I’m one of five people who are in the office today. Tomorrow will likely be the same. I’ve decided to bring in my dog tomorrow. Just to liven things up.  As the holidays approach, I find myself living in a lovely malaise. No writing. Trying to do on to others as I feel the warmth of friendships and the bittersweet feeling of turning the page on another year.  As mentioned, I’m stocking up on movie viewing and just saw “Birdman”, an exhilarating, bizarre movie starring the incredible Michael Keaton. (More to come – “The Theory of Everything”, “The Imitation Game”, “Inherit Vice”, “Into The Woods”) and books (Amy Poehler’s “Yes Please”, Tony Robbins’ “Money: Master the Game”, “The Goldfinch”, an autobiography on Phil Hartman and a spy story about a guy and his basset hound.)

I hope to write during the time off between Christmas and New Year, but until then – I’m hanging up the “Out For the Holidays” sign in my brain. It’s hard. I feel guilty not writing. It’s my passion. It’s the reason why I exist. I can’t keep going on like I have, working at another company’s job where my own boss, as lovely as she is, barely knows I exist.  Perhaps I can find a new job in the new year – that pays better. But until then, I’m working away at my writing, trying to build a new career – not just as an author, but as someone who wants to help others write too.

Something on tap for next year: Training my dog for film and television. I’d also like to train him to be a certified therapy dog so we can children’s hospitals and senior homes to put smiles on peoples’ faces. Perhaps keep a blog on Baxter’s do-goodness, write a series of children books, perhaps? There are so many children books out there – even with Basset Hounds. We’ll see. It could be an interesting side venture that will allow me to share the wonders that is Baxter the Basset Hound. He’s already famous in parts of Hollywood!

Now, back to reading Tony Robbins’ and figuring out how not to outlive my money.