Hijacked by the Holidays

If I haven't mentioned it before, I'm a bit of a compulsive organizer. And my calendar is my bible. So, when I write something on the calendar, by God, it will occur as planned. Unless I've made a mistake. Like I did this morning. I was supposed to drive carpool, but I wrote down someone else's name. Angry and harried, I phoned the lady whose name was on The Book and was greeted in an angry and harried manner.
Indignant, I jabbed my finger at her name on the date, only to realize my mistake. For a normal person, this would be a normal mistake to make. But as a compulsive organizer, I could hang for that!
I have to blame it on the holidays. My calendar is as full as a dentist's after Halloween! Busy days don't bother me, it's just keeping it all straight. In fact, I enjoy a full schedule, makes me feel productive. Unfortunatley, it must make me more prone to err on occasion.
What about you? Have you overbooked? Screwed up an obligation? Or is everything perfectly under control in your world?

Sleepless in the South

Okay - it's late at night, everyone in the house is snoozing blissfully - everyone but me, that is. I don't know if I have insomnia or I just can't clear my brain long enough to shut down and play a few dreams. DH is snoring annoyingly. He can sleep standing on his head in the middle of an amusement park. Well - I exaggerate. But he never has trouble sleeping.

I, on the other hand, am often plagued by nights like tonight when I don't have a sleepy bone in my body. Sometimes I wake up hours before I need to, wide awake, raring to go.

That doesn't bother me - actually, I like it. It gives me more time to get stuff done. DH makes fun of the early rising thing. You see, I'm very productive early in the morning. Many days, I'll have done a load of laundry, written a chapter and gone grocery shopping before anyone else is up.

Actually, I've written some of my best scenes late at night or early in the morning. Everything is so quiet - it's easy to concentrate. What about you? Do you sleep until noon when you can, or are you like me - up at the dawn of crack when you don't have to be?

Hopping into the Convertible!

I'm blogging Wednesday at Riding With The Top Down about the "Salon Phenomenon." Please come on over and wave at me as I ride by with some fabulous authors.

The Holidays and Other Excuses

I admit it - I've been a slacker. I now have 5 WIPs, each in various states of completion, yet I have not finished one manuscript in months! I started NaNoWriMo with a bang and got just past 18k when I fizzled out. Yes - I had lots going on in my life - a huge book signing in which I was an organizer and one of 23 signers, a smaller, private sale at a Holiday Shopping Event at a law office with my friend, fellow author Catherine Kean, attending holiday parties and more. I've been shopping, cooking, cleaning, getting ready to host a Thanksgiving feast and a Hanukkah party, yet I've had time to write if only I'd had the inclination.
One of my editors emailed me yesterday to let me know she has edits for my upcoming erotic short, Blackout, ready for me. Thank goodness, since I need saving from myself. I have to start cracking the whip, yet I keep giving myself excuses to go easy on myself.
What about you? Do you have to dig extra deep to find the motivation to work during the holiday season?

Tuesday Ten on Wednesday

OK - Macy tagged me to do my Tuesday Ten on Ten TV shows I'd like to or already have on DVD. Like Macy, I'm pretty selective with the shows I watch, but here goes:
1. Sex in the City - what can I say? I'm a ChickLit lover and this is my all time fave.
2. St. Elsewhere - an oldie but a really great show from way back when.
3. Felicity - now an oldie, I guess. Love the characters and the bad situations Felicity would get herself into.
4. Damages - yes - I know it's only the first season, but I'm already in love with the intense characters and the twisting plot.
5. Dark Shadows - This one really dates me. I watched it when I was in kindergarten and then again in college and it was awful but I want it for sentimental reasons.
6. Rescue Me - I love the irreverent humor and some of the characters.
7. The Bob Newhart Show - the original - need I say more about this classic?
8. Ugly Betty - yeah, it's pretty new, but I think it's quite funny - particularly Mark.
9. Campus Ladies - Obscure single season show on Oxygen TV. Some really funny episodes.
10. Fawlty Towers - I love British humor and this is one of the best.

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged.

Blogging today over at Romance Rules about the ups and downs of life and how they affect my writing.

Lord, Save Me

From my teenager, that is! Attitude, thy name is thirteen-year-old girl. I could come up with a gazillion of these today. The good news is I now know the cause of my occasional headaches. They seem to correspond with her displays of teen angst. Yesterday, she declared all our Halloween decorations (of which we have a huge collection) all sucky. Not a one was scary enough for her highness! Our response? TS (in cleaner, more parent-appropriate language, of course), but the sentiment was the same. Today she tells us she has "like no decent clothes." everything is either too small, too big or isn't her style anymore. Again - TS.
In other news, some of you know it's now NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. I've signed on this year and hope to complete a novel by month's end. But I wouldn't wager on me right now. Although I fully intend to do it, I have so many commitments this month, I'm not exactly sure when I'll be doing all this writing. I have a habit of putting out huge page counts for a short while, then stopping cold turkey. So, what'll it be? Time will tell.
What about you? Are you taking the challenge?

PS - It's a couple of hours later and the evil twin has disappeared. The good twin has apologized for the wicked behavior earlier and even offered to help with laundry!!! Just when I thought she was turning green and chanting spells in her bedroom!