...and I Spent How Much in Gas?

Today was not the most productive use of my time. I had a 3 PM meeting in Greensboro and--under the category of "What was I thinking?"--scheduled a 2 PM phone interview. It's a 35-40 minute drive into Greensboro and my interview was going to last 30-40 minutes, meaning I wasn't going to make my meeting. So I decided I'd drive into GSO early and conduct the phone interview at the coffee shop where I'd be meeting my 3 PM. Plus, my running group meets tonight at 6, giving me enough time to change and get there after my 3 pm ended..

I drove into GSO, but once I got there my 3 PM called to say she had to cancel. Plus, it was raining with no signs of stopping, making our workout look iffy. So in essence, I drove 40 minutes into GSO today to sit in my car and conduct an interview on my cell phone, then turned around and drove 40 minutes back home. 

I think I'm going to throw in the towel for the day and just go read a book and enjoy the rain.

Cheers.

Recipe Organizer

I need help. Our recipe folders are gasping for an organizational system and I can't find one that works.

Here's the deal. Right now, we have two folders. The green folder is filled with "Recipes we'd like to try but haven't made yet." The red folder is filled with the "We've made them and like them" keepers. We also have a recipe book but I'm not a fan. Most of the recipes we pull are from magazines and there are so many ingredients and instructions that to transcribe the recipe would take forever. I also like keeping the picutre of the dish with the recipe (it helps me at the end to compare my creation with the photo to see if I've even come close.)

One problem is our recipes are all different shapes and sizes. Some we'll cut off boxes or let's say the cous-cous will have a recipe tucked into the bottom of it. Others are 8.5 x 11 pages ripped from magazines.

All I've come up with for organization is buying a three ring binder and plastic protective covers and sticking the keepers in there. 

Ideas?

How Writers REALLY Spend Their Time...

It never fails to amaze me how little time, for a professional writer, I actually spend writing. Today, for example, started off strong with three hours of writing time, then plunged into an unrecoverable "to do" list mania that ate up the day. So instead of spending the afternoon writing about the funny things cats do, I instead:

• Made an appointment with the vet to have the girls nails trimmed tomorrow
• Made an appointment to have my own mane trimmed later this week
• Called Lowe's in search of an asbestos-testing kit. No luck, so I...
• Called a friend of a friend who knows about such things and left a message for him to call me back
• Mailed a package at the post office
• Dropped off our old cell phone's at the sheriff's department, 25 minutes away
• Stopped in at Back Street Buzz in Reidsville and convinced the owner (who is from CA) to be my guest in September on my "How'd You End Up Here?" radio show
• Jotted down some thoughts for a talk I'm giving at a Rotary Club on Thursday and timed myself. WAY over the 15-minute limit. Cutting must take place.
• Returned a call to my best friend since I ignored her early morning call when the writing was flowing
• Went to yoga
• Sent out a Twitter request for "What question would your cat ask God, if they could?" (Fodder for the book)
• Jammed through 10-12 e-mails
• Ate lunch

Now I'm at Panera with an hour and half to kill before it's time to meet my running group for hill work in 90 degree heat. And what does it say about my day that the last part there sounds FUN and mildly ENTERTAINING at this point?

I have a cat book with me to read in the hopes of inspiring humor. I have coffee. I have a laptop and wireless and nothing left on my to-do list. I have a hot husband who will have stir-fry waiting for me this evening.

Life is pretty good.

6 Unspectacular Quirks... (Because I Have To)

I've been tagged by fellow bloger and friend Kim and asked to name 6 unspectacular quirks of mine before passing the buck. And people say the Internet is a waste of time.

In no particular order, here are my quirks:

1. I am blind obsessive, but only in the winter. Once October hits, I close up the house every evening at dusk. However, I also open the house before the first rays of the sun. Can't stand to walk around a house with pulled blinds when the sun is up.
2. Drink coasters. God made them for a reason, people.
3. I clean the bathroom in a certain order: mirrors, sink, countertops, toilet. If I deviate from this order, the Universe may explode.
4. I can't wear my glasses when I eat. I take them off and leave them on the side of the table and then put them back on when I'm finished. Bizarre, I know.
5. My birthday is in June, but I think of myself as the next year older starting in January. So even though this January I'll be 38 for another 6 months, in my mind, I'll already be 39.
6. Cats. I can well up on the spot just thinking about how much joy they bring to my life.
   

That's my list. Now here are the rules of the tagging from Kim:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they've been tagged

Sadly, I only know 4 bloggers to tag: Amy, Tamara, Pam, and Melody. So okay girls, you're on!