Coming up for air

Hello? Is anyone here? *looks around*

I’m breaking with tradition and posting on a Saturday because I already broke with tradition (and discipline?) and went a whole week without posting. I knew it was starting to get bad when I received emails asking if I was OK, since I hadn’t posted a blog in a while. The good news is: I’m alive. And there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And that light is bright enough to write a blog post by.

I’ve been so swamped with work lately that I haven’t even had time to check my email accounts (although when I finally did it, I realized it only took 4 minutes and that I should squeeze it in more often). As Jenny recently commented on my blog, there are few things as valuable as a good excuse. And here are mine.

• Travel. I finally made the arduous trip back to homebase. Yay for being home!
• Internet woes. Upon arriving, I found my outside connection to the world had been severed. An inordinate amount of time went into hunting down a new, reliable Internet provider.
• The duties of a bridesmaid. Bridesmaid dressing takes a long, long time (or maybe just anything involving my family takes a long time!)
• Editing a very long manuscript that does not have an equally long deadline
• The application process for a potentially new client (I’m not naming names until I get the contract, but I’ve jumped through all the hoops)
• Paperwork. I thought I did all the necessary paperwork for my accident when I was at my parents place, but no such luck. Apparently a whole slew of folks didn’t get the memo that I wouldn’t be back at my permanent address for a few weeks, so I had lots of fun forms and whatnot waiting for me here, too.
• A commitment not to stress so much. That means that if I have to make a choice between getting adequate sleep and blogging here, or to make a choice between eating and blogging here, I’ve been making the choices that are more likely to keep me alive and healthy.

Finally, I’ve always considered myself a “dedicated” writer. I believe that if you really want to write, you absolutely will make time fo rit. I still believe that, and I try to practice it. I’ve written through full-time school, through full-time work, through double-time work, through illness, through migraines, you name it. I try to take my writing as seriously as a “real job” — but when push came to shove this last week, I did have to make a choice between my paid and unpaid labor. And since I now have car payments again and Christmas gifts to repay . . . well, I hope the choice I made was understandable.

I’m not completely out of the woods yet, but man, it’s still good to be back.

Announcement

All Lacey’s words will be going into her NaNo until further notice.

EOM.