A New Year

A lot has happened in the four months and ten days since I last wrote here.  I got off track some, but I did learn yesterday, when at the doctor's office, that I'd lost ten pounds since my appointment in late July.  Much of the lab news was good, save one number, which might have gone up because of my missing one medication far too often.  I'm fixing that problem now and hope for better news in late May.  And I'm taking the ten-pound loss as a sign that I can lose weight, because I really haven't tried over the last few months.  In fact, there were times I didn't try at all. 

I'm going to catch up here.

• In the fall, more and more of my time went to preparing that lecture I'd mentioned here.  Once I arrived at the event, I realized how ambitious I'd been.  But I did present it in mid-November, and it went well.  This was a win.
• I've been working on some shorter fiction pieces and submitting.  Though I'm not getting much accepted, the rejection letters are the kind one wants to read, if one must receive those:  We enjoyed this; we want to read more of your work.
• I was sick in late November, and I didn't take a lot of my meds.  In addition, for a few weeks, I ate tons of Tootsie Roll Pops.  At 60 calories each sucker, ouch.  But they did keep me from gagging as I coughed and worked in ways even medication didn't, so there's that.
• I had quite a few sweets around Christmas, but I've been pretty good since.
• I went to New York City in mid-December.  While there, I walked and walked.  Yes, I got achy, but I endured.  Oh how I love that city!
• I spent five hours (mostly standing) at the 9/11 Museum.  If you've read my previous posts, you'll know this was very important to me.  I'd been to the temporary museum in 2007.
• I'm still writing daily.
  
  I feel better about things and not so stuck anymore.  And more changes are coming, I believe:
• This summer, my project will be to work on a bedroom that needs clearing of clutter.  I hope to make it into an art studio after.
• I'm working on short stories and that novel I want to finish.  I'd like a draft done by the end of May and then to edit over the summer.
• I'm about to return to querying for another novel.