Wow. How busy have I been in the last three days? Taking walks in the early morning four times a week has really improved my physical and mental stamina. I'm loving it. I'm cleaning the house every day now, which makes it progressively makes it easier and easier. I wish the vacuum cleaner wasn't broken, though. (It smokes whenever we use it) Or that we had the money to go out and buy a new one. But we don't. Finances are pretty tight, but mom's fledgling catering business is doing well. She's getting more customers all the time, and I have a bright future in baked goods. The cookies I made yesterday, despite their disturbingly dark color, were a mega-hit. There were people practically begging for more. Tonight I made a German Chocolate Cake, my first ever foray into the cake making world. (Though I do well at Brownies, thanks to Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For More Food ♥)

Cake baking actually wasn't as stressful or frightening as I supposed it would be. Basically just another batter made using the creaming method, so it's just like making cookies. A lot more ingredients, though, and I thought my wrist was going to fall off by the time I was through with that mixer. Bleh. But! The cake came out beautifully, as did the frosting, though I have to say for once, this is a sugary baked good I want no part of. I hate shredded cocount, which the frosting is full of, and the batter itself was just OK to my taste buds. Sort of like chocolate whipped cream. I think it will come out tasting wonderful, though, (it certainly looked perfect!) and I am truly looking forward to dethroning the current Corporate Cake Queen, Eva. Mom's going to bring the cake out at a chili contest they're holding tomorrow and plop it down in front of everybody as a surprise. I think it'll blow their socks off and get her lots of new customers. XD In fact, the only foodstuff we've made so far that didn't go over well was mom's Key Lime Pie, which everyone said was too tart. I think this is probably because they've never had a real Key Lime Pie, since mom's was kick ass. (And that's not just mother-daughter bias speaking) The flavors were incredible, the custard was creamy and smooth and cool all at once, and the flavors shifted and popped on your tongue like nothing I've ever tasted before. It annoys me that all her hard work was almost completely wasted.

Anyway -- I'm completely exhausted. (In fact, I'm going to bed as soon as I finish this entry.) I had a lot to clean up this morning in the kitchen after last night's fried chicken, baked beans, garden salad, and cookies. (I made the salad and cookies) After that I did a lot of reading and catching up on my podcasts. Found an interesting new podcast thanks to one of the folks at the ISBW forums, called KatCast. It wasn't at all what I expected, nor was it hosted by the person I expected it to be hosted by, but it was a thoroughly fascinating experience. Sort of a motivational Earl Nightingale (hope I'm spelling that right) type thing. I liked it, and after I did the exercises Kat suggested I have to say I actually felt a lot better and more focused. Writing that letter and then reading it aloud made me feel pretty stupid, but I did it anyway. =)

I also caught up with Holly Lisle, who was awesome and insightful as always. Someone wrote in to ask her about young writers getting published, which was interesting to me. Holly suggested that you tell them how young you are after you send them a manuscript that sets their hair on fire. XD I like that. I was very concerned I would be rejected outright because of my tender age, or that perhaps people wouldn't take me seriously. Thankfully I look, sound, and act much older then I actually am. I must admit, though, the idea of picking up the phone to call people still terrifies the living daylights out of me. I know I'll get through it somehow, because I've changed my outlook on life and now I don't run away from things that frighten me anymore, but it's gonna be rough. I will get through it, though, because I've wanted this for too long to let something irrational and stupid like a phobia get in the way, damn it.

Bugger. I just realized I didn't get ANY writing done today. At all. *sigh* Tomorrow, then.

Well, that's my day in a nutshell. I have to wake up way too damn early in the morning for walking, so I'll sign off now. Oyasumi nasai.