Friday, September 16, 2011

Yay, it's Friday!  When I worked the day job, I always loved this day.  It meant lunch out and dinner out and the end of a long week of helping customers and selling insurance and keeping the office running.
Now... not so much. 

While it's still the end of the week, and I figured my deadlines so I don't have to write on weekends unless I'm running behind (always possible), we aren't eating out so much anymore. 

I was thinking what else has changed since I became a stay at home writer.

I sleep an hour later.  I used to get up at five, be at the computer by seven, and at the day job by ten.  Now, I get up at six and am at my computer by eight.  In between, I wrangle puppies and husband and shower and eat breakfast.

I don't flatiron or even blow dry (most days) my hair.  Nor do I put on makeup until mid-day, when I know I'm going to go somewhere like the store or the gym. 

I love my around-the-house clothes.  For me, these consist of concert T-shirts (Keith Urban, anyone) and terry cloth shorts or running shorts, and flip-flops.  When it gets cooler (please hurry, God), I'll switch to yoga pants and slip on sneakers.

I really, really, really enjoy having the time to get into my writing and not be watching the clock and worrying about finishing up so I can go to the day job.   Now, I can write my scene and remember what I put in the previous one.  I'm loving this!

My dogs enjoy having me around.  And, this new puppy is the first puppy I've ever been able to stay home with.  She has a playpen cage thing in my office with lots of toys, I can take her out every couple of hours, and she gets pretty constant human interaction.  It's fun, if exhausting.

My husband is learning to be less intrusive when I'm writing.  He's gotten way better and doesn't interrupt me as much as he was in the beginning, when I was considering purchasing noise-blocking headphones or going to the local Starbucks to write.

I love my new office (that used to be my daughter's room when she was younger and lived at home).  With the front facing window, I can see the outside world, but it's not too much of a distraction.  It also faces east, so I don't get the blinding afternoon sun.

So, all in all, I'm loving life.  My next Harlequin Romantic Suspense is due November 1st and is going well.  It's cooler here and I'm eagerly awaiting fall.  Life is good.