Well, I did get a few emails asking about the state of my office. And I did finally get started. 15 minutes a day turned out to be too ambitious in one chunk so I made it 5 minutes, 3 times a day. The total is the same, but it just seemed more doable.

And it's working.

My filing is done. The desktop looks a little better. I feel better, just not seeing the teetering stack condemning me for letting it sit and grow.

Funny how something as mundane as papers can scowl and reproach. And did they ever.

We're going to be empty nesters again in a few weeks. The last time, we redid the room into a guest room. This time, I'm going to use that room as the repository while I gut the office.

I don't do well in chaos and that's what the office has become. I do more writing in Starbucks now then I do in the office. And that's bad because the nearest Starbucks is 12-15 miles. I get 20 miles per gallon, gas is $4.23 so that's... well, a lot.

So, thanks to my friends and readers for keeping me accountable. That's what it's all about.

This is a plea to my friends and regular readers who know me.

Please (I'm not kidding) email me when you read this and ask if I've spent any time cleaning my office.

The elves keep skipping it and I'm drowning on my own.

Every week, it's still on my 'to do' list. 15 minutes a day in the office. How hard can it be??

Apparently, it's beyond my abilities. I know I'll be more productive when I don't have to climb over the stack of filing to get to the desk. I know I'll be able to breathe better when I finally relinquish the wooden ice bucket that I keep meaning to list on eBay and that meanwhile takes up room that could be used for more papers. Or books.

Help. If someone will keep me accountable (not nag) to do 15 minutes a day in the office, I'll love you forever. I probably will anyway, love you that is, but now it'll be out in cyberspace that I owe you, too.

Thank you.

I've been trying to write all day.

I'm being very disciplined and have been writing 1000 words a day or spending a couple of hours on revision.

Today I wrote about 500 words. All of them bad. Very bad. Pinch the nose bad.

I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks 'cause I've been stuck. I can't think of anything to say that's worth saying or hasn't been said already by others. And said better.

I've asked God if I'm supposed to keep this up.

He said, "Yes."

Figures.

We're headed out of town this weekend.
California is about to incinerate.
The Fresno State Bulldog baseball team are national champs.

And that's all she wrote.