Those cookies look swell Sara.

I hope everyone had an excellent Easter. Mine was low key but pleasant. Lots of running around today, but it’s warm and sunny, and I have given myself the day off of writing, so all should be cool.

Mets are up against the best record in baseball tonight (Giants).

Gotta run. Talia’s back in 5 days. The cats blame me.

Coffee and a bunny cookie please.

Quote by gillianleeza
The older I get, the more I appreciate quiet. My father's memory issues never seem to affect his telling the same jokes repeatedly. Someone told him it was Good Friday, so he told his yearly joke. "What are you doing today? (He raises his arms out to the side), "Just hanging around." That joke has annoyed my mother for over sixty years. My brother and I always found it funny as kids.

I told that joke to my daughter. She groaned.

Hoppy Easter everyone! Gloriously sunny day here, I hope it is for everyone else.

Sadly, Talia has departed, and it's just me and the cats - no Easter egg hunt this year (except for the three eggs I buried in her luggage). So, an insanely chill bachelor Easter planned: wake-and-bake (gasp!), watch the game, work on the yard, take my walk, then kick back and binge the second half of season three of Killing Eve (blew through the first half last night). And then try to figure out if I can even watch season four without paying.

So happy to hear from you and your baby Annie.

Enjoy the day everyone. A coffee and a bunny cookie please.

Quote by DenimAngel
I wouldn't know a wild weekend is unless it comes with instructions.

Good line, Sara.

Chill day, doing the same stuff I always do. I'm not complaining. I like all this stuff! Home Opener for the Mets is today (like, NOW!), I am foolishly going to try to avoid the score until I am done with all my stuff.

We'll hang out tonight and have a nice evening in. Then, off to the airport tomorrow. Wah.

The cats are trying to sneak into her suitcase. I can't blame them. Ah well. She'll be back in a week.

Coffee and cookie please!

Write, walk, watch baseball. Lather, rinse, repeat. That's my life.

Actually, it's not today, no baseball, and eating lunch with my daughter in the midst of it.

Talia will be gone next week! Wah! I'm planning for a wild bachelor week consisting of...wait for it...writing, walking and baseball. I'm so frikkin boring anymore. I will miss her, but I will get a lot of writing done. And a lot of baseball watched.

A coffee and an oatmeal banana cookie please.

Quote by Mendalla

So he changed from Paul to Saul? Did he go blind?

Yeah, he goes from Paul to Saul as he throws away his moral code. I am guessing there will be a reference to blindness - they've never been shy about mentioning the Biblical origin of the name.

Such a good show, and such good performances.

SO happy that Better Call Saul season 5 in on Netflix. He changed his name to Saul this season! I always wondered if the were referring to the Biblical story of Paul on the road to Damascus (but backwards). I'm thinking so now.

Thanks for the coffee, Sara. you do know I write your name like 20 times a day now (Sara is one of the main characters).

I'll try to quit blathering so much about baseball, though I will note the Mets won.

It's dark and stormy looking out - looks like the beginning of a movie. Weirdly, I don't think we're expecting rain. Must be aliens.

Time to write. No other plans, which suits me fine.

WHERE ARE THE ALL THE COOKIES!? Guess I'll stick with coffee. Yum.

Quote by gillianleeza
I hope everyone's week is off to a good start. I am eagerly looking forward to a sofa delivery tomorrow. I bought it in January, but with supply issues, it has taken this long to get it. I have forgotten what it looks like. It should be interesting. Have a great week, everyone.

This made me laugh. It'll be fun to see what couch you picked out!

Physical therapy (mild shoulder discomfort) and therapy therapy (mild mental discomfort) done for the day. About to sit down late to write - 74k in, and I can SMELL the ending, it's so close. I expect the first draft will top out at 110k, and I will delete a good 30k during the second draft. It's exciting to be close to finishing draft #1.

A coffee and a cookie please!

Quote by DenimAngel

Hi peeps

A beautiful day here. Spent time herding kittens at church ... they ran me ragged .

pouring a glass of tea and adding sugar to it

Ready to call it a day but still have a l personal finance class tonight

peeking in the cookie jars we are in good shape.

giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats

Fresh cookies tomorrow

Baseball season is going great

Stay safe everyone

Sara, glad to see baseball season is treating you well. Me too. I won't gloat on winning 3 of 4 from the Nats, particularly since they may have the coolest uniform in the league (the Pirates throw-back uni is also pretty cool). Sorry Elizabeth. At least you've won a World Series in the last 5 years. It's been 35 years since the Mets did it.

