… but not without one more last hurrah.
My Friday started off exactly as planned. Pilates, hot chocolate, and then into the office to write the final chapter of Amplifier 5 – the denouement I’ve had in my head for over a year.
I climbed on my treadmill, put on my computer glasses, and started reading through a section of text that I’d highlighted to rewrite at the end of my day yesterday.
Then I reached for my hot chocolate.
And knocked it across the room.
Yes.
500 ml of dark, hot chocolate in perfectly frothed skim milk, flung … in an instant …
All …
Over…
My …
Tiny office.
White painted walls and baseboards (flat white paint, which is great for touching up but not so great for wiping off), a pilates reformer, hand-stained pine flooring, a portable heater (which was on and instantly dried all the liquid splattered across it), and a ten-foot-long wall of white cabinets (seeping through the seams into the cupboards themselves).
Molly Millions was delighted at this sudden explosion of tastiness dripping off practically every surface of the room. It was a miracle that she wasn’t in her doggy bed right beside me at the time, because it also got soaked.
I didn’t scream.
How? I have no idea. Except I had a puppy to grab and leash.
Long story short, hot chocolate gets EVERYWHERE. I had to dismantle my pilates reformer, and the parts of it that can be, are currently in the wash. Did you know that even well-finished plywood (such as the interior structure of my pilates ‘box’) can’t be cleaned of soaked-in liquid? Not even with a liberal application of hot soapy water? Ditto with the slightly perforated padding (for traction, I assume) on the jump board.
So … an hour later the floors, walls, cabinets, desk, heater, and pilates reformer were scrubbed and dried – and I’d managed not to cry about any of it. I made myself a second hot chocolate and treated myself to the latest installment of the Innkeeper novel that Ilona Andrews is currently serializing on their blog …
Then I wrote the final chapter of Amplifier 5.
It took me almost two years, but I now have a complete first draft of Instincts and Imposters (Amplifier 5). Along with a Zans novelette (Amplifier 5.5) (which will be included with Amplifier 5).
The curse is broken, but not before it tried to break me.
One.
Last.
Time.
😂
I’ll begin tackling the second draft on Monday.
🫂My hero 😍
Best response
So excited you broke the curse!! I’ve been missing you! Sorry about the horoscope catastrophe though!! :-O
Hot chocolate catastrophe!!!! But Maybe your horoscope was out of whack too??! lol
Oh my gosh, that’s horrible!! It absolutely sounds like something I would do haha. I’m glad you got it all cleaned, and that Molly didn’t get any.
So excited to read this when it comes out!!
I’m listening to the series for the umpteenth time. Right this minute, I’m halfway through Amplifier 4. I can’t tell you how pleased this news makes me!
And I do stuff like that ALL the time. Usually when I’m settling in to do something leisurely. RIP hot chocolate. ☕
That happened to me on Weds on a smaller scale in my new car. I had a Raspberry Panda coffee; the top popped off as I picked it up and it spilled and splattered everywhere. It’s a good thing I like the smell of raspberry, chocolate, and espresso lol.
Oh, no! A hot chocolate disaster. Mine was glass mug, dog and fabric chair. You definitely have my sympathy. But so happy you are back to writing again. Super hurrah! Can’t wait but I will with bated breath.
Hmmm similar but different, pizza dough catastrophe. For our brand new pizza oven, following the recipe. Said recipe says to “ make a well in the centre and mix wet and dry ingredients” ummmm so the recipe DIDNT mention the possibility of “leakage” LOTS of leakage alll down/in the cupboard doors, over the edge of the other side of the island. Just yeasty liquid and flour EVERYWHERE!!! What possessed me to actually follow the damn instructions I will never know after being married to an Italian for nearly 30 years I.Should.Know.Better.
On a side note & completely unrelated, I bought my first pair of Fluevlog shoes 2 weeks ago! Freakin amazing and totally inspired by your writing. Thankyou xx
Sorry to hear about the hot chocolate, it’s always amazing to me how far liquid goes when spilt.
I am glad you were able to break the curse. Whenever I hear of things or places being cursed I always think of the scene from Mummy Returns and one of thieves goes on about “This being cursed” and “That being cursed”.
Hope everyone has a great weekend
An amazing show of self mastery, determination and persistence… Emma would be proud.
Or maybe I should say “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”? 😊
Yay!