Hello From The Other Side

Sorry, guys. This has officially been the longest I've gone without writing a blog post since two weeks before I started the blog in the first place.

Truth is, my life got seven kinds of fascinatingly crazy all there at once, and I can't even discuss it for fear I would cast out the humble part of a humble brag and just be obnoxious. Complaining about my recent schedule would be akin to complaining that the Academy Award I just won was so heavy I could barely carry it back to my seat.

What I'll say is that I had big immovable blocks of Cool Stuff that took up lots of time, and then I had to find space for big blocks of Finish The Book, and that all sorts of smaller stuff got squeezed out of the picture entirely, not because I don't care about them but because I simply had to let Finish The Book take up that much room. So for the past few weeks, no blog. It's all been about priorities. I've paid the bills but not balanced the checkbook. Fed the horses but not ridden. Worn clean underwear but not folded the laundry. You get the picture. I even curtailed my yoga practice, which I hate to do. I took a yoga class Monday when I thought my brain was in danger of actual explosion, and I took one this morning, in celebration, because I am DONE.

I sent my latest draft off to Jess's capable hands, and now I'm leaving--right now, ten minutes from now--for a week in England with my whole family, including my son who's studying there this semester. I've accomplished everything I had to do. I've accomplished almost nothing that was optional, but I do not care, not one whit, not one single tiny bit. Last week I emailed a dear friend, "I may have finally bitten off more than I can chew," but I did get it done, in a way that pleases me, and now I'm going to see my boy.

I'm already driving him nuts. When I haven't seen him for a long time I want to cuddle him and hold his hand, and now that he's no longer six he finds this a little cloying. Also, when I'm visiting him at college, I like to know all about the school and his life there. I ask a lot of questions. You'd think he'd be pleased by my interest but so far that has not always ever been the case.

Oh, and I've got tickets to Downton Abbey Highclere Castle, which is brilliant because it happens to be, in addition to the ultimate fangirl experience, absolutely necessary research for my next novel. (I am not making that up!) Which is extra-brilliant, because it makes this whole trip a business expense.

Cheerio! Back soon!