8 is not great

So, today is the 8th day of NaBloPoMo and I'm at a loss for topics. This does not bode well considering there are 22 more days in the month of November which means, by my elaborate and complex calculations, there are 22 more posts in the month of November. I have several posts planned but those are for specific dates so what am I to do today?! How can I be stumped at 8?!  In times like these, it is helpful to reach out to loved ones for support and assistance so I turned to my family.

First, I approached Luisa who was watching television.

Vikki: Quick! Give me a topic for a post! Luisa: silence as she makes thinking noises Vikki: Just give me the first thing that pops into your mind! Luisa: Football? Vikki: Ok, not the first thing. Give me the next thing! Luisa: I don't know.

I let her go back to watching the Steelers in their abnormally bright yellow pants while I worried about the fact that there was no second thing in her mind.

The possible topics I got from Zeca? My dead mother and the Bubonic Plague. So very tempting but I'm not in a deathy mood. I went in to Miguel's room hoping for some inspiration and he was too focused on where the extra Halloween candy went to offer any suggestions at all.

That leaves me with nothing. NOTHING. So, I have written you a tiny poem:

An Ode to the 8th of November

It was the 8th of November

The date I clearly remember

There was nothing to post

About this I don't boast

I believe you'll forgive, not dismember

Wow. November is not an easy rhyming word and I really do hope that you don't dismember me because I need all my members. Tomorrow will be a better writing day, right? Either that or..."It was the 9th of November..."

The Case of the Absent Blogger

Don't worry! You don't need to send Nancy Drew out looking for me. I'm still here but I've just been incredibly busy. How busy have I been? Well, so busy that I spent several minutes making a useless pie chart just for you:

As you can see, work has been taking up too much time. I prefer it when work is the size of the teeny tiny green slice labelled "Blogging" but I fear those days are gone. Also, do you see that blue slice? The blue slice was taking what little free time I had. Oh! Did I mention that Luisa has a new job and she's in Trinidad right now? There is that. So, I have been struggling through case notes and deadlines and pumpkin carving all by myself. But, things are looking up! My work is caught up and a major writing deadline has been met so I'm back. I know this post is a whole lotta nothing but it exists just to explain my absence and mark my return. Hopefully. I have a good feeling...

Squirrely

As I quietly sipped a cup of coffee this morning, I heard rattling noises at the window. It was dark and I was alone and I was a little freaked out by the scuttling sounds that followed. Was it a rabid bat sent as part of a nefarious plot to drive me insane? Was it a lost joey, hopped up on Red Bull and looking for a fight?* I tip toed to the window, threw open the curtains and there, with its little claws stuck in the screen, was a squirrel! It was stretched out - its underbelly pressed against the window- and...it had boobies. I gasped! As I watched her teats dangling against the screen, our eyes met and I actually thought, "Oh girl...I've been there." This is what it has come to - I bond with squirrels over nursing. You know what else is wacky? Dreams. The other night I dreamed that I was at an old house preparing for a grand fete. My friend, Brian, was cooking for the hundreds of people that were scheduled to attend. The purpose of this gala? To celebrate Cagney and Lacey's anniversary. At one point, Cagney and I were out for a walk and the skies got rather dark and ominous and I said, "Wow. This seems like tornado weather." Then, we turned to see a tornado heading south towards my house. I was like, "Oh no! My house!" and then we looked again and the tornado was heading straight for us. Cagney and I took off running and headed for a ditch by a line of trees. We got down low and she was so calm and protective and had so much wisdom to offer about being out in the open with a tornado bearing down on you. Given her expertise, it's no surprise that we survived. If you are ever faced with a tornado, I highly recommend Christine Cagney as a companion. We then headed back to the house to clean up for the party. The best part of the night was when Cagney and Lacey slow danced for all of us. Unfortunately, I had to leave because I needed to go talk with an archaeologist about dolphins living in the desert and eventually evolving into dragons but I had no doubt that the party was a success.

So, that's what's new with me. What about you?

*"hopped up" - heh.