Things that bring me up when I'm down

1. Shiny new laptops. Or shiny refurbished laptops. Whatever. I should have caved a long time ago. Not only is this going to help the writing, now I won't have to print chapters posted on my critique group, read them and mark them up promptly, then have to wait days to find enough computer time to type up the notes and line edits. I can do it all on the laptop in the kitchen, while I'm waiting for this or that boy to finish his math. Sweet! Also, paper-free.
2. Only having three chapters left to go to finish the WIP, and these are the three chapters I know exactly what to say since they've been in my head since the beginning. My only fear: there is a big emotional moment coming up, and I have a tendency to go all Marti Noxon on the emotional moments. I'll probably just let it all go full drama mode (frankly, it's fun to write, all over the top, you know?) and then dial it back in on the second pass.
3. My husband saying that when I reach THE END the whole family should go out and celebrate, because it's a big milestone. I've heard so many horror stories lately of writers with spouses who don't support the time-suck which is writing (or the time-suck which is homeschooling), that he would just volunteer this is frankly very, very cool.
4. Andaz Apna Apna, a Bollywood movie I've watched about a hundred times now. It's hard not to feel uplifted, what with all the singing and dancing and bizarre comedy bits. (Nothing on YouTube except a few of the comedy scenes, which won't make sense as they don't have subtitles, so you'll have to take my word on this).
5. A certain 6-year-old who filled my office window with flowers from the clover in our yard, poking the little stems through the screen (he seems to have gotten a disproportionate amount of Irish blood in him; he loves his ma).

On an unrelated note, I just bought a book based solely on the cover. Well, I read the description and I've read enough of Jay Lake's short fic to know I like his style, but to be frankly honest, I knew I'd be buying this as soon as I saw the cover: