Reading, WIPs, Raven, and the Puppy Bowl

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Sunday was odd. It’s normally the one day I stringently devote to writing but I finished my WIP last week and shipped it off to my editor. That amounted to a lot of Snoopy dancing Friday and Saturday night. I started reading a new book, Where the Crawdads Sing, which appears to be the “it” book of 2019 if all the buzz is true.

I’m currently 55% through, and although I’m glued to the story, I’ve yet to discover whatever it is that makes this book so haunting and unforgettable. Fingers crossed the magic will reveal itself before the end.

Sunday became a day of getting my year-end tax receipts together—not a chore I look forward to. It took several hours before I was done, and I am glad to finally have the chore behind me. Afterward, I discovered the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet and was glued for the entire two hours.

I’d heard of the PB before, and even caught glimpses here and there, but never actually watched the whole thing from start to finish. Aside from the genius behind the marketing—which I couldn’t help appreciating—the Puppy Bowl is an overload of cute. With teams Fluff and Ruff, hamsters in a blimp, cheerleading kangaroos, sloth referee, kitty half-time, and an Amazon gray parrot doing updates, you can’t go wrong. I plan to be back every year.

As I write this, I’m watching the Super Bowl, and don’t know the outcome, but I’m enjoying the commercials. Anyone else love the Bud Knight and the competitive look at corn syrup?

I’ve got a crazy work week lined up with several meetings on the day job and several after-work appointments. At least the weather is going to be in the forties and fifties, a huge jump over the single digit temps of last week. Raven was glued to my side day and night for warmth.

And speaking of my beautiful feline, how is it possible for her to be comfortable like this.

black at squished between pillows on couch

Weird, huh? For something less bizarre, you can find me on Story Empire today with a post about Writing Tight. Raven invites you to drop over and say hello. I hope to see you there!

59 thoughts on “Reading, WIPs, Raven, and the Puppy Bowl”

  1. I’m reading this going ‘what the heck is puppy bowl?’…. wasn’t till I read on and saw Super Bowl I got it. Homage to the game? We’re a bit lacking in all things super bowl down under 🤗

    As I said somewhere else, massive congratulatory hugs for getting the WIP off your desk! I’m so looking forward to the day I get mine ‘away’.

    What a little cutie is Raven! No, I can’t say I’d be comfy like that, but daw, who cares when you’re that cute!

    Off to SE now… 😉

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    • Jess, she gets away with so much because of that cuteness factor. Why she chose to lay like that is beyond me, LOL. It did make for a good picture. 😉

      The Super Bowl (what I saw of it) was crappy this year, but the Puppy Bowl was a huge hit. I can’t wait for next year’s PB!

      Thanks for the congrats on the WIP. It was such a relief to send that off. Wishing you lots of success with getting yours out the door!

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      • My puppers used to lay in the most bizarre ways and claim to be comfortable. I tend to think pets have some covert agenda involving luring us into a false sense of security with their cuteness. 🤔

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  2. The picture of Raven cracked me up! When I see one of my kitties laying oddly like that I try to help them…they never appreciate the help though. Yay for getting taxes done. I have my pile started but have to be in the right mood for that chore. I always enjoy the superbowl commericals too. That was a funny one. Where the Crawdads Sing is on my list. Can’t wait to hear what you think about it.

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    • I’ll be posting a Crawdads review with my February group of books. I’m imagine I’ll finish it tonight (I’m now at 67%). Definitely a good read. I just need to see how it all plays out.

      Taxes are such a chore. I dread it every year. I keep pretty good records throughout but there’s still a lot of double checking and tracking down odd receipts at the end.

      I think felines are born contortionists, LOL.

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  4. Cats! They can sleep in the most precarious positions and find it comfortable. I ignored most of the Super Bowl (hubs had the game on but I tried to write). Note: tried to write. Didn’t get as much done as I’d hoped. Anyway, I did catch one commercial with Harrison Ford and a dog. I think it was about Alexa. So happy you completed your manuscript. Can’t wait to learn about your next project.

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    • I lasted through half-time on the Super Bowl and then gave up. The game was pretty boring and the half-time show was not on par with past shows. I thought the artists they picked were an awful fit.

      I missed the commercial with Harrison Ford and the dog. I’m going to have to see if I can find it on YouTube.

      Glad you got some writing done, Joan, even if it wasn’t as much as you’d hoped to accomplish. Every little bit counts!

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  6. I didn’t watch a single play. The commercials were so lousy the last few years, I didn’t think the game was worth suffering through in hopes of finding a good one. I binged on episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond and read a little.

    I love the Puppy Bowl. I saw a network running a cat version, but I forgot to put it on. I thought of you and Joan when I saw it listed, though.

    Still happy dancing with you. I know you stressed that one.

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  8. Congrats and cheers on finishing your book! Always a good feeling. We hit the grocery store on Sunday and it was PACKED. So many people were in lines, we decided to make our own strombolis to eat while watching the game instead of waiting behind zillions to order them. Neither of us follow football, but our grandsons do and call to yak about the game, so we watch it. I’m heading over to SE now.

