Vacation!

I'm on vacation! (/happydance) No day job for me until January 4th! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

As if that weren't awesome enough, I ordered my proof copy of the print edition of Scent and Shadow, and it shipped yesterday. SQUEE! Is it here yet? Is it here yet? How about now?

While I wait (trying to remember to breathe) for the mail, The Husband and I are going to go see the new Sherlock Holmes movie, and we're going to go shopping for a new refrigerator (yeay!), and we're going to do our favorite holiday activity - getting hot drinks at the mall and walking around slowly, not buying anything and just enjoying the schadenfreude. Happy holidays, folks!

Holidays Are Different From Vacations

I don't know if I really take vacations much. (This includes weekends.) I know there are a lot of writers out there who write lots and lots every day. I'm not one of those. I have been, for a few months at a time. But in general, no.

And yet, my weekends and vacation days tend to fill very quickly. Sure, I squeeze in time for formatting, research, cover design, and even a little writing. But a lot of my time gets taken up with caring for our animals, doing dishes and laundry, and other sundry chores.

Not to complain, exactly: everyone is like this, really. But I know lots of people who are happy to do nothing on a vacation day. I actually have to schedule myself to not do things. If I'm at home, I feel like I should be doing something productive. There are always so many little projects in the back of my mind. I would love to declutter the house at some point, for instance. I've been wanting to do that for ages. But I also don't want to do it in little chunks. Therefore, it keeps getting pushed out until I can find a nice big block of time to do it in. (Like that's going to happen.)

And Facebook! Good gods. We had a day this last long weekend where we left town and deliberately stayed disconnected. I kept wanting to make a status post. Or check my email. What the hell? I did not used to be like this. I shudder to think how twitchy I'm going to be when I finally break down and get a smartphone. I might actually tweet more than once a week.

I know no one drives me to do this to myself but me, but ugh. When else am I going to to all this stuff? If I don't do it, who will? (If not me, who? If not now, when?) And yet, when the heck am I going to relax? I just got back from Photoshop class (print covers are mostly done now, just need to do the spine) after a full day of dayjob, did the Monday chores, and still feel like I'm not getting enough done today.

Anyone have some valium I can borrow? And a Quith worker to do my chores for me?

100 Words About: Disney World

I'm back from the family trip to Disney World, and I'm pretty fried. I enjoyed it more overall than I did Island of Adventure at Universal Studios, but I enjoyed The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (which is at Island of Adventure) more than I enjoyed Disney World overall. Probably because a) we had no kids with us and b) I felt like I could have just hung out at HP Land all day and done nothing and been happy, whereas Disney is just crowded and full of grumpy children.

Of course, I've been to Disney before and not to Universal Studios, so that could have something to do with it.

I'm apparently getting old - I can't take the rides like I used to. I only went on Space Mountain once because it hurt my neck too much. Sigh. There's something immeasurably sad about that, but I'm too tired to put it into words right now.

I'm also really bummed that they updated the Carousel of Progress. I was looking forward to a time-capsule of the 1960's vision of the future that is now. Oh well.

Down in F L A

Sorry I didn't get a post out on Friday. We stopped for the night at a totally skanky Motel 6 and I just didn't have the energy.

So I have strep, and got on meds just in time to miss going to my relatives' for Thanksgiving. However, I'm now on vacation with my parents and my sister's family here in sunny Florida.

I'd thought I would have lots of time to write while I was on vacation. Yeah, not so much. Not that I probably couldn't sneak off to a Starbucks or something... The last time I was here it was me and The Husband and the parents, and it was a pretty mellow time. This time I'm being social, and it's a bit of a time sink. Not that I don't like spending time with my family - I do, or I wouldn't be here in the first place. But mellow, restful, productive writing-wise...not so much.

And I'm already sunburned. Joy.

This Pain Ain't a Pleasure

Why is it that when I finally break down and make an appointment to see the doctor, I start feeling better within 24 hours? And, yet, I know if I cancel the appointment I'll start feeling crappy again. I think it's my body's way of rewarding me for crying uncle.

And yes, I'm sick. Have been for a few weeks, but it's that annoying kind of sick that's not quite bad enough for you to do anything about it beyond maybe taking some cold meds. The last time I got sick like this I had a low-grade sinus infection for a month and a half. This time it's a sore throat that's lasted a couple weeks.

Sometimes having a high pain threshold can sort of work against you. If I'm not in significant pain to the point of being debilitated, then I'm probably going to ignore it. Especially if I can put it down to something like a sinus infection, or one of my ever-present food sensitivities. And then I tell my doc that I've been sick for two weeks, or that I get headaches four or five times a week, and they give me such a look…

(By the way, if you get mild headaches very often and they can't find a neurological reason, check with your dentist. I got a bite plate for when I sleep and it fixed the headaches right away.)

So I'm off to the doctor's to see if they want to culture my throat or something. Fortunately I start a nice long vacation in a couple days, although The Husband and The Bulldog will be staying home while I visit with family. My parents are driving me. Maybe I can try taking Dramamine so I can type in the car without getting nauseous…on with the novel!

100 Words About: Mini Vacation!

I'm on vacation! I got to sleep in, and I just got back from a morning walk with the doggie. The husband is still sleeping, but I plan to wake him in about 15 minutes so we can get some breakfast before heading to Milwaukee for the day. Tea and hot tubs! And probably gyros and bath stuff!

Road trips are probably our favorite mini vacations. Milwaukee or Chicago if we have a whole day (overnights are out of the question at the moment, due to the fact we don't have anyone who can let the dog out without her eating them), otherwise we tend to hit cheesesteak and soft serve in Fort Atkinson, or troll the surrounding small towns for diners we haven't yet tried.

What do you all like to do on mini vacations?

Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

100 Words About: A Week Off

So other than the blog, I've done almost no writing at all this week. It's been really refreshing. I'd had the revision of 1794 hanging over me for three months, and getting out from under that has been wonderful. No nagging feeling in the back of my head that I really should be working on it, no more wondering how I'm going to fit in the changes they wanted.

It's also been nice because I've been able to let some of my other ideas simmer a bit without the "lid" of 1794, and some good notions have come to the surface. I'm excited about getting started on the next project now. It just goes to show that even writers need vacations once in awhile.

Image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net