A bunch of little stuff, mostly good

The really good news, confirmed in the paper this morning, is that our local Barnes & Noble, opened in 1995, is not going to close after all. B&N and the property managers finally reached an agreement on a new lease. I took part in an e-mail campaign to representatives of both sides, and I think it worked--the article in the paper this morning quoted the VP from B&N, David Deason, saying he appreciated hearing from all the customers who suppported the store. When I wrote Mr. Deason, I got a prompt and courteous reply abou t how much they wanted to keep the store open, explaining they were in new negotiations. Today, I thought it a good idea to write and thank him, and I got another nice reply. I'll never meet him, but I like this David Deason.
The people, as it were, have spoken, and it worked. Reminds me of a joke (this is for Democrats only) on Facebook yesterday. Someone wrote (and it's a quote but I don't remember from whom): The people have spoken, the bastards!
My cat and I are at a Mexican standoff, though I think he's winning. He wants to eat constantly since I started putting seafood in with his diet food. He sits, definitely in my face, on my desk and stares at me. Yesterday when I pushed him into a lying position, he bit me--not hard, but he broke the skin in one tiny place. I'm afraid, in quick thoughtless retaliation, I slapped him. We skirted each other the rest of the day. I know he's 18, and if he wants to eat, I should feed him--but he leaves unfinished food and won't eat again until I "freshen" it with new. It's a constant thing, and I do have a life to lead.
Betty and I went for sushi last night, something we haven't had in a long time, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was determinbed to have something new, tempted by the bacon-wrapped scallops, but finally resorted to Seattle Sunset (California roll topped with cream cheese and salmon) and the house salad. It has a slightly sweet dressing, and if you offered me a salad with a sweet dressing (even honey-mustard) I'd politely decline. But I like this.Of course, we laughed a lot and had a good time.
BSP (Sisters-in-Crime shorthand for blatant self-promotion): check out an interview with me on Kindle publishing at http://kindle-author.blogspot.com/2010/11/kindle-author-interview-judy-alter-html. And watch for an interview on memoir writing tomorrow on Jungle Red Writers at http://www.jungleredwriters.com/. I'm really on a campaign to improve my internet presence. So far sales of Sue Ellen Learns to Dance on Kindle have not shown the amazing results I keep reading about--not sure what I'm going wrong, but I'm working to remedy it. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Sue+Ellen+Learns+to+Dance Comments from those who've ordered it have been good--one I treasure was on the Guppies list when Susan Schreyer wrote, "You kick ass, lady." Who could ask for more?
Memoir class tonight. Linda came for dinner, as usual, and I fixed egg salad sandwiches (made with tarragon and capers and smoked salmon)--served  them on onion rolls. Really good if I do say so. She brought pimiento cheese that Rodger had made but he put black olives in it, and I shunned it. Linda Simmons brought guacamole that was delicious. I ate too much, and she left me some. As usual we had a great session--these women are so perceptive about their lives and so willing to share. I think the best part about the whole thing though is the sense of togetherness that's developed. They've really become a group comfortable and familiar with each other. (Notice, I'm avoiding such hackneyed terms as bonding.)
Going to sleep a happy camper tonight.

Sushi and friends

Had dinner with good friends Elizabeth (Beth to the rest of the world but it's a long story) and Weldon at the Tokyo Cafe tonight. It's always too long between our visits. Elizabeth was a work-study student in my office some fifteen years ago, and we have remained friends ever since. When she began dating Weldon, I admitted him cautiously but a now as fond of him as of her, and they make each othe very happy. Elizabeth has developed a great careeer in specialized publishing (for accountants) and is now teaching yoga, including to me.We had a great visit, and I thank them for yet another after-the-fact birthday dinner. I tried to post the sushi on Weight Watchers and of couse the kind I had--Seattle Sunrise, with cucumber, cream cheese and smoked salmon in a soy wrap--wasn't listed. So I fudged.

Today was a top-down day--haircut, grocery, dinner--I put the top down on all my small trips, delighted that it now seems to work fine. (Please keep your fingers crossed.) I hate to leave it with the top down when it malfunctions because I'm afraid someone will steal my handicapped tag. Tonight when I got in the car, the temperature thing read 101--now I know that wasn't true! By the time I got home it was 89. A few minutes ago I started hearing a strange noise--looked out the window and it's raining, fairly hard. No thunder, no lightning, just plain steady rain. We have been blessed with first light rains early in the week and then an apparently violent storm that I slept through a couple of nights ago, complete with a tornado warning. We need it and welcome it, but Central Texas needs it worse. They're comparing this to the 1950s drought which prompted Elmer Kelton's award-winning novel, The Time It Never Rained.

Haven't down much constructive today, so I'm going to finish the cookbook chapter I stopped in the middle of.