Shortlists, Christmas Cakes, Budget Cuts and Chapters to Write. (I've a lot on my mind today)

A lot on my mind.

I should have baked the Christmas cake last October like all the true domestic goddesses. Come Christmas day, my cake will crumble like a Fianna Fail politician in the face of a public service union. 'A bit immature' my mother will say, and I'll want to make like the cake and stamp my foot and storm off to my bedroom.

But, regardless, once I put down this laptop, off I'll trot to my kitchen and start the long, laborious process...

It'll take my mind off this afternoons budget though. 'Everyone' begrudgingly admits that Lenihan is the cleverest of the bunch of them (Not hard that said - my Christmas cake will have more brains than at least 96.7% of FFers.) I wonder what joys this budget will contain - it appears most of it has been leaked. Do hope there are no major surprises. Of course, I wouldn't say no if it contained a provision for all women, say, aged 37, and with an O in their names to get a brand new car. I think this would be a great initiative. We all know that women, aged 37 and with an 'O' in their names are big shoppers, and so, a new car would get them to the shops more often and therefore stimulate the economy. Phew. Goodness. I'm a great economic thinker. Who knew.

I wonder if my eggs are at room temperature yet? (No snickering at the back there.)

Can't start the cake till the eggs are warm.

Can't start till I've blogged either.

Why oh why don't I just buy a bloody cake? Its not as if anyone eats it round here...

So, what else has camped in my brain and is refusing to leave?

Ah, yes, was delighted to receive an email yesterday informing me of a shortlisting for a story wot I wrote for the 'Stop the Clocks' competition that one of the libraries was running there a few months ago. Various had received an email about her shortlisting agessssssssssssss ago, so I was despondent. Down. Drowning in feelings of wretchedness and worthlessness. I hadn't even gotten an acknowledgement of my entry! But, low, and behold. A pretty little email in my inbox yesterday informing me that I was shortlisted after all! Hurrah!

But the scales tipped once more - I won't be able to go on the night to find out who (me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me) has won :( I will have to rely on my arch rival MsV Cushions to let me know what happens... Can she be trusted? I think we all know the answer to that one...

Anyways. I best go.

Because not only do I have a cake to bake (which will take all day, I am not kidding, it is an epic undertaking), a budget to watch, and shortlisting glory to wallow in, but I am meeting writing chum tonight and AS USUAL I have precious little written. 400 words to be precises. Gah. Said I would have 4000. Oh well. So, let see if I can set some targets.

100 words before I collect the kids from school (remember, I have a cake to bake!)

1600 while I watch the budget.

800 After tea, and before chum arrives.

That'd be 2500 written today. Not ideal, but a damn sight better than nothing.

Okay. Must go.


Update:Forgot to get greaseproof paper - have to make a run to the shops. No writing going to be done before lunch :(