March 4, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: An Unwelcome Visitor

Do you like it when folks just pop by? Personally, I kinda hate it. After all, I'm a writer. So on most days if you stop by unannounced you'll find me in yoga pants (winter) or shorts (summer) with no makeup and my hair barely brushed. (At least I get out of my PJs, but that's only because Rita has to be walked every morning.) 

Also, the house is usually a mess. If it isn't a mess, that means I'm procrastinating* on my writing.

Anyway, it turns out Rita hates uninvited guests just as much as I do. Case in point, this little guy showed up at our back door the other day when we FINALLY got some rain.
The neighbor's cat

Now, personally I try to have zero interaction with our neighbor (because of the nudity incident. You just can't un-see some things.) But I'm willing to befriend his cat.
So, the hubs and I were all for letting him in, but Rita was having none of it. I could barely even catch a photo of her, she was so bent out of shape at the nerve of him coming by unannounced.

Please rest assured that if you do ever drop by unannounced, I won't cuss you out like Rita did with this poor damp kitty. (I'll just mutter under my breath a little. Unless you drop by naked. Then I will definitely cuss you out.)

Thanks for letting me be wordy! I know I haven't been around much, but I've been trying to get my act together and put my writing (and working out) ahead of other stuff, instead of behind everything else, which is usually what happens. So, usually by the time I walk Rita, finish my daily writing word count goal, do a little working out, and then get to whatever errands and what not, there's no time left for blogging. Going to try to blog at least twice a week, cuz I'd miss y'all otherwise! Hope you'll keep coming around.

* Speaking of procrastination... Did y'all watch the Oscars? On the whole, I found it to be pretty boring, but my absolute fave moment was Robert De Niro introducing the screenplay writing categories by with this spot-on look at the writers' mind:

“The mind of a writer can be a truly terrifying thing. Isolated, neurotic, caffeine-addled, crippled by procrastination and consumed by feelings of panic, self-loathing and soul-crushing inadequacy. And that’s on a good day.”

Hope YOU are having a good day. And hope you are welcomed wherever you go! Happy Wednesday!

60 comments:

  1. Working from home, I feel much the same way about uninvited guests...and so do Jack & Maggie. Love that quote from DeNiro.

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  2. I'd like at least some notice! We very rarely have surprise guests though.

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    1. Yes, even 15 min notice is good! Just give me some time to brush my hair and quickly sweep up the worst of the dog hair!

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  3. We don't get many surprise guests. Unless you count the skunks who stop by sometimes. Now there's a surprise we really don't appreciate!

    --Woofs (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats

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    1. Oooo, yeah - nobody wants a visit (announced or unannounced) from them!

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  4. Right there with you. I absolutely hate uninvited guests. Long, Long ago people used to show up unannounced around here and we had to literally ask that they 'call first' as a courtesy. Sometimes people just don't want visits.

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    1. It does very rarely happen here too. Most folks call ahead. We did once have friends show up a week early for a dinner party though! Luckily I had JUST randomly happened to have finished sweeping/cleaning the kitchen before they came to the door! We invited them in, made margaritas and then they left and sheepishly came back the next week!

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  5. I feel like all I ever do when I comment on your blog and agree with you Jackie. Hate pop-ins (moved to a different state in college to get away from them, in fact) and the Oscar's were a snore fest except for Bobby D, Sidney Poitier and Pink brought me to tears.

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    1. We are simpatico, I guess! Yes, mostly a snore-fest! (Some of my facebook friends were raving about the Oscars, but we buzzed a ton of it.)

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  6. We have the occasional feline visitor at our place too... my indoor fur-kids go crazy looking through the window.

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    1. I felt bad about not letting him in! But whattya gonna do?? Rita would not have been polite if he came in!

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  7. We are so the same and as for cats we have the same problem here too. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
    Best wishes Molly

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    1. We never had him come to the door before. He's come in the yard, but never all the way up to the door. Felt bad for the little guy, but I know there are places he can hide and stay out of the rain back on *his* side of the fence!

