random ramblings

Last night was unbearably funny.  The imp was sitting on the floor, when I was escorting the pup out for her walk, and the pup scrambled into the imp's lap, licking him all over the face.  "Stop, stop, stop," giggled the imp. 

I got the pup outside, and she did what she needed to do.  When we got back in, there was a box sitting upside down where the imp had been (and I could see toes between the flaps).  So, the pup sniffed around the base of the box, tail slowly wagging, until the pixie got him to say something to her and giggle--at which point, the pup found where the flaps were separated a bit, squeezed between them, and crawled into his lap under the box.  Much squealing giggles. 

Not too much later, I was on the floor petting (and trying to brush) the dog, and the pixie came up.  I helped her pet the dog by hanging onto her so that she couldn't jump up on the pixie (who only outweighs the dog by about eight pounds).  And the dog wiggled and squirmed, and flipped around trying to lick the pixie, eliciting more squealing giggles.

One of our kitties has succumbed to the fixed cat's curse: she has a stocky build, anyway, but Shadow's getting a little pudgy.  Not surprising, since she sleeps all the time.  Cricket is a silly little spaz, and is constantly playing.  Shadow finds a dark, quiet, out of the way spot, and sleeps (and we can't find her when she does that--a disadvantage to having a black cat).

I got a little bit of writing done last week, and some editing done of my textbook (which I now need to do electronically, then save the fixed copy as a .pdf file, and upload to my course site)...but not as much as I was hoping for.  I'm not surprised--I seem to have had some major problems getting anything really productive done.  The kids have been spastic and prone to fighting, and I've wound up kinda tired by the time they go to bed at night most nights.  I think the imp, in particular, needs to go outside and play.  It's been so hot that he hasn't wanted to go...but today, tomorrow, and next week are supposed to be a lot cooler. 

And he is getting big enough that, when I'm working in the kitchen or utility room and can keep an eye on him through the back door and back window, I'm happy to let him go outside and play by himself.  He stays inside the fence.  The pixie, on the other hand, isn't trustworthy. 

I gave away sixty copies of Survivors to US readers, two to Canadian readers, six to those in the UK, and two to those in Denmark, for a total of seventy copies given away in five days.  That's about fifteen more than I've sold of all three of my books in my best sales month.