It's A Miracle the Cats Are Still Speaking to Me...

And they are still speaking to me, although just barely.  Lucy came up to me this morning, tail standing straight up, bright-eyed, talking up a storm--all signals that say "I'm ready to play!"  I kept putting her off and putting her off..."No baby, Mommy's working."  Finally she gave up and curled into a sad little ball in front of my desk, her chin resting on her paws in the classic, "I'm so bored" pose as she heaved a deep sigh.

I couldn't take it.  Here I am writing about how to give cats the good life and I'm ignoring my own precious darlings!  So I got up and played with her for 10 minutes. She was so happy...well worth it.

I worry about Olivia though.  Lucy is vocal and if she wants your attention, trust me, you'll know it.  Olivia is very retiring and might walk around your feet once or twice but she's not an in your face cat.  So I try to watch that I make time for her as well.

Her new favorite game is to hide under our bed while I drag a cat toy that looks like a feather duster along the floor.  She reaches out and grabs it.  This game is more fun for her than for me as I don't even get to look at her while we play.  Maybe I glimpse the occasional paw here and there, but that's it.

So You Think You Can Dance...

Is anybody else watching this new reality show?  I'm completely hooked.  (Shocking, considering I've also been hooked on "Survivor, "The Amazing Race," The Apprentice" and about 50 other reality shows).  But I love this one.  Unlike American Idol, the judge are actually decent human beings who are kind yet honest.  And these people can  dance. It's really exciting to watch them do it.  And informative.  I watch them do moves that it just doesn't seem possible for the human body to perform and yet, when they get in say a Mambo class, the struggle with the steps.  It surprises me...I would think if you could move like that to begin with, you could do just about anything.

So that was my 2-hour break last night.  Actually, I've been disappointed in myself as a nighttime writer.  I had visions of writing sessions lasting until 1 am but I'm finding I'm pretty much tapped out by 7.   Could be because the real panic hasn't set in yet.  We'll see.

I turn in the outline today.  It's...all right.  I'm not estatic about it.  Part of the issue is I'm supposed to outline everything that will appear in a chapter.  Well, in the past week and a half of research, I've hit all the low-lying branches and then some.  So I can outline what I've found. But I'm short about 2000-3000 words in each chapter.  So how do I outline material that I've yet to discover and know what I'm writing about?

I'm sending in some sample chapters with the outline.  Just to make sure we're all on the same page.  I've actually calmed myself down by going with the worst case scenario.  Worst, worst case, I turn stuff in, they hate it and fire me and don't pay me, and I've lost 2 weeks of my life.  I can live with that.  People are dealing with a a lot worse.

So that actually comforts me. Since I know I can live with worst case, it helps me to  move forward and see what else can be done.

I've also got my monthly writers group meeting tonight, which is a bit of a jolt.  It's like, "Uh?  Outside life goes on? Wha...????

Back to the grind! =)

I'm an auto columnist

I received a call this afternoon from an editor at the News & Record, our area paper.  I write the occasional job-search column for them and fill in on assignments.  So we say our hello's and the editor says, "I wanted to talk to you because we're expanding our auto section."

I laughed.  "I'm scared to wonder how that might even remotely involve me, but please continue." I mean really, I am that woman that if someone asks what kind of car I drive, I say "white."

What they're looking for is someone to write very brief weekly profiles on people who work at dealerships and also a sort of "why I love my car segment."  The hardest part about both pieces is I have to take photos.  I take the world's worst photos.

The schedule and pay rate was explained to me.  "So, are you interested?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.  "If only because I want to inform friends and family that I'm an auto columnist.  Their reactions alone should be worth it."

So come October, baby, rev up your engines, because the auto writer is in town! (As a side note, my personal goal is not to use the term "rev up your engines" in a single column I write.  I still have my pride).

Motivating Quote

Found this yesterday and blew it up to 36 font on a piece of paper I plan on tacking to my forehead:

"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse." - Jim Rohn.

No idea who Jim Rohn is, but brilliant man, I must say.

Took a bit of a sideroad last night. A former client of mine I wrote a speech for called and asked what I was doing for the next hour and a half.

"Extremely busy," I said, as I stuffed another Dorito in my mouth.  "Why?"

"My parents 60th wedding anniversary is tonight and I'm supposed to give part of a speech on my father's history and I have all these facts and nothing written and I need it by 6:30 tonight."

"I'm so sorry,"  I said.  "I'd love to help you but I just can't."  And I believed it.  I only wish I were swamped.  "Dead and buried" I think comes closer to describing my situation.  Considering I'm someone who prides herself on her organizational skills and ability to get the job done, the fact that I'm so struggling with this project is scaring the daylights out of me.

Anyway, the client was very nice and said sorry to bother me and we hung up.  I was sad not to be able to help someone in a crunch but felt proud of myself for saying no--something I often have trouble with.

Thirty minutes later the phone rang.

"Did I mention I'll pay you?  Because of course I'll pay you!  How much will it take to have you do this?"

So much for resolve.  It wasn't the money.  It was more I couldn't stand to turn someone down who was pleading for help.  And I really like this client and knew this was a big event.  "Okay," I said.  "E-mail me what you've got."

I took 40 minutes away from the book and worked on the speech.  It was marvelous to actually sit down and accomplish something.  I sent it to her and was worried...a 60th anniversary is a big deal and I hadn't had long to work.  I hoped she could find something to use in what I'd sent.

So I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I got her e-mail telling me I was incredible.  Seriously, it was something I needed to hear in terms of my writing when self-doubt is attacking at every corner.  So where am I going with this?  Simply that things come to us in life for a reason.  I could have said no for a second time, but the benefit I got out of stopping to work on this project far outweighed the time it took away from the book.

Trust life to give you what you need.