The Ex-Convict Was Rejected.

Well, not him himself. I mean, that guy never seems to get rejected. But my essay on him did. By the New York Times. The Modern Love section. I got the email last night.

Dear Jody,

Thanks for trying me with your piece, and sorry to have taken so long
to respond. I enjoyed it but in the end it didn't get over the hump
for us here. Still, I appreciate the look. Best of luck,

Dan

--
Daniel Jones
Modern Love editor
The New York Times

Nice letter, though. Don't you think? I wrote him back. I think it's true what most people are telling me. That it's a screenplay or a novel. Not just an essay. Maybe after it's a book. Maybe after I write the book. Oh, yeah. That's why I'm moving home. To write more. I do like it as a screenplay. I just need to get back to it. Remember it. Keep my eye on the prize. Remember that there could be one. I'm trying. I am.

My friend at ABC sent me a bunch of pilots. So I have reading material for the plane. She's telling me what's working and what's not with the new shows this year and what they have in development for next season. Which helps in terms of focusing my show. I know what I'm calling it. What it's about. Now I just have to write it.

Yesterday I did a trip up to Oakland to meet with the new Director of Sales for the skincare line. She's a lovely woman. And seems to make things happen. She has a lot of resolve. Thinks I'm overqualified. And knows I don't want to do this anyway. She's helping me out and using me to train all the new people through the month of January. Which will take me back to New York twice. Which is nice. She thinks I just need a break. I hear that alot. She hasn't had a particularly easy time of it herself. So few people really have if you get right down to it. When she dropped me back at the airport- it was a day trip-- I found $40 on the ground. I thought that was a good sign. I paid $38 to change the ticket from Friday to Monday to be able to make my meeting with her. It was like the world was saying, "You did the right thing." The not going and then going when you were ready. I'm hoping to hear more of that lately. That I've done the right thing.

Today I'm supposed to pick out my storage space. But I don't know if I'm really up for it. My mom is getting a little too carried away with all of the various locations and options. Who knew there were so many? I'm just like "easy access, good price, safe and secure, and it holds all my shit." But there are all these amenities and things she's fixating on that for the life of me I can't figure out why. I think all of this is freaking her out a little, too. Even though an actual storage space won't change my life, the significance of my getting one does. I do get it. I mean the woman is finally retired and living her life the way she wants and then I show up at 38 years old to cramp her style. And she even has a boyfriend. Me? That used to be one of the many reasons I didn't want to move home. I thought, "How could I date?" "How could I have sex?" But I'm not dating or having sex anyway so it doesn't really seem to matter. Although the option would be nice. It's like when you live alone-- it's the knowing that you could walk around naked in your place if you wanted to even though you probably never will. Unless, of course, you're having sex. In which case, that's all part of it. From what I remember.