Returned and Re-Tuned!

I have returned from the Land of Burned Out Lazy Old Men (read: my vacation!) and while swamped with the work that has piled up in my absence, I felt the need to reassure you, my loyal readers, that I am alive, well, and actually feeling quite hopeful about the prospects of the New Year. (We'll see how long that lasts before life resumes crapping all over my dreams!) I hope you all had great holidays & spent much time with those near and dear.

As for me, I did just that. Relaxed with the family, slept as much as possible, did damn-all about the house, and read. A lot. I worked my way through four novels last week (and am working #5!) It was wonderful! I love reading and I don't ever have enough time to do as much of it as I want to. The week from Christmas to New Year is always my big reading week. I settle my fat ass into the most comfortable chair available and leave this dreary world for hours at a time, completely immersing myself in worlds of wonder and magic. It's refreshing to the soul. It lets me forget my own work for a time and simply enjoy the beauty of words and story. What did I read? Well, I did George Martin's "A Feast for Crows" (excellent as always, but I felt cheated because he ignored so many of the primary characters of the series. At least until I got to the end and his afterword explained he had to restructure the novel and split it in two because of size considerations. I can appreciate that.) I read Robert Jordan's "Knife of Dreams" (book 11 in the seemingly endless WOT saga. I actually thought this was better that the last three he's done. There were some satisfactory conclusions and bits of hope for the characters, unlike the others which felt cropped and unresolved to me.) I read "King Kelson's Bride" by Katherine Kurtz (one of her Deryni novels. I love the series -her magic and religious structures are wonderful- but this book was disappointing. There didn't seem to be much in the way of story, just tying up of a few loose ends from previous novels.) I also threw in a few Stephen King novels, just for fun. There are still a few of those I haven't gotten to yet so I'm filling in the backlist. Results? All wonderful. I don't think King's ever written a word I didn't enjoy. Sure, some of his books are better than others, but we're talking varying degrees of remarkable here.

So, what's ahead for your truly in the New Year? Well, the same things as last year actually:

1. Write every day. (last year was my most prolific year ever but "every day" was not a goal I reached.)

2. Exercise every day (Well, considering my waistline is larger than it was in Jan. 2005, that was a complete bust!)

3. Publish a novel (More of a "I hope" than a resolution, but #1 & #2 will help get there!)

4. Be a happier person. (I can be one grumpy-old-fuck when I'm of a mind. I let too much silly crap get to me and drag me down. Gonna work on that so the family ain't pulled into my blues!)

Off to fight my way through the piles of papers and 50 or so e-mails I need to address. I'll check in tomorrow!

Later!