Monday, April 11, 2011

If He'd Voted, It Would Have Been 240-13

I took Scooter to the vet this morning. It took 25 minutes to get him into his carrier, and then he yowled the entire trip there. He also yowled the entire trip back, with considerably less justification.

While I was waiting to take Scooter in, the receptionist asked what in addition to his shots and general checkup did I want for Scooter. The exact quote was, "Sue, aside from his shots..." which I heard as a suggestion ("I'll take nooses for 800, Alex").

No sooner do I get Scooter into the examining room then my vet walks in and asks if there's going to be a continuation. It takes me a moment to realize he means is there going to be a fourth book. When Life As We Knew It came out, I thought it would be my last book ever, so I gave copies of it to everybody I know, including my vet, who loved it so much he bought copies of it to give as Christmas presents. Hardcovers at that.

Scooter, by the way, weighs 14 pounds. And my vet claims that when Scooter puts his paw on top of me, it's not to say he loves me, but to let me know he outranks me, which is very silly because every cat knows that and every cat knows every person knows that, so there's no point telling us.

My vet also says the official term for one girl cow getting cozy with another girl cow is nymphomania. I no longer remember how that came up in the conversation, but I'll remember it forever, along with a license plate number that I decided to memorize on the drive home to sharpen my memory skills. Years from now that license plate number will show up in my brain and I'll have no idea what it is and it will haunt me forever like stray song lyrics.

I continue to work on polishing up Hart. Not today, since I'm still recovering from those 25 minutes of Scooter chasing, but yesterday and I hope tomorrow and certainly Wednesday if the weather is bad. I've gotten deep enough into the polishing process that there is now an official Chapter Seven and an equally official Chapter Ten. I decided that there was need for a brand new Chapter Nine, so I wrote that yesterday, thus making the previously official Chapter Ten the equally official Chapter Eleven. The other change I made was the title. It is no longer Hart; it is The Offering. I think The Offering is a lot sexier, and it doesn't seem to be a particularly overused title, so I'm grabbing it.

Oh well. I could try to do some rewrite/polishing now, or I could put the den back in order after 14 pounds of chaos, or I could check out some neighborhood nymphomaniac cows.

It's always good to have choices!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

You have a very strange vet!

Anonymous Santa Fe

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi Anonymous Santa Fe-

Scooter and I aren't so normal either!

Elaine Marie Alphin said...

I think you've got an awesome vet - I mean, he gives hardbacks of your books for Christmas! And has quirky tidbits of info to share. Pity Scooter doesn't appreciate him, but you can't have everything. ; )

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hallo Elaine Marie Alphin-

Not only did Scooter resist going to the vet for 25 minutes, but as soon as the examination was over, he raced back into his carrier as fast as his 14 pounds of pure muscle would let him.

I still remember the license plate number. This does not bode well for my future sanity!

Wanda Vaughn said...

You'll have to use the car tag in a story somewhere. It might save your sanity.

Glad to know your vet has such good taste. :)

Anonymous said...

please make a sequal!!!!!!!

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hello to Wanda Vaughn and Anonymous-

I still remember the license plate number. Who knows if I'll ever forget it.

And thank you, Anonymous for all the !s. I think I'll use a few myself!!!!!

number plate makers said...

Can I see some of the finish products you have made.

Anonymous said...

Have you considered writing a 4th book in the last surrvivors series? I read all 3 in a week and would love it if there was a 4th one.

anonymous AZ

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi Anonymous AZ-

A fourth book is under consideration by me and by my publisher!