Post-holiday Catchup

I took a bit of a break for the holiday week, so I have a lot to catch up on.

First, Fantastic Beasts -- I had some writing structure quibbles with it, but I did enjoy the movie. I liked the Jazz Age setting, something we don't see a lot of in fantasy, and I liked the characters. The acting was excellent. It's fun seeing a movie in that universe in which the characters were adults and already fully trained wizards, so we didn't have to go through the origin story or training. I'm curious as to how the rest of the series will go because this seemed to be largely setup to establish the threat and establish the characters.

I had a good Thanksgiving with my family. I got to see just how much of a challenge it is to get everything done and on the table in a reasonable order when I tag teamed with my mom to finish getting the dinner ready and then get it served. This is why my meals tend to be simple. It's nearly impossible to have everything ready at about the same time.

Now I have a ton of turkey leftovers. I've already used a lot of them to make some soup. I'll have to get creative with the rest. The weekend is supposed to be chilly, so maybe I'll make some pot pies.

Saturday, there was gorgeous weather, so I took a long walk and came up with the solution for a problem I've been having with the book I've been working on. I also had the clever idea of wearing my hiking socks with my sneakers, so I didn't get the blisters or rubbing I usually get when I take that long a walk.

Sunday was delightfully gray, and I was reading the newspaper while sitting on the sofa and trying to find a comfortable position when I remembered that I now have that fancy adjustable bed. It was the perfect day for a good wallow, so I hauled the newspaper in there, along with some books, raised the head and foot to create a nice cradle position, and spent the afternoon doing crosswords and reading. When the head's elevated, I'm a long way from the nightstand, so I set up a folding wooden TV table by the bed to hold my tea. It was all rather decadent. I'll have to do that more often.

Now I need to dive into work for the week. I have a book to promote, a proposal to write, and a lot of housework that I need to do to get ready for the holidays.