Just a random brain dump as the day draws to an end:

• Had a great day off from work. Got caught up on lots of stuff, including editing our SCBWI regional newsletter. Came up with a story idea about a writer with a split personality. Disguised as a bulldog reporter who turns bad guys into Shredded Wheat with her retractable teeth sharper than a box of new No. 2 pencils, this writer is actually a pretty-in-pink princess following the fairy dust trail in hopes of reaching the Palace of Publication. Since Disney just bought Marvel Comics for a cool $4 billion, my animorphous royal beauty/angst-ridden superheroine could be just the character to tie the two conglomerates together. I could pitch my story as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde meet Dr. Suess and Anderson Cooper, but with less blood, more truffula trees, and fewer commercial breaks.
• Happy to report that changes may be imminent at our local animal shelter. Several concerned citizens showed up for the humane society’s board meeting today to let the director know that a 79 percent euthanization rate is unacceptable. They demanded better treatment for the critters. She’s agreed to allow volunteers and let the community become more involved in shelter operations.
• Today marks 25 days until our annual SCBWI-Midsouth conference in Nashville. I can hardly wait! Faculty includes associate editor Kaylan Adair of Candlewick Press; Henry Holt creative director Patrick Collins; Caroline B. Cooney; senior editor Cheryl Klein of  Arthur A. Levine Books; and agent Chris Richman from the new Upstart Crow Literary agency. Best of all, I can’t wait to get together with my Midsouth buddies. Children’s writers and illustrators, whether we’re published or just getting started, are a friendly bunch and I do believe the SCBWI-Midsouth group is among the friendliest!

Motivational quotes, because I need some inspiration to get up off my duff and do something:

“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. “  — John Wayne

Cat quotes, just because (more cat quotes here):

“No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch.” — Leo Dworken

“Most beds sleep up to six cats. Ten cats without the owner.” — Stephen Baker

“Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.” — Jeff Valdez

“Cats do care. For example they know instinctively what time we have to be at work in the morning and they wake us up twenty minutes before the alarm goes off.” — Michael Nelson

Yeah, yeah. I’m supposed to be dieting. But I got off work late. I was hungry. Hubby said, “Stop on the way home and get something for supper.”

Sonic was right there.

They have the best onion rings. So I got a grilled chicken sandwich, no mayo, (which is diet-friendly) and an order of onion rings (not diet-friendly).

There were about 10 onion rings in the little sack thingy. I think I gave Hubby half of them. So maybe I didn’t blow the diet too badly.

Um, I also ate three squares of Dove chocolate at work today. Mmmm. I had to eat them, you see. They are part of the big Dove bar I received as a gift, and I don’t want to appear ungrateful! All the newsroom girls got one, a  thank-you for our hard work during the ice storm. I’m rationing mine, limiting myself to three squares a day rather than being piggy and eating the whole thing at once, which I could oh-so easily do.

Maybe gift calories don’t count.

Remember the Peanuts book, Happiness is a Warm Puppy?

The writer’s equivalent should be: Happiness is a Good Editor. Even when it’s a small publisher!

The picture book I thought was toast?

It’s evolving into something different. The editor liked that story enough that he suggested another project. His comments were thoughtful and made a lot of sense. Oh, how I love editors like that — ones who will discuss ideas with you and help you consider different angles for your work!

I’m so excited!

Happiness is a good editor!