Friday, August 24, 2012

Fluevogs

The shoes that I imagine my publisher keeps under her desk.




















Late last night I finished the pictures for my book. I uploaded them to my art director's FTP site and went to bed. I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to wake up this morning and to be finished with something I'd been working on for nine months.

Well, woke up. I felt like going right back to sleep, so I did. I slept til 8:30. I checked my email. Lauren had written at 6:30 this morning saying HOORAY. (Actually she said "Huzzah! HUZZAH! All the art! Thank you LD! I'm off to fetch it now––can't wait to check it out!...")

I went back to sleep again, and slept the sleep of happiness. At 9:30 I woke up and finished reading my book (WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE). A little after 10:00 I had another email from Lauren concerning the sneeze page. The copyeditor had wondered why the dots were flying off the sneezer's shirt. Was the sneezer sneezing so hard that she was dislodging the dots? If so, they weren't sure it was working.

I got up and removed the flying dots, and then I didn't know what to do. I didn't have to do anything immediately. Although it's true: I hadn't paid bills in months, the weeds in the back yard were 3 feet high, my fingernails were inches long, my hair was a bird's nest, I hadn't started on taxes that were due last April, I needed to make teeth and eye appointments, stuff like that. But my book was done!

I ate leftover Thai and realized that what I really wanted to do was the same thing I do every time I finish a big project: go shoe shopping. But I had told Lauren that I would be here all day to take care of any corrections. But she hadn't sent me any corrections since the sneeze dots, and that was hours ago. I ate some cheese crackers and waited a little longer. Then I emailed her:

Hey Lauren, how's it going?
If you don't think you'll need me in the next hour or two, I might go to the shoe store.
Many x's & o's,
LD


I copied my publisher. I didn't mean to, but I've gotten into the habit.

This is an outstanding example of what a great publisher I have. She wrote back herself:

GO!!!
She bailed on us already cause her bro is in town.
Xoxoxoxo$$$$$$$


Then a few minutes later she followed up with another email that simply said:

Fluevogs.
Do you know about them?



****SATURDAY FOLLOWUP








There happens to be a Fluevog store 15 minutes from me and I didn't even know it. It's so dangerous out there! I tried on the blue pair of boots at the top, and also a sparkly pair of flats.



****SUNDAY FOLLOWUP

Oh well. We woke up today and our refrigerator was kaput. It hurts to think that for this inexpensive refrigerator, I could buy two pairs of Fluevogs. Or 13 pairs of Pumas in different colors from the Rack.