What's Up In Dena's World?

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This week has our favorite writer feeling frazzled. To get a grip on life (and because she has, like, ZERO energy to come up with anything more creative), here's a quick peek behind the wizard's curtain:

WORK

  • 2 newsletter articles
  • Developmental edit on book due to editor
  • Write, rewrite, rip apart and write again children's book for client
  • Conduct interviews, interviews, interviews for other book for client
  • Transcribe interviews, interviews, interviews
  • Write book from interviews, interviews, interviews
  • Compose query letter and sample columns for magazine I want to work for as a columnist
Read More

The Life & Times of Albert The Bug

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Police sketch of AlbertYesterday afternoon, I noticed a small, flat-backed, gray-brown bug near the top of the kitchen sink.

"Bug," I said to Blair, pointing at it. (This is marital code for: "Deal with it.")

"That's Albert," said Blair. (Marital code for: "It's just a bug and I'm trying to make a sandwich and if it bothers you so much, you deal with it.")

I didn't want to deal with it, so Albert stayed. His presence quickly grew on us. About an hour later, I went to put a glass in the sink and noticed Albert had shifted position about a foot to the left.

"Hi, Albert," I said. I heard Blair offer a similar greeting when he returned to the kitchen for a snack. 

Early evening, I go into the kitchen to make dinner. As I'm pouring steaming hot pasta water into the colander to drain the spaghetti, I see Albert perilously close to where the water is splashing up in the sink.

"Albert, look out!" I cried.  

We were cleaning dishes up from dinner when I asked Blair what he thought Albert ate.

"I don't know that we need to carry it that far," he said. 

Huh. In my book, if you name something, it's a pet for life and now you're responsible for it.

Which is why I'm sad to announce that Albert has disappeared. He was nowhere to be found this morning. Maybe we just didn't love him enough. Maybe he was bored. Or hungry.

Or maybe he was just a bug. But he was a good bug. Our bug.

We miss you, Albert. 

The Married Life: Using "Blair" As A Verb

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Talking with my best friend today, she updated me on a potentially bad situation. 

"We'll just have to Blair it," I said. "You know, make the best of it."

"Did you just verb your husband?" she asked.

Mm. I guess I did. I can't be faulted. Look up the words "optimistic," "buoynant" or "cheerful" and chances are you will find "Blair Harris" listed as a viable synonym.

I'm just bringing it mainstream. 

The Married Life: Underwear

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Blair got his shower first this morning. Afterward, he was in the bedroom, standing in front of his closet in black underwear and socks. (Hot, I know. It's a miracle I ever let him leave the house.)

"Hey, what's with the black underwear?" I asked, coming up behind him and sliding my arms around his middle. "You have a hot date at lunch or something?"

Blair looked at me quizically. "No. These were the ones that were on top."

I'll just cut to the chase and say that it must be very, very nice to be a man.