Input versus Output

There are days when you write (output) and there are days when you're experiencing life (input). Today was an input day — and I have the chemical burns on my arms to prove it.

My job today was to clean out the garage. I hadn't expected it to be a dangerous assignment.

Cat Litter

First off, I had to deal with at least a dozen half empty cans of paint. You can't take them to the dump unless the paint's dry, which was a problem because tomorrow is dump day. I read on the internet that you can quickly dry paint by adding cat litter. It worked. Only five bags later and two hours of sniffing cat litter dust, the paint is hard as a rock.

Don't Burn Laminate Floors

Next, I learned that although laminate flooring burns, it could be toxic. I apologize for my carbon footprint today. I had no idea how much plastic went into a few planks of that stuff. I tossed them on a bon fire, the wind changed and I sucked up more toxic gas than I would have liked.

Mouse Dust

Last, I moved boxes out of the garage. It turns out our garage is one large mouse colony. Every box I moved sent a plume of dirty mouse dust into the air. The plumes stunk (worse than burning laminate) and I breathed in things I'm sure would keep me up it night if I knew what they were.

Input

I'd like to think this was a productive writing day because I have all these new experiences, but I'm hard pressed at the moment to think of a story where I need a character that through her own stupidity inhales disgusting, possibly toxic, substances all day.

Maybe the next input day will be better . . . and my chemical burns will heal.