News:

Good things happened, but nothing to share yet.

Thanksgiving went well. We had tacos, but I still made my sweet potato casserole, as is required of me. It came out really well, not quite as sweet as usual.

Works in Progress:

I’m in the penultimate section of Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8) and slowing down in general, really ready to be done. I think if I can get through this section, the rest will be gravy. I haven’t planned this section very well, but the hard part is just convincing myself to work on it. I wanted to be finished by today, which isn’t happening, in part because the novel definitely turned out much longer than anticipated.

I also can’t watch anything new or listen to Christmas music until I get this done, because I’m in an established pattern I don’t want to break (semi superstitious, related to sensory associations). I think a stressful week of grocery shopping for other people during the holiday rush (which I expected on Wednesday but not Monday and Tuesday) hasn’t helped. Before working for IC, I rarely went anywhere near retail during peak holiday shopping days. I don’t think I anticipated how it would affect me. The weekend shopping starting tomorrow should be calmer, even though I’m still bracing for impact as though it’ll still be as bad. It’s usually the busiest time of the week, but the pressure not to ruin people’s holidays won’t be there anymore.

Books I’m Reading:

Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Rose Madder by Stephen King

Things I’m Listening To:

Halloween playlist
Instrumental horror movie soundtracks

Things I’m Watching:

Thanksgiving
Matlock series
CSI: NY series
CSI series
SWAT series
America’s Got Talent series (finished)
Great British Baking Show series

Poem of the Week:

staggering the streets
no one comes out at night
maybe it’s the screams
crackling like dead skin
from my deteriorated throat
they lock their doors
against the dead
walking famished
in the dark