Dogs!

I am sad today because my parent's dog, Jem, has been diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoma. She is such a good dog. I feel like everyone is sick these days. Here she is at the million paws walk with my excellent niece, Sophie. I still miss Charlie every day...

However... I can't wait to live in a place with a garden. When I drop stuff of at the animal welfare league (dog food and blankets) I always have to drop and run, in case I catch sight of a dog. I wanted to volunteer there, but pretty much everyone I knew said it would be a dreadful decision as I would not be able to return any of therm. Here are some pics of dogs I have found - one chocolate puppy at my friend, Nick Linke's, party. The dude who brought this dog was very popular especialy with the laydees.
This great dog I found on the road across from my place. She was goign crazy, locked out of an apartment. I eventually sat with her so long she climbed on my lap and I took her home when I realised no one was coming home. I took her to the river where she had a swim and ate the dog treats i bought and chased the ducks and then I took her up to my mum's place in stirling to give her a bath (the Torrens is a bit stinky) and I ended up having to buy her a collar and leash because I couldn't carry her everywhere - it felt like I was trying to be Paris Hilton - and I made loads of friends too. Everyone loved this dog. I draw the conclusion that if you're lonely or not getting laid, having a dog would be a step in the right direction. And brillaint for a good sendse of well bring. Goto the Animal Welfare League, there are loads of great animals there who need homes urgently.
Anyway, I put my pillow down to read and she jumped right onto it, so I figured she was a pretty spoiled dog. When I finally returned the dog when I saw the owner arrive home, he said she was sixteen. She is a great, very lively and funny dog. She sat on my alp the whole time in the car. I felt sad leaving her.
I think it's the main reason I put Hellhound in my books, she's such a great dog I wish she was real.

Excellent days ahead

Hi, Just a quick, and very sincere thank you to everyone who rang and wrote to me about Charlie's death. I really appreciated it. Turns out I have some wonderful friends, fans and family.

I've been having a great time researching for 'The Tequila Bikini' my next book in the Cassidy Blair series (overdue...). I've been feeling a lot better (I get hit, fairly rapidly, with a nice selection of migraines, panic attacks and depression, on a semi regular basis, so it's a real pisser, but so far, things are okay, and after feeling like death, anything else feels like heaven), so I'm smiling a lot these days.

Writing is great fun, when I get time to do it. I have so many manuscripts coming in and out for Driftwood, we are flat out. Stuart, my partner, is home for two weeks holiday and has, like the hero of my heart, done my tax for two (also overdue) years and is currently redesigning my brochure for Driftwood. I used to try to do everything myself but when things fall apart, my priorities are always writing, and working with my writers for Driftwood, TAFE and mentoring, so boring things like tax and filing, etc, fall to the far wayside, as they have for nearly two years.

I am happy now, however, despite getting thoroughly drenched the other night scoping out a couple spots for the tenth chapter of 'The Tequila Bikini'. If anyone sees me out in the dark with my binoculars, camera and hardcase torch, I'm researching, not about to mug anyone. If I could work out a way to record things in my notepad without the paper getting wet, I'd have it made.

However, in the background of this writing are my other dear birds, Lucy is snoozing on my leg by holding onto my stockings. I have two new little budgies, called runners, - birds who never get the wings, or ability to fly) and yesterday finaly got them a decent house, made them platforms and ladders worthy of Robinson Crusoe so they can get around (they are smaller than two fingers held together and their wings are the size of thick butterfly wings (I'll include photos soon) but of course, much thicker.

They are alternately shy and keen, and they seem to love each other, they preen each other's feathers and kiss and sleep together. I called the white/blue one Jinks and the green blue on Harper (boy). So I finally have another female bird in the house (still unsure about Spencer, her/his adoration of Jones could be love, or just plain admiration, or... love. They are all very gorgeous, Lucy has taken to having a shower with one of us in the morning, fluttering her long eye lash feathers under the water. In fact they all love baths and showers. They'd be very clean birds if they just dropped the habit of destroying things in the small breaks between preening.

Anyway, I've gotta get back to this scene, and these manuscripts, but I wanted to check in with my excellent friends (most of whom are too shy to email on this blog but email me directly, which is a habit I share, and admire).

So, wish me luck with this writing, I am getting down chapters each day because it's all in my head and I'm going crazy not writing it down), and am taking loads of vitamins because I seem to be addicted to porridge.

I'm having afternoon adventures too, driving around, listening to podcasts from the ABC and stopping at thirift stores along the way. My wardrobe has increased, I'd forgotten how much I love second hand clothes. I got some great kneehigh red boots yesterday and a blue vintage coat with white fluffy cuffs. - Heaven. It's thearpy for sitting on my arse all morning getting work done and writing.

Am also scoping out areas to live, as I'm currently looking at buying a house but haven't found anything perfect yet (seventies style with big windows, sunken lounge, avairy attached to the house and an office tucked high in the trees with no phone - oh and a secretary/butler dude).

Listening to: The Shawshank Redemption soundtrack - current favourite writing CD and the Magnolia soundtrack if the birds start to sing along too much...
Eating: um... porridge and ice cream. Being an adult is a lot like being a kid
Thinking about: How far I can see in binoculars in the rain at night.
Watching: My birds. And The Chaser. Chas rocks my world
Wearing: Clothes born from yesterday (including excellent silver earrings)
Reading: A couple old Jennifer Crusie books when I need to disappear and The SAS Survival Handbook by John Wiseman