Friday, November 23, 2007

busybusy

Current work: fiction and nonfiction
Listening to: Mozart

Those of you who were concerned about Fred’s owner yesterday will no doubt be pleased to hear that Fred has been found – even better, he’s dry and not muddy! Klepto-dog had wandered into the spare room (he's also nosey as well as a shoe/teddy thief) and left Fred among the ironing. (And no, of course I didn’t discover Fred while tackling the Ironing Everest. It was a search, not a penance...)

Very productive day yesterday. Started with a trip to the Norfolk & Norwich Association for the Blind to take a pic of the founder’s statue – they were really, really kind and helpful. Then to see my contact at the Norfolk Records’ Society to pick up a book or two I’d ordered. (All right. So there were four. They were research material. As were the three books that arrived in the post yesterday. Now, books are not frivolous purchases – they are the necessary tools of an author, yes?) (Rhetorical question. Of course they are. Necessary, I mean, not frivolous.) Then to the city, where I finished the research I needed to do on HVV and took the pics I needed of printed woodcuts (many years out of copyright, I should add – I am particular about not breaching copyright. Apart from the fact it’s against the law, it’s morally wrong).

Then I did some of the last bits of Christmas shopping (which leaves me six people to sort out, plus DH and the kids), bought my Christmas cards (will tackle them in batches), and came home to a seriously noisy environment. The smoke detector kept beeping (it’s wired into the mains so if the electric goes off it beeps every few seconds), and someone’s house alarm was clearly the type that was triggered by electricity going off and was screeching permanently. I could hear it even with the hearing aid off, so I dropped off the shopping, made a fuss of Klepto-dog (who practically glued himself to me – ‘Mummeeeee, I am so neglected’ – he’s used to me being around all day. And he’s one of the reasons why I can’t ever go back to a ratrace job, because I can’t let my lovely boy go into a sad decline). Met the kids from school and took them Sainsbury’s café – a) because it’s nearer than the city and b) the electricity wasn’t due back on until 4.30 and the noise was unbearable.

Two of my missing Amazon orders turned up today (phew); and I also had something nice from my lovely, lovely publisher. And a set of proofs. And a set of revisions. So I’m going to be a busy bunny over the next few days, especially as I’m out on Sunday at my sister’s.

8 comments:

Jan Jones said...

So glad Fred's back!

Nell Dixon said...

So glad Fred turned up safe and sound.

Michelle Styles said...

So pleased that Fred is safe and that he was only being a mountaineering sort of bear.

Hooray on the 2 missing Amazon packages. They have one more day to deliver something that was supposidly sent on Sunday...They will lose customers this way.

Ray-Anne said...

Relief!
And good on you for getting so much done.

Diane said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Diane said...

I ordered a book from Amazon for my dad yesterday and, because it was less than the £15 qualification for free delivery, could have paid £2-something for ordinary first class mail or nearly £9 for next day delivery. I paid the first class delivery charge and told Dad it might be there by Monday.

It arrived today. Next day anyway.

I've never had a problem with Amazon. Perhaps your experience was just a blip.

BTW - that was me above. I've been having one of those days and wrote PAYED instead of PAID. Tsk.

Kate Hardy said...

Jan, Nell, Michelle, Ray-Anne - thank you. Fred's owner is very pleased, too.

Michelle - a mountaineering sort of bear. Hmm. Wonder if he likes marmalade sandwiches? And I still have one missing parcel :o(

Diane - LOL. I know that was a typo and I won't do a chorus of "are you smarter than a 10-year old" (seeing as 10-y-o son covered participles of verbs ending in Y this week... *g*) Amazon have been great for years, but they've screwed up three parcels in the last two weeks. Interestingly, they're all part of the mail TNT dump on the post office, so I'm having a wry smile right now. (Paul Weller has a 2-disc set but it's music, not 25 million records...)

Anonymous said...

Heck I'm in America and I'm still waiting for my Amazon orders. This is why I go on Ebay (if I can.)