Which pill?

Should Marian take right now to soothe her nerves? First, let us examine the reasons why Marian feels she needs some of mother's little shleppers to get through the rest of the day.

1. Can't concentrate on work 'cause there's too damn much of it.

2. Might have found a house to buy and need to figure out how much to offer the gouger who wants to take all of Marian's savings and run away to the Bahamas. View house here.

3. Damn van is leaking anti-freeze and will cost $750 to fix. Apparently Marian's approach to car repair (The Christian Scientist method--the Lord will take care of it) doesn't work. Losing my car religion....

4. Phone call from one of my favorite characters in literature. Yes, this really happened. Spangler Star Tukle, the lead cowboy from my last She Reads column for Booklist left me a voice mail. He'll be in town on Wednesday and is "demanding to have lunch" with me. When I questioned his existence he let forth a line of invective that made me grin all over. I love that character. I love that author. His name is Robert Day and if you haven't read The Last Cattle Drive YOU ARE MISSING SOMETHING.

It is an American classic. Yes, it is. I will not be budged.

5. Who told Robert Day that I'm one of his biggest fans and who has enough pull to ask this man to drive all the way to Kansas City to have lunch with me?! And he's buying! ( I will offer to pay. I will buy the man a filet mignon if he wants one.)

Which pill? The little white vicodin, the little white valium, the little blue Tylenol or the Vitamin C?