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  8. I'm laughing about Rita's reaction to your guest, however Jeffie is totally with Rita! Hmm, missed the nudity post :-0

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  9. "If it isn't a mess, that means I'm procrastinating* on my writing." Ha ha...I SO know the feeling. Glad you are back on track with your writing. I totally understand you being around blog land less...

    Now...off to check out that nudity post! LOL!

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    1. Yes, you can only get so much done in a day, and somethin''s gotta give! So unfortunately it's the blogging - at least for now.

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  10. I just read the neighbor story! Bwaaaa ha ha! Well, I'd say there's zero chance of you having to worry about seeing me naked. I'm not a fan of the drop in, either!

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    1. Ditto - I can promise the same that none of you will ever see me naked! :)

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  11. WE go crazy happy crazy when peoples stop by....but since mom has brought us all home most peoples have stopped the stopping by....um.........
    stella rose

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  12. We rarely get uninvited guests, but the next door neighbors do pop in quite often. Just yesterday, everyone home due to the big snow storm, the teenage daughter dropped over, and may never again. She went to knock on the door, which put her in line with the small windows by the front door....just as John walked by in a t-shirt and just his skivvies! The poor girl was mortified!

    And who in their right mind climbs on a gazebo, naked, in a crowded neighborhood?

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    1. "Who in their right mind" - um, yeah. There you have it.

      That's so funny about the neighbor and John in his undies.

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  13. Oh my. I'm off to read about the nude neighbor. And thanks for the DiNero quote (I didn't watch) that really is accurate, no?

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    1. You didn't miss anything if you didn't watch - except that great quote! Yes, so accurate. The hubs just kept looking at me and nodding and smiling while De Niro was reading it.

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  14. That is how we got a cat. She was a street cat who picked out our house and demanded to be let in. The dogs regret that they didn't pulll a Rita at the time years ago.

    Good for you to stay on a schedule.

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    1. Same with us when we lived in Bermuda. But back then, we didn't have a dog to say "HELL NO!"

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  15. Hey! My Wordless Wednesday was about a cat, too! Well whaddya know!

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  16. Hey Jackie! I totally understand because I am trying to do some serious time management. I am trying to write my 3rd book, bog, and exercise as well. At this point it is an Epic Fail but it's a new day. Naked neighbors, huh? Haha! I hate for people to drop by, I look the same way and loved the "writer's mind" on the Oscars. We must be kindred spirits, I can't wait to meet you!

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    1. Yeah - it's so hard to juggle it all. Especially for me - I'm not that fast of a writer, so if I want to get at least 1200 words down/day, that takes a chunk of time. And, yes, hopefully we'll meet some day!

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  17. Our house is also only clean if mom is procrastinating about writing too! Poor kitty. Love Dolly

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    1. Yep, it's a sure sign! You should see what a mess it is right now. (Well, no - you shouldn't. That would be embarrassing.) But at least it means I'm writing!

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  18. Such a cute little kitty. I'm right there with you on the "writer's attire" LOL

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    1. Yes, we writers are not a super fashionable lot, eh?? :)

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  19. Cute kitty, it was torturing rita.

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    1. That kitty has tortured her before! She's actually terrified of it. When it comes in our yard, she races after it, barking her head off. But if it turns back and stands up to her - she SCREAMS like a little girl, and it echoes down our canyon. So embarrassing... Rita can be a real drama queen when she wants to.

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  20. We flip out too if a strange cat "drops by". We have our own kitties, but no strange furs are allowed at our house!

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    1. I wish Rita would allow us to have our own kitties. I'm sure she won't go for the idea!

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  21. Perhaps the neighbour's cat was grossed out by the nudity and noise ... I had to go and read the post! :)

    BTW I have finished What the Dog Ate! It was good. I like your characters and their development very much :) I preferred Rescue Me, though. That really hit the mark. I am thinking that number three will be a 6 star on Goodreads ;)

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    1. Yes, you're right - the cat was probably grossed out!

