It Just Never Ends

You would think that after all the NH Primary hoopla that we Granite Staters would be positively sick of politics and politicians and candidates for office.

Not so.

Last night, the Chap and I attended a huge political dinner party. The guest speaker is running for our district's U.S. Senate seat. The meal was awesome. A good time was had by all. There was a little--though not much--reminiscing about the late, great Primary. Some of our neighbours down the road hosted out-of-state Obama volunteers--30 young people under their roof. Neighbours a bit farther down the road hosted a crowd of Obama Youth as well, but I don't know the head count at their address. After a busy week that had my spouse and me in different places day and night, it was like having a dinner date together--albeit in the company of 20 or so politically like-minded friends of ours.

We've next to no plans this weekend, which will allow for some relaxation. It's Saturday, so I must be making ice cream (eggnog again, even though the holidays are over.)

I'm very concerned about my lack of progress on the novel. These long and complicated days are draining, and I've no brainpower left at the end of them...just enough to read through the newspapers and magazines that arrive in the post, or to watch reality tv that I don't even enjoy.

Over the past 24-hours I've considered giving myself permission to not write and not feel guilty about it. I've reviewed my schedule to see where I can fit in the most productive sort of writing time between now and my New York trip. I tried to find volunteer responsibilities I can shed, but the only one I've come up with isn't all that time-consuming. I'm regretting not being more productive from the time of the London trip to the start of the Legislative session. I find myself looking forward to the coming spring and summer, and the cottage, and remembering how energetically I wrote beside the Big Lake.

It probably sounds as if I'm discouraged. I am and I'm not. Every book I've written on spec goes through phases like this. I'm not always a fast writer--especially when writing on spec. It's pointless to beat myself up about it.

In the end, I didn't make the decision to not try to write during this too-busy period. I've recommitted myself to carrying on and I'll strive even harder to make my goal for the 1st quarter of '08.

Like politics in NH, my dedication to this project, and the need to complete it, is unending.