HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lazy day at home. Wrote some more Star Wars fanfic with my daughter (you can find it on spooklights). Also finished an editing job. Had Thai with the family and counted down to 2018 . . . Eastern time because the kids can't really make it to midnight. Had the ceremonial changing of all our calendars. Watched some Eddie Izzard. A fine way to end the year. Hope you rang it in equally happily.

1. The Greatest Showman.
2. Lost another lb.
3. Naan. (Though if I keep eating like that, the lbs will come back!)

My daughter didn't feel well last night but she was fine today, so that was good. She and I started writing a Star Wars fanfic together. We're having a blast with that. Lazy day otherwise, though I'm really enjoying Eddie Izzard's book.

1. A fun time at the Blackhawk Automotive Museum.
2. Really good margarita with my lunch.
3. Fun time visiting with old friends.

Our Internet is out, and the cable guy won't be coming until Friday. So I have limited time/ability to be online. Still, I can find good things.

1. Having fun by being the guest on a radio program.
2. A visit from a dear old friend I haven't seen in ages.
3. Game night.

1. Great blue heron!
2. Biggest red-tailed hawk I've ever seen!
3. Chips and queso!

Walked five miles through a local nature reserve and worked up an appetite.

Christmas Eve/Day Edition

1. Christmas Eve brunch.
2. Seeing The Last Jedi for a third time.
3. Christmas Eve dinner, which includes chocolate cream pie.
4. Karaoke night.
5. The Empire Strikes Back.
6. Kids letting us sleep in.
7. Presents! (I got a Luke Skywalker Pop! figure and a Sherlock Holmes Pusheen pillow among many other wonderful things.)
8. Christmas dinner tradition: teppanyaki.

My diet has gone off the past couple of days, but hey, it's the holidays. I'll try to get back with it soon.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Even if you don't celebrate this holiday, I wish you the best today and every day!

. . . Really, it was a pretty quiet day. I got some editing done. Took a walk in the local hills with my daughter. Finished watching season two of The Crown. (Of course, now I'm sad to have to wait for the next season.) All in all, a fair day.

1. Family movie day (for the first full day of winter break): Jumanji. It was cute.
2. Habit Burger for lunch.
3. Showing my daughter Grease while the boys were at fencing class. She is now fairly convinced that boys are awful and women should never change themselves just to win over a guy.

1. Saw The Last Jedi again. Liked it more upon a second viewing, though some parts still bother me a bit.
2. Last day of school for the kids this calendar year. Now I can sleep in for a couple weeks!
3. Asked to be a guest on an Internet radio program next week. Looking forward to that.

1. New hair color looks really good.
2. Son's therapy went well.
3. Made progress on cleaning my office.
4. Lost a little more weight.

1. Managed to get what was needed at the grocery store and also make massive amounts of pasta salad for a PTA function tomorrow.
2. Weighed two pounds less this morning.
3. Fun time with fellow writers.
4. Dyed my hair, which is something I haven't done [myself] in years. I usually have it done, but I wanted to try this new product, so . . . I think I like it? Not sure yet.

1. Survived getting my cracked fillings replaced, even though they made me watch Elf while it happened. To be clear, I have nothing against the movie, but I don't particularly like it either.
2. Relatively quiet day otherwise. Watched some House Hunters International. Why do the people on that show always think they're going to have so many guests visiting and staying with them? They always bang on about needing an extra bedroom. Look, if you've up and moved 4,000 or 5,000 or 8,000 miles from home, chances are your friends and family won't be able to afford to come visit all the time. Don't fixate so much on that extra room. Jesus.
3. Lots of love from my kitties today. And I stayed under my calorie count. (I started tracking intake again today. Will begin working out again too.)

1. Nice birthday breakfast out with friends.
2. Tickets to see Monty Python and the Holy Grail + a Q&A by John Cleese in March.
3. Much love from family and friends.

1. Lazy day at home.
2. Introducing my youngest to Return of the Jedi.
3. Pub trivia.

1. New zone board for the HVAC system installed without fuss.
2. A rare day in which I did no laundry. Of course that means lots of laundry tomorrow, but this is about TODAY.
3. Survived forced social interaction at a holiday party.

1. Friends sent pizza from Chicago as a holiday gift. Wow! Can't wait to try it!
2. Another friend sent a Tibetan singing bowl as a birthday gift.
3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

1. Quiet morning at home, which was nice after having workmen tromping through the house yesterday.
2. Gifts from my kids.
3. Early birthday dinner out.

1. WE HAVE HOT WATER AGAIN!
2. Also, a clean HVAC system. It needs a new zone board, which is being installed on Friday, but it works for now.
3. Writing group.

Bonus: Hanukkah. (We celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas.)

1. Endured yet another dental cleaning. (Alas, have to go back next week because one of my old fillings has cracked and needs repair. Damn Corn Nuts.)
2. Still managed to meet with my regular Monday lunch date despite said dental appointment.
3. Watched another couple episodes of The Crown. Too bad there weren't more corgis, though.

The day began well but went downhill during the evening. Still, I'll try to focus on the good. That's the whole point, isn't it?

1. My son's birthday party went well. His actual birthday is at Thanksgiving, so we always have to have his party either a few weeks before or (as in this year) a few weeks after. But it went smoothly, and everyone had a wonderful time.
2. Cheesy potatoes. God, I love potatoes.
3. Watched a couple more episodes of The Crown. I'm facing an insane week, so I'm not sure if or when I'll get to watch more. Tomorrow night possibly, but then I'm out every night after.

1. Nice walk with my daughter.
2. Nap.
3. Game night.

Bonus: Season 2 of The Crown.

More productivity. Mailed off some stuff. Bought more Christmas gifts. Entered a writing contest.

Also showed my daughter My Fair Lady. It remains my favorite musical. My first professions theatre experience was seeing Richard Chamberlain play Henry Higgins, so I may be biased, but I adore the film version too.

. . . Well, I had a nice time with my writing group at least . . .

Also got some stuff mailed out. And confirmed the details for my son's birthday party. Picked up some groceries. So I was productive. Which is good.

I'm having a rough time the past few days, but maybe my upcoming birthday will be brilliant and cheer me up.

1. Not as bad as yesterday.
2. Online support from fellow authors.
3. Nice phone chat with a friend.

It wasn't a good day, but I'll try to find some silver linings.

1. The oil change on my car didn't take very long. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes.
2. I skipped my writing group meeting in order to spend a little more time with my family (and nurse some wounds).
3. Got the kids' holiday gifts ordered.

1. Public library would like me to come speak . . . next November. For NaNoWriMo, which makes sense. Whatever, I'm still excited to do it.
2. Lunch with my writer friend.
3. My daughter got cast in the school musical!

1. Nice time chatting with other moms at a kiddie birthday party.
2. Interest from some local writing groups in having me come talk to them.
3. Looking at a fairly easy week barring anything unexpected.

1. Nice lunch out for hubby's birthday.
2. Decorating the house for Christmas.
3. Movie night with our oldest son.

1. Nice chat with the head of a small publisher that is interested in some of my work. Still need to do some thinking about the project, but was a really good conversation, and I'm flattered that they like my writing.
2. Lunch out with my husband.
3. The PTA meeting didn't last very long.