It's mid-afternoon, and most of my writing for the day is done. About 300 words to go. Then, read a little of Cryptonomicon, then supper with Talia, then watch the game. I can live with that.

No more coffee, but a cookie would rock!

Quote by elizabethblack

Quote by verbal
"You see what this guy did in his first draft? Don't do that!"

Still laughing. Hey, not so bad (yes, it is). Giggle. Watching the game now. I just know the Nats in those new fabulous uniforms will win tonight. Yep.

Those truly are some fabu uniforms. Hats too! Just love the cherry blossoms. The last game of the series is on now, but I won't get to it til tonight. I love how you can watch the game whenever you want these days. Ah, technology.

The Braves, meanwhile, are a game out of first place. I expect the Braves and Mets to battle for first all year long.

Errand running today. About to sign up and spend $300 on my first live horror convention - Stokercon in Denver (I did a virtual con once). Lots of good info at those panels. There's a cheap-ish virtual version of the con - those inspirators who write horror might wanna Google it.

Time for coffee and a Mets cookie.

Just finished novel critique group. Went pretty well. Weirdly--and I don't know if this is a compliment or an insult--the guy who runs it is starting a Youtube/Tiktok channels for writing, and wants to use my WIP as an example (among others). I said sure - he's gonna give me a free content edit when I'm done in payment. I choose to take it as a compliment, even though he's basically gonna be saying "You see what this guy did in his first draft? Don't do that!"

Sorry the Mets have been pounding on the Nats, Elizabeth. They really did totally dismantle that World Champion team of 2019. At least they kept Soto - that guy is a force of nature.

The rest of the days is laziness. We'll watch new episodes of WeCrashed and The DropOut and What's the Deal With Pam (or whatever it's called). As well as the Mets game, of course.

Just a cookie - I think it's too late for more coffee.

Good morning everyone.

Baseball season has begun! Good fun game, though I'm sure those rooting for the Nats probably feel differently. It'll be fun to see Scherzer get a lengthy ovation in DC tonight.

Back to writing after a day off yesterday. I've got 25k words to go. Time to push.

A coffee and a baseball cookie please!

Quote by redwriter

Quote by verbal
Red, your last story here was really powerful.

Thanks for that appraisal. Verbal, It's so rare to see work mentioned on this page . BTW Call me Jim, 'Red' sounds pretentious . My son bought me TWO bottles of Jack Daniels, for my birthday as he knows along with Single malts that is one of my favourites. I see that bourbon figures in your delights. I shall have a little toast to your generosity tonight. Pity I can't slip you a small sip!

It's nice to meet you Jim. I had an uncle everyone called Red, so I am fond of the name. The story stuck with me. Have you seen Fury? It's a really gripping WWII tank battle movie, with a really good Brad Pitt. I'd recommend it - seems like you'd like that sort of thing.

It's Opening Day! I love Opening Day. Sorry to keep droning on and on about it (pity Talia, who has to live with it).

Taking the day off writing to watch baseball, though I will probably do some editing. And I'll be here at 5 to settle in with coffee and a cupcake and watch the game. Elizabeth, will you join me? Sara, the Braves are playing tonight, come rest you rankle on the table and root for your boys. Larry, the Padres are playing. Ape and Bear and Pingu, you Canadians can root for the Bluejays. Let's have a party!

A coffee, a cookie, and a cupcake please. Lets Go Mets!

Quote by elizabethblack

Quote by verbal
Elizabeth, how about no wager, but we sit and sip coffee and watch the Opening Day game. The winner gets a cupcake! I'll even bring the cupcake!

Now that is exactly what I want. It's going to be hard to keep my spirits up. Thank goodness they overlooked Juan Soto, so I will have someone familiar to root for. Losing my all-time favorite, Trea Turner about did me in. And Max Scherzer, who's he, right? You better get a good report from the doctor. I hope nice people, btw, bought your house. And any kind of cupcake will be fine. I will probably be wearing gloves so I don't bite my nails off. 'Course I'm paying no attention to pre-season games so far. Weeping.

😢😢😢

Looks like the game is pushed back to 5 my time due to weather, but at least they aren't canceling it. We have a rookie on the mound, so you may have the advantage tomorrow. I wonder how the Nats fans will react to Scherzer taking the mound Friday? A standing ovation, I expect - a lot of lingering respect there.

Good luck to your Bravos too, Sara.

Nice people DID buy our house! We got offers from several leasing companies, but sold to a real human family.

