Margaret's latest success and Day Eighteen word count

First, Margaret's latest success: she was awarded Student of the Year for her age group at our karate school -- woo-hoo!

Day Eighteen word count: 35,020. I'm 70 percent done, with only 60 percent of the days done; or, to put it another way, my average daily minimum has dropped from 1,667 on Day One to about 1,300. Which means I'm keeping up, and more than keeping up. This is making me feel very pleased.

I cooked an elaborate dinner for Houston on his birthday: beer-and-honey-braised veal roast with carrots and potatoes, steamed broccoli, and -- for dessert -- a chocolate-macadamia pound cake. With frosting. Nothing succeeds like excess. The dinner was delicious, if I do say it myself, and that also made me feel very pleased.

My headcold seems to have finally taken the hint that it's not wanted, and that has made me feel very pleased.

Will I write another 2,000 words -- or more -- tomorrow?