And In Honor Of My 201st Post, I've Learned A New Skill

My sister-in-law taught my brother and my brother taught me

while we were at my mother's for Thanksgiving Peking Duck. I can now make links look cool and cute.

In case you have any doubts- look at the infamous right side of the blog. Look at all those neat, seductive links.

But I'll throw another one here right now, to prove to you (and me) that I can still remember how to do it. The New York Times had a depressing article about my publisher. I'm choosing not to worry, even though I have yet to see my contract for B3. I intend to start writing on Monday and hope for the best.

My plan is to write in the mornings, lead a normal (or what passes for normal) life in the afternoons, and exercise in the early evening. Usually I exercise in the mornings, but I like the idea of waking up and going to work. I haven't figured out yet whether I'll write for a set time or aim for a set number of pages. It probably doesn't matter. The guiding principle is not to go berserk, write for eight or ten hours daily, and get nothing else done. There is no need for obsession. None. Nary a need. Totally unneeded.

Of course for the first two weeks, the schedule is going to be at least partially ignored. I'm going to have dinner with my friend Cynthia on Tuesday, and with Todd either Wednesday or Thursday. So most likely I'll have to exercise in the morning. Then the following week I'm going to Illinois for two days of school visits.

I haven't even begun and already I'm off schedule. Le sigh. I also remembered today that after I finish reading American Eve by Paula Uruburu, I need to read Susan Cornish by Rebecca Caudill. Life As We Knew It is nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Award in Illinois, and I feel a strong obligation to read a book by her before going there.

I happen to own Susan Cornish because I collect books with Susan or Sue in the titles. Marci tends to find them for me. Susan Cornish will be the first of the books I'll actually have read. It actually looks pretty interesting.

But no matter how talented Rebecca Caudill was, I bet she couldn't make links look lovely!