... have been greatly exaggerated - although my prolonged enforced blog silence has been because both the computer and I have been bed-ridden for most of December. The computer was in hospital (released today - fully recovered - yay! I can work again!!!) - and fortunately I managed (just) to avoid hospitalisation this time... My Epstein-Barr seems to choose the most inconvenient moments to chuck up a few sneaky viruses - but as I was already at a pretty low ebb (thanks to all the accumulated writerly/money crap etc), and everyone I know seems to have had at least three bouts of something unpleasant in December, I think it was bound to happen...Anyway, not going to dwell on it, I'm feeling much better, a bit scared at having missed an entire month of writing - but had no choice - and am now raring to go. Always feel quite keen on everything at the beginning of January. The enthusiasm has usually waned into my usual boredom and inertia by about the 14th...
Many thanks to everyone who emailed me to see if I'd slit my wrists. Have just opened my backlogged emails (hundreds of them) and will answer them asap - promise - but you're brilliant to care. Made me cry...
One thing I've learned though: don't ever think that if you pay a few months money into your mortgage account - as I did when flush with the German royalties - it'll cushion you when you have a shortfall as we did in December. The bank rang to say there wasn't enough in the account to pay the mortgage; I said no because I'd miscalculated my December income on a huge scale but not to worry as I paid three months mortgage money into the account earlier in the year so that would cover us, wouldn't it? Silence. Then they said no, that an over-the-top deposit didn't entitle you to a mortgage payment "holiday" - you couldn't just not pay for a month or two - all it did was reduce the overall amount you owed. What I should have done, apparently, was put the three months mortgage money into a savings account and then drawn on it when things went financially tits up in December... Sooo, we missed out on paying the mortgage in December and will now have to pay twice in Jan - oh joy!!!
Other things that went by the board during December as well as the mortgage - apart from Christmas (well, being broke didn't matter too much as I was too ill to give a stuff!) - Weight Watchers, wedding plans, writing anything at all, giving a toss about writing, eating, drinking, being even slightly sociable... And Em-next-door moved which upset me because I just felt like I was losing everything. We still don't know who's moving in - do hope it'll be someone as lovely as Em - she was the best possible neighbour and friend.
Now have to get a grip - will (if I spend 20 hours a day at keyboard) deliver Moonshine by the end of January; will start dieting and will be skinnied into the m-o-t-b frock by April (somehow managed to gain 5lbs over Dec - despite not being able to eat/drink); will sort out wedding invites/accommodation for guests travelling from a distance/practice walking in m-o-t-b red satin four inch killer heels (FIVE quid in the sales); will write two new synopsisisisisisi for next book deal (ever the optimist!!!); will buy magazines and tailor stories/features instead of my current random scatter gun approach - and will definitely stop procrastinating and bloody do something about the stuff that infuriates/scares/worries/upsets me.
Oh, yes - and I'll blog. I've really, really missed it....
16 comments:
YAY!!! Look! Chris is back!!! I'm SO over the moon to see your blog! I hope you're feeling better. I have also gained 5 lbs over the last few weeks and you can imagine how good that looks on the WW blog when I'd only lost 6 to begin with! bugger! Great to hear all your positive plans. I love January for the same reason. Here's to a fantastically successful 2009 :) xx
Hi Chris. I am sorry you've had a horrible lurgy but really glad you're back. Hope you have a wonderful 2009!
Phew, glad to hear you're okay, although with that list of things to do, I hope you manage to take it easy some of the time. You don't want to be ill again.
Horrible about the mortgage, but so typical of the banks. The one we're with is refusing to lower their rates at all, something to do with the States (of Jsy) not doing something they want them to, which is all well and good, but it's the poor devils like R and self who suffer whilst they are at a stand off.
Here's hoping 2009 is a wonderful year for you. Great to see you blogging again. X
Cor blimey, you've had a right old time of it!! Glad you're back and feeling better :o)
I'm half way through Happy Birthday (stayed up far too late last night reading) and loving it. If I can write a novel half as lovely, I'll be a happy woman :o))
Chris I'm so glad you're back. My mom's been very sick through December too so I haven't blogged either. I think December was a very hard month everywhere.
