Chapter 3
ROSE

Momentum from the missed swing to the nuts kept me moving and I staggered a little, but I could see Junior sprawled out in the street now, courtesy of the new guy who turned to look at me with no expression at all: Middle-aged, dark-hair with grey at the temples, tall, weather-beaten, tired-looking and gaunt as all hell, dressed in dusty black, a man who looked like he’d traveled far and hadn’t enjoyed it and hadn’t eaten much on the way. And he had a dog with him that looked like a big black wolf.
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I’m having trouble sticking with a book these days; I get to the middle, it slows down, I skip to the end. This is probably more a comment on how frazzled I am than literary criticism, but I’d really like to get swept up in a book again.

What book(s) did you get swept up in this week?

I have a dumpster and a WIP; my life is full. (Unlike my dumpster. Yet.).

What have you been working on?

You met Rose, here’s Max.

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I’ve decided to sell this house which won’t be easy for any number of reasons, but a big one is that it’s full of stuff I’ve accumulated for years. I’ve tried sorting things out into separate piles, finding new ways to store things, prioritizing, and none of it worked. So this month (and next) the things in my house come in two categories: Things I Need To Take With Me When I Move and Dumpster. No trying to value things, predict future usability, remember how much I dropped on the damn thing, nothing but “Am I willing to load and unload this in the next move?” If no, it goes into the dumpster regardless of value, monetary or sentimental. The simplicity of it makes me happy. And the dumpster makes me ecstatic.

What made you happy this week?

Yes, I’m still alive. I’m filling dumpsters and throwing out things with abandon. I’m sure when this is all done, I’ll be thrilled. Or at least glad it’s all done.

But we are still working on Rocky Start. Bob is solving a Russian problem, and I am once more stuck with the sex scene(s). Because the YEC is my part of the partnership.*

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This week I revised a novel, plotted a sex scene for another novel, filled a dumpster, bathed a dog, and forgot it was Wednesday. Really sorry about that.

What did you work on this week?

I missed Wednesday. We’ll do a Working Friday instead. It’s been nuts here. Never try to do four big things at once. I forgot to shower, too. Like for a week. TMI? Really sorry about that.

This week I read the side of a dumpster to make sure I didn’t put anything in there that I shouldn’t. It was riveting.

What did you read this week?

So this week two guys came in and basically scalped my yard, getting rid of a ton of limbs and grass and miscellaneous trash, and then I ordered a dumpster to put it all in along with all the stuff I’m discarding as I empty out this house. It’s stressful, but it also makes me happy. PROGRESS!

How did you progress on happiness this week?