Today, while the world anxiously awaited the start of Super Bowl XLVII (bonus points if you are one of a diminishing population who can correctly read Roman Numerals), I was busy putting the finishing touches on my tax preparations.

Like with most endeavors, this process resulted in both good news and bad news.

The good news is that I’m finished with all the organizing, and can turn the whole shebang over to my accountant tomorrow morning and wash my hands of it! Hooray!

The bad news is that I apparently knocked myself out trying to build my writing career and fell a great deal short of expectations. Had I not sat at bazaar tables for nine weekends last fall seeking people who actually still read books, had I not self-published two volumes of short humorous personal short stories, had I not spent hours every day writing my stories and researching agent and publishers, ad infinitum, and had I not slaved over formatting my work for ePublishing and then receiving pitiful returns, well, it looks like I’d probably have about $2,000 more in my bank account today than I have by actively pursuing the dream of being a full-time successful writer.

But I’m not giving up! At this time next year, I just know there’s going to be a plus sign in my business ledger and about 500 fewer books in my home inventory. I just know it!