Rigatoni con Salsiccia , artificial deadlines and Bachelor Rome

Yesterday I truly woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My neighbor and her child did their usual 1:00, 3:00 a.m. thing. I started riding the crimson wave (a CLUELESS reference for you) and I was frustrated because I wanted to write so badly but I had too much work to do.

I felt a little better after going to the gym, but all day my phone was ringing. We are trying to set up a pitch at work before the holidays and time is running out. Last week I finally had an "aha moment" regarding the novel. One of the notes said at times it reads more like a script, all action and dialogue and not enough POV. Without the protangonist's internal voice some of the emotional beats are missing.

I was so excited to get back into the book but I realized I was putting too much pressure on myself to "finish" by a certain date. It's good to be disciplined but I can't let the rest of my life fall apart. One, I need to work so I can keep a roof over my head. I like my job but I have to read so much for it and it's not a 9-5 kind of gig. Two, everyone writes at their own pace. Some writers brag about finishing a novel in a couple of months, some take years. I really started writing the book in February. Trying to get everything done by Thanskgiving is not realistic given the amount of hours I have to spend on my day job.

I have been trying to cut back on carbs and lose some weight. I happened to write a line in the book about food and I thought life is too short to have bad/unsatisfying meals all the time. I went to Bristol Farms and bought some sausage and arugula and made Rigatoni with Sausage. It was so good with a nice glass of red wine.

re: Bachelor Rome. Why was Lisa crying? She should have left weeks ago. The resort in Sicily looked amazing.