Monday, November 2, 2009. Morning Newsletter. It was good to wake up and know that today's Menu Daily was not only completely written and published on the web, but also sent out by e-mail. The trick now is to keep myself on that schedule. It is tough. Without an imminent deadline, I fall into puttering around instead of writing. Tweaking the web site can fill all the time I allow it.
The Marys went into town today, leaving me completely alone for yet another day. I was hoping that when they came home they'd want to return to our comfy routine of Monday dinners at the Acme. Their answer was no. Something about not wanting to eat, because they're doing so well on their diets. I have no idea why my slender daughter feels the need to take more off. I can see a difference in Mary Ann, who says she's lost fourteen pounds. Just thirty-six more, she says. I kept my mouth shut about my experience losing sixty pounds. Each pound is twice as hard to lose as the one before.
They made some pasta, and I joined in. Ten minutes at the table, and everyone was back to his or her personal project, each of which was of paramount importance.
"Have you seen Mac?" Mary Ann asked, before we stopped eating. I meant to ask the same question myself. The dog Mac greeted me when I came home from the cruise last Saturday, but I haven't seen him since. The thought crossed my mind that Mac--the stray dog for whom we ponied up $2800 for surgery after he was hit by a car a couple of months ago--had gone wandering again. If so, he was led away by our other stray dog Suzie, a bad influence. I imagined Mac lying inert on the side of a road, him and his $2800 surgery. I went looking, but didn't find him. Suzie has been skulking around, trying to look innocent. Something's on her mind.
