NANO Update- Day 8

I've added a little word count widget on my blog so everyone can see just how far away from my goal I am.

The election was incredibly distracting. I tried to forge ahead but those damn polls just kept pulling me in. Even the day after the election, I was too deep in euphoria and exhaustion (from following the longest campaign in history) and could only write in dribbles and drabbles. I left my poor characters trapped in Scene 28 which went on horribly long, even they were pleading with me to wrap it up.

Yesterday, I was intent on finishing that scene and now it's done (cue music and confetti). Now I can push on to the next scene.

FAQ: Are your scenes chapters?

Thanks for that interesting question. Right now during the bumpy draft I have to say no. During the editing process some scenes will turn into full stand-alone chapters and others will disappear or combine with other scenes to create chapters.

Today looks like a busy one. My son has a soccer game (keep your fingers crossed for their first win against a team that was pretty rough on them the last time they met. My son actually had grass in his mouth at the end of that game- Ouch!) and then there will be the usual attempt to to clean the house and corral the children.

My original plan was to write a scene a day which can be accomplished if I flee the scene right now with my laptop and power cord and check into the nearest motel for the rest of the month. I'm hoping for a real come behind victory on November 1st.

Here's a picture of my reward:
I know my simple reward should be the satisfaction of a completed goal but I really really want these! Hey, what can I say, I'm a product of the instant gratification generation.

Yes We Did!!

There is joy in our household today as we behold the next President of the United States. It was a hard-fought campaign and the nation spoke giving Barack Obama 52.4% of the popular vote (according to NPR) and 349 electoral votes (Missouri and North Carolina are still too close to call).

I tried to stay relaxed last night. I had every intention of finishing my scene but election fever hit hard. Instead of writing I found myself obsessively checking electoral maps on- Foxnews, ABC (who hands down had the best), NPR, MSNBC, and CBS. Even after Pennsylvania and Ohio were called for Obama I was still obsessively tracking Florida (the shadow of 2000 still haunting me). Even as the networks were declaring his victory and McCain conceding I was tallying up numbers- will they call Florida? What about Virginia or Indiana or Missouri? Always coming back to Florida again.

It wasn't until Barack Obama's victory speech that I allowed myself to believe that it really happened. It was one of the best victory speeches I've heard. Instead of basking in his success he charged the entire American electorate to roll of their sleeves and begin the hard work of building a new America. I'm ready to report for duty Mr. President!

Don't Forget to Vote!

I headed out this morning, without my four-legged running companion, and ran to my local polling place. I guess I can say, "I ran for Barack Obama".

I've never been one to wear my candidate on my sleeve (or anywhere else you can place a logo). I appreciate the fact that privacy is an important part of the voting process. The fact that I do not adorn myself with my favorite candidate's name does not mean that I am an apathetic voter. I'm actually as far from that as you can get. I love politics and have loved the campaigning process since I was a kid. I was the only child I knew who would sit through the State of the Union Address in rapt attention.

This campaign challenged my 'right to privacy' notion. We have an Obama/Biden lawn sign which is no small object in this heavily Republican community in which we live where it's not uncommon to pass houses and cars with Confederate Flags and racist bumper stickers proudly displayed. I decided because I felt this wonderful sense of hope when I drive by houses where I see Obama signs. Why not pass on this same sense of hope?

I wondered if I would leave the voting booth with tears in my eyes today. As a black person, I must admit there is this wonderful surge of feeling to be able to vote for a black person for President of the United States. Not just any black person but one who offers substantial and serious plans for leading this country into the 21st Century instead of taking us backwards and away from the original intent of the framers of the constitution and their vision of America.

I felt this tremendous emotion as I thought of my grandmother who died at 102. She was old enough to touch our slave past. She was struck by a truck on her way to work one day. The driver took her to the hospital and left her outside like an animal. The accident left her blind. She never missed a vote. Never. I could feel her in that booth with me today as I cast my ballot. She was one of the most color-blind people I knew. Losing her sight allowed her the freedom to hear a person instead of seeing, so she heard kindness, humor and often- to her amusement- ignorance before she ever knew what color that person was. I doubt even she could imagine the day in which a black man would be a serious candidate for President. I could feel her joy and hear her clap her hands and say "Praise God!"

Go out and vote. Let every voice be heard!

NANO Update- Day 1

So far, so good.

I usually get these grand ideas before I start any project. Unfortunately, they usually fizzle when they meet reality.

Today was no different. I decided I would wake up at 5am, head downstairs, make a nice cup of tea and then begin typing. I'd give myself a full three hours without interruption. Well, I did wake up at 5am and lingered in bed trying to convince my body it was a smart idea to leave the warm bed for the chilly, dark morning then I promptly fell back to sleep. With some disappointment, I crept out of bed around 6:45am where I did make that fabulous mug of tea and did begin typing at least an hour before interruptions started, so all was not lost.

I then spent the day fitting in writing wherever I could. While my son was at soccer practice, I was in the car typing away on Scene 28 which I'm hoping to complete tonight. (I need to finish at least a scene a day if I have any hope of completing this novel.) I escaped to my local Borders leaving my husband with a houseful of children- ours and a bunch of the neighbors- where I ordered a large Caramel Latte and wrote. More than two hours on interrupted writing, what a blessing.

Borders is only an option once a week so I'll have to go back to my grand scheme of waking at 5am (which will really be 4am when the time change kicks in-AAH!). Keep your fingers crossed.

Rest In Peace Harry

Last night our wonderful Panda Hamster, Harry died. We adopted him on my son's birthday when he turned 8 and from the first moment he was a perfect fit in our family.

He showed no fear (except when my toddler approached). He even went nose to nose with our crazy dog and the two of them even seemed to form a tenuous friendship.

He was my son's hamster but of course I was the one who fed him, cleaned his cage, and took him into the world outside the cage. He'd lift his head during the day when he heard my voice and I fell in love with the little guy.

Harry was our first hamster and I can't imagine another hamster with his personality. He will be missed.

NANOing Again

I'm doing it again. I'm NANOing. For those of you unfamiliar with this phenomenon, NANO stands for National Novel Writing Month. Thousands of insane people pledge to write 50,000 words or more in one month solely for bragging rights and a cool little 'winner' logo.

I've NANOed (yes, I have turned this into a verb) successfully for three years. One year I came up short discovering that nursing and NANOing don't mix. This year I've decided to put a different spin on the experience. Instead of starting a novel, I'm planning on finishing the extremely rough draft of my novel. I figure the excitement of a real deadline and the comraderie from the NANO community will get me to my goal.

Because I just love insane challenges, I will attempt to also blog about my experience during this month. Finishing a novel with three kids, a crazed dog and a very sick hamster; then blogging about it- what am I thinking? I apologize now for all incoherent ramblings.

Prelude to Winter

Each year it creeps up on me. I look forward to the change of season but summer lingers a bit longer each year. Just when I'm astonished to be wearing shorts in the middle of September, the leaves begin their transformation. I'm digging out sweaters, slipping on socks, and snuggling under covers ten extra minutes in the morning.

I understood that winter would be arriving soon. I just did not think it would arrive today with a blast of SNOW!

It started out as rain, a hard driving storm. Then it changed to heavy wet snowflakes that barely left an impression on the ground.




Of course there was just enough evidencefor my boys to begin hurling snow balls (or slush balls) at poor Mom.

Soon we had our own autumnal snow globe.