Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Good News / Bad News Edition

The bad news is we cut down the ancient box elder tree in our front yard. It provided much-needed shade in the summer and a tidbit of privacy from the neighbors, but it had also recently developed an unfortunate habit of randomly dropping giant, 100 pound limbs onto the sidewalk. Small children and that old lady who takes forty minutes to walk past our porch were in danger. So the tree had to go.

The good news is I’m already working on its replacement. Shouldn’t be long now!

Grow little seedlings! Grow!

The bad news is that Daisy barks uncontrollably whenever my husband sneezes. Since he has recently contracted the bubonic plague, I now live in a house made of barking.

The good news is that soon it will be thunderstorm season and she will have something else to bark at.

The bad news is that I had the taxes prepared today.

The good news is that with a little soy sauce and ginger, they tasted great.

The bad news is that I haven’t heard anything from the book review people yet.

The good news is that no news could be good news. I am thinking of distracting myself by taking up a new hobby. Such as knitting a line of sweaters with the tumbleweeds of dog hair that have been blowing about our house since fall. Or maybe I could just make a book trailer. Sounds easy, right?* What do you think? All the cool kids are doing it. (Happy launch week, Lisa Daily!) Maybe a montage of road trip photos set to a Shins tune. I’ve got a few road trip pics, but certainly not enough to round out an entire trailer. (Speaking of which, I’m ashamed to admit it wasn’t until I was in college that I actually understood what a movie trailer was.)

Anyway, how about you? Got any good road trip photos? You know, of you riding a giant metal donut in Poughkeepsie, you and your brother peering out of face cut-outs in the Corn Palace. (Oh, yes! I did this! Two years ago!) If you have these kinds of photos, and you’d maybe-possibly be down with their inclusion in a book trailer, let me know in the comments. I can hook you up with a very limited amount of fame and fortune. I’ll also send you a little thank-you giftee, of course.

Don’t worry, it won’t be a dog hair sweater.


Daisy is wearing this season's warm, form-fitting and stylish belted answer to last year's stale cardigan sweater. Hairy, slightly stinky, and coarse, this is one sweater you won't want to be without. But hurry, supplies are limited!

*Said the techno-savvy girl who just figured out how to send a text message on her cell phone.

16 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:44 PM

    I'm assuming you would like the vacation photos in digital form? Are you looking for ones of cheesey/silly places, or just anywhere?

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  2. you're such a hoot jess riley!i wish i could help you with the road trip pics but, alas, i don't have goofy road trip pics (to my limited knowledge).
    give daisy hugs and spray lysol around the hubs. just sayin'.

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  3. i don't think i have any good road trip photos either.

    but i can't wait to see the ones that you come up with!!!

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  4. Ooh, fun fun fun! How many do you want... 100, 500, 1000?!

    I can't believe someone just asked to see my vacation photos!

    btw, what is the max number of attachments your email can handle?

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  5. Digital and cheesy/silly are best...how about we cap it at 10, Mr. View from the Cloud?

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  6. Can you make a cat sweater? We have a lot of cat hair just hanging around here doing nothing.
    I only have road trip photos from the '80's probably too old.

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  7. Dog hair sweaters are all the rage, but if you could twist dog hair into rope and then make macrame hanging plant baskets, you'd make Vogue and Living.

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  8. The good news is somebody's got a target breakout novel... somebody's got a target breakout novel...

    Oops, if you wanted to announce it, you better delete my comment then.

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  9. Dang it, I was hoping for a dog hair sweater. Sigh. No picture for you.

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  10. book trailers are ALL the rage. So I've heard. I don't have a book, but I read them, you know.

    Good luck getting goofy travel pictures. If I travelled, I'd send you some.

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  11. The only road trip pictures I have are of are driving one zillion miles per hour to Costco to get my Xanax script filled.

    BTW, I'm quoting a line from your book in this Monday's post, right before I graduate to Vicodin. The two are not related so not to worry. I'm quite loving the book.

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  12. Oh yeah...I'm definitely coming back here! Thanks for the email and congrats on your upcoming debut.

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  13. I have a great photo - how do I email it to you??

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  14. just surfin' the blogs and stopped by to say hi.

    good luck with the book.

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  15. WHY didn't I take more pics on my trip to Chicago? I could have been in your movie. This might have been my big break!?!

    So much for my film career...

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  16. The dog hair sweater isn't actually all that out there.
    I have a friend who breeds Samoyeds, and spins yarn out of their hair as well.
    There actually is a company called "VIP Fibers" that will make yarn or even keepsakes out of dog hair you send to them. Its too cool.

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