Writing

It’s really too early to tell how things are going to work out long-term but so far I feel good. Not overwhelmed by keeping my spreadsheets updated or gut checking my short-term goals. I’m right where I want to be. I hope I can say the same thing a week and a month from now.

I’m writing a little bit every day. I’ve surpassed my 250 words/day goal. It may not seem like many but that’s a novel-worth of words a year. I write longhand — my moleskin and fountain pen are never far from my side. Usually I’m a slow writer, bogged down by my internal editor. Not so much lately. The words are coming out fairly smoothly.

Travel

Today, there was some conversation on twitter about air travel that caught my eye. I’ve done a fair amount of travel for the day job over the years and know the pains of (in)security checkpoints, TSA ineptitude and airport delays. I really wish the train were a viable option for business travel, but 5 hours of flying, plus a day on either side to catch up on sleep, beats the 3-4 days the train would take. Still, I think it’s something Andrea and I will do when we can afford to take a vacation in a couple of years. A trip through the Canadian Rockies, then down the west coast to visit Seattle, Portland and parts of California sounds about right.

Reading

I’m probably a quarter of the way through Jeff VanderMeer‘s Finch. It’s weird. It’s noir. It’s awesome. I’ve read some of his short fiction and enjoyed it. Obviously, I’ve read Booklife and City of Saints and Madmen is sitting on my side table. This is apparently my winter of VanderMeer. I’ve fallen behind on reading in the last few years. Coming back to it feels a bit like rediscovering and old friend moved in next door.