The first conference presentation I attended today was really energizing, a
long look at user experience for open source software from [Maírín
Duffy](http://blog.linuxgrrl.com/) that got me interested in the field
(though… I'm really not a designer).

I… did not introduce myself to anyone at this conference in the end; I
found the thought of it incredibly daunting.

* * *

Feeling a bit like a failure because

1. with our minivan im a state where we can't afford to repair it, the
   spouses and my sister and my child are basically stuck at home when I
   drive to work
2. even without putting money into the minivan we're pretty broke and my
   schlepping into the city dor this conference and spending $5 on
   cafeteria lunch at work all the time isn't helping, and
3. the transportation situation will be made more accute by my return to
   school

Last fall I was a part-time student working 40 hours per week in retail,
taking 4am shifts and cobbling together *Dead Monochrome Doggerel* for
printing through CreateSpace in the campus library between classes. This
semester might be more about just keeping it all together.

I don't know where I fit into it all, or whether I'm doing a good job as a
parent, a student, an intern… I'm not going to think about how I'm doing
as a writer/artist becauae I feel like right now I can only handle being
three things.