On to bigger things...

Lots of catching up today.

Some good work on the short pieces, too.

Coffee in the living room this morning, an early workout, then spent the rest of the day getting ready for Christmas. Had a long call from an old buddy. Highlight of the day.

Looking forward to what’s ahead. Giving thanks for bullets dodged, and surviving the ones that hit. “Tho much is taken,” as the man said, “much abides.”

Okay, okay. Enough now...

Not exactly ground hog day, but the sameness is sinking in and it’s probably time to get out and sniff the air.

Up a little later than usual. Posted some good work at the keyboard—revisions mostly—then went worked out and went off to PT.

Feel like I’ve been trying to write myself out of two or three significant holes, but have learned not to trust the inside my head when the world’s otherwise got me down. Just keep drafting. That’s the secret. Get brutal with the edits when you’re in a more stable frame of mind.

Brief FacetTime with Jack and Matty this afternoon. Fun to see them so jacked about Christmas. Wish we were going to be there.

Thought I might get in a little reading today, but it wasn’t to be. Tomorrow, maybe. Until then, call it a day.

All's good...

Don’t remember how this one started, but now that it’s coming to a close I gotta say it feels like a full day.

Got in some good work on the short story revisions this morning, worked out, then went off for a gruesome session of PT.

Took a drive through the Garden of the Gods this afternoon. Good to get out. Came home and went to work on mom’s estate stuff.

Taking it easy tonight—like always. Movie, BLT, a bottle of wine. Life in the time of quarantine.

Thinking ahead...

The new short is coming along, better with each pass. Worked on it until eleven, then quit to go off to my dental appointment. Good news and bad with the crown. Bad news is, it was too damaged to fix. Good news is, I didn’t break the underlying tooth.

Took a brief trip to Starbucks when I got home and did a little bit of FaceTiming with young Matthew. Wrapped presents afterward, and sent off a few more Christmas cards.

No workout today, no walks. Nothing but sitting around.

Not tired of winter yet, but tired of being inside. Need to make a point of taking more walks, maybe even get up in the mountains.

Settling in...

Up later than I would’ve liked, but up nonetheless and at the keyboard by seven. The new short is coming together well, and if I don’t muck it up I might have one of the better pieces I’ve written this year when I’m through.

Hoped to get a jump on some correspondence, but was waylaid by FaceTime call from young Jack. Had a nice time talking zombies, battlebots and the like, but missed not hooking up with Matty, too. Maybe Friday.

Dental appointment tomorrow to have my loose crown reset. PT on Friday. Been pushing the reps on the weights in the hope of getting back muscle mass, but have the feeling it’s going to be near summer before I see any real gains. Been a year of repairs, that’s for sure.

Thought we might make it out for a walk this afternoon, but the day got away from us. Finishing up with the Christmas shopping now, and planning out the dinners to come.

Home made potato leek soup and an old Christmas movie tonight.

More of the same, with a twist...

Found an end, and a title, to my newest short. Enough to put a shine on the rest of the day, which was cold and overcast.

Spent the rest of the afternoon goofing off, reading, and napping.

Making progress with the workouts. Think the new weights are helping. Shoulder’s feeling better, and if I can just get the bicep to play along I’ll be okay.

Not sure what tomorrow’s supposed to bring, except a doc’s appointment to talk about the asthma. Days keep blending together, but there’s still the feeling Christmas is out there and bearing down fast. Gotta try and catch up with Matty and Jack before the week’s out. Miss those boys.

Quiet night, tonight. Gonna take it for what it’s worth.

Stick a pin in this one...

Laziest day I’ve had in weeks. And that’s saying something.

Up before seven, but not by much. Worked on the second of the new shorts I started, then switched to critic mode and finished the (new) last of the N critiques.

Took an early break from the keyboard and drank coffee in front of a fire with the kitties the rest of the morning. Overcast day, gray skies. Felt like Christmas.

Drove to UPS this afternoon and dropped of what I hope is the last of the outgoing packages, then picked up some wine and came home.

Stacked wood in the patio caddy before taking a nap. Started a new novel, The Bear. Figure to sit back and take it easy tonight. Fill myself up with as many good thoughts as the moment allows.

Yeah, it's only Friday...

Nice quiet day. Up early to the keyboard, drafting a new short. Been taking a bit of a breather since passing off the novel, and the break is nice. Worked until noon, then broke away to get in a workout. Didn’t think I had much in me, but managed some good work anyway.

Got a FaceTime call from Jack, letting us know his presents arrived. Had a nice long talk. Learned the new season of Battlebots is on air. Gonna have to watch an episode tonight to keep up on current affairs.

Took a mid afternoon break to drive over to K’s to do a small bathroom repair. Came home, took a short nap, and made a pot of tomato soup for dinner.

No big plans for the night. Might build a fire in the living room and watch a movie.

Coasting for the moment...

Good night’s sleep, early rise. Spent the morning working the new short and finishing the last of the N critiques. Easy day. Got in some good reading, too, and even managed some submission work.

Breathing’s getting a little easier with the antibiotics, but still a long way from normal. Seeing the allergists next week. Might talk surgery again, we’ll see.

Quiet day for the most part. Worked out early afternoon, read a little, and took a nap. Wanted to get out for a walk but didn’t get around to it. Just as well, maybe. It was pretty cold.

