Hiking is the glamorous part of writing a book; hours in front of the computer are much less engaging. For any of you who have cats, the pictured situation is probably all too common! Xanadu here has taken my keyboard by force, rendering me helpless to work. She's actually pretty keen about all this however; when I'm goofing off online she has no problem getting in the way and being an adorable nuisance. When I'm in the zone of writing, editing, and really working, she respectfully sits on the floor or on the bed. A project of this scale warps the way time passes. Hours go by in a flash. Sleep is essential on several levels and staying focused while the world continues to drone on is a task that requires commitment and discipline. There is a bit of freedom in being one's own boss but it also means one has to really be honest with work ethic--too little or too much can be bad for the overall product. Still, at the end of the day, I can work in my underwear at home and when I'm out in the field, the dress code is waterproof-casual. Not too shabby when you consider the alternatives.
