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This is my official welcome back blog post. We had what…a two day break for Thanksgiving? It’s good to be back in the swing of things. But that little step away from the routine was much needed. Don’t get me wrong, routine is good…even great in some ways. I have a writing routine, a work out routine (Don’t laugh…I do.), a sleeping routine, I mean, I’ve got routine routines. But sometimes when you fall into a routine, you lose that creative spark. You lose natural inspiration. That’s why it’s nice to shake things up a bit and rattle a few of those dormant cells in the old brain cage.

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This Thanksgiving break I did something I’ve never done before. I rode the Santa Express. Exciting right? For those of you who don’t know, that’s the special Christmas themed CTA “L” train. For me, the Santa Express was an urban legend. I’d heard of it but never seen it in person. I couldn’t muster up the nerve to go on my own, so I had to convince my sister to take my nephew. Now I had an excuse to go. So, I finally saw that the train was everything I had imagined…and more.The train was wrapped like a Christmas present, Santa had his own car, the staff was dressed as elves, and, best of all, they used the old style trains. Santa knows best.

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So am I talking about the Santa Express? It was something different. It was a great way to shake off the cobwebs. Right now, I’m finishing up the editing of my documentary. Trust me, I’m trying to shake things up on every frame. Here’s how it’s coming so far:

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Now, I hope your projects are well thought out and ready for final touches. But if they aren’t, don’t be stagnant. Be inspired. Have an edge. Do something new.