Is Something Burning? Part 1 - A Whistle is Not An Alarm

A Survival Guide for the Hyper Focused

Once I read through a house catching on fire.

Seriously.

After it was all over, and I made a comment that indicated that I’d totally missed the guys setting the sawdust pile in the attached garage on fire, my hostess calmly said she was glad to know about this superpower of mine. Now she knew that should the place ever catch on fire again, she needed to slap me on the shoulder as she ran by with the kids.

I suspect I am not the only reader capable of phenomenal powers of concentration. This trait also shows up when I am writing.This talent, if you will, requires special tools and skills, especially in the kitchen. I know more than one writer who has boiled kettles or saucepans dry, burned things in the oven, or cut off a fingernail chopping vegetables. As an expert at trying to injure myself, may I offer up a few suggestions?
( Read more... )

Next time, let's talk about timers, because timing is everything.