Reading time this week is precious hard to come by. Last weekend was a complete and total wash, between time spent working, going to the library’s staff dinner, watching the Bears’ game and various and sundry.

Monday was a day off for my children, due to “school improvement day” (your guess is as good as mine, it never looks any different to me…), and days off don’t generally equate to mucho reading time. So, what reading time I’ve managed to find has been clawed out of my everyday schedule.

Maureen Corrigan kept me company yesterday evening. I had a two hour wait whilst loinspring #1 had singing lessons for her musical theatre group, and Leave Me Alone functioned well as both a good read and a message to anyone who dared look my way. I bundle into a ball pretty well when I’m reading in public, but still there are people who feel compelled to ask what I’m reading. Message to you all: please don’t. I’m not sure what more I can do, body language-wise, to discourage people from asking that particular question, save go feral and snarl at them. Considering my daughter may continue on in musical theatre it’s probably best I don’t lead the other parents to think I’m rabid. That could impact her chances of getting future roles.

In other news, the puppy has been in chew-overdrive lately, after a short period of time in which we dared get optimistic about her behavior changing for the better. Here’s a partial list of what she’s ruined in the past week:

1. one pink marker (which she chose to chew on the white sofa)

2. one pen (blue, chewed on white carpeting)

3. several pencils (she has a graphite obsession)

4. one leather shoe (mine, thankfully from an older pair)

5. two strands carpeting (she has good taste; it’s expensive berber)

6. one-half stretchy robot toy (we’ll get the other half back later)

She also has a favorite new game. It’s really fun! Here are the rules:

1. Go outside to do “business”

2. Dig hole to China, snuffle in the snow

3. Repeat

4. Run around spasmodically for approximately 10 minutes

5. Sit down and shiver piteously

6. Come inside and eat proffered “good girl” treat

7. Find favorite piece of carpeting

8 Unload like a dump truck

9.Look at Master with appearance of remorse:

(Photo by Lisa Guidarini)

Sigh.

Here’s hoping I find some more reading time. I need something to take my mind off the dog’s ruinous rampages. At least she’s not eating my books. Yet.