Most of the people I know either have no job or no time because their jobs are taking up all of their time. I am in the latter category and have been repeatedly exhorted to "be grateful," or, ungrammatically, to "be lucky." (I have always wanted to be lucky; it's just not something you can summon at will.)

"Be lucky you have a job."

I am lucky in that regard, but boy, did I mess up my June. June is really the last month in summer you can be a good friend; after that, no one's schedule matches yours until after Labor Day. So in June I let half a dozen people down, due to work schedules, or the flu I caught. I missed a party, a screening party, a reading, three "networking" events and by the fourth of July weekend, I had missed Kris's birthday. That is to say, I did acknowledge it; I called her voice mail and favored her with my rendition of "Happy Birthday," I had already secured part of the gift, but it was lame and it remains unwrapped and unsent.

A rosy fingered glow of hope on the horizon but until then, a general apology.

posted by Elizabeth at 6:03 PM