Got an email from my mother. She and my step-dad are coming to visit in October from China. They’re doing a tour of the U.S.–part business and part pleasure. He’s got a conference in Chicago to attend, and they’re visiting family and friends en route between California and New York. My step-dad has gotten me a three-volume set of Journey to the West, the mythological fantasy of the Monkey King! Isn’t that the coolest? It’s amazing how fond I’ve become of my stepfather in such a short amount of time. We’ve hit it off quite nicely, and I’m not unaware of the irony that he knows my proclivities and tastes better than my mother does. Gimme books over pink dresses any day.
Hobkin is slowly metamorphosing from a bratty summer skunk into a couch potato autumn one. I followed him around with the camera as he contemplated getting into mischief. He was less-than-pleased by my attention. Or perhaps it was the flash.
Digging at the hardwood floor. I’m not exactly sure what he thought he was going to accomplish doing that.
Noticing me with the camera and exhibiting his ire. Yes, I’m grateful he’s de-scented.
“Quit flashy-thinging me, Mom!” Doesn’t he look all fierce and sinister? Awww.
Tuckered out from all that stomping. Hobkin’s normal activity level.
Writing Stuff
New Words: 900
On the supah sekrit fairy tale project. Caffeine is my friend. So is sugar. I’m actually doing a modern fantasy re-telling of a non-Eastern (*gasp*) fairy tale–Little Red Riding Hood, even. Yes, it’s a much-redone tale, but I’m giving it a nice twist. At least I hope it’s a nice twist and not terribly cliché and trite. Muse, don’t forsake me! But I’ve wanted to do something with Red for a while now and this seems a good opportunity to take the bit and run with it. I keep having these tangential “Eastern-esque” thoughts because, well, red is such an important color in Chinese culture. Maybe I’ll do a Chinese Red Riding hood after this. Or maybe I should just focus on what I’m writing and not get sidetracked. Discipline, dammit!
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Club 100 For Writers
1
Sigh. Starting over again. I suck. But at least I’m persistent about it. Or something.
500/day
67
Such cuteness. 🙂 About how many hours per day do skunks usually sleep?
Many many hours. I’m inclined to say somewhere between 14 and 17 but I’ve never kept track and haven’t seen formal stats anywhere. Skunks sleep a lot.
Are you sure Hobkin isn’t a greyhound in diguise? Doc & Patti are extremely put out if they don’t get their requisite 18 hours a day.
Hee! If you had seen his little stumpy legs, you wouldn’t even suggest something like that. I think Skunks have been clocked going at a top speed of 5 MPH!
I die from cuteness overexposure.
Bow down before the fuzzy overlords, mwa ha haa haaaa!
hoooRAY for fluffy Hobkin pics 😉
Yay for fuzzy muse companion beasties!
Sounds cool, Eugie! I’d love to see what you would do with a Chinese Little Red Riding Hood…
I got so mad at myself; I made it to Day 95, then forgot for three days. :rueful smile: I’m planning on starting over after November. (I don’t think trying to work on two separate insane projects at once is a good idea this year; not on top of everything else! 😉
95! So close. So close! In fact, closer than I’ve managed to make it with my Club 100 efforts. We shall plow ahead from the beginning together. Rah!
On the supah sekrit fairy tale project.
Excellent. ::rubs hands together with malicious glee::
Yessuh, I’m writing as fast as I can. *bows scrapes*
I love the “Quit flashy-thinging me!” pic!
Hee. Skunk stomping. It’s very cute.
The cuteness slays me! it’s no wonder ferrets and skunks are in the same family 🙂
::digdigdigdig::
::Show Super FERRET ferocity!::
::thud. Sleep now!::
Very much so! We transferred a lot of what we learned when we kept ferrets to planning for Hobkin’s arrival to excellent effect. I think it’s one of the reasons we were so successful litter box training him so quickly.
Sadly, I was never 100% successful in litter box training my ferrets. They never quite got it :/ Love them to death still, though 🙂
And of course, I’ve now developed pretty bad allergies to my ferrets ::rolls eyes::
We never got our ferrets at 100% either. A couple of them were close, but the rest of them tended to blow the curve.
You developed ferret allergies? That absolutely sucks.
That IS a nice present. I’m envious.
I assure you, I had to go through pink dresses and plastic knick-knacks to get to a step-dad with good taste and a keen sense of discernment. I’ve paid my dues.
Red’s tale
Keep jabbing at the red riding hood story. I know you’ve got both the Western twist and the Eastern story hidden within you. They will soon surface, I’m sure. And the tale has such sensuous undertones, too. Will this be for kids or for adults?
Re: Red’s tale
“Will this be for kids or for adults?“
I’m hoping that it’ll appeal to both, but the target audience is a YA one.
Awwww, he’s such a cyutie! Kerry says she’ll share her Qdoba bag with him.
Hee! That’s very gracious of Kerry. But the big question is, is the Qdoba bag empty or is there still yummy food in it?
No yummy food. However, I don’t know how well a bean burrito with green salsa would sit on Hobkin’s stomach anyway.
Well, he likes jalapeño peppers, although he doesn’t get them very often because when I chop them up for him, I tend to end up with a nasty burn, or the same thing happens after he “kills” them and then comes up to me for a snuggle. Painful food things. But yeah, overall Mexican food probably not a good idea for skunk digestion.
As always, Hobkin is looking spectacular! I think mine too are beginning to feel the shift in seasons as they are becoming increasinlgy hard to find at dinner time…LOL
Thanks! Hobkin’s tail has gotten so thin. He’s still blowing coat–mostly tail–like a maniac. I can’t wait until he’s done shedding! Fur. Everywhere.
Look at those CLAWS!!! Little daggers, they are!
More “diggers” than “daggers” but he’s caught me a good scratch or two . . . usually in the process of using me as a springboard.
:grins: Tobie (the kitten, not my friend) thinks I’m a tree. It’s fine when I’m wearing jeans, but she’s tried climbing me a couple of times when I was wearing shorts. Ouch!
Ouch indeed!
Ooo, Teh Mighty Hobkin is so fierce and skeery!
*fears the fluffy one*
Fluffy overlords of doom! *fuzz fuzz fluff*
Teh *cuteness* of Hobkin!
And oh, he knows how to use it!
How to unleash a comment firestorm. Let loose the Hobkins pics. His tail is so fluffy. Is that natural or does he require grooming? (I think you’ve said he takes umbrage to grooming; can’t remember.)
I like trite and cliche, but my taste is well… Kinda hope the wolf isn’t too evil…I love wolves.
Pat Kirby
Skunk tails are naturally fluffy. I do brush Hobkin when he’s shedding to try to get the loose fur out, but he doesn’t like it. And actually, his tail’s pretty thin right now since he’s been blowing his tail fur pretty aggressively for the last couple weeks. There’s fur everywhere! Agh!
(And I love wolves too.)
The cuteness of Hobkin!
Fear the terrible cuteness!