Friday Fiver, Christmas style

1. And the work is done. Everyone is off from the day job over in London and I am going to kick back and enjoy this.

2. Need to go buy the foodstuffs for the holiday dinner. I also need to finish the baking.

3. The pile of books to read and the movies to watch has continued to grow. I must start tonight or I'll never finish.

4. I have so much to be thankful for this Christmas season. I am truly blessed.

5. Have a wonderful holiday season with you and yours. See you in 2008!

I may pop in on occasion to update my writing/reading/revision progress, but if I don't, keep on writing!

Currently reading: Valiant (Holly Black)
Currently listening to: In My Arms (Plumb)

A Whirling Dervish

Hubby is laughing at me on IM this morning as I try to describe what I think of both of our jobs right now. I thought we would have some cathartic quiet for the holidays, but instead, I think I'll just have to ignore it and come back on January 2 ready to go!

At least hubby's company provided a brand new Blackberry. Yeah!

In the latest news around here, I'm on my final to-do list before the office goes on hiatus and I'm so happy. Trying to schedule everything else for after January 2. It's working! I am so ready to sleep in past 8 and to stay up all night reading or watching movies if I want (I mean I can now, but it doesn't help me get my work done to do that right now).

Everyone's talking about their favorite things at Christmas and mine are (in no particular order)

1. The look of Christmas lights. I like to keep the house dark just as it's turning dusk and then sit entranced by the Christmas lights. It makes me feel all warm and cozy.

2. Finding the silliest stocking stuffers for hubby, like this year's change jar that reads out the total to you in a computer voice. Hahaha. "You now have a dollar thirty-five."

3. Rifling through the drawers and boxes of movies to pilfer the best ones and the annual ones (Santa Clause movies, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Narnia, Love Actually, White Christmas, Holiday Inn, It's A Wonderful Life, and countless others. Even Bill Moyers' The Power of Myth is on my pile this year. And cranking the Christmas tunes and reading Christmas books. Oh this is great.

4. Christmas baking and cooking. Something about a warm sweater and Christmas socks in the kitchen preparing holiday food. I love it. Reminds me of Gram's house.

5. The littered house after unwrapping presents. I love the crunch and clutter of wrapping paper and ribbons and presents stacked precariously on couch cushions. I love the mess of it all.

In the midst of the mess, I'm writing and reading (new Joyce Carol Oates journals are here!) and relaxing.

All's left is tomorrow's Friday Fiver and this blog closes down for the holidays (except for breaking news).

Currently reading: Valiant (Holly Black)
Currently listening to: Celine Dion Christmas

At the End of the Line. Period. Full Stop.

Someone wrote this to me today and I'm stealing it. I am definitely at the end of the line. Slept in this morning until 7:30 and feel rested, but I need to get the work done today so I can just walk away from the office and focus on other things.

Loved the Thomas Merton quote Susan Wise Bauer put on her blog about work. I needed that today.

Finally the library has Stephenie Meyer's Twilight waiting for me. I was hold number 300 or something of 350 people and it seems a copy has found its way to my regional library and it's for me! I can't wait. I've heard amazing things about this series (albeit the guy is a vampire) and I'm so curious.

The vampire thing must be a trend. I got the original I am Legend movie from the 1960s starring Vincent Price to watch, have the 1971 Charlton Heston remake coming next week, and ordered the 1998 reissue of Richard Matheson's book I am Legend for Todd for Christmas. Hey, the story was good and we are intrigued because you want to know more after you see Will Smith's version.

Just got off a webinar for work that was really interesting, but I am not an MD, so the writing/planning aspects still befuddle me. I sat there copyediting as the text appeared. Yes, I am a copyeditor! :)

Currently reading: Valiant (Holly Black) (must finish soon to make room for Twilight!)
Currently playing on the iPod: One Republic cd (new)

A Week Before Christmas

And my to-do lists are barely holding. I did really good yesterday and am well on my way to doing well today, but I'm losing faith.

I'm tired. Tired enough that my head feels as if it's not attached quite right and I get dizzy when I stand up too fast (so what's new). I'm just going through the motions now. After finishing the end of the year feed, jumping on my early conference call, making sure everyone was up to speed on the happenings from that conference call, and now looking forward to 2008, I just want to go back to bed.

But an email from my sister-in-law is gonna keep me moving this week. She's a single mom of three, works three jobs, and just finished her master's last weekend. She found out a few weeks ago that for another 10 grand and 10 more weeks, she could get another master's degree in a specialty that would guarantee her a better job at triple her current salary. And she could quit her dead-end jobs. And she starts January 7.

I got up thinking there was no way I was going to be able to slog through this week. I was losing sight of why exactly I was slogging through in the first place. What am I thinking? Becoming a novelist, getting a BA in English, a double MFA in fiction and narrative non-fiction? What?

It really doesn't require rocket science, just a few well-placed friends (and a sister-in-law) and I'm back to the races today, determined to resist Resistance and keep moving forward.

What in your life needs a kick in the butt? What do you need to get re-fired up about? What goals for 2008 are you determined to accomplish come hell or high water?

And another thing, when I realize how hard it is to stick to this path, I know I'm going the right way. Resistance comes head on when you are headed toward the right thing.

Keep moving forward!

Currently readin: Valiant (Holly Black)
Currently listening to: Killers new cd

Monday Goals

So, here's up updated list of goals to accomplish either before the end of the year or that are going on my official 2008 goals list.
This week:
1. Feed frenzy ends tomorrow. I have one more proof, plus a copyedit for the January mid-month feed. Feedback from client Excel update this week. Finish AMA review, and review new dosing guidelines from the pharmacists. Upload docs to Intranet this week.
2. Last of the freelance projects for this year headed out this week.
3. Novel revision ongoing (3 hours a day).
4. College exam studies have resumed. Week one of MFA complete.
5. 2008 business marketing plans progress (1 hour per day).
6. Medical and financial paperwork to HR by Friday.
Before year end:
1. Novel revision ongoing (3 hours a day).
2. Finish HB books, DL books; progress on SD and JB books.
3. Christmas prep for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Christmas cookie decorating on Christmas Eve!
4. Prep for New Year's Eve bash.
5. College exam studies have resumed. Week one of MFA complete.
6. 2008 business marketing plans progress (1 hour per day).
2008:
1. Novel revision ongoing (3 hours a day).
2. College exam studies have resumed. Week one of MFA completed; eight weeks to catch up on. :)
3. 2008 business marketing plans progress (1 hour per day).

I'm working on an official business marketing plan for 2008 and 2009 as I'm not sure of my employment status as of June 2008. Probably will stay on, but it's up in the air and I need to make contingency plans. Will know more this week, I think.
Spent the weekend resting, reading, studying, and writing. Caught up with week one of the MFA, and this week it's onto weeks two and three. Shouldn't be hard, my workshop project (short story) is in rough form already in a notebook, so I'm looking forward to lengthening it out a bit.
Saw I Am Legend and was a bit disappointed. Have the original movies it was made off of coming via post this week, so we'll be able to compare/contrast. Will Smith did a great job, but meh on how the story translated to the screen this time.
Hubby bought me Harry Potter 5 so will get to watch that again during the holidays. I also have Lost season 3, and can't wait to dive in as prep for the new season starting in February. They even did a Lost season 4 preview at the movies! I cheered and embarrassed hubby and our friend who was with us.
Windy, blowy, cold up here. But we're snug and cozy. Gotta get to work now.
Currently reading: Valiant (Holly Black)
Currently listening to: New Angels & Airwaves cd