Update 1.

12:15 and the package with project 1 is on the porch and waiting for FedEx to take it away. It was hard, though. About halfway through I had to open an email to retrieve some author changes, and it took all I had not to click on "Get New Messages". Someone was looking out for me though, because right then my connection went out (not that I *did* click on "Get New", but my iTunes radio stream got cut, so I glanced at the modem. Honest!).

I decided to let the dog out before the snow got hard & heavy. She's an African dog. She hates winter. I usually don't force the going-outside issue until midmorning in the winter months, because she's such a passive aggressive type when she doesn't want to do something ("What -- oh, you want me to go OUTside? Is that what you were calling me about? Oh, sure, just let me, um, streeeetch my front legs. Sure, hey, I'm moving, but next I've got to stretch my baaaack legs. Surely you don't want me to strain a muscle, do you?").

When she finally got outside, it took her 10 minutes -- I am not exaggerating -- to find a convenient place to pee. She'd circle widdershins in the dead daylily patch, squat, then run over to the dead lemongrass patch and frantically circle clockwise, squat, find it unacceptable as well, and move on to the sunflower stalks, do some sniffing, and, off again she'd go. Silly dog.

And as soon as she finally did do her business (I saw her, I can confirm it), she ran right up to the back door and started whimpering. "I'm sooo cold, I can barely feel my toes!" (That's because you HAVE no toes, silly.)

Now, I will have lunch and decide what to do next. I hate starting a project after lunch. What I really want to do is work on the crochet hoodie I've promised the Elder Imperatrix-in-Training I'd have done soon. Oh, so soon. Really. Before Spring arrives. I promised.