First things first: WINNERS!

The winners of the Random Contest of Randomness are, in no particular order and with no particular regard to specific prizes:

• Alexandra Shostak
• hannahfyoung
• helpfulannalisa
• Susan Light
• Anne ♥ Marie
• rennadarling
• Kasumi

You know the drill—I’ll be in touch shortly!

Second things.

Post office!

Okay, so I’m going to be very blunt right now. I hate going to the post office. Of all my various procrastinations, there is no procrastination I cultivate more aggressively than my avoidance of the post office. (Except maybe my avoidance of the gas station and the bank.)

Which is to say that all the books for like the last n number of contests … are not mailed. They are sitting on the kitchen table, waiting patiently for me to send them out into the world. Except for one, which has gone AWOL*. Which, what the hell, people? How can I just lose a book? (Easily. Because I live in a House of Books, and I suspect that the lost one is now comfortably ensconced somewhere in my office, mixed in with the thousand other books.) (Which means that in order to find it, I will have to organize my office.)

So, if you are waiting on a book, it’s coming.

Just as soon as I organize my office.

Followed by

Email! Seriously, you guys. It wants to kill me. By the sheer force of its accusing triple digits.

So, to every person out there who has yet to be informed of something pertinent, or is waiting for a response to a pressing question, or needs some piece of vital scheduling information, I’m getting there—I am!

Slowly. Very. Very. Slowly.

And last—massively, massively last—Book!

Which is the reason for all the other disorganization in my life.

Because the thing is, I keep pretending that I’m awesome at time management. Which is definitively Not True. I’m good at time management when I have lots of time and not much to manage, but it is downright amazing how quickly my little semblance of order falls apart the deeper I get into a new book.

Also, don’t get me wrong, I love this book. LOOOOVE it.

Also, it is the book that will never end. I mean, it is seriously the longest draft I’ve ever written of anything, and there is currently no end in sight, which is semi-bad drafting-wise, because it’s due at the beginning of December. Which means that hell or high water, it will be done by then. Just don’t expect me to make much sense between now and December 7th,** because quite frankly, I feel I’m doing well to have on matching socks right now.

Wait. There’s a hole in one of them.

Damn it.

*Found it! It was totally behind the door. Why? Who knows.

** That part’s mostly for D. Also, he got the stand mixer down from the cupboard the other day and put it on the counter in preparation for all the stress-baking that’s about to ensue. That’s love, people.