Monday Morning Procrastination

This photo was prompted by an idea on a writers' website I'm a member of. My desk is only this tidy because my husband tries to make neat piles of my papers in some vain attempt to be able to see the actual desk. His 'half' is on the left in case you hadn't guessed. The rest of my house is neat as a pin in comparison but for some reason I've no problem with a messy desk. Oh and the thing sticking up behind my laptop is a rather dusty electronic microscope. Everyone has one of those on their desk. Right?

Man Booker Prize 2009

Those who know me, know that I'm a little bit obsessed by the Man Booker prize. Possibly because there have been so many Irish winners and shortlisters in the past: Banville, Enright, Toibin, Barry, Trevor, Moore and so on. Well there were no Irish writers in this year's shortlist but I am pleased to see that, other than writing and gender, I do have something else in common with Hilary Mantel, this year's winner for her novel 'Wolf Hall'.

Ms Mantel was once an expat spouse, and accompanied her geologist husband on assignments to Botswana and the Middle East in the seventies. I know for a fact though that she didn't spend hours on Facebook, gazing at celebritybabies.com and blogging when she should have been writing fiction. Even if the Internet had been invented then, I bet she wouldn't have been so easily distracted.

Congratulations Hilary Mantel. Am logging off so I can work on my novel - right NOW!

Sheepwash (and a Disney store) here I come

Well my bag is nearly packed and tomorrow I fly off to Sheepwash via Stansted and Exeter. For the first time in almost four years, I am flying Ryanair, and am feeling the pressure of their luggage restrictions. A maximum of 15kgs does not a lot of shoes permit. In fact, the only footwear I'm taking are the boots I'm travelling in and my wellies. Oh the pain! 

Such self-control means that I've still got 4 kgs to spare for a very, very small indulgence in Top Shop on Monday before my novel-writing course begins. It seems that 10kgs excess I had to pay for last time I went on an Arvon course has really stuck in my gullet.

Of course, I'm feeling dreadful about leaving the children again although common sense and much, much preparation and detailed instructions mean that they will be more than fine. Won't they? I'm sure my husband never even gives them a second thought when he's off pursuing his dream, I mean, working his ass off. I keep telling myself that they'll all benefit once I become a famous although probably still-impoverished writer but peculiarly it doesn't leave me feeling less guilty. And this time, I won't even be able to assuage the guilt with Hannah Montana baseball caps, stationary sets and t-shirts ... unless of course they weighed only 4 kgs. Oh forget Top Shop then...Mommy guilt gifts it'll be, and the satisfaction of knowing that my novel is well on it's way to..well..somewhere.

Incidentally, the airfare from Oslo to London (including the price of a checked-in bag each way) has cost me approximately 50% less than the train fare from London to Exeter. How very 2008.