Tuesday, April 16, 2013

like the ceiling can't hold us

I meant to go to bed two hours ago. Yes, I'm old.

However, my best laid plans were overturned by a sudden burst of productivity on some hated tasks that I really needed to get out of the way. The day had started much too early, when I woke up at 6:15...but then I hit snooze one too many times, and by the time I left the house, it was 7:15 instead of 6:55. I had an 8:30 meeting, and theoretically I would have gotten to Mountain View in time...but I was going to be cutting it close, and I was tired, and the meeting I had was a training that was led out of the San Francisco office (which meant going there would put me in the same room as my director and the HR/training person). So, I abruptly turned left instead of going straight at the intersection of Bush and Gough, and I went to the SF office instead. That put me into the office at a little after 7:30, which was absurdly early, but that meant I was able to have breakfast and read email before the training. Miraculous.

The training was good, albeit long, and by the time I was done it was time for lunch (which I had with Katrina, which was lovely). Then I worked at the office for an hour, and then I came home because my battery was dying. Once home, I got myself organized and slogged some more. But by five p.m. I was beyond done, and I was tired, and sad and cranky over my twitter feed + the Boston Marathon bombings, and I realized that maybe part of my problem was that I hadn't had red meat in days. Yes, not having red meat is a real, bona fide problem for me.

So I grabbed my notebook, switched back out of my pajamas and into the dress I'd worn to work, and walked to Des Amis, where I had a thoroughly decadent and expensive solo dinner. I have absolutely no fear or shame when it comes to going to fancy restaurants by myself, and a burger from Roam just wasn't going to cut it. So I had a New York strip steak instead, with awesome french fries and a v. v. nice glass of zinfandel. I also talked a bit to the waiter, who has his MFA, so we talked a bit of writing shop.

And, the very big news is that I wrote three pages on a new book. Not Alex and Prudence, and not the gargoyles - the opening scene (which I'm sure I'll trash at some point) of the first book in this new series I've been brainstorming. And I love it so far! That may change in the morning, when I'm less full of red wine and redder meat, but it felt so, so good to write something new....

And then I came home and ruined that feeling by doing stupid promo-related tasks (all related to workshops I'm giving at various conferences this spring/summer). But they needed to get done, and finishing them hopefully staved off my ulcer friend for another day. Now, I must sleep; I have to go down to Mountain View tomorrow, so laziness can't be in my cards. Goodnight!

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