Random Downtime

I spent all of my writing time on revisions yesterday. I completed four chapters and half of chapter five. My fabulous accountability partner, Beth, emailed me on her progress and asked about mine. When I had to stop and write it out, something clicked. I was really proud of myself, and her too! I closed my email by letting her know I would reward myself with guilt free TV time(American Idol addict), and asked her what she would do. She had plans for some enjoyable activities as well. This is a good thing.

Thanks to Nathan Bransford, I found two really awesome ways to help people of Haiti during this tragic time of disaster. I hope you will help to spread the word on these easy ways to give to those who have nothing. Doctors Without Borders is a group of doctors that fly all over the world. They are already on the ground in Haiti. You can donate through their website by clicking on the link above. According to the White House webpage, you can text "HAITI" to 90999 and $10 will be donated to the Red Cross. You will see the charge added to your cell phone bill. Quick and Easy, no credit card required.

I found a mouse in my house. And no, I was not at all amused. Here's the story so everyone can laugh at with me. I was sweeping my kitchen for the third time(the young prince is not so neat with his food or anything else he may find that could be destroyed and left littering my floor....I digress)when I heard a little squeak. I looked and there under the stove, I had accidentally, unknowingly, swept a tiny mouse against the side of the stove. I panicked, dropped the broom and hopped on to the kitchen chair in approximately 1.2 seconds. It was so gracefully done, in fact, that my ENTIRE family came running to see if I had somehow fallen off a table or something. The court jester laughed at me.
"It's most likely scared to death of you," he says as I'm trembling from the chair and staring down the tiny mouse under the stove.
"Okay, I understand that. But what if it touches me?"
"If it's scared of you, how is it going to touch you? Just leave it alone."
I look at him like he's crazy. My princesses are guffawing in the corner. "Mom's scared of a little mouse."
"Mom, he's cute, look at him."
"I am looking at him. He's adorable. He's also full of germs and diseases and he's probably left his little mark all over my damn kitchen." My voice has now risen to a full on shriek.
"Honey, come out of the kitchen."
"I can't sit around with a mouse in the house!"
"Mom, you rhymed!" offers Princess Kayla proudly.
I'm going to pass out. Finally, the court jester looks closely and realized I killed the poor guy with the broom. I didn't mean to, and as he was carried out the door by the tail, all tiny and cute, I felt like crying. I had a whole kitchen to clean now. Damn it.

image found here.

Just to put things in perspective.... We are kind of like..in the American Idol for writers contest every time we query. So far, the judges of AI have seen 19,000-that's nineteen thousand auditions in two cities. 50 something have gone on to the next round. I will not even do the mathematical statistics on that....but it sure makes me realize how well my writing must be to speak out above a crowd of "more writers than ever."