What the To Do list looks like so far:

• Finish manuscript editing for two friends – in progress.
• Finish video editing for another friend – in progress.
• Haul all the laundry upstairs and put it away – in progress.
• Clean the house from top to bottom – front rooms are clean, I’m doing the guest room and downstairs bath today, living room tomorrow, and kitchen on Wednesday. Upstairs will just have to wait.
• Put up Christmas decorations – tonight.
• Finish Behind the Iron Cross, get off to agent – obviously not this year.
• Finish Cross Current, get off to Evernight – ditto.
• Do ebook/paperback cover for client, format book interior – probably this weekend.
• Update website for another client – nights this week.
• Rake leaves in front yard – hahahahahahahaha…

In other news, folks in Australia have just started buying Empress of Storms. So whoever that is, thank you and recommend it to your friends, please.

In other OTHER news, yes, I saw SW:TFA. No, I’m not going to invoke shitty karma by giving you spoilers. All I will say is that Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaacs, and Adam Driver were superb casting choices, Daniel Craig does a good American accent, I cheered and gasped at all the right places, and J.J. Abrams has issues with scale on a planetary level. You’ll know what I mean when you watch the movie.

And I suppose I don’t need clonazepam. It would just be nice to have some right now. The bills are all paid, I still have money in my checking account, and Ramón got a honest-to-Cthulhu Christmas miracle and got a final bonus from his ex-employer so we’ll be okay through January. Things could be a hell of a lot worse right now. I’m just tired of trying to clean the house by myself, stop the daily cat fights, keep Ramón’s spirits up while he job hunts, sell enough jewelry to clear off the Amex bill, and be a good friend and listen to other people vent. There isn’t going to be any Christmas spirit here this year, but if I get through it in one piece that will be good enough.