Happy Hoidays to you and yours out there . . .

This year once again, we had the dessert & drink, dollar gift exchange, and story reading at our apartment on xmas eve. Ten of us fit fine in the living room, plenty of room. The guests: Jerry & Kathy, Gary & Leslie, Roger & Mary Ann, Alan, and Dianna.

Some cool dollar gifts this year, such as: television episodes of old television shows, a small radio/flashlight with ear buds.

On Friday, I had a great writing day. The Vagle 3000 has returned plus two hundred words. Translation: I wrote 3200 words to complete a story called "The Sudden Room." It's a story I had originally started three or four years ago and it just died on me and has been in a file ever since. I figured out something about it or I learned something about plot after all these years. After some tightening and tweaking I'll be mailing this story for the WOTF deadline at the end of the month, which is coming soon. And I'm liking timed writing sessions during the day. I set the timer for forty-five minutes, write, then break for fifteen minutes, then start next forty-five minute session. I take a longer break at lunchtime. I did seven sessions to finish this particular story. Timed sessions give me structure for my day.

Any, back to xmas eve. Roger also read a story which was a short-short and it was great story. He's been planning on joining the Wordos. He hasn't taken the plunge yet and we're wondering what is he waiting for.

On christmas day X and I opened presents in the morning (yay for new slippers) and then we headed over to Dianna's. Always eat good there and I was buzzing after only a couple of mimosas. there was more little stuff to bring home, too.

Gotta get back to work on that novel now. I'll need to get more of those large wordcount days like I got on Friday. Getting out of my own way is the best present I can give myself.