Not Going Anywhere

Why not? Because not only is it -15 degrees with a "feels like" temperature of -30 degrees but the door from my kitchen into the garage was frozen shut this morning. Not that I was planning to go anywhere but that door's the only access to my car. If by some chance I needed to go someplace, I couldn't because the knob wouldn't turn. I had to get out the hair dryer and an extension cord so I could heat it up to be able to open the door. I sprayed it with WD-40 but that only made it turn easier for a while, then it went back to being frozen. I turned the knob every hour or so but won't be able to do that overnight so I left the hair dryer out for the morning. I was surprised and rather horrified to see the mail carrier walking around the neighborhood this morning. You'd think he'd be allowed to drive the route in weather like this but maybe he likes walking.

 

I worked on adding the murder accusation and arrest parts to the manuscript today. I put the additions in red so that I'll know what's new when I go back through it again--and again and again--before it's ready for publication. I have no illusions about having to change things to accommodate the new twist in the story. Many changes will be needed. 

 

Today's drawings are a Coffee Maker & Luggage. The coffee maker was more challenging to draw and now that I look at it, I see it's kind of cockeyed.

 

Tonight at Friday Night Knitting I finished the Campfire Hat #2. I'm going to soak it and block it hoping that the yarn will bloom. I double checked the fiber content and it isn't 100% wool like I thought it was. It's only 50% wool and 50% acrylic so it might not bloom so much but I'll still do it and see what happens. It's a little scratchy so maybe a bath will soften it up.

 

There were no birds or squirrels out and about today. I did see a rabbit sniffing around under the feeders at suppertime. It's just too cold out for man or beast. I'm glad they cancelled school today.

It must be short story contest season because I've gotten emails from two friends in the last two days with information about contests, so I looked at my remaining stories that haven't hit Substack yet. (Entries have to be unpublished and social media counts.) The only story I thought was worth submitting was scheduled to be published next Wednesday so I yoinked that off and substituted a different one. Now I need to decide which contest to enter. One has a deadline of February 1 so I have to think fast. 

--Barbara