Post-convention Brain

On the first day after a convention I'm usually all fired up to work, and then it never fails that I don't actually get anything done. Yesterday, my brain was just fried, and I somehow ended up falling into a Band of Brothers marathon on Spike. It seems their holiday programming is always either Band of Brothers or Star Wars, and I haven't figured out what makes something a Star Wars holiday as opposed to a Band of Brothers holiday. I guess Presidents Day counts as US history, so they go with Band of Brothers, but the presidents we celebrate on that holiday are pre-WWII, so you'd think the civil war/revolution themes in Star Wars would be more fitting.

Anyway, I think I needed a day to rest, and now today I hope I can really get my act together. I want to get this book done and ready for submission, then get The Book That Will Not Die ready for submission, and then I need to start looking for some freelance writing/editing/PR/marketing communications gigs to pay the bills while I wait for something to happen with the books and while I research a possible mystery novel.

I'm a bit sad that Downton Abbey is now over for another year. It's so totally a soap opera, and if the same kinds of stories were set in modern America, I would have zero interest, but the series set around WWI fascinates me, and it's not all the clothes and accents. I guess it was "over" for me a week ago when I got the DVDs and watched the whole thing, but it's now over on PBS. Whatever will I do with myself? I was rather startled by how many outfits reminiscent of the costumes on that show I can put together from pieces already in my wardrobe. I wore one of those outfits to the convention last weekend, and someone remarked about how it was something I could wear to work without looking like I was wearing a costume, and I had to admit that it was stuff I had worn to work, back when I had a regular job that didn't allow me to wear sweats and a bathrobe (today's lovely ensemble) to work. I wore a long, straight, high-waisted black skirt and a charcoal riding-style jacket with black velvet collar and a white shirt, with Mary Jane shoes and a black velvet hat with black satin rose trim. I didn't wear the hat to work, but otherwise that was one of my work stand-by outfits. I hadn't worn either skirt or jacket in a while because both have been somewhat out of style, but it seems like that look is coming back, possibly due to the Downton influence. I'll have to drag out my other high-waisted long, slim skirts. If this steampunk book sells, I'll have a real excuse to dress in Victorian/Edwardian style at conventions. It will be marketing!