The first thing I saw was a blue envelope

Today's the last day that you can read He Missed the Sea without having to trawl through old issues. Go to it.

Update:
Words this year (all projects): 5433
Home's total (including last year): 51007
New stories: 2 (December the 31st, Christina)
In circulation: 1

Later . . .

The first thing I saw was white

It snowed for fifteen minutes last night. The county fell to pieces.

That's all we're likely to get now, it's moved away from us, and the sun is shining. It's a beautiful day out, and it really makes me appreciate the grounds our office is in. We're surrounded by fields and woodlands here, and everything, for the time being, is blanketed in white.

Sadly, no one else was up for a snowball fight at lunchtime. Pah.

The first thing I saw was a surprise

Finished typing up Christina last night. Came to 6655 words.

Later . . .

The first thing I saw was the end

And the December challenge piece is finished.

And it has a name: Christina.

I didn't have much love for the story by about Friday last week -- it didn't look like I was ever going to finish, and I was getting some serious 'This is my worst work ever' vibes -- but over the weekend I blitzed it, and I have to say that I'm fairly happy with the last couple of scenes. The ending came together, and whilst the stuff before it may need some rewriting, I think I might be able to make something decent out of it.

No word count yet, as I'm still typing it out, but it's looking to be about five thousand words.

The first thing I saw was an L plate

My driving theory test is booked for Friday, 13 February. Writing's going to take a bit of a back burner over the next couple of weeks, as I reread my highway code and try to memorise stopping distances.

With luck I can have my practical test taken and failed by the end of April.

Later . . .

The first thing I saw was the hearse

Well, I'm back.

The funeral went pretty much without a hitch on Monday. There was a slight problem with the fact that they forgot to put any hymn books on the pews where the immediate family sit, but that was about it. It stayed dry for us when we went to the cemetery and quite a large proportion came back to the 'Club for the wake. I think that, all told, we managed to give him a good Irish send off.

I'm a little better. Last week I was a bit of a wreck. Just got to keep telling myself that it was a release for him in the end, and not to dwell on it too much. The important thing now is helping my Nan through the coming months.

The first thing I saw was the number 31

The light challenge peice is inching towards completion. I worked on it a bit more whilst I was back home (although once more the personal space to do such a thing was a bit of an issue, as I was sleeping on the landing again).

February's challenge is music or something. No ideas yet.

I've revised December the 31st. I'm going to post it to the workshop (and possibly the Talecrafters) in a couple of days.

Later . . .

The first thing I saw was the knife

The light challenge story continues its steady pace. I'm surprising myself with this story, normally when it takes this long to write a challenge piece (and I should be getting ready to start February's by this stage), I give up and the story is resigned to the unfinished 'others' folder on my computer. Not this time though. Strange. Maybe it's because I'm writing it by hand.

I typed up December the 31st, and surprisingly it only came to 859 words. Looking at the first draft I had thought it was more than that. I'm going to sit on it for a few days before I revise it, and hopefully sub it to the 'shop.

Update:
Words this year (all projects): 859 (not including light challenge story)
Home's total (including last year): 51007
New stories: 1 (December the 31st)
In circulation: 1

Later . . .

The first thing I saw was a date

The funeral's arranged for next Monday morning, so I'm going to be back in the sticks from Friday to Tuesday.

Later . . .

The first thing I saw was fuzzy television

My other grandfather passed away this weekend. Don't know how prolific my posting's going to be over the next couple of weeks.

Later . . .

The first thing I saw was lines on blank paper

I go upstairs when my housemates start watching the fishing on Home and Leisure. Try and work on the December challenge piece. Look at a blank page for a while. Read over what I last wrote (over a week ago now). Look at a blank page for a while longer. Write a couple of paragraphs; they suck and I'm tempted to just put a line right through them. I give up and pick up the book I'm reading. Nothing's coming tonight.

