tis the season

Well, it’s the 14th of December and I’m finished with my Christmas shopping.

The reason I know I’m finished is because I’m out of money.

I’m very happy with the gifts I was able to get for my loved ones this year. I still have three packages to ship to my long distance family and friends, but everything for the local loved ones is wrapped and under the tree already. Which leaves me with a lovely sense of accomplishment, and no further excuses for putting off my manuscript.

I started this project out with a big bang, but my attention has been wavering since just before Thanksgiving. I traveled to visit my sister the week before Turkey Day, and it’s been difficult to get back on my five to ten pages a day track. But I have a nice chunk of time ahead of me (I’m on vacation from Christmas Eve until January 4th) and very little in the way of obligations, save a party on New Year’s Eve, to get in my way. My boyfriend will be spending the holidays with me, but he’s really great about not only entertaining himself so I can work, but reminding me that I said I wanted to work.

Sometimes I need to be reminded.

It’ll be good to both get back to work and have a nice stretch of time to spend with my fella. Living two hours away from each other tends to take its toll, even though we do a great deal of traveling to make sure we see each other regularly, and we’re both looking forward to several uninterrupted days to spend together. The sum total of our plans is to maybe, possibly, meet some friends for dinner one night.

I can get behind that kind of holiday.