Dear Alice,

Today is my first day off since my last post. Yes, after having worked a top 3 days in one month I have now worked 6 in a row plus one the week before and have another scheduled for next week. I have turned down two jobs today, only because getting my hair cut and colored at this time is more important to me than another $140. Which I really need at this point. After having congratulated myself over the weekend for having kept the Visa bill under $200 the last 30 days, I ended up needing to run our kitten up to the emergency vet. $800 later, they still don't know what caused her dangerous fever of unknown origins. So basically, every penny I earned this month is going to pay the vet bill. Sigh. At least my 10-year-old doesn't have to deal with the loss of another pet. He fell into depression after he lost his cat last June and "vet bill" was the one he got to be his new best friend. I cried the whole 40 minute drive up to the vet in fear that I'd have to come home without her and sat in shocked silence at the price tag the whole drive back. My husband and I decided that adding this loss to his counseling sessions would probably cost as much as the vet bill so it was money well spent.

What all this has meant to my writing is that I've a) not been home to write and b) been exhausted when I have been home. I've been lucky to get laundry done. Today I'm actually wearing yesterday's underwear inside-out as I was too brain-fogged to check my underwear drawer yesterday when I got home and no one else did a load. I'm currently listening to a load swish through machine right now and am hugely grateful that you are my only follower as I've now put out into cyberspace (forever) the current state of my underwear.

I have been plotting and blocking in my head, so I'm making progress in that area, but getting it down on paper has been impossible lately. I'm really excited with the direction the book's been taking and am glad that I've taken my time. Now I just need to be able to carve out time to get it on paper. I'll give you my progress on my next post.