Creampuff Soon to be Proud Owner of Cool CBC USB Pen

The lovely and talented Shannon Butcher tipped me off to CBC's Canada Writes contest at the 11th hour last week and I managed to squeak an entry in just before the deadline (my usual M.O.).

I was quite thrilled to receive a call from the cool folks at the CBC Wednesday informing me that I was one of three regional finalists in the contest! Woohoo!With my short piece about - wait for it - Pa Ingalls taking a dump! Yeah, that's right. I'm all class.

Longtime readers may remember the longer version of this piece from a couple of years back. I got to read the much shorter version for a broadcast on BC Almanac this afternoon. I was asked to alter the on-air version slightly, specifically the last line. They let me keep the grunting part but I guess "Pa took the biggest dumps in all of Kansas and Laura was proud" was taking things a little too far.

Check out the Canada Writes site for the other (much classier) contest entries! The contest continues next week with a new writing challenge and an interview. Will my endless repository of pioneer bathroom humour win the day?? HISTORY WILL DECIDE!! Or perhaps the judges.

In other news that shocked the world today, the dog refused to go out for her evening stroll.

Oh, she wagged her tail like crazy as I snapped on her collar. She gleefully sniffed the elevator, charged to the lobby door, got outside, saw that it was raining in sheets and immediately put on the brakes.

I pulled. She held her ground. I coaxed. I cajoled. She would not be moved.

Finally, I gave a mighty yank. Her neck wrinkles bunched up around her face as she dug her heels in.

A passing hobo called out "Hey lady - she doesn't want to go with you." I was forced to concede he had a point.

The minute I let up on the leash, the dog wheeled around and made a beeline for the door. We came back upstairs. I took off her leash. She looked at me as if to say "now what?" So I said to her: "Now what? Now nothing! That was IT, you IDIOT!"

I guess it's possible that she didn't feel like getting all wet again - I mean, it's true she no likee the water. But I suspect that she might also be getting back at me for this:

Comments

[greymatters]

O lordy. I now need to bleach my brain for the mental image of Michael Landon pinching a big old loaf, whilst Melissa Gilbert beams with pride.

And I think you are right -- that doggy ribbon get up deserves a bit of payback.

[Lex]

CO-EL! You ROCK!

[PainterWoman]

CONGRATULATIONS!
Re pay-back from the dog... You must be mistaken... any girl loves a big fat Schiaperelli pink bow, doncha think?
Hope you win the whole shebang.

[Benjamin Boudreau]

From a fellow competitor, I LOVED your piece. You had me laughing out loud in the middle of a stressful week. Congrats on a job well done and I hope you don't mind a small shout-out on my own site here: http://bensprblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/sizing-up-competition.html

Maybe see you in Toronto :)

[Aphra]

If I did something like that to Lucy I'd be dead.

[Cynical Knitting Gal]

And doesn't your pooch look just smashing! Congrats on your award! Go Girl!!

[Sarah]

Rose! That's awesome. Also, hopefully see you this Friday!

[The Viscount of Knockers]

Good on you! That USB pen is YOURS! I hope it comes down to you and that Quebec poet who wrote about abandoned baby girls.

[roro]

greymatters - Well when you put it that way, it IS pretty disgusting. As for the dog ribbon, I agree, and yet I couldn't resist.

Lex - Thanks!!

PainterWoman - It's tough to tell with Emmy Lou. Does she like the bow? Does she hate it? She sure let me leave it on a long time, but she's also very stoic and long-suffering martyr type pooch . . .

Ben - Thanks and same to you! Your piece was awesome. Looking forward to the next challenge and who knows?

Aphra - hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! True.

Cynical Knitting Gal - Well, she's no Gracie, but she has her charms. Thanks!

Sarah - Yay! I'm on first, so if you do make it, we can get totally wasted together afterwards!

Viscount - Hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa!! Oh, me too, Viscount. Me too.

[seizuresalad]

You go, Creampuff. I hope your crap-tastic piece wins it all! And see you Friday.

[Jeba]

When are you coming to Toronto, my sweet? Do I get to see you this visit?

[SassyFemme]

Congrats on the writing!

Emmy's payback isn't refusing to go out, it's what she'll do as a result of not going out!

[mom]

Emmy lou looks so adorable. Great to get caught up on all your blogs sweet pea.