Thumped by Thanksgiving—well, not thumped but quite distracted

I had half-intended to post Thursday, something nice about how thankful I am for TYG, our new house, writing full-time, good health. But as usual on our days off, TYG gets up late, and I don’t get out of bed before she does (I lie next to her and read). And by the time we’d gotten up and gone bicycling it was time for our Thanksgiving dinner at Cafe Parizade. This is reputedly the largest vegan Thanksgiving in the country (though I don’t know if anyone’s put that to the test) and the food is delicious: Mashed potatoes with garlic, plus mushroom gravy. Sweet potatoes. Roasted root vegetables. Chocolate cake. Toffee crisps. Bread and hummus. Suffice to say, by the time I got home I was in no shape to do anything productive like blog. But mmmmmm.
Yesterday I’d expected would be a work day as TYG was going back to work … only she was able to get it off. So instead we hit Costco (stocking up for holiday parties), then I read in the afternoon, then in the evening we went to a friend’s house for “orphan Thanksgiving.” Delicious, again, esp. the bourbon chocolate pie. I brought a creole mushroom/tomato stew over rice. It went largely uneaten (there was much competition) but that means more for us for the coming week, so I can’t complain.
Today we got up late again (we got home around 11) and then hit the library (as usual, I overindulged) and Whole Foods. Then off to the final Twilight film, which was actually one of the better ones (still nothing I’d go to see on my own). And now a few moments to get some odds an ends.
Taking Friday off slowed me down (well, duuuuh) but I still had a productive week.
•I finished tidying the first 20,000 words of Brain From Outer Space. Next week I’ll plot out the next section.
•I submitted the children’s book I think I mentioned in a previous post (a for-hire thing). Haven’t heard back whether it was accepted yet, but it was a very quick project so no loss if not.
•I got most of a draft of Never Call Up What You Cannot Put Down done. I finally figured out how they’re going to stop the spirit they’re dealing with from serving the Nazis, but that still leaves a lot of pissed-off Nazis to deal with. Unfortunately, I’m also going to have to drop a lot of the historical background and compress the rest to a couple of throwaway lines (“Have you ever heard of the Angel of Mons?”).
•I put in 2,000 very good words on Southern Comfort. The story is shaping up well, and the 1970s setting definitely helps.
•Demand Media articles done this week:
•Can Widows Who Remarry Draw on the New Husband’s Social Security Benefits Instead?
•The Maximum Amount You Can Contribute to a Traditional or Roth IRA
•Can Spousal IRA Contributions Be Made Into an Exisiting IRA?
•My Mother Still Has a Mortgage & Needs to Move Into a Retirement Home
•How to Copyright a T-Shirt
•Does One Have to Be Employed to Open an IRA?
•Can a Homebuyer Refinance Their Existing Personal Mortgage Loan Without a Penalty?
•Tax Implications for Contributing Too Much to Roth IRA
•Paying Off My Mortgage Vs. Investing in My 401(k)
•Can I Deduct Dance Tuition From My Federal Taxes?
•What Disadvantages Do Small Investors Face When Investing in the Stock Market?
•Attorneys’ Fiduciary Duties to Clients
•Tax Liability for Closing a Roth IRA
•What to Do If Married Couples Have Separate Roth IRAs at Tax Time
•Succession Development
•How to Dissolve Company With IRS
•IRS Regulations for Early Distributions From an IRA
•Can Creditors Get an IRA When the IRA Owner Dies?
•Does a Minor Inherit Money After a Parent’s Death?
•Can I Pay My Back State Taxes if I Still Owe Them the Following Year?
•Things to Write Off on Taxes When Single and a Student
•What Is a Letter of Motivation for a Mortgage?