victory, maybe?

Finally, I heard back from the agency. They gave the, "Well, there's
a deadline so go ahead, but you need to do ABC." I was actually told
that my first draft was "bad in terms of making clear what your goals
were." That might be true, but I didn't think it was THAT bad.
Nevertheless, no one ever likes walking away from the conversation,
with approval to go forward with the proposal but being slightly
admonished that it hasn't been done correctly. Eeeek.

So, I'll get it in the mail. But it almost makes me feel like, why
bother? I hate feeling incompetent. I'm submitting this with a
whimper my tail between my legs. (no snarky comments, please).

Perhaps my horoscope was right on:
Someone is about to concede defeat -- maybe not in so many words, but
you'll know exactly what they're saying when it happens. Basically,
you've won. You've successfully defended yourself, against all odds.
Congratulations. Don't let this be the last time.
You're not quite sure what's gotten into you, and neither are your
dear ones. All of a sudden, you're determined to win, no matter what
the cost, and you're thinking twice before you open your mouth and let
your true feelings slide out. No, it's certainly not typical, but it's
not exactly out of character, either. After all, when was the last
time -- or the first -- that anyone accused you of being timid?