All right, so I was planning to post a lengthy, thoughtful post the day following my e-book giveaway announcement, but I woke up that morning with the reminder that I was set to watch Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier. So, uh, yeah – good intentions and all that. I also decided to disconnect, set my WIP aside, and go nuclear on my proofs for Wollstone, which I just finished. I mean, literally, about five minutes ago.* The corrections are with my publisher, and I get to enjoy a bit of a breather before Grave’s End lands on my lap.

And my thoughts on Captain America? Too many to note down, all of which are crazy positive. :D But these are the highlights:

1. Falcon had better be given some rocking gear next time around.
2. I love aerial fight scenes.
3. Black Widow kicking ass = “Where the hell is my Wonder Woman movie, DC? WHERE?”
4. Nice, meaty plot I can sink my teeth into. And it’s brilliantly relevant to boot.
5. I love aerial fight scenes.
6. I want to see this movie again.
7. Crap, I’m behind on my viewing of Agents of SHIELD, and I know my timeline’s off now after watching CA2.**
8. I @$!#&% worship aerial fight scenes.

I’d like to balance that out with Grand Budapest Hotel, but now it’s a question of when I can realistically drop everything in order to run out and watch another movie. I’d love to see it on the big screen, but if life happens – and I know it will – I’ll have to wait till it’s available for streaming.

I mentioned in a previous blog post regarding the Rubicon being crossed. Very cryptic, that be. It was actually the wrong expression to use, though maybe on some other level, it’s appropriate.

Get this:

I’ve quit caffeine – mind you, I’m drinking jasmine green tea, so I’m more like 99% caffeine-free, but that’s a hell of an improvement from where I was just five days ago. And it was cold turkey. Maybe my dependence on caffeine as well as my tolerance level to its effects weren’t as bad as I’d first thought because I didn’t experience any of the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. Maybe my previous six-month bout with fatigue and a compromised immune system (long story, that, but it’s gone now \O/) might’ve affected everything as well. Can’t say for sure, but I’m just so glad to be out of the fatigue-and-caffeine woods, finally.

So I’ve been doing my edits and writing without being wired for once. It’s been an adventure, lemme tell you. Fighting off the inevitable dips in energy levels later in the day means getting up and walking around, chugging down a glass of water, or chasing my cats around and freaking them out to get my blood pumping again. I’ve been tempted, trust me, to cheat just… this… once… and get enough caffeine in my system to help me finish what I’m doing. But you know how that kind of story goes, so, no, thanks. Once you start again, it’ll never stop.

I also made sure to dump all caffeinated stuff out – except for my beloved jasmine green tea. Coffee, guarana, other energizer supplements – the big guns. Best thing I’ve ever done for myself lately. So even if I’m tempted, I can’t really do anything about it. My cats might hate me for their daily terrors, but it’s all for art.

* Make that late last night. I started writing this post at around midnight and had to save the draft, so I could go to bed.

** Nope. Not off anymore! Andy and I are caught up with AoS. He’s confused, and I’m all, “Why is Skye such a Mary Sue? Go Agent May!”