      Funny cuz I thought RMM was not as good while I was working on it, but now think it's better/deeper than WtDA. (WtDA is more just for fun.) So... I'm hoping that will be the same for Book 3 - because right now I don't think it's any good at all! But I keep plugging away....

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  22. We don't like people popping by either. If I'm going to be home for the day, I am also dressed comfortably, no makeup, etc. The dogs don't tolerate it either but luckily it doesn't happen much. Especially with cats...that would definitely not go over well!
    I didn't watch the Oscars, but that was definitely a great quote by DeNiro...so you're saying all that is true?? :)

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    1. For me anyway, it's all true except the "caffeine-addled" part. Personally, I'm a one-cup-of-coffee/day gal. I prefer to get hopped up on sugar before I write. :)

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  23. That quote is singing my song! That's what my head is like most of the time. I definitely do not like people popping by. I need time to put the baby gate up so the dogs don't plow over the visitor and a moment to corral Newt so she doesn't dart out the door. I'm almost always in yoga pants/ratty t-shirt/weird scrunchy/probably no deodorant. I'd guess that most people who do "pop by" are NOT dog owners.

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    1. Yes! Ratty t-shirt & weird scrunchy are also usually me as well. And I also sometimes forget deodorant. Ah, the glamorous life of a writer! :)

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  24. Don't tell Rita, but Reggie would definitely be in favor of inviting that kitty in for a play date. He never saw a dog or cat he wouldn't play with.

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  25. My dogs would act just like Rita! There is no way they would let a cat come in the house! Happy Wordless Wednesday!

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    1. She's not thrilled about human drop-ins either - unless they're on the short list of folks she loves!

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  26. What a loverly blog! We hopped over today cuz we saw a kitty on your post and mewowza, we found so much more! We have a MamaKatz who Teri trapped and had spayed but we don't like seeing her one bit at all! Teri says we are mean-spirited!

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    1. Yep - Rita can be mean-spirited too! Thanks for stopping by!

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  27. Aw! What a cute kitty! Too bad Rita doesn't think so. Shiner acts the same way kind of. Maybe not so much cussing. She likes to get right down to it and start a chase.

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    1. I know - such a cutie! We felt bad for the little guy. Hopefully our stupid neighbor realized he was out in the wet and let him in!

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  28. So no showing up nekkid and unannounced at Jackie's. Dang it. You just ruined my surprise. Now I just won't come over. So there.

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    1. Well darn! (Seriously though, Rita wanted you to stop by with some Jone's treats!)

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  29. I hate to say it, but if you stop by my house unannounced I might act a lot like Rita...lol. Nakkie neighbors huh? Interesting. No good can come from hot tubs. It's a rule, no?

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    1. Hehehee. I guess that's why I tried to talk the hubs out of getting a hot tub - but I must say, now that we have our own, I do love it! And luckily the neighbor never uses his anymore! At any rate, we have our cover set up so that when it's open, it puts a barrier between our house and theirs! :)

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  30. I clearly join you in falling behind and being busy, as I finally get to catching up on reading and commenting so much later.

    But I am 100% with you on the hating of the pop-in. HATE IT. That's not to say I hate compnay - sporadically it's okay. But 3 hours advance notice is a minimum, just to tidy up and mentally prepare for socializing. Lucky for me, my friends are aware of this requirement. The husband is far more social, so his friends take greater liberties with stopping in on short/no notice, but they learn. Also, I've been known to simply not answer the door if I'm not expecting anyone.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzOv2jrC1I8

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    1. Thx for the clip. I was thinking as I wrote the post how folks ALWAYS just drop in on TV sitcoms. It's like a staple. It makes you think that's how life is - but how many of us really get pop-ins on a regular basis like that? :)

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