The Great To Do List

I haven't posted one of my famous annoying standard to-do lists in some time, and I worry your lives are lacking for it. Therefore, today's post is a look inside the cluttered "to do" mind of your world-famous (kinda sorta) cat author friend:

• RSVP to an April 26th Foster Friends of NC luncheon.
• Call the running store and see if I can switch my half-marathon race to the 5k on the 26th in order to attend above luncheon.
• Figure out who's home I can shower at in GSO on the 26th after the race so I can go to the luncheon.
• Write first draft of an article for www.Dogtwist.com.
• Call the event coordinator for the 2008 National Women's Music Festival. The event features women in the arts and there is an "animal lovers" series for which I might present. But I need to know if there is a travel stipend, can books be sold, what I'd speak on, etc.
• If I do sign up for above event, pull together speech/workshop--pronto!
• Write outline for a May 14th presentation on writing. Send to my co-host for comments/reviews.
• Remember the ding letter I got on a book proposal? I e-mailed the query and the agent has expressed an interest! She wants details on chapter structure and outline and what I plan to do with the book. Sigh. If only I knew...  Must get to library and do research and start writing sample chapters!!!!
• Organize my research for article I'm writing on canine glaucoma.
• Call my next door neighbor and see if he wants to attend "Free Friday Yoga" with me.
• Work on book proposal for "Kiss My Kitty Butt."
• I'm considering a "Kiss My Kitty Butt" calendar -- look into details on how to accomplish this.
• Trademark "Kiss My Kitty Butt?"
• Set out tape recorder hooked into phone so I can be ready if my canine glaucoma interviews call unexpectedly.
• Buy a graduation card for a friend's daughter.
• Call everyone I know because I've shamefully ignored them for weeks and am lucky to still have those who will call me "friend."
• E-mail friend about a book I hope she has on publishing that I want to borrow.
• Quit making lists and go do some actual work.

Cheers!

Finding the Perfect Hubcab

A little over a week ago, the left rear hubcab flew off my "new" Camry. Blair saw it go and retrieved it, and I've spent the last week trying to have it repaired/replaced. Turns out its missing half the clips that hold it on, so its a goner. I've since learned that this particular hubcab is known as "crap" in the industry and there is high incidence of them falling off.

I went by the Toyota dealership yesterday to see if they could dig up a spare, but all they had were new hubcabs at $75 each. I'm not so much feelin' that. But they suggested E-bay or Hubcaps.com. Both have my hubcab. Ebay for $19 plus $18 shipping and handling. Hubcaps has it for $50, shipping included, but given the problems with this model hubcab, they recommend replacing it with 4 new hubcabs for $100 total.

I find it interesting how small happenings such as these suck up so much time. I've driven 60 miles roundtrip to the Toyota dealership, stopped by an autoparts store to see if they could reattach the hubcab, spent 30 minutes online researching hubcabs, and now I'm waiting for 9 am pacific time to call Hubcabs.com and see if the particular hubcab I want will fit my car. All told, I've invested about 4 hours.

And still don't have a new hubcab... =)

Suffering From Malnutrition

Does anyone else despise going to the grocery store? I don't know what childhood trauma caused the mental block I now carry about going to the store, but there it is. I'm back from my writer's conference and there is no food in the house save 5 bananas, bread, vegetarian sausage patties, stale raisins, Cheerios, crunchy organic peanut butter, and vanilla low-fat yogurt. I have made it 3 days on this diet and I'm not breaking down now, when I'm so close to victory.

Friday night is grocery night. I'm not setting foot in the store until then. I admire people who shop 2-3x/week for their food, running to the store after work to pick up needed ingredients for that night's meal. Personally? I'd rather bathe in blood. There is nothing about the grocery store I like, other than the produce section. I love being surrounded by leafy, colorful greens, and bright fruit and vegetables. I like to play a game where I pretend I actually know how to cook any of that stuff, and sometimes I pick up something like an eggplant or a plantain and examine it as if I were considering buying it. I like to think I fool people.

If anyone in the area wants to make a quick buck, you could drive by my house in about an hour and sell me some carrots and red peppers, apples, and Weight Watchers kiwi yogurt. I'm willing to pay top dollar.

But I won't go to the store to get it.

Well THAT Was An Ugly 24 Hours...

I have been through the storm.  Yesterday about 9 pm I came down with some sort of stomach/flu virus. Miserable does not begin to describe the last 24 hours. I have not done this much praying to the porcelain god since college.  Add in fever, aches, chills, headache... Today was one of those days where I just prayed for death.  And yet, as suddenly as it hit, it seems to have gone. I realized about an hour ago that the thought of food was not stomach-turning and actually kept down some applesauce. (Much love to my sister who called and told me the "BRAT" secret to eating when sick: Bananas, Rice, Applause, Toast.  That, and she suggested sipping Gatorade for nutrients, which helped as well.)

I'm still shaky, but about 90% better than four hours ago. Which is good, because I'm supposed to get in a car and drive 8 hours to Dayton tomorrow for a writer's conference. I'd all but written the conference off, earlier today, but now I'm thinking I might just pull through and make it. If so, probably no blogging for a few days as I don't plan on taking my laptop with me.

Off to bed for what I hope is a good night's sleep.