Mistakes Galore

I sat down last night to start proofreading and am freaking out at the number of mistakes I'm finding. One chapter had the last page missing from it!  I'm having heart palpitations that I'll miss something major like that and we'll go to print...

Whatever program Robert used to transfer the file into his software from Word, it didn't transfer exact.  For example, all the circled trademark or registered trademark signs came over as apostrophes.  Then there are lines of dialogue that are split in two and assigned two different lines, extra quotation marks everywhere (I don't know what's causing that), and it looks like a lot of the sentences don't have a space after the period.  It's a little scary.  I'll read through and proof it several times and have Blair read it at least once. Then it goes back to Robert for edits, he sends the final copy to us for one last proof, then we're off to the printer.

I'm still mainly excited though. I contacted the printer yesterday to let them know the book is almost done and to get a revised quote. I can't wait until I can actually hold the book in my hands.  I may go so far as to sleep with it under my pillow that first night.  Don't put it past me.

Proofreading My Book

My layout designer Robert Howard e-mailed me the pdf file of my "to-be-proofread" book today.  BIG excitment seeing it so close to print.  I printed out all 128 pages of it and it's now sitting on the corner of my desk, waiting to be proofed.  I've already found a big one.  The title page proclaims in big, bold letters: LESSONS IN STOCKING.  Hmmm....how much would that hurt to go to press, overlooking that little typo?

Needless to say, my next week will be spent in non-stop perusal of the book.  As will Blair's (whether he's aware of it or not--but he probably is).  He's as excited about the book as I am, which is gratifying to see.  He's never blinked an eye at the time or money output involved in this project. 

It's 10pm, my bedtime, and I know I'm too tired to start looking at the book, but the eager author in me is screaming with delirious joy, "Now! Now!  Stay up until 4am if you have to but proofread it NOW."

That screaming voice gets me in a lot of trouble.

I'm peeking at the pages as I type this.  Uh-oh, the preface looks to be in miniscule type.  I hope that can be fixed without altering the page count.  We're exactly where we need to be without wasting paper.

Okay, I'm at least going to go wash my face and perhaps give it a try at going to sleep.  I'll be up early for yoga (6am class on MWF - love it!!) and the book (yea, the book!  My book!) will still be here tomorrow.

The Squirrels Return?

Remember the scene in the 80's movie Poltergeist near the end where the little girl has been rescued and the family is getting ready to move and everyone thinks everything is okay, and then the light appears again under the closet door?  As the door slides open and the evil of the netherworld slithers out in the form of a demon clown and red-blood vessel tentacles, the little girl sitting on her bed, moans softly, "No more"?

That's what I feel  like with the squirrels.  We took the little buggers out and I'm hearing scrabbling noises again.  I think they're still on the outside though.  I'm pretty sure the thudding noises I heard earlier today were on our lower exterior roof, above the guest bath.  The furry rodents are trying to find a way in, I'm sure of it.  I'll blow up the house before I'll let them have it.  I used to like squirels until they invaded our home.  Now I jump out of my skin if I see one within three feet of the house.

"SQUIRRELS GO HOME." That's the sign I'm going to post on our roof.

If only the little buggers could read.

Peacock On The Loose

We live in an odd town.  The first week we moved here we noticed a man walking a pig on a leash and the pig easily weighed in at 200 lbs.  That was his pet pig and he walked it every day and when the pig died some years back, the whole town went into mourning and 3 local papers covered it.

Now we have peacocks.  The picture below was taken by our neighbor across the street.  The bird was behind their house and was a good 6-feet in length from head to tail feathers.  Remember Spike the great hunter cat from my earlier post?  Well, this bird was in Spike's back yard.  According to Spike's owners, Pat & Donny, Spike watched the bird from about a 3-feet distance but declined to get any closer.  He must have thought that was the mother of all birds.

Pat and Donny took the photo you see here and e-mailed it around the block.  My favorite reply is from a neighbor who e-mailed back, "If you catch it, I have a great recipe for peacock stew."

Pat's brother who was in town visiting followed the bird up the street, where it took a left at a house with a small pond outfront and then flew about 10 feet in the air to perch in a tree.  I would have liked to see a bird that size flying.  I always thought peacocks gave little hop-jumps more than took flight.  Looks like I was wrong.

What's next?  Elephants in the garden?