We’re heading off on an Alaskan cruise tomorrow! And it’s 6:00 p.m. and I’m not packed! I do, however, have the laundry done, and dog Lucy bathed one last time for her skin condition, and the ointment swabbed on her crusty back, and notes all over the kitchen instructing the dogs-and-cat sitter, and the 4 last-minute copywriting projects completed, and bills mailed, and dinner baking. So I’ve got all that going for me. Now if I can just find the hiking boot that dog Wilson confiscated (hopefully it’s not chewed to rawhide status and buried outside in the mud). Then I’m off to the last great frontier! Just like the goldrushers. Only on a cruiseship. With internet access. And a spa.
The other day in the Pittsburgh airport long-term parking lot, I walked by a parked sedan with the driver’s side door standing wide open. At first I assumed someone was in the car, gathering their items before exiting. But no, the car was empty and no one was around. Rushing to make a flight, someone must have left the door open. If the car battery wasn’t dead already it certainly would be by the time they returned. Not to mention, the sky was threatening rain. As my own little random act of kindness, I walked toward the car to close the door. And then I stopped. Because this is Post-911. What if there was a bomb in the car, rigged to explode when the door was closed?
I looked around for a security guard. Or someone else to weigh in on the matter. There was no one. I contemplated calling my sister, whose home I’d just flown back from. Then I felt irritated with myself because spending time with my sister for some reason makes me even more indecisive than usual. I was being ridiculous. What were the odds there was a bomb in the car? Then again, maybe I should leave the situation for someone else to deal with.
In the end, I inched closer to the car door, took a stance like a runner on second base, swung the door closed and ran.
Obviously, since I’m writing this, the car didn’t explode. And since it did in fact rain that night, I felt great about helping out a fellow traveler. I just hope some security camera didn’t record my technique.
I haven’t posted since returning from the Pennwriters Conference (which was great, btw) because I’ve been busy catching up on my non-writing life, the mundane parts of which include bathing bulldog Lucy every three days to combat a nasty skin condition (more on that later) and trying to regulate the temperature in our house during what I’ve dubbed Spring Swing.
I don’t know about other households, but in mine all HVAC matters fall under my domain. I am not exagerrating when I say that if we (and by “we” I mean “I”) put a call into our HVAC guy Bob reporting a problem, when he calls back if my husband answers Bob will instruct him to put me on the phone. Then he talks me through trying this and that maneuver to see if I can fix it without a service visit. Mind you, I’m not complaining. Brian’s domain has many responsibilities I wouldn’t want, such as disposing of the groundhog that Lucy killed and the dragged through the dog door and left in my office. My point is just that HVAC matters fall to me to deal with. And you wouldn’t think it’d be that difficult.
But night temperatures dip down below 40 degrees, daytime highs hit near 90. In the morning, before leaving the house I stand in front of the thermostat trying to decide: Flip the furnace off even though it’s still cold? Set the air-conditioner to come on when it hits 75? We’re not talking summer swelter yet so the air conditioner seems a bit wasteful, but it’s certainly too cool to leave a window open in the morning. And without some form of cooling, by the time I return in the late afternoon the house will be stifling (and the dogs panting). So air conditioning it is. I’d like to turn off the air at night and leave the windows open when we go to bed, but inevitably by morning we’re shivering and I have to turn on the heat. And the vicious cycle starts all over.
I haven’t posted lately because I’ve been busy polishing my novel Maharishiville (download the first 50 pages here) in preparation for attending the Pennwriters conference, which starts today. And when I haven’t been writing, I’ve been reading Jodi Picoult’s latest, Handle With Care (which I finished last night at midnight and want to talk about with someone! Please!). Last night I was in my office until 10:00, which meant I wasn’t watching the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy or the rest of the Thursday night lineup.
In theory this is no problem, of course, because I have TiVO. Except that as I’ve recently posted, I’ve scheduled the machine to record a lot of great shows. Which I haven’t had time to watch. And so TiVO is scarily, dangerously close to being full! At 98% capacity, I was forced to pick and choose episodes to sacrifice just to ensure there’d be enough room for the Grey’s 2-hour finale.
This wouldn’t have been a problem if I could delete all the episodes of The Ultimate Fighter and various UFC fights that my husband insists on saving. But the man doesn’t ask for much, really, so that wasn’t not an option.
For the last five days, Spring has sprung in full force here in Pittsburgh, coaxed by unseasonably warm days in the high 80s. The rolling-hill view out my office window has popped with purple, white and red set against nearly neon-green grass, blue skies and sunshine. I feel like I’m living on the set of The Wizard of Oz.
And then, not half an hour ago, I looked out to see dark clouds rolling in. In another minute the wind literally howled at our front door. I had to run outside to call in Wilson, and the gale blew so strong my voice couldn’t carry. My clothes and hair were whipping about, and I felt like Dorothy trying to get Toto to the storm cellar. Lucy stood by the door, anxiously watching as I combed our hillside in every direction for her dog-brother. For several minutes I was afraid I wouldn’t find him in time, that he’d be caught stranded in the elements, scared and alone.
Finally, there he came, hightailing it up the hill and into the house, his flattened-back ears betraying his fear. We got inside seconds before the downpour. Ten minutes later the storm passed. But Wilson is still catching his breath under my desk.
Related quandary: Our double-strength dog fence is no match for a bulldog’s determination to roam free.
NPR also ran a story on how publishers focus on blockbuster book deals. The only silver lining is how HarperStudio is rethinking the model. Thank God. I hope more publishers will follow suit.
I’m no TV critic, and I’m not about to play one on this blog. But I find the following original cable shows particularly TiVO-worthy and I think you should watch them. Especially since I want to continue enjoying them without risk of cancellation.
Rescue Me, Tuesdays @ 10 on FX. I can’t believe I missed the first 4 seasons of this drama staring Dennis Leary. After I heard him interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air, I ran home and added it to my record list. It centers around the men in a NYC firehouse, with plenty of dark humor.
United States of Tara, on Showtime. The season just ended, but you can download the half-hour episodes of this quirky family dealing with mom’s multiple personalities: perfect homemaker Alice, pot-smoking wild teen T, and beer-drinking man’s-man Buck. Often a hoot, always intriguing.
Party Down, on Starz, Fridays @ 10:30. This half-hour comedy follows a group of struggling dreamers working for an L.A. catering company. Quirky fun.
Saving Grace, on TNT. Holly Hunter plays an intensive Oklahoma police detective with a wild personal life (including an affair with her married partner). This flawed character hits some gritty lows, but an unconventional angel Earl is trying to guide her. I promise, it is anything but hokey.
Trust Me, on TNT, Fridays @ 10:00. Eric McCormac (Will & Grace) and Tom Cavanagh (Ed) play creative partners Mason and Connor in a Chicago ad agency. Art director Mason is the responsible workaholic family man. Connor is the single, impulsive copywriter who behaves like a teenager. I once lived the ad agency life, and it’s so much more fun to watch.
Thanks for your consideration. Please set your DVR or Netflix ques accordingly.
Spa beverage: lime-mint refresher or carrot-apple rebalancer? (I actually change my mind twice on this before going with the carrot-apple. It did not disappoint. I think I am much more balanced for it.)
Ocean color: turquoise or lapis?