2010 is off to a REALLY good start!

I finaled! In a contest! An actual writing contest! I'm not sure it's really, truly sunk in, but the nerves feel like they are about to burst forth because I have to revise and resubmit the entry by the middle of January. Gulp. I finaled in the 2010 Linda Howard Award of Excellence in the Series Short/Long Contemporary category. December 31st came and went and I gave up hope of hearing anything. After all, they'd said finalists would be notified by January 1st. Perhaps I was being too literal (because I can be like that)? When the phone rang on New Years Days from an area code I didn't recognize, it didn't even register. The nice woman told me I'd finaled and I felt ... like such a dork. I think I thanked her (at least I hope I did), but I couldn't really think past anything except 'I finaled' and inside I was jumping up and down and screaming it over and over like such a girl! I've often wondered how I would handle 'the call'. Now I know. I'll be tongue-tied, speechless and forget completely about asking any basic or pertinent questions. Oh, and I won't recall any details about the call afterwards!

I finaled! I finaled! I finaled!