Progress Report: 1/4/2010

Coming back from vacation is like diving into a fast-moving river. The first stage involves a lot of disorienting flailing about as you try to adjust to the current. Once that's done and you're swimming along at the river's pace, you're okay.

I'm in the flailing stage here, which on the average lasts about a week for me.

Hi everyone! It's 2010! Egad. Regarding vacation...

• It was good to see family in Nevada and friends in California.
  
• Saw Avatar, which I thought was terrific, and Sherlock Holmes, which was more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Also saw the J.J. Abrams Star Trek a second time on DVD. While the first time I saw it I was mostly focused on new actors playing beloved characters, the second time draws attention to the sheer ludicrousness of the astronomy that they invoke in the plot. Yikes.
• The Denver Broncos are late-season choke artists again this year. Sadness.
• Still reading Under the Dome by Stephen King. Style-wise, it most reminds me of Needful Things, since it has a large cast consisting of key figures in a small town. I'd like to write a review of it when I'm done.
• Also listening to the last book of Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series. Perhaps I'll write a review of that as well.
  
• As for my own writing, I didn't expect to get any done at all over vacation, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I did manage to find some time to write. I made some good progress on the 1st chapter rewrite for Rose & Jade. Time to get back into the swing of it this week.
  

On the whole, I'm not sorry to see the back end of 2009. It was a turbulent year. Not saying that I think 2010 will be much smoother, but a fresh start always makes it feel like there is the potential for better things.