I’m rather frustrated this morning when the monsters wake me out of a wonderful dream where I was just signing a major contract with a publisher. Drat! They always are at their worst when something good’s going on.
It was a rather turbulent night; with too little sleep hours, of course–nothing new there–announcing the new day with a better mood than I’d anticipated when going to bed. I guess the dream did have a positive effect, in that fashion.
I hurry through the morning rituals, wanting to get to the house a little early since I know there’s a really huge load of laundry waiting for me. I’m right too, finding three over-full baskets and then proceeding to hang them until only a single line of the thirty available are left. The weather just isn’t cooperating with drying everything in the usual 24 hours, leaving three days worth of laundry on the lines when this big batch still needs to be added.
But anyways, it takes me quite some time to get it all up, just finishing with the second basket when grandpa arrives and brings out the third.
It’s almost ridiculous, the amount, but then there is laundry for six people, along with blankets that are used on a daily basis to offer some warmth to the dogs. The cold tiles simply won’t do for them this time of year, so it really is a necessary evil.
I know I have little time to write today, and for that reason I once again circumvent the messages–leaving them for tonight–as I set to the story as soon as I’ve had a quick breakfast.
Only two pages get added to the ten from yesterday, which makes me chagrined about the plans that have been made. We need to do some quick bargain shopping in town, before the New Year starts and I don’t particularly look forward to the interruption.
We get to the store around sunset. Little sister, big brother, mom and me: All of us roaming through the sales sections until we find an item of clothing for everyone in the family.
Grandpa is in need of new trousers and a couple of warm sweaters. Little sister picks out tops for her and the younger sibs, and I end up with a new flannel shirt and three pairs of socks. Success for a bare minimum of money, can it be any better?
We split up for the check out, and I head for the shoe store next door to buy sneakers for middle sister, along with a new family wallet, since the zipper of the old one’s shot, before we all gather by the truck and head on home again.
Once the dogs are greeted and have calmed down enough for relatively free movement, I start on dinner. I asked grandpa to buy red beets last night and after some discussion whether I’m going to bake them with potatoes or rice, the latter is decided upon.
It takes little time, really, adding only salt, sugar and pepper to the onions and leek I fry, prior to mixing it all together with a nice batch of rasped cheese that’ll make it into the concoction that will literally make the entire family salivate.
When making this particular dish there usually are only two problems. Is there enough? And eating too much of it!
Unless I want to end up with pain in my stomach…never a good thing with a stomach like mine, if I’m not careful it’ll come right out again…I refrain from eating more than a single portion.
It is a problem everyone shares, really. Both mom and big brother are complaining about wanting more, while already being full, which is of course a wonderful thing to hear for the cook. Hah.
I’m feeling a bit restless again tonight, so after digesting the food for about an hour, I get up to paint the closet we made last night with primer, only to find myself at loose ends when I’m done.
Coffee’s going down at a rapid rate–I know better, but I’m not thinking straight–as I get a bucket and fill it up with soapy water so I can clean the wall behind Tika, our parrot. The wall’s covered with fruit flies and by the time I finish with the wall, my eyes fall upon the pillar lights on either side of the entertainment center.
I’m horrified at the dirt they’ve accumulated since I last cleaned them, and I end up sweeping through that part of the room once more before being at loose ends again.
The fourth mug of coffee’s consumed, and my stomach is showing some signs of discomfort by this time.
With music blasting in my ears, I get the ladder from the courtyard and attack the spider webs I missed the other day, balancing on it rather nervously when midnight nears and the dogs get frisky at the sound of fireworks going off all over the valley.
By then I’m cleaning a thick layer of dirt off a closet and finally finish the evening by straightening the kitchen so little sister won’t have to do so tonight.
Miraculously, I have worked up a bit of an appetite during the cleaning and have a piece of bread with peanut butter and honey before settling in a chair and taking a breather…with a much deserved cigarette, naturally.
The fifth coffee of the day goes down–and falls on my stomach like a brick. Drat! It’s just plain stupid, I know, and while I head up to my cabin–the dogs nervously circling around me with the final blasts of fireworks still coming from the city on the shore, pounding through the air–I know I won’t be able to keep the last snack in.
I make it to the bathroom just barely in time, uttering a sigh of relief when that last cup of coffee is flushed with the late night snack, and I feel instantly better. I brush my teeth and change into my pjs at last.
Next comes feeding the dogs and setting up the computer.
There are several positive responses to the book trailer, which is of course thrilling, along with some nice messages that keep me distracted long enough to make this Blog a hasty job at the very least.
Another day has come to its conclusion, along with the year 2008. Let’s hope tomorrow will allow for more writing, with the start of a good year.
Happy New Year!
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