Regardless, I will try to add a few baseball cupcakes to Sara's baseball cookies tomorrow.

Hey Red, hey Amelia, hey Sara, hey Ape.

Red, your last story here was really powerful.

Glad you are getting some help, Amelia, and hope it points you in the right direction. Congrats on All State for the kid!

Sara - 24 hours til baseball season! Though it is already looking like the first Mets game may be a rainout. I'll still watch baseball all damn day tomorrow. How's the ankle?

And where the frick is Ping!?

Quiet pleasant day. Time to face the page.

A coffee and a cookie please.

Going to the doc for a regular check-up today. I don't expect it to be very exciting - I feel pretty healthy. I'll read in th waiting room, now that I'm halfway through the monster that is Cryptonomicon.

I'll write on my return, but I won't get my 1000. I'm about 3/4 of the way through, and plot is driving most of my decisions. That's a good thing - I generally don't rely on plot as much as I should.

2 days til baseball season! Elizabeth, how about no wager, but we sit and sip coffee and watch the Opening Day game. The winner gets a cupcake! I'll even bring the cupcake!

A coffee before the doc, please.

Just started Dopesick. Really strong so far. Michael Keaton is excellent, and keeps reminding me of Ed Harris in it.

Happy birthday, Red, and many more. Your last story--Seeking and Finding--was excellent, btw. Really nice work. Thanks for sharing it.

Not much up here - cool and gloomy now, though that is supposed to improve.

I tire of Spring Training baseball. Ready for the real deal on Thursday. Sara's Braves are predicted to do well. Larry's Padres are missing Tatis to begin the year, but when he returns they are a serious power. As for the Mets, we've already lost our Ace, but we have some game still. We shall see.

Time to face the blank page. I'm shooting to finish this Damned Thing by the end of June.

A coffee and a cookie please.

Hey all. Ridiculously lazy Sunday here. I just read a couple handfuls of stories here. Some excellent tales on the front couple of pages.

Mets have lost deGrom for at least 8 weeks. Sigh. The leader of the franchise, and the season begins in four days. Oh well, its a long season. Anything can happen.

We square off against Elizabeth's Nats for 4 games to begin the season. Care to make a wager, Elizabeth? A coffee and a cookie?

Off to read a little more. A decaf and an apple cinnamon cookie please.

Quote by Mendalla

Quote by DenimAngel
Ape thanks for the Nathan Fillion picture

That Fillion gif is so perfect so many situations. Now I need to actually watch him in something.😋

Apparently he's kind of a dick, but who isn't? Firefly and Serenity really are worth checking out. I like Castle too - that was weekly family viewing for quite a long time. My Dad was is LOVE with Stana Katic. She is pretty cute.

Going out to celebrate selling the house tonight!

A coffee and whatever crumbs are left in the cookie jar. Damn those Mets fans!

Wasn't sure where to post this, but I read this today, in an article called Writing Without a Plan, and it helped me.

"For me, the page is all I get, and the page is what makes the soup of the mind into something tangible. If there is no book in my mind, then the only way I can find a book is by writing it. This act of writing is how I get access to the material I might not readily know about. We cannot read each other’s minds, and the truth is, we often cannot really read our own.

There’s something sad in this—that we cannot replicate our idea, our perfect, imagined book in there, our brilliant ideas that seem so full and glorious when walking past the autumn leaves. But the amazing side, the truly amazing side, is that we might write something else, something surprising."

• Aimee Bender

Here's the whole article. https://lithub.com/aimee-bender-on-writing-without-a-plan/

Yeah, I checked the security footage, and the cookie bandit clearly licked every inch of the inside of the cookie jars. What a weasel. I tried to get a glimpse of his face, but it was entirely covered by a Mets cap. Maybe I should take all the cookie jars and cookies inside so I can study them for clues....

About to start writing. I'll break 70,000 today. Chill day. Going to the weed store later (it's legal, don't worry), for a chill evening.

A coffee and all the cookies (for security purposes) please.

I just finished Fury, an old school WWII movie about tank battles. REALLY good. Brad Pitt is really good in it. So is Shia LaBeouf.

Quote by Mendalla

Quote by redwriter
Is this the same rut I'm trapped in? Although I think mine will be deeper-for once, there's not a clear idea in my head.

I keep bashing stuff out, but none of it seems to stick so I end up deleting or archiving and moving on to something else. It doesn't help that I really want to start on part 3 of Tana's story but I am still not sure exactly how that plays out.

Coffee is brewing and there's Red Rose and Russian Caravan in the teapots. Hot water is ready and I've restocked hot chocolate, marshmallows, and the tea chest.

