You didn’t think I’d replace all the words on this page with doodles, did you? I was very close, of course. Today would have been the big day: empty word day. I have made a couple of go’s at writing over the last week, but since taking off from writing that fateful weekend, I’ve slowed down. I’m not going to consternate or complain about it. It was good to take the time off and focus on other things: mostly the Doolies. With the doodling and the writing and the working, I was left with very little time to spend with Doolies. I had to give up something, and writing seemed the lesser of the evils at the time. (And, no, we did not discuss giving up Viva Pinata. Who knew that tending a virtual garden and deciding which pinatas live and die would be so fun and addicting? Fun for the whole family, it is—or, at least, the Doolies and me.)

I had some strange thoughts this past week. I printed up my 2005 Marathon, and started digging through my Moleskine for notes about the story (it’s sad that I’m still on the same Moleskine from 2005). There’s a huge chasm between what I wrote and what I planned. I put aside entire magical systems and back stories and history and religions to pound out the words. I’m not saying I’m going to return to it or rewrite or do anything foolish like that. I’m not saying anything yet because saying is so easy and doing is so difficult. I will either sit down with my notes and plan and drastically rewrite, or I won’t. Today is my first tiny step. I typed up these words between watching “The Usual Suspects” (was there anyone who didn’t figure out the ending after the second scene?) and today’s Cast of Horribles.

I’m tired. I dropped Doolies off at the airport last night, and I didn’t fall asleep until past midnight yesterday after hitting late-night construction on I-5 on the return trip from the airport. Looking to the distance, I see three weeks of David time, which means two things: possible depression and a chance to find my rhythm in my writings. As the Horribles said, the first day is always the most difficult.