Well, I hit a rough spot, a snag, a burp, hesitation, blah, blah, blah, in my very final I-swear-this-will-be-the-last-time novel rewrite.

I printed it out and everything sings. Except the beginning. I just can’t get the damned beginning to flow the way I want.

So the struggle continues.

In the meantime, there are runs in the desert and good books to read and lots of green chili tamales to eat. So yeah, even though I’m stuck in my book, life is still good.

Here’s something I love. I often run the Rillito River Trail and there’s a tile mosaic over one of the bridges, don’t you love it? Joni Mitchell. How can you not love seeing a Joni Mitchell quote when you’re running over a bridge over a river in the middle of the desert?

And this next picture is a little more graphic but it’s for all of those people who think and say, “Oh, I should write a book, my life has been so interesting.” Well, I’m sure your life has been interesting, don’t get me wrong. But writing a book is tough. It’s a bitch. It’s a time-consuming, life-sucking task that requires all of your energy and commitment and patience (much like raising a child). So, without further ado, here is a selfie of me falling into bed, eyes bloodshot, face stunned with exhaustion, after having stayed up all night writing. Don’t you love it? I’m thinking it would look perfect on the back of my next book jacket, granted that I ever finish another book.

And, with that, I’ll throw in a couple of shots of the desert, which never fails to nourish my sagging spirits. Take care and have a great weekend, everyone.