a random kind of day

I'm sitting on the couch with a coffee as both dogs snore beside me. I seem unable to focus on any one thing today so it seems like a good time for another "random" post.

1. I pressed send on the latest round of changes to my book on Monday afternoon. That felt pretty good, I can tell you. And I have only had to send three different versions of the acknowledgments as I keep finding mistakes.

2. When I went to pull together the photos that I want to include in the book, I discovered that they are gone. Apparently, when we backed up "My Documents" to a hard drive before re-formatting my computer, it copied everything but the "My Pictures" folder. Many are on Flickr and the blog but the resolution is not so good. And, what's more, there were hundreds of photos that I have never posted anywhere. I am heartbroken.

3. I forgot to tell you about this post, called 'The Empowered Cancer Patient' that I wrote for MyBreastCancerNetwork.Com. I need to start remembering to link back to this blog in those posts.

4. I rode my bike to an appointment yesterday (30 minutes) and home again. This involved what felt like an enormous hill (up Carling, just before the Civic Hospital, if know Ottawa). And aside from my bag flying off the carrier twice (I have since figured out a better way to secure it), I did pretty well. I feel pretty proud of myself. And my ass is only a little sore today.

5. On the ride home, the skies opened up and it started to pour. One of those weird rains with really big, cold drops and the sun still out. As I cut through a park, pedalling furiously, I passed a young guy, dressed all in black (including his hat) who had stopped his bike just off the path to enjoy a smoke. He seemed oblivious to the torrential rain. Some day, I am going to incorporate him as a character into a short story, I think.

6. My poor little puppy has a cold. Her nose is runny and she is sneezing a lot. Otherwise, she seems more or less unaffected. The vet has put her on a course of antibiotics, in case this viral infection puts her at risk of something bacterial (given her developing immune system).

It doesn't seem to have affected her energy level. She still sleeps all morning and then revs up later in the day. She likes to pick things up and carry them around the house, especially stuffed animals and shoes.

She hasn't destroyed anything (both the late lovely Emma and J-Dog chewed their way through many a shoe and other items when they were puppies. J-Dog ate a camera) but she likes to take the shoes and boots out of the closet (no, I didn't put them away in the spring) and leaving them strewn around the house. As I type this, my slipper is sitting in the middle of the living room. I have no idea where to find its mate.

I have also really fallen down on the grooming and she's looking pretty scruffy. Although not as ratty as these photos, taken at my in-law's cottage last month, would suggest.




This is Stella, Lucy's litter-mate. Don't let her diminutive size fool you. She is the alpha in this equation.


The puppies' breeder captioned this one, "Whatcha wanna do now?"

Note how my pup appears to be a hulking monster beside her sister.

I will try and take a pic of her looking her best, if I ever get around to bathing and brushing.

7. Have you noticed that my photos have been a little washed out of late? I am not sure if it has been handled too roughly or dropped too many times but I find that my pics all look like they were taken in the 1960's. Any thoughts on how to fix this?

8. I have been seeing a 'Life Coach' since January and the process has been transformative. I had a great meeting with her yesterday. And she suggested that I give myself some time before jumping into the next project. I need to create a little space to breathe for a while.

We agreed that this is not so easy. I do have kids, dogs, an elderly cat and a sink full of dirty dishes. She challenged me to do what I need to do but do one thing at a time and do it well. I also need to spend time less time in "avoidance" activities ( You know what I mean - when you stay in bed with the covers over your head when you're really not sleepy or when you engage in junk internet surfing, googling obscure terms or reading celebrity gossip blogs. Or maybe that's just me) and make the time to do the things that fill me up and inspire creativity.

I need to report back to her in two weeks about how I've managed to achieve this.

I'll let you know how I do, as well.