Myers Briggs for Cats - Creating the Purr-sonality Profile

My brain is about to explode. I've spent this week devising a Myers-Briggs type "Purr-sonality Profile" for cats for A Cat's Little Book of Self-Help. Coming up with questions for the quiz was fun. Now I'm working on devising a semi-accurate point system that allows readers to take the quiz for their cats and gives them a "valid" profile reading. I've got papers scattered in front of me with scribbles all over them reading a=3, b=1, etc.

I started the quiz not realizing the magnitude of the task I'd set myself, then moved to thinking creating a valid quiz was impossible, then decided I was overthinking things and making it all harder than it needs to be, and now, after 5 hours of staring at the keyboard, I've decided to just assign everything the value of pie and move on with my life. (Well, not really, but that's what I want to do.)

I'm almost blind, so I think I'll call it a day. I've got to wrap this chapter up tomorrow, so I'll hit it early, before my brain has time to jump in and protest. I suspect when the books sells the editor will make changes to my format regardless, so it's probably not worth getting too hung up over.

Two more chapters to draft out after this. Getting close...

Running Starts the Day Out Right

When I stepped outside this morning at 7:15, sky just beginning to pale with the rising sun, frost silver on the grass and my breath visible in clouds in front of me, my initial thought was, "S***."

I am not a fan of being cold. Therefore, I was not happy about hauling my cookies to GSO to do a freezing cold trail run. My first mile out on the trail didn't help. "This isn't fun anymore," I thought, as I wiped my dripping, frozen nose with my icy hands. My ass was a solid chunk of ice.

But about 2 miles in the sun seemed to pop out of nowhere, changing the fall leaves to a bright gold under our feet and sending sparkles of water and shimmery fog across the lake. We entered into a steady pace and my body warmed up, allowing me to enjoy the crunch of leaves and branches under my trail shoes as I watched squirrels and chipmunks scatter out of our way. Dave and I chatted about running and races or jogged in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

By the time we completed our 6 mile loop, I was wondering why I ever did anything with my time BUT run. There simply is no better way to kick-start the day. I came home, took a long, hot shower and have been a walking bundle of energy ever since. The sun is gleaming through the windows and even though it's already past 11, the day still feels filled with potential. There are hours in which to write, cook, read, and love on the cats. And the small things that seemed annoying this morning (I need to order business cards, we have a yellowjacket nest over our back porch so I need to call the exterminator--AGAIN, I have calls to return,...) now seem okay. Fun, even.

Would I have felt this way without the run? Maybe, but I doubt it. The cold was worth it. What a great way to start the day.

Someone remind me of this on Sunday, when we do our last 21-mile run. =)

Lessons In Stalking on Pink October

Want a chance to win a free copy of Lessons In Stalking: Adjusting to Life With Cats AND support a good cause? Visit Pink October which is raising awareness for Breast Cancer Awareness. Five of my books are being given away as prizes. Here are the rules as stated on the site:

Would you like a chance to win a copy for yourself? Here is what you need to do:

• Visit Dena Harris’s website, then leave a comment on this post.
• Comment before 9:00pm (MST) on Friday October 24th.
• Be sure to fill out the email portion of the comment form, as the winners will be contacted by email.
• Winners will be selected at random from the qualified entries.

You may also receive extra entries to this giveaway by doing one or all of the following:

• Subscribe to the Wish List Worthy feed.
• Add Wish List Worthy to your blogroll.
• Write a post about Pink October 2008.
• Make a $5 donation to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

If you have a chance today, why not give the site a quick visit? Other prizes will be available each week.

BTW, I "met" the woman who runs this site through TWITTER, thereby justifying (in my mind) the amount of time I spend on the site as being "work-related."

Happy Tuesday.

Cannonball Run 2008

Saturday was the 5th Annual Greensboro Cannonball Run 1/2 Marathon. I shaved over 5 minutes off my time from last year, coming in this year at 1:50:47, which is a 8:29/mile pace. Very pleased with that.

Running the race was a lot of fun. Most of my running group was there and the race is an out and back, meaning runners pass each other as they circle at the turnaround and head back toward the finish. I was cheering the people ahead of me on as they came back and cheering the runners behind me on, and they did the same for me. We'd yell each other's names as we passed - "Dena!" "Lewie!"  About mile 9, a woman running beside me said, " Are you Dena?" When I said I was she said, "You sure know a lot of people." I laughed, and explained I trained with Off N'Running, which is the main running store in Greensboro and a quick way to get to know a lot of runners.

At the end, I realized there was a small shot of coming in under an hour fifty minutes but I would have to hustle. So I'm trying to sprint the last 1/2 mile and suffering for it - huff, huff, gasp, pant. I'm literally 300 yards from the finish, I sound like a freight train or an asthmatic elephant, and as I pass this woman she says, "Hey--do you like those running skirts?"

Hel-lo??? Do I look like I'm capable of conversation at this point? No, I do not. Find me afterward and ask about the skirts and I'll be happy to talk to you (I love them), but seconds from the finish? Give me a break...

The cruel part was that since we were scheduled for a 21-mile run this weekend, I had to get up today and run another 7. I entertained thoughts of running the 7 after the marathon and decided by mile 5 that was NOT going to happen. Next weekend is 21 as well, then the miles start going down as the race draws near.

I've been eating protein like a fiend and am feeling much better, more like my old self. This week is a busy week, so need to try to keep the healthy heating and hydrating up.