Coming up for air

Hello? Is anyone here? *looks around*

I’m breaking with tradition and posting on a Saturday because I already broke with tradition (and discipline?) and went a whole week without posting. I knew it was starting to get bad when I received emails asking if I was OK, since I hadn’t posted a blog in a while. The good news is: I’m alive. And there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And that light is bright enough to write a blog post by.

I’ve been so swamped with work lately that I haven’t even had time to check my email accounts (although when I finally did it, I realized it only took 4 minutes and that I should squeeze it in more often). As Jenny recently commented on my blog, there are few things as valuable as a good excuse. And here are mine.

• Travel. I finally made the arduous trip back to homebase. Yay for being home!
• Internet woes. Upon arriving, I found my outside connection to the world had been severed. An inordinate amount of time went into hunting down a new, reliable Internet provider.
• The duties of a bridesmaid. Bridesmaid dressing takes a long, long time (or maybe just anything involving my family takes a long time!)
• Editing a very long manuscript that does not have an equally long deadline
• The application process for a potentially new client (I’m not naming names until I get the contract, but I’ve jumped through all the hoops)
• Paperwork. I thought I did all the necessary paperwork for my accident when I was at my parents place, but no such luck. Apparently a whole slew of folks didn’t get the memo that I wouldn’t be back at my permanent address for a few weeks, so I had lots of fun forms and whatnot waiting for me here, too.
• A commitment not to stress so much. That means that if I have to make a choice between getting adequate sleep and blogging here, or to make a choice between eating and blogging here, I’ve been making the choices that are more likely to keep me alive and healthy.

Finally, I’ve always considered myself a “dedicated” writer. I believe that if you really want to write, you absolutely will make time fo rit. I still believe that, and I try to practice it. I’ve written through full-time school, through full-time work, through double-time work, through illness, through migraines, you name it. I try to take my writing as seriously as a “real job” — but when push came to shove this last week, I did have to make a choice between my paid and unpaid labor. And since I now have car payments again and Christmas gifts to repay . . . well, I hope the choice I made was understandable.

I’m not completely out of the woods yet, but man, it’s still good to be back.