Preparing for Halloween

Today, there was progress.  And I looked down it and said it was good.  I've learned that I can't work without a healthy dose of caffeine in the morning/afternoon and I have to waste an hour skimming through the Internet looking at ... essentially nothing really important.  It takes 10 seconds to stumble from bed to the office but it takes an hour for my brain to kick in.  I am NOT a morning person.

In the meantime, this bloody short story is going to run long and I've given up on trying to figure out how many words I'm going to be long.  Right now, my main concern is trying to rein in my imagination so this story doesn't become it's own freaking book.  I pulled out my Korn and Marilyn Manson music to put me in the mood for writing today.  I also pulled out a kitchen timer so I could do my 1K words in 1 HR.  It worked and I'm going to try that combination again after dinner to try to push through and finish the chapter I'm stuck on.

Elsewhere, Halloween preparation are starting to shape up.  I don't do much decorating, though I'm thinking about it for next year.  We've got the candy.  We've checked on the costumes.  The O.H. has his on the way in a day or two, while mine is still MIA.  I may be soon looking into a back-up costume.  We've even got one ordered for the mutt.  I think it's going to be awesome when it arrives.

And finally, here is a picture of this year's victims.  These lovely pumpkins will be sacrificed to the spirits of All Hallow's Eve.  For the first time, I've got some stencils that I want to use.  We'll be gutting this poor pair this weekend before heading off to the zoo.   There's something so relaxing and cathartic about sticking your hands down into a pumpkin, wrapping your fist around its guts, and pulling it out.  Or then again, maybe its just me.  Now all I need to do is locate the candles to set these poor boys on fire.