Thursday, January 08, 2009

Today.

Today is not 37 degrees. Hooray! Yesterday was so hot that I confess I retreated inside, closed all the curtains, doors and windows, set the heat pump to its cooling function and lay around groaning. Tomorrow will have a high of 17 degrees. It seems that in Christchurch there is no middle ground.

The bus stop where I catch the Metrostar to work has lately been home to a little chicken. I call her Matilda. She usually just hangs out under the seat, but sometimes she can be seen scratching in the gutter. She is very sweet.

Today there was a pile of chicken bones at the bus stop. Granted, it was rubbish-collection morning and a dog or cat could have just got into someone's rubbish to drag out the remains of a roast. Or perhaps Matilda has met her end. She wasn't at the bus stop this morning, but maybe she took the chicken bones for a Blair-Witchesque warning and has stayed away. Poor Matilda. I hope they weren't her bones.

Because I missed my bus, I sat outside my local favourite cafe (for once it was cooler outside than in) and had a coffee and did some writing in my trusty moleskin. I got chatting to a guy at the next table, and at the end the conversation went like this.

Him: "I thought I might write a book one day. It's an easy way to make millions."

A ha. Seriously.

Me (with hint of sarcasm): "Yes, it's really easy to write a book."

Him: "Oh, I know you have to do research."

Me: "And it's quite hard to make a living out of writing books, let alone make millions."

Him, with a look of incredulity: "But what about all those people who get rich off it?"

Me: "You mean, those two, JK Rowling and Dan Brown?"

Him (with a look that says they were exactly the writers he had in mind): "So if you can't get rich, why do you do it?"

Me: "Because I love it. I can't do anything else."

Him: "Exactly."

Huh?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh your poor chicken - very wry post and funny.
Bloody hot then mild here too, tres stange.

Did you get a lot done over the break...

Andrea Eames said...

Oy.

LiteraryMinded said...

What an a*hole.

And I hope Matilda is okay too :-(

Happy New year Rachael!

Angela

Kebabette said...

Isn't the speckly rain today a relief? I'm 35 weeks preg and everyone kept saying "how are you handling the heat?" Sizzling

Anonymous said...

huh?

i hope matilda is okay. x

Anonymous said...

LOL! I've had that same conversation, the best one was with my Dad who told me that I "should just write a Harry Potter."

Then there are the people that are gonna make it rich from writing a screenplay. Is it too cynical to tell them to buy a Lotto ticket 'cos they've got more of a chance?

Rachael King said...

Do you know Kebabette, I've forgotten how many weeks there are in a pregnancy. All part of the body's plan to lure me back into doing it all over again, no doubt. Good luck with it all!

Rachael King said...

GG- I got some done over the break, which is enough. I have been indulging in some "creative visualisation" ie day-dreaming. If I imagine finishing a fantastic book, then I will finish a fantastic book. That's the plan anyway.

What's happening with yours? Are you sending to publishers?

Anonymous said...

good things afoot, but keeping 'mum' for now.

Go the creative visualisation, I think it works!

Rachael King said...

Ooo - GG - keep me posted! I can't wait to read it! Send me an email if you like...

india flint said...

a fellow textile practitioner told me she too would write a book, "if only she had the time" hmmm.
fingers crossed for your wee Matilda...

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Kebabette said...

Cheers Rachael ... I was always led to believe it was a 9 month gig (36 weeks) but it is 10 months (40 weeks). I've had a really good time of it though, so not complaining.