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    • My hubby watches football all year. I catch a game here and there, but usually always watch the playoffs and the Super Bowl. This year’s bowl was uninspiring but it was still fun to eat party food and celebrate. Home made Stromboli sounds yummy! I don’t blame you for ditching the grocery store. I can’t stand it when it’s that crazy.

      And thanks for the congrats on the book. It’s always such a relief when I hit “send” LOL!

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    • I’ve been deprived of Kitten Bowl viewing, something I’ll have to catch in the future. That has to be monumental cuteness overload, LOL.

      Thanks for the congrats on the WIP. I think maybe Raven was trying to do her version of a Snoopy dance. Which was more like “let me squeeze in here and sleep.” 🙂

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  11. Congrats on getting your WIP sent off, Mae! That is definitely cause for celebration! I am thrilled that you are reading “Where the Crawdads Sing!” Can’t wait to see your review. Have you noticed the POV issues I noted in my blog about the book? I didn’t watch the Super Bowl. I don’t think I missed anything. 🙂 I’m heading over to Story Empire to read the blog post.

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    • Jan, I did pick up on the POV issues as I was reading and thought of your blog post. Definitely not omniscient. I think the author could have found a better way to handle the scenes without losing anything. Often head hopping is looked upon as lazy writing. This is clearly a stellar author, but I still think she took short cuts with POV. Loving the story so far, but waiting for a huge pay-off at the end,

      Oh, and many thanks for the congrats on the WIP. It was a rough one!

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      • I think they are, especially for authors they consider “sellers”

        I finished Crawdads last night. Wow–just WOW! I kept waiting for that “something” to take it from a good book to a great book and the last third (especially the ending) delivered. I can definitely see myself reading this again.

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  13. Huge congrats on the completion of your new book, my friend! Happy dancing for you down under. I know of your Super-Bowl and the almost mythical stories that surround it. As for your kitty gymnast, I laughed at Raven. Animals appear to have a whole world of comfort alien to our own. I envy them.

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    • I would love to have the flexibility of my cat, Soooz, especially as I get older. I guess I’ll have to settle for marveling at her antics and dreaming about the possibilities,LOL. The Super Bowl was a bust this year, but I loved hitting “send”on the WIP. Happy writing, my friend!

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  15. Glad you got your book to your editor. That deserves a happy dance. I love that feeling of being done. Not that we are ever done.

    I saw part of the puppy bowl, we had a Pittsburgh version as well, and there was the cat bowl. My husband was more interested in the Super Bowl than I was. But those Bud Light commercials. I just love those.

    And my girls (two dogs) sleep in the most strange positions too. I often think, is that really comfortable?

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    • How cool Pittsburgh had their own version of the puppy bowl—and a cat bowl! You had so many features to choose from, Michele, LOL!

      My husband and I always enjoy the Bud Knight. Dilly, dilly!

      It’s nice to know not only cats (but dogs too) can wend themselves into bizarre positions. Finally, thanks for the congrats—it was such a relief to hit the “send” button 🙂

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    • I’ve always like the Patriots, way back to the days of Drew Bledsoe, so I was happy with the outcome of the big game, though I have to say the Puppy Bowl was more entertaining, LOL!

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    • Yeah, the half-time show as a major bust, geared toward a younger crowd than me, LOL. I didn’t know about the kitten bowl but next year I’ll be dividing my time between kittens and puppies! 🙂

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  19. Oh, man, I’m so far behind–sorry! We don’t get AP, but my daughter sent me a link to a YouTube vid of Maine Coon kittens. ❤ And Raven! Cats can sleep in some of the most uncomfortable-looking positions. Kids are kinda like that when they're little. I never thought kids falling asleep with their face in their dinner was real until my daughter did it.

    Yay for the next HH book!

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    • It cracks me up when I see kids falling asleep with their face dropping into a dinner plate, LOL. That is one sleepy child!!

      I’m glad you got to see the Maine Coon kittens. Next year I’m going to try to catch the Puppy Bowl AND the Kitten Bowl! 🙂

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  20. Withdrawal symptoms! I did try the Superbowl, but I confess I can’t get on with American football, I’m a devoted English Football fan and Liverpool supporter, but yes, I’m soporific about all things small and furry; we have that in common. Do you feel physically ill when you don’t have any writing to do? I felt distinctly fuzzy after I put ‘NowhereLane’ to bed…

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    • Hubby and I have tried to watch European football a few times. Last year we even stuck with the World Cup for a few games but were clueless about a lot of the scoring and penalties. We’ve got to learn more about it, given we’re so used to American football.

      People over here LOVE their football, but the politics of late have given it a black eye.

      As for writing, I just wrapped up the final book in my current trilogy and have been like a ship without a rudder. I always enjoy a few days of freedom after completing a project, but right now I am suffering withdrawal. I need to begin something new—soonest–so, yes, I understand that physically ill. Like a huge hole that needs to be filled. Nowhere Lane was a mammoth project. I know you’ll find something else to trot out soon 🙂

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