… and this:

… and this:

… and a guest post for Writer Unboxed in which I say something a bit shocking:

Some people might view the change in my goals as a lowering of standards. For me, it’s about understanding and accepting my limits. I mean that in 2 ways. First: Neither literary acclaim nor blockbuster sales are within my control. That’s just the reality. And that’s okay. Second, and this may also be a reality: I might not be cut out to be a professional writer. After a lot of internal struggle, I realized that’s okay too.

To be honest, that post started out a bit differently. The point wasn’t just that I might not be cut out to be a professional writer, but that most people probably aren’t. However, it seemed safer/kinder to focus on my own soul-searching, and then let people see themselves in it (or not).

Also, to be clear: I’m still working towards publication. It’s just that I’ve realized publication shouldn’t be the benchmark for my happiness. If it is, I may or may not ever be happy. But if I focus on the writing, and I let that be its own goal, then I can be happy right now.

(Overcoming a mindset of 15 years is easier said than done, though.)

No love AT ALL,
Kristan

PS: Not that you care — because if you did, you wouldn’t make your things smell so damn good to dogs — but Riley is totally fine now. And I am going to take a nap.

Me and Riley wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day! Don’t get caught up in the couple-y stuff. Just spread love. After all, it’s the most wonderful and powerful force there is. :)

Unfortunately, he doesn’t quite make it.

Still half-asleep, you clean up the carpet and then fall back into bed. The dog lies down next to you, wide-eyed and sad, as if he can’t believe his stomach has betrayed him.

An hour later, the alarm goes off, and it’s much too soon. But what can you do? It’s time for breakfast, emails, and work. Not long after that, it’s time for lunch, errands, and work. And a little later, it’s time for dinner and chores, and maybe some more work. The day rolls on, no relief, layering its stresses upon you one tick of the clock at a time.

Finally, when most of your to-do list has been checked off — the rest will have to wait until tomorrow — you settle on the sofa, curling into the corner and sinking into the cushions. The TV is on but you barely hear it. Your eyes are open, but your mind is in Sleep Mode. You feel… nothing.

Minutes pass. Then something moves in the corner of your vision. A paw.

You turn to see your dog tucked into the opposite corner of the sofa, a furry ball of sleep. You watch him. His little belly rises and falls with each slow, soothing breath. His nose twitches. His ears are askew. His eyes have disappeared into the black spots that surround them. His tail is wrapped around him like punctuation mark, and his head is nestled between his front legs.

You smile.

Peace settles over you like a warm blanket. You feel grateful for this one tiny moment, this perfect picture of serenity. You realize that life is a two-sided coin: everything is balanced. Suddenly you don’t feel so stressed.

When you get up, the dog follows. He stands in your closet while you change into pajamas. He sits at your feet while you brush your teeth. He looks at you hopefully when you open the fridge for a glass of water. He jumps onto the sheets when you turn off the lights and slip into bed.

At 11 PM your day ends with a dog resting his head on your leg. You both sleep soundly.

Yesterday I turned 3 years old. But apparently you don’t care, because you didn’t even blog about it until Dad (posing as me) told you to. That’s fine, I see how it is.

Well, maybe someone else will appreciate me. Hey guys, if any of you are interested in an adorable, snuggly, 25-lb. guard dog who can sit, stay, lie down, come, roll over, play dead, shake, catch, and bow, I’m available!

I also make good art…

I can carry stuff…

And if you take me to work, I will increase your productivity (or at least your popularity).

Send me your best offers! Bribes are accepted. I prefer kibbles, Frosty Paws, or a thick juicy stick/steak (either one will do).

Love,
Riley

(And also: by starting my next manuscript while I wait to hear back from said assistants, which will probably take a few weeks. Yeah, this process never ends.)

Over the weekend, Andy and I took a real break by going up to Columbus to visit friends who recently moved there. We brought Riley with us to play with our friends’ dog Dill. Of course, Dill’s definition of play involves toys and chasing and wrestling. Riley’s definition involves walking around and sniffing things. Needless to say, Dill was disappointed.

Also, I totally wanted to steal this “little” Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. Unfortunately, his owners were actually paying attention to him! Who does that?

After doggie playtime, we humans moseyed on over to the Ohio State Fair. Lots of livestock, fried food, and Midway games you can’t win.

What did you do this weekend?

The reason for my exhaustion: Our move (work, not home) is now exactly 1 week away. But surprisingly, things seem to be under control. (I think.) A lot of that is because my coworker had her college-aged son and two of his friends come be my slaves helpers. They moved furniture around in our new office space, and packed up the basement of our old building. They were great — both as helpers and guys — but it was a little strange to realize that they probably thought of me as “old” just because I’m in the working world and they’re still students. Being considered old = -_-

Fortunately, the best St. Patrick’s Day story ever = ^_^

No seriously. READ IT.

Also, as promised, here are a few pics of Riley’s new next door buddy, Sunny:

Please note that Sunny is a whopping 8 weeks old and already as big as Riley.

Also, he has this weird habit of going to lie in the mulch around the a/c units. Don’t ask.

Also, he always wants attention. Weird, right? It’s like he’s a puppy or something.

I’d like to blame the weather for my complete lack of productivity today, but I can’t. I’ve done exactly nothing on my to-do list today, and it’s mostly because I’ve been reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Until page 60, I wasn’t sure if I’d like the book or not, but since then I’ve been completely absorbed. Ford’s prose is simple, elegant, and moving. And I’m so glad, because he seemed like a wonderful person when I met him at a local reading.

My other reason is that things at work are busier than normal, because we’re moving to a new building in a couple weeks. Between now and then, I’ll be handling a lot of logistics, plus after we move I’ll go back to a 5-day work schedule for a 10-week transition period. I’m not exactly looking forward to the reduced writing time, but my work has been very accommodating to me and my writing so far, so this is the least I can do. (And hopefully after the 10 weeks pass, I’ll have figured out a way to make my 4-day part-time schedule work in the new location.)

Furthermore, I’m hoping that my recent consistency and good habits will help keep me on track through the move. Because that’s the thing about being a writer, you know? There’s never a perfect time or situation. So you always have to make it work. Make yourself work.

So yeah, that’s what’s up for the foreseeable future. But hey, at least my workspace (both current and future) has lots of big windows so I can enjoy all this sunshine!