1) On a whim, the author paints her fingernails; the intensity of the varnish colour a reflection of her defiance of any and all deadlines. If applied with enough panache and a laissez-faire attitude, one might even be convinced that this is, in fact, not a well-practised procrastination technique.
2) However, as Exhibit A demonstrates, this blasé veneer (pardon the pun) suffers as work progresses. Each word sought, each line left dangling, results in another bite, another chip:
3) Rendered too trashy-looking to leave the house, the author now buckles down to tackle the deadline. Too busy writing, she no longer has time for such frivolities as nailpolish remover, non-computer-based human contact, or cooking anything more complicated than coffee and toast.
4) She does, however, find time to blog about the physical manifestation of her looming deadlines. One might suggest that this final point is indeed rather similar in intent to Point #1. Yet there is one significant difference worth noting here: at least this stage involves typing, and runs no risk of smudging any shine from her nails.
Lisa L. Hannett 