Red sky in the morning

Not that this photo really does it justice, even after frigging around with the settings on my camera AND again later in PSP. And I'm not sure why I chose that as a subject either. Except it's supposed to be a harbinger of bad weather to come, and emotionally this is traditionally a time of "bad weather."

Christmas has been and gone (it was fab, thanks for asking); New Year has been and gone (it was fab, thanks for asking); and reality has once again bitten down hard and nasty. The back to work reality that we all (most of us) faced on Monday. The reality of another year stretching ahead doing something we really don't want to be doing, and trying to find the time and energy in between whiles to do the things we DO want to be doing. So, recognising that that is the same reality for 99.99% of people on the planet, and before this turns into a total whinge, I'll just say that that is the (main) reason for my long absence from here. Trying to find the time and energy to do the important stuff that's NOT work, and not having enough of either to blog.

Why?

Well the main reason is my forthcoming entry to the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award. I have until February 27 to write a 44-minute radio play to enter into this biennial contest, which then stands a fair chance of being produced in the Afternoon Play slot on Radio 4. More about that as and when. The first draft is about half finished at the moment, but after I have the bare bones down on paper, it will need a lot more work to really bring the characters alive. Quite a challenge when there are no visuals, I'm finding.

And on the agenda for the rest of the day, after I've knocked out a bit more of that play? Another pot of coffee, that's the first thing. Completing the upward journey of the Christmas decorations. Their sad little crates only reached the landing last week; they have still to make the final leap into the attic. While I'm up there I'll probably have a bit of a sort out, too. Maybe we will - finally! - list some of the crap that's up there on eBay, as we threaten to do every year. Oh, yes, and my tax return. I've never left it this late before, but it has to be in by the end of this month.

I'm sure there was something else. Let me know if I remember it, will you?