deadlines

I am controlling myself from checking on the writer-who-is-running late today, but it is taking all of my control. The writer has good reason to be late: lots and lots of copy, a great little story that I can't wait to hit the streets tomorrow, all written under the glaring eye of an editor who can't stand it when things are late. I seriously can't stand it. I am a deadline freak. So I am distracting myself by blogging distractedly. OK, well, here's some good news, which is that we actually found Lalo. I have never known a missing cat to be found before so this was quite an accomplishment, although it seems to me, now, that Lalo wasn't so much missing as perhaps hiding. Anyway, Dan, Jonanna and I set out wandering the Zia Vista Apartment Complex, armed with my ridiculous flyers ("old, skinny, no tags, likes tuna"). Because I grew up in an apartment complex sort of like Zia Vista and spent quite a lot of time wandering about it pretending I was a private detective (long story) this sort of made me feel like a kid again, particularly as we stumbled upon residents and others, all of whom seemed suspicious, and began hatching a theory that Lalo had, in fact, been abducted (as everyone wants an old, skinny cat with tuna breath). We also began trying to venture down into the Arroyo to search for Lalo (or his body), but were thwarted by bramble and our own sockless shoewear (this was not exactly a Search and Rescue team here). Anyway, we then spotted Lalo in the parking lot, pretty much right by Darius' house. He proceeded to run away from us (hence my hiding versus missing theory), but we coaxed him back upstairs and began speculating about what might have happened to him (I was voting for amnesia). We then fed him tripe (blech) and tuna (ugh) and attempted to rebond and show him some love. All's well that ends well. Meanwhile, back at my own animal house, the handicapped dog ramp has been completed, but the aged dog in question is having nothing to do with it. The other dog loves running up and down it (it's actually carpeted), but Kita puts one foot on it and then turns around and stomps away very crankily.
OK, I'm checking my in-box for the last story of the issue one more time now. More later, I hope.