Goals check for the week of August 19

Last week was both fun and productive.  Not only did I get my new computer and spend a lot of time playing with it, setting it up, and enjoying the heck out of it, but I also had a very productive week in terms of both writing and horses (my biggest priorities).  I feel like I've been given a great gift, having an extra couple of hours every morning and afternoon before I have to go to work.  Unfortunately I do have to work earlier today (the kids have a half day since it's their first day of school), but overall it feels great to be back to my school-year schedule.

1. Novels: I worked on my novel in some fashion almost every day last week.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were mainly spent on research, but I also wrote a few scenes that will take place in a future novel.  I was daydreaming about these scenes the previous weekend, and I wanted to get them down before I forgot some of the details.  They may end up changing as the series progresses (the scenes are set several books down the line -- I'm not even sure how many), but at least I won't forget about them now.

I also spent quite a bit of time researching, and I suspect I will be done with that stage of things soon.  Kind of like when I got stuck reading old vampire fiction months ago when I wanted to refer to some of it in the novel, this time I got stuck researching the Sears plant in Chicago and working conditions for female typists in the 1920s.  Since I don't want to leave anything for later, I had to get this done before moving on in the manuscript!

2. Blogs and websites: No progress here... Maybe soon!

3. Other writing projects: No progress here either...  But again, maybe soon!

4. Books: Les Miz is still on hold.  I need to get around to finishing it sometime soon, not only so I can read the other 6 on my list for 2013, but also so that I can watch the movie (which I haven't seen yet -- I was holding out until I finished the book).

5. Horses: Big news in the equine department.  V. has decided that she wants to start riding Rondo instead of Panama, which makes me quite happy, actually, since I prefer riding Panama and this will make it easier to ensure neither horse is ignored.  Rondo is also feeling very good since getting his shoes on, and was the least lazy we have ever seen him for V.'s lesson on Thursday.  She had two lessons on him, Tuesday and Thursday, and did some jumping with him both days -- the first real jumping he has done, since the one or two times we'd tried in the past, he had strongly objected (probably because his feet were sore).  Panama was ridden both days, too -- I rode on Tuesday during her lesson, and jumped a little myself while our trainer had the jumps out, and then I had a lesson of my own Thursday morning.  Thursday evening Panama packed A., V.'s little brother, around, so there are no worries of the horses not getting enough attention this past week!

As I said, I have to go to work a little earlier today, but I am looking forward to a productive week otherwise.  Since getting my computer, I've also been more motivated to do some of the boring admin tasks that have been piling up on my to-do list all year (such as cleaning my desk, getting caught up on my financial tracking, and going through old emails), so I'm feeling especially productive lately.  Fingers crossed that the motivation outlasts the usual new-toy-on-Christmas honeymoon period!