Capricorn: I wish I could get a newly discovered species of beetle or an underground lake of ice on Mars named after you. I wish I could buy you a temple in Bali, and arrange for you to have your fortune told by the blind prophetess of Rio de Janeiro. I wish I could dress you in 200-year-old velvet robes and silk scarves once worn by Turkish royalty. You richly deserve honors and blessings like these, Capricorn. It’s that time in your astrological cycle when life is supposed to overflow with rewards for the good work you’ve been doing. I urge you to be vividly confident that you do indeed deserve those rewards, and radiate that faith in all directions.

This was my most recent horoscope in a local newspaper. It sounds really good–I do love velvet robes and silk scarves! I’m not entirely sure I understand it, but I can use every bit of encouragement I find. You see, I’m almost done with my WIP–about 30 pages left, by my rough calculations–and I’m at that spot I always reach in a story. That Black Hole where I’m tired of my characters and their lovelorn angst, and where I wonder how I ever thought this story was a good idea in the first place. Yet it’s too late to chuck it and start over with something new. I have to push through to those blessed words–The End.

Needless to say, this is the point in the story where I also become completely addled and annoying. Not Lindsey Lohan-style addled, thankfully. Just–forgetful. I’m lucky I even remembered this is Saturday, and thus my Risky Regencies day. (Not to mention lucky I haven’t been fired from my day job…) I was going to pull together a post about heroes, to go with last week’s on heroines, but that can wait until next Saturday, when I will have (hopefully!) finished this rough draft and started thinking clearly again.

In the meantime–as most of you Risky visitors (and Keira and Diane!) know, I am just a wee bit obsessed with Dancing With the Stars. The finale is coming up this week, and while I’m excited about it, I’m also sad. What am I going to watch on Mondays now??? Where else can I see such sparkly costumes, hear such cheesy music? Where will I find such suspense as “Will Len get off Apolo’s case already? And will Laila finally beat up her divaesque but very hot partner Maks?” Where can I find such flashes of brillance as “Dance Center,” with Kenny Mayne and Jerry Rice (in sequined shirts!) grilling Len Goodman about Billy Ray’s “crappy scores,” and pondering whether Joey’s big butt or Apolo’s facial hair will keep them out of the top spot? That’s just darn good TV, people, better than any I’ve seen since Laura accused Jefrey of not finishing his own collection on Project Runway. Ahhh-good times.

But something productive has come of my DWTS preoccupation, despite what my family might say. Not only have I started ballroom dance classes, but I have been inspired with not one but two story ideas! Not sure when I’ll get to them, since there are at least 3 others lined up ahead of them, but I’m pretty excited. One day, they will each be at the same addled point the WIP is now! To see how I manage to put a young skating/dancing hero in Elizabethan England, stay tuned…

Thanks for listening to this week’s ramble! Do you read your horoscope? If so, does your sign reflect you or not? (As you can tell, my Capricorn driven/worrywart side is out in full force). And do you watch DWTS, or any other shows that inspire you?