Don't Forget to . . .

So my younger kids are spending the whole day with their dad--an extremely rare occurrence. They'll hang out at the country club he manages and order chicken fingers and swim all day. At least I know they'll be fed. My mom and I were on the phone last night, and she said, "Well, what are you going to do all day?"Because really? When I say this NEVER happens, I am not kidding.

The simple answer: WORK.

I have more editing work than I've had in ten years, and I have two proposals to finish. I've been working about 12-14 hours a day.

"Mom . . . if you saw my deadlines . . . ."

"Well, don't forget to . . . eat."

"I won't."

"Well, you know how you get."

Indeed, I do.

I sometimes reach five p.m. and think, "Where did the day go? And did I even remember to eat something?"

In anticipation of this, I have bananas and yogurt. Thinks I can eat at my desk and STILL keep working.

And I wonder . . . I suppose every profession gets busy and people forget to eat. But I think it's definitely an occupational hazard of writing. Don't we WANT to get lost in our world? Isn't that the GOAL? To be so swept up in it that the real world slips away? The real world with real food.

So am I the only one?

And I think I need to go take a shower before I forget that, too.

Have a great day, everyone!