Later, alligators.

I keep bashing stuff out too. I honestly don't know if it's any good or not. I'm at 67k-ish.

No Talia Thursday. It's sunny and warm and I just got back from giving blood for my doc visit next week, so I have the remainder of the day to write.

Baseball begins in a week!

A coffee and omg I have turned into the cookie bandit and taken them all! HAHAHAHAHHA!

Quote by elizabethblack

Quote by Mendalla
I think verbal should use that as an avatar.

Giggle. Thanks. I loved it. Doesn't take much to make me laugh, huh?

That was a great way to begin the morning. Thanks for the Godzilla cartoons! '

Anyone remember the Godzilla cartoon show? I think the kids stayed safe in his mouth while he fought the bad guys. Sounds damp.

Seeing the cardiologist today, but it's always a bit of an ego boost, as I expect her to compliment me on my good health and lost weight (I've lost 25 pounds since moving in with Talia) (were Ping among us he would insert a joke right here).

Other than that, same ol, same ol. Write. Walk, if the weather cooperates.

Saw the first half of a GREAT old school WWII movie: Fury, with Brad Pitt. Tank battles. It's really good so far.

A coffee and a delicious cookie please. Glad the ankle is healing Sara.

Nothing new here. A series of beautiful days are coming to and end, with rain and snow starting to move in (sorry Sara). I've got to meet a junk hauler at the old house, but mostly I'm just writing today.

We are making plans to visit Chicago for a wedding this summer - by pure luck, the Mets will be in town, so I may well see a Cubs/Mets game at Wrigley!

Hope Ape's peepers and Sara's Uncle Wiggly are healing nicely.

A coffee and a baby chick cookie please.

Where's Ping? He's like the Waldo of SS.

The house is sold.

Remarkably painless - the signing at closing took all of 15 minutes. It used to take hours and hours, but I guess the ritual has lost some of it's authority. At any rate, I am DONE, and should have a big honking check in my account this afternoon.

Beyond that, nothing new. We'll celebrate with a fancy dinner this weekend, and a drink tonight at the neighborhood bar down the street. I'll spend my day writing, like I try to always do.

Sara, STAY OFF THAT ANKLE! I'll refrain from cookies until your return to the land of the walking.

Coffee and a mini Milky Way bar I stole from the title company this morning!

Quote by gillianleeza

A rainy Thursday here, but at least spring is on its way. My complaints about aging were not about living longer but dealing with assorted maladies that come along with getting older. Dementia is the cruelest. My father is perfectly happy because he is unaware of how socially unacceptable his behavior is and some of the things he says. Everyone around him suffers. I'll try to be more positive.

Sarah, I'm glad your surgery was successful. Nerve blockers are great until they wear off. Take care of yourself.

I hope everyone is doing well.

I walked in on my cats like this. Not sure what they were doing. At least they are amusing and good company.

Those cats are taking readings and will soon beam it up to their home planet for analysis.

Demntia really is the cruelest. My heart goes out to you, Gil.

Glad Uncle Wiggly is healing, Sara. I assume the peepers are doing well, Scott.

Today is warm and sunny, and few errands stand in the way of me and writing. And Monday, at 9 a.m., I'll begin signing papers for the sale of house! It's been a long time coming.

Coffee and ALL THE COOKIES ALL AT ONCE!!! runs away

Quote by Mendalla

Quote by verbal
Hey, Ana da Armas' next movie is NC-17. She plays Marilyn Monroe. Hubba hubba!

An NC-17 Marilyn Munroe film? Poor Norma. Still being exploited decades after her death.

It's based on the Joyce Carrol Oates novel; it might treat her gently and with empathy.

Quote by DenimAngel

Hi peeps

A beautiful day here

I'm home and recovering from the surgery.

The SURGERY WAS A SUCCESS!

My nurse was so sweet and said I was so very brave .

We have enough cookies until I feel up to making cookies in a few days .

Thanks for the well wishes everyone

Stay safe

Happy to hear it, Sara. I'll cut back on the cookies until your return.

No Talia Thursday. Where the men are men and the cats are scared.

No writing today. I'm taking the last of our crap out of the old house for the closing on Monday morning. Bittersweet and exciting.

Hey, Ana da Armas' next movie is NC-17. She plays Marilyn Monroe. Hubba hubba!

It's so fun to watch baseball again, even if it is Spring Training. Season starts in two weeks!

Coffee and half a cookie please. Don't wanna run out while Sara is down.