The End is Near

LOL, just the end of 2024... it's not the end of the world.  Well, not that I know of.  Anyway, all weirdness aside, I think today's a good day to wrap up the year.

Let's see... When 2024 started, I was working a full-time job as a office grunt.  It was a good job.  It certainly wasn't one where I was bored.  Okay, sometimes in the afternoon when the craziness of the morning toned down, I'd find myself at loose ends.  But I'd always find something work related to do.  A lot of those times were spent doing training to make myself better at my job.  I 'retired' from there at the beginning of June.  So, basically, those first five months were a blur and not really noteworthy.

The real year began when I stopped working.  Of course, I realized that two years of sitting at a desk, answering phones and putting out fires had left me with both body and creativity atrophied.  I spent a lot of time this year trying to rebuild my stamina.  I'd get it going and then something would happen and I'd backslide, but all in all, I'm better now than I was then, so yay.

One thing that happened was in July, Silver James and I challenged each other in a kind of NaNoWriMo type thing.  We vowed to each other and ourselves that we would do something writerly every day, just to get some kind of prime on our pumps.  And it worked.  She's over there busting her hump.  She got the book - MOONSTRUCK MAFIA: BOSTON - she'd been working on out into the world.  I wrote the next book in the Duke Noble series.  (Coming soon, I hope.)  Okay, so after I finished the first draft of that, I got a crisis of confidence... code for I was a toad... and didn't really accomplish much in the writerly department.  I'm working on that for the year ahead.  No promises, but I'd like to write at least a couple books this year and get them published.  Which means getting off my ass.  START TODAY!

Another thing that happened was being home all day with access to food and without the stress and activity of work meant I gained 13 lbs this year.  Oops.  I'll be working on that this year, too.  Or, at  least, if I don't lose weight I'll keep it from gaining.

In happy news, all of our family - both his and mine - are alive and mostly well.  The cats are thriving.  Hubs and I are well, and our love is as strong as ever.  Stronger maybe.  Despite the trials that come with being a non-'payjob'-working individuals, everything is good.  Roof over our heads, food in our bellies, working vehicles, satellite TV and now Starlink internet.  Life is good.

Nothing much else to talk about.  I said it was a year.  I didn't promise it was exciting.  ;o)

Here's to a happy and productive, non-stressful year for us all.  I know I certainly have more optimism at the start of 2025 than I had at the beginning of 2024.  Yay.  Have a great New Year's Eve, everyone.  If you join in the revelry, stay safe.  If not, enjoy your quiet night at home like I will be.  

Happy New Year!