Vain Like a Fox

Having just finished work on a new book, I'm kind of a mess. (Not emotionally, mind you. I'm aces there and delighted with the finished product.) When I'm on deadline, nothing matters except for writing. My deadline was particularly tight on the book I finished on Monday so if it didn't result in words on a page, it was not addressed. The house is a special kind of dirty right now. Like, I don't even want to tell you how bad, particularly when both our vacuums went belly up the same day last week. The Miele malfunction was a fluke and a warranty issue, so we had a shiny new one in the course of an afternoon. Regardless, the house exploded in the afternoon in which we were vacuum free, to the point I suggested we'd be better off with some variety of household shovel. Related note: Libby understands how to open the cabinet and retrieve full kitchen garbage bags now. Another related note: If your pit bull chews up a pen while clamping it between her front paws, she will then leave inky footprints on beige carpets in three rooms while you chase her to grab the masticated writing utensil. A third related note: When we did get the vacuum back, I addressed the floors with such vigor I thought I broke my toe. (Dr. Fletcher said I'd be fine in a few days and I'm stewing a bit to find out he was actually right.) Appearance also falls...