The yellow bird a specter lost to linger

Here's recent progress on my poltergeist-plagued hotel horror story, wherein everyone’s favorite steampunk Texas Ranger joins forces with a goth-as-hell gunslinger-turned-padre who may (or may not) have supernatural powers:
Project: Jacaranda
Deadline: March 31, 2014
New words written: 6438
Present total word count: 14,018



Things accomplished in fiction: Got to compose my padre's mythic back story, among other things. It frankly delights me - one of my favorite scenes I've written in ages.

Next up: Some analysis, some violence. The arrival of the Ranger, and the approach of a storm.

Things accomplished in real life: (Oh hell, let's leave it at the weekend's tally of stuff.) Daily jaunts around the neighborhood with the dog; post office; bank; Walgreens; a run to Target; grocery shopping; regretfully declined a couple of convention appearances; watched a bunch of TV (HOORAY for the end of the mid-season hiatus! Hooray also for the return of AHS:C and JUSTIFIED!); cleaned house; did a crap-ton of laundry.

Other: That word count above sounds awesome, but most of it was written in fits and starts, over the last couple of weeks. I'm only now able to sit down with this project and give it the daily, methodical attention it needs...so probably 2k of that is from today alone, if that tells you anything. That said, I will be hard-pressed indeed to get a draft nailed down by the end of the month - partly because I'm taking off at the asscrack of dawn on Thursday for Legendary ConFusion. Don't get me wrong, I cannot WAIT for that marvelous event; but it's gonna take a bite out of my work routine, that's for damn sure.

Bride of other: I'm resetting this year's fiction word count, natch. 2013 topped out around 178,000, which isn't too shabby - but I need to clear more like 250,000 in 2014 if I want to stay out of trouble. (Approx 110 for the MAPLECROFT followup, 110 for GODBOTHERING, and another 30 for JACARANDA before it's finished.) That sounds like a lot, but really, it's just 685 words a day, give or take. Because obviously every single day I'll have the opportunity to sit down and HA HA HAHAHAHA I can't even finish typing that, but you know what I mean.

Four-legged other: Greyson went to the dog park yesterday, and after some initial boredom (none of his usual dog-friends were there, and he didn't "know" anybody) ... he warmed up and had a pretty good time. Car rides remain Just Plain Awful, but he's still okay about getting into the vehicle - and cool when he arrives someplace new. I'm relieved to report this, because it'd been several weeks since last we'd been able to take him out there. I'm glad the lessons learned from our "gradual desensitization" efforts haven't been altogether lost.

Bonus four-legged other: On this morning's walk, we met a new dog - named "Buzz." He's a pretty brown and white pit mix of some sort (boxer? hound? no telling) ... and I thought he looked familiar. I was right! We saw him on the news the other day! One of his new owners was out there with him, and we chatted a little while Buzz and Greyson bounced, play-bowed, and licked each other through the fence. Buzz is a sweetheart of a fellow, and I'm glad he's landed in such a good home. Burly cockles of heart: warmed.

Feline-specific four-legged other: The cat says that it's my job to lounge on the electric blanket all day with her. Who am I to argue? I mean, as long as I get some work done...

Number of fiction words so far this year: 6438