Belated birthday card from D today. Says he’s on his way to Baton Rouge to run a half marathon. Wish he’d knock that crap off till they get this vaccine thing figured out, but people will do what people will do.

Missing the boys.

Missing mom.

One day closer to Christmas...

Got to catch up with an old buddy today. Had a nice talk. Forgot we were in the middle of a pandemic for a little while.

Make some good edits on the new story this morning. Voice issues, mostly. Read through the last of the N stories in my queue, and put in prep time on a commercial gig coming down the pike.

Worked out mid-afternoon, pressing forward with the new weight regimen. Feels good to lift again, if only with barbells. The arm seems to be making improvements. Still looks weak, but feels like it’s coming along.

Been having a lot of dreams about my mom lately. She was up here last year around this time, and we had great week together. Gonna miss her this Christmas.

Last of the nice weather ends today. Cold front moving in tomorrow and sticking around at least through the weekend. I’m seeing some quality time in the living room with a fire in the fireplace and a couple of kitties under the tree.

A not quite mid-week ramble...

Early rise to a dental appointment. My doc of thirty-plus years was just back from triple-bypass heart surgery. Figure I’ll get through this procedure, but should probably start looking at somebody closer to home. Change is bad enough. Changing dentists is the worst.

Critiqued another N story when I got home, and followed it with a good workout. Got in a walk, too. Some easy reading. Hoped to put in time on the new draft, but didn’t have the chance to go deep so put it off for tomorrow.

Beautiful day with temps creeping into the high sixties. Blue sky, sunny. Weather’s supposed to go south by the end of the week, but maybe it’ll bring some snow, too. We could use it.

Don’t much feel like getting out in public, but the bicep still smarts pretty good and I wouldn’t mind if I could get back to PT before long. On the sunny side, I’m back to skipping rope without much problem.

Breezing through...

Up early to a pretty good day.

Started the draft of a new short, pushed an N review out he door, got in a nice workout skipping rope and lifting, then put away the rest of the afternoon at the UPS store and Post Office mailing off packages.

Would’ve liked to get out for a walk, but the evening got away from us.

Early morning dental appointment tomorrow, then more of the same.

Eager to push ahead on this new draft and see where it goes.

Gettin older by the day...

This asthma thing is really busting my balls. Downing antibiotics twice a day now, so I guess we’ll see what comes of it. Meanwhile, not human contact. Between times, packing up Christmas presents, decorating the tree, napping and reading.

Took a short walk this evening, but didn’t make it very far. Cold, dark, lots of late-evening strollers.

Had a deep desire to get out in the garage and skip rope, but decided against it until I can catch a breath and keep it. Been down this road before—almost ever year, like clockwork—and learned my lesson about trying to do too much. Better to hang back for the time being.

Tonight, pizza, wine and rest.

Every breath I take...

Rotten night’s sleep. Asthma’s driving me nuts. Appointment with Storm’s on the 15th. Meanwhile got a new regimen of antibiotics, Symbicort, and all the rest. (Passing on the prednisone this time. Don’t need another muscle tear.)

Punched two or three critiques out the door early on, but saw four new stories drop into the queue almost immediately after. So, not finished yet, but close. Spent the rest of the afternoon working on probate stuff. That, and taking a short walk around the neighborhood.

Had a waking dream that I quit caring—about everything—and it wasn’t bad. Who knows, maybe I have a future after all.

Cold again today. But clear and sunny. Would have enjoyed it, had I been able to breathe.

Picky, picky, picky, I know.

Sleepwalking through...

Now it’s the asthma, not the arm, keeping me awake nights. Woke at 2:30 this morning, and never really got back to sleep. Tried to sit up and work, but that didn’t go so well either. Made for a long listless day.

Didn’t manage a workout this afternoon, but punched out a couple of N critiques, and finished the last of my reading. Should have all of my assignments put to rest by tomorrow, or Thursday at the latest. Also figure to have the first reader draft of the novel finished tomorrow.

Cold, overcast day. Not much good for anything. Kinda hoped to see snow, but it didn’t happen. Not sure what the rest of the week is supposed to bring.

Tired in more ways than I can say.

Crossing my fingers I can get some rest tonight and start fresh tomorrow. God knows I’ve got plenty on my plate.

Taking it easy...

Up later than usual last night, watching WA’s Midnight in Paris, but still up at a good hour this morning.

Pushed paper most of the day, but got out for a nice walk in the afternoon. Weather was chilly, especially walking into the wind, but the sun was out and the sky was as blue and smokeless as it’s been in a long time.

Read one of the new N pieces and thought I might make progress with my critiques, but got lazier and lazier as the day went on, and dropped everything for a late afternoon nap.

Guess I’ll catch up tomorrow.

Thanksgiving...

Good day.

Woke early, sent off some manuscripts, emailed a few friends, then loaded the pickup with an axe and saw and drove off to Buena Vista and beyond, into the snowy nether reaches of the San Isabel’s to cut down a Christmas tree.

The Collegiate’s were topped with clouds and it looked as if getting in and out might be more difficult than usual. But we parked on a FS access road, and hiked in west of Clear Creek ranch and found a perfect specimen near the river.

FaceTimed with the boys on the drive back home. A short visit, but nice.

Home earlier than usual. Veal piccata for dinner tonight. Maybe a movie in front of the fireplace.