"Just" a writer? That makes me think you don't value your talent the way you should. Now, I don't know if you actually feel this way, but "just"-ing something tends to read, to me, as diminishing it.

Well, I guess I've been wondering lately if I really have talent after all, or if I'm just kidding myself. Most of the time I look at TSL and think, "Wow, I wrote a damn good story there," and I think my WIP could be pretty damn amazing once I've polished it into shape. But, you know, what if I'm wrong? What if I'm like those people who can't carry a tune but think they can and sing at the top of their lungs?

I'm a writer, and if my only chance of seeing print was to write like Dan Brown, I'd rather never have a word published. Ever.

Oh, ITA. It's just never the Dan Browns of the world that I think of when I look at published authors and say, "I want to be like so-and-so." Lately I've been reserving that particular mix of aspiration and envy for people like Bernard Cornwell (who didn't start writing until he was around my age, but sold his very first book, damn him!) and Naomi Novik (who's younger than me IIRC, damn her!). (Note: My tongue is in my cheek there. No serious wishes of damnation for two of my favorite authors. I just want to get there too, you know?)

assume the non-cat owner equivalent would be "...AND FOUND BECAUSE OF THE SMELL"?

Er, yes. Seeing as how I don't even own a cat.

Seriously, I've been thinking about GETTING a cat, but the idea that they live for like, 15 years? That's a LONG committment! I'm scared, and commitment-phobic! But I don't know that I would want to go get an older cat that only has a few years either, that doesn't seem like a plan...

We have it not.

Yes we do! But only in the "taking a vacation day because I won't have another chance to do so for months" sense.

A long weekend?

Not for me!

It's FRIDAY before a LONG WEEKEND!

For SOME OF US, apparently. Not here, though.

I have Sunday off. And tomorrow I get to go work at my old stomping grounds to learn the new Vista operating system.

Hmm. I appear to have rubbed salt in the collective wound!

It IS Friday though. That much I'm pretty confident of.

sputter. Kristen - that's not fair to you - or to the student. I know some schools do some schedule shifting in cases of illness or family events (not the 'hey! honey, we're going on safari!' kind, though). What this is going to teach about the importance of keeping deadlines and working within schedules is what keeps VW waiting for her tutoring students when she's really hungry, I think. Not to meld the thread, but - well -?

She'll learn, correctly, that if you're paying enough people bend over backwards for you. sighhhhhh

But I don't know that I would want to go get an older cat that only has a few years either, that doesn't seem like a plan...

Get a middle-aged one!

And, is everyone taking the exam early, or do you have to create two exams?

I have to create another exam. The really annoying part is that there are three daughters who go to this school, and all three are going to take ALL of their final exams a week early to accomodate their safari. It is craxy.

To be fair to the family, the parent made the arrangements a year ago, before the school schedule was changed. On our old schedule, exams didn't happen before winter break, and winter break happened the last two weeks of December rather than the last week of December and first week of January. The parents weren't trying to pull their kids out of school; it just ended up happening that way.

I have no problem with the the girls making up the exams when they return. My problem is that these girls will now miss three MORE days of regular class in order to take early exams that have to be created ahead of time by every single teacher for every single girl in every single class. WTF, administration? How is this a good idea? ARGH.

What is this long weekend of which Nora speaks? We have it not.

ND, glad to hear the meeting went well.

I like your writing, and I just hope you aren't getting so frustrated at not being published that you're missing out on *enjoying* your own writing. Because you should, IMO.

In terms of being eaten by cats, we now own three. I figure I'm well on my way to being kibble.