Remember how I talked about how much fun I was having with Kat? What a delicious scene I'd just gotten to write? Etc?

You'd think I'd know better by now. That kind of crazy talk is just asking for a smiting from the Writing Gods.

In the past two days, the writing, it has not been so easy. Or so much fun. Or...well, you get the picture.

On Wednesday, I only finally, finally finished my 1,000 words (first begun at 7:30am) at 8:10pm, after much angsting and flailing and noisy unhappiness about how I Could Not Write At All. On Thursday, I only finally, finally managed to grind them out when Patrick offered me an enormous bribe: a trip to the coffeeshop, with a Signature Hot Chocolate but no calories to worry about (no, I can't explain this magic - if I could explain it, it wouldn't be magic anymore, right???), as soon as I finished my 1,000 words. I did. Because I live for those Signature Hot Chocolates.

But today, it sorta kinda *whispering to avoid notice by the Writing Gods* paid off...because finally, finally I have reached the point in the book I've been looking forward to since page 1: the Highwayman has arrived.

And I am carefully, quietly happy about it. Even though writing is Hard and No Fun. Really.

I also got to listen to a new episode of the Mitchell & Webb radio show last night (which you can listen to online until next Thursday). It wasn't a perfect episode - some of the sketches didn't quite work - but the ones that did work were so funny that the whole show felt worthwhile. And I'm re-reading Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog, which continues to be one of my favorite books in the entire world, even on the umpteenth re-reading. The best part is that, no matter how often I read it, every time I come back to it, I always pick up new jokes that I somehow missed in every earlier reading. She is just brilliant at layering the humor.

It was great to find so much funny, rewarding stuff to listen to and read, because yesterday would have been Nika's 8th birthday, and the date hit us pretty hard. We spent the evening in the best way possible, though - finally sitting down with all the photographs of her that we'd had printed last year but had never put into a photo album. Looking through the photos made me cry, but in a good way. I love remembering her, even though it hurts. Maya was really good about staying quietly in her bed while we put the photos in an album, but the moment we were done, she bounced right up onto the couch, her tail whirring. Notice me! Love me!

And now it's taken me twice as long to write this because she keeps on trying to climb up onto my lap and nudge her head under my hands for petting...so I think it may be time to give in. Have a good Friday, everybody!