January 4: WiFi, Loser

Yes, I got the WiFi working at my house.  Actually, I just got the wireless working, and I'm feeling a little smart.  I don't know why I'm feeling smart.  The WiFi is working because of a very nice guy named Mike from AT&T who spent about 40 minutes on the phone with me this evening.  I just followed Mike's instructions.  Before that, I was an angry mess.  Setting this Internet up at my house just proved two things to me:  (1) I suck at doing technical things, and (2) I need  more friends who know how to do technical things.

I just checked my e-mail to prove to myself that I could check my e-mail at home.  I shouldn't have.  There was a message from the people who sponsor the Phil Levine Poetry Contest.  I've been waiting for about three months for this e-mail.  Unfortunately, the news wasn't great.  It wasn't even good.  I didn't win.  I wasn't even a finalist.  I really thought I had a shot with this book.  I worked harder on this manuscript than I did on my MFA thesis.  It has better poems in it and holds together better.  I'm really tired of disappointment. 

Yup

My friend Wonder Twin told me this afternoon that I'm never going to be named a Blog of Note because people don't want to read whiny, jealous rants all the time.  She's probably right.

I said I was going to write another post tonight if I got the wireless up and running at home.  Here it is.  Not very uplifting, I'm sorry to say.  I shouldn't have checked my e-mail.  I should have just basked in the success of my WiFi.

Saint Marty pretty much feels like a loser tonight.