Happy New Year – 2010

Goodbye 2009. Hello 2010.

2009 had its up and downs.

We lost my dog Harry a week before Christmas, almost exactly twelve years since I got him. It’s been two weeks now, I still wake up thinking I need to let him out and it feels weird not feeding him before I have my coffee in the morning and not having him at my heels every moment or greet Jimmy and me at the door all bright-eyed and happy to see us. Harry was sweet, goofy, and sometimes not very bright, but he was a happy dog who loved everyone. He loved snow, hated getting his feet wet in the rain, and always knew when it was time for his meals and treats. I really miss my pal.

My laptop died in August, really bad timing, and I’ve been operating off a cute little netbook until two weeks ago. I love the netbook’s portability, but my eyes are ever so happy now to have a lovely 17 inch screen.

I pitched Missing Magic and Deeper Than Bone and got some  great requests. I’ve made my first partial submission for one of those requests. Fingers crossed. And I received a receipt of my submission, so I am applying for Pro. We’ll see how things progress in 2010. Meanwhile, I’m typing my brains out.

I’ve been learning to use Office 2007 and Windows 7. That’s been interesting.

I entered the Golden Heart. Fingers crossed.

I have a clean desk and office to kick off the new year. Pookie the cat has taken over Harry’s writing supervision post.

Goals for 2010? I’ve revamped some of my 2009 To Do List:

• Finish the damn series synopsis and get my full of Missing Magic fixed, polished and submitted asap.
• Finish Deeper Than Bone and submit the full.
• Make my minimum daily wordcount goal, every day. Hey, if I can do Nanowrimo, I can make my measly daily minimum. You hear that, snarky internal editor?
• Banish internal editor to the corner for bad behavior.
• Catch up on my non-fiction to be read pile.
• Spend more time with my husband and my friends.
• Stop dithering, revise and submit Mojave in July short somewhere.
• Banish To Do list anxiety over to the corner with internal editor.
• Drink more water.
• Walk to work on nice days.
• Paint.
• Figure out Facebook and Twitter
• Revamp my MySpace page.
• Work in the garden.
• Keep my clean office and desk clean and organized.
• If I don’t use it, get rid of it.
• Scan photos.
• Finish the damn book(s).

Best wishes to all for a

blessed, happy and successful

New Year!

2010 image: Billy Alexander