And the Talecrafters have begun to make themselves known. We're not due to start posting and reviewing until the first of the next month, but it looks like James has everything pretty sorted. Don't know what I'm going to post though, what with this writing block and all. Maybe December the 31st can get it's first public airing at this group instead of the workshop.

Later . . .

The first thing I saw was a broken heart

Notes from my Christmas break:

--29 12 2003
I get the idea that getting drunk with my ex is not such a good idea. It has taken me a while but the resurgence of the old arguments should be proof enough, should have been proof enough a long time ago. Sober we're fine. Sober we're still close. Drunk I'm an arsehole, and she's careless.
Red Kev stays away tonight, but Mean and Sarcastic Kev meets me at the end of the night. Mostly it's a good day, but this cripples it.

--29 12 2003
Ocean Colour Scene stick to an old set list and it serves them well. Feeder rock, but their set is far too short. Stereophonics also rock and my ex, who it transpires is one step away from being Kelly Jones' stalker, assures me that they are the best she's ever seen.
During Ocean Colour Scene I learn that Welsh people can't dance. It's like someone got together 50000 Dads and Nans for the world's biggest wedding reception.
I also learn that the Welsh wear their national flag as clothing too much. Hundreds of them all wearing the dragon as a cape or a skirt.
There is one snafu towards the end, when we get lost trying to find the place the park and ride buses pick up. Some genius at the Millenium Stadium decided to have the park and ride pick people up fifteen minutes walk from the stadium. Red Kev makes a brief appearance, then disappears when his ex gets distressed. We do eventually make it home, cursing the lack of signs in Cardiff.
The Mean Fiddler in London is made entirely from chipboard. It looks like a youth club in black.
Akercocke are good, but again they're on for far too short a time. Arch Enemy kick, and even though I'm alone, I mosh my little heart out.

--29 12 2003
Return of the King kicks. I love this film. I love this trilogy.

--29 12 2003
Christmas Eve never really gets off the ground. Elydian is sober, whilst Student With No Razor and I are drunk. Big Ron stays with his other buddies. Coops has family stuff. I remember telling various people that we must get in touch, but not who.

--29 12 2003
Christmas Day: Fried breakfast, guests, visitors, presents, beer, dinner, walk, dessert, telly, game, supper, telly, bed.

--29 12 2003
Salcs lose the rugby on Boxing Day. Damn.

--29 12 2003
I've been back a week and I finally found some time (and some privacy) to get some writing done. It's going to be the December challenge piece or, if I can't get that started, some more plotting for Eclipse

--31 12 2003, New Year's Eve
Actually spent some time writing over the last couple of days; working on the seriously late December challenge piece. No word count yet, but it amounts to about two and a half pages of A4.

--31 12 2003
Despite my resolve not to spend NYE in Kings, it looks like that's where I'm going to be when midnight strikes. I remain confident.

--31 12 2003
Resolutions:
1. Improve my craft, and become a better writer. Continue to learn and to help others to grow as writers.
2. Get published again.
3. Work hard towards getting chartered.
4. Stop being so damn single.

--02 01 2004
NYE exceeds expectations, despite a return to last year's scene of the crime, Fusion Squared. Thanks to Coops I develop a taste for Corona (with the little slice of lime they stuff down the neck of the bottle). Coops and his girlfriend are dressed as Big Ears and Noddy. The last of my childhood memories has been sullied.
Crying Girl cries every time I speak to her. I'm assured by Noddy that it's nothing I've said. Attractive as Crying Girl is, this proves to be quite the turn off.
DJ fucks the countdown up, so as 12 strikes I'm on the steps overlooking the dancefloor.

--02 01 2004
Fully intended working on my December challenge piece, but ended up working on one of the December stories, December the 31st. I'm quite pleased with the results, although it needs some trimming to make it flash. Following on from the success of He Missed the Sea, I'm going to see if I can convince soemone to publish it before I put it up at infinitewhite.net.

The first thing I saw was a working water feature

Back in the Distant Past and back in the office. Don't have much to say and I left my notes from my Christmas break back at the house, so I'll leave it until tomorrow.

Later . . .