and that I should send it to them immediately. I had thought that Albert was going to say the letter is too long but although Albert did admit that the bio is longer than he'd suggested he added that that my life is interesting enough and actually crucial to the poetry and so it's fine. He just had one spelling correction and also said I should change "publication" to "publishing house." He also advised me not to send my cover design or mention it until the publisher accepts the writing. He said that once I've sent it we can talk about him sending a letter to recommend my book to Exile. 

            In the late morning I washed a pair of shorts so they'd be clean for my dentist's appointment tomorrow. I hung them over a pipe on the roof so they'd be able to access the sun continuously. 

            Around noon, digging at little spots of black under the rim with a scraper, I finished cleaning the pan I use for grilling meat. Next I have to clean the grill itself. 

            I weighed 88.5 kilos before lunch. I had kettle chips, salsa and yogourt with a glass of orange juice. 

            The ache in my arm seemed to be easing back but I still couldn't sleep on my left side when I took my siesta. 

            In the afternoon I took a bike ride. A cyclist passed me on the Bloor bike lane but then seemed to slow down. I wanted to go out onto Bloor to pass her but for several blocks there was too much traffic. I finally got ahead after Ossington. I rode to Yonge and Bloor and weighed 88.1 kilos when I got home. 

            I went out on the roof to check if my shorts were dry and saw that when they were dry the wind had blown them off the pipe into a puddle made by a dripping ventilation machine that serves the restaurant downstairs. My shorts were half wet again and so I put them back in the pipe. Later I hung them on a hanger below the fire escape but later still I looked and saw it was raining outside. I went out and saw the rain hadn't gotten much through the spaces between slats of the fire escape floor. I brought the shorts inside to hang. 

            I edited my cover letter and made some changes to one poem in my manuscript and then I tried to send them to Exile Editions. But their information on submitting is that they now use the Submittable website. I followed the link to Exile's Submittable page but the title message said, "There are presently no open calls for submissions" and there was no space or link for submitting on that page. The "How to submit work" page said, "we will no longer accept mail-in submissions unless you first contact us at  info@exileeditions.com to discuss." I'm not sure if I should ask them how to proceed electronically by way of that email or if there is there another way in. I sent another email to Albert Moritz to ask for his recommendation.   

            I got my new CRA security code in the mail and accessed my account. I thought there would be information in my account on my pension payments. Last year it was sent by mail so maybe that's what they'll do again this year. It looks like Canada Pension Plan doesn't have anything to do with the CRA. 

            I had a potato with gravy and a chicken leg for dinner while watching two episodes of Mayberry RFD. 

            In the first story Aunt Bee learns that the county is putting a road through her favourite nature spot and she organizes a protest by the ladies of the garden club. She pressures Sam to make the presentation to the county commissioner of highways. He agrees to do it even though he disagrees with the protest. But the commissioner says that the people of the county want a short cut and so the road will go ahead. But on the day that the bulldozers are scheduled to start clearing the way for the road, Bee, the ladies and Howard show up to block their path. The commissioner decides to delay construction until the county can look into the matter further. Later the commissioner announces that they have planned a new road that weaves through the woods around the trees. Howard looks at the map of the planned road and tells Sam that the new "short cut" road would actually be a kilometre longer than the road it is supposed to replace. Sam tells Howard not to mention that to anyone. 

            In the second story Sam and Howard decide to take Millie and Howard's new friend Barbara on a weekend getaway, but do so without consulting Millie. Howard is all for it and he knows Barbara is also an outdoors type. Sam is sure that Millie will love the idea but she'd wanted to do something indoors because she hates camping. But when Millie meets Barbara and sees how impressed Sam is with her knowledge of camping and fishing, she gets jealous and decides to come along. But Millie's lack of ability in regards to camping causes her problems at every turn. She knocks the tent over and loses her fishing rod. When the next morning Millie wakes to find Sam and Barbara have gone fishing together without waking her he takes Sam's truck and drives home. Later she tries to impress Sam with the things that she has talent for. She throws a dinner party for Sam, Howard and Barbara and everyone is charmed by her arrangements, her gown, her table setting and her food. But when she tries to open a bottle of wine she spills it all over her gown. 

            Barbara was played by Corinne Camacho, who as a child studied at the Conservatory of Music and Arts. She later became a model and then broke into television acting. She played Dr Jeanne Bartlett on "Calling Dr Gannon" and Grace Snider on "Little House On The Prairie." She later ran a hospice centre in New Mexico and then became a life coach in Oregon. She also wrote children's music and released an album called "Love Notes and Lullabyes."