It's weird to hear you talk about working on Moonshine; I've already got it in my "Cart" at Amazon....
Hugs, glad you and the computer are feeling better.
Oh dear, Chris - poor you. But really glad to hear that you are up to juggling life's balls again.
(((hugs)))
Hurray you're back!
Some good resolutions in there - best of luck with them.
Should m-o-t-b's wear six inch killer heels? Oh well why not?
Oh, meant to say, when I once accidently overpaid a mortgage (set up both a standing order and a direct debit for 4 months and didn't realise) and ended up massively overdrawn as a result, my mortgage company did allow me a payment holiday till I got back on track. Probably depends on the company. I was with Scarborough building society then, who could not be faulted in any way.
Cyber [[[hugs]]]. So wonderful to have you back and to know that you - and the pc - are feeling better.
Wishing you a vastly better year and that 2009 will be filled with only good things. You deserve all the happiness, good health and success possible.
Thank you for being such an incredible friend.
Much love,
Mags xxxx
hi Chris,
so sorry you have been ill over christmas and not even lost any weight either! never mind surely 2009 will be a better year for you.
loved the book, it was fab, couldnt put it down, cant wait for the next one.
love to all the cats xxxxx
Welcome back. So sorry to hear you have Epstein Barr - I didn't know. Horrid for you, as well as the financial thing and as for the mortgage ...! December seems to have been a fairly grotty month for so many people, what with illnesses and all the financial horrors around. Let's all hope things start to improve now. Lots of good luck to you. x
Glad to see you back Chris I was beginning to wonder where you were. Sodding banks, don't you just hate them. However nil desperandum, you're back in the land of the living and it'll all come good for you now.
Take it easy until you're fully recovered.
Great to see you back, Chris!
Sorry you've had a rotten time of it. Here's to a tons better 2009
xxPat
Good to have you back. Chin up :)
Mummy - thanks so much - let's hope 09 is a good one for all of us (despite all the doom and gloom...)
Phillipa - thank you. Here's to 09 being a brillaint one for The Brooettes!!!
Debs - happy 09 to you too! Nothing about Jsy's machinations surprises me - as you say, really annoying. Still, live and learn???
Karen - aw - thank you! You've no idea how much you liking Happy Birthday means to me. And as you're MUCH funnier than me, I can't wait to read yours!
katiebird - really, really hope your mom is better now. Dec was an awful month for so many people. Eeek - you've already "bought" Moonshine???? Ooooh - scary! But THANK YOU!
Nell - thanks so much - we're both holding up at the mo (fingers crossed)
Jan - ball-juggling a Jones' speciality I think!
womag - thanks so much - and I'm only wearing the killer heels for the service and the photos. I have some really sweet and mumsy little red ballet shoes (Elle says they're slippers!) for popping on as soon as we're sitting down and for the dancing etc! Oh, that was so nice of your BS - sadly our mortgage is with HSBC and they don't seem to have heard of the human touch...
Mags - 09 IS going to be a good year for all of us.
sheila s - oh, thank you so much. So, so pleased you liked the book -and thanks a million for letting me know - it means everything to me. Do hope you'll like Moonshine when (if) it's written!!!
The Write Woman - thanks for all your good wishes and let's hope 09 is great for all of us. I spent weeks in hospital with Epstein Barr 5 years ago (as I hadn't been snogging strangers they reckoned I caught it from the saliva on the bar snacks in the pub - which I always finished up at the end of the shift - gross???? ) and it does cause me probs from time to time bit I've learned to live with it (almost).
Gonna be a writer - thanks so much - and yep, I hate banks who won't treat you as a customer, a human being with individual problems - it used to be fine when we had a branch manager we could *talk* to - but not any more - sigh...
Pat - thank you so much. Onwards and upwards and here's to 09 being a better one???
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