11/28/2006

[Cue Cool Victory March] I did it!

I did it! Last night I crossed the 50,000 word golden line!

It wasn’t easy between traveling, illness, injury, Thanksgiving, and children…but I did it!

Third year in a row! And it’s all Uncle Monster’s fault for getting me started in the first place! ^_^ Thanks!

Now - I need some sleep!

P.S. Oh, yeah, how’s everyone else doing?

sparta at 3:13 pm

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11/21/2006

W00T!

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
36,626 / 50,000
(73.3%)

sparta at 12:35 am

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11/20/2006

NaNo Day #19

Yesterday’s total:  34.456

For those who have forgotten, the goal is 50,000 words by the end of November 30th.  So far, I think this year’s win is in the bag!

As for the story, well, for all my planning, my characters have decided to go “off script” a bit.  I’m not upset, though.  I like what they’re doing - well, even if I don’t like the character.  I really don’t like my bad guy.  He’s a BIG JERK, but I like the twist he’s taken because it makes the story more interesting.

I know this story is going to need some work.  Maybe even a setting change and a few tweaks here and there - and to be honest, it’s turning out to be more of a romance than I’d planned, but that’s not all bad is it?  It’s been fun to write.

Well, that’s the big update!  How is everyone else doing?

sparta at 11:33 am

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11/19/2006

Yay, me!

Well, I’ve passed the 30,000 mile marker!  W00T!  60% finished - only 40% to go!  This will be the third year I’ve “won” NaNoWriMo!  (I’m being purposefully optimistic - please don’t rain on my parade or I’ll stomp your toes with my rainboots!)
How is everyone else doing?

sparta at 12:24 am

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11/16/2006

NaNo Day #15

Word count tonight is 25,716.  Just a smidge ahead.  I hope to widen that smidge to a smudge by the end of the weekend.  ;-)

Still, not bad considering everything I’ve had going on.

How is everyone else doing?

sparta at 12:08 am

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11/14/2006

I made someone’s mom cry

I felt sort of bad about it, really, but I wasn’t try to make her cry.

As I was coming out of the gate area into the main terminal on Monday, there was an older woman standing there with a sign that read, “Welcome home from Iraq, Brian!  We love you!”  She was wearing an Airborne t-shirt and jacket, and she was scanning each and every face with anticipation.

When I reached her, an impulse just took ahold of me, and I stopped right beside her.  “Ma’am,” I said, “can I give you hug?”  She looked at me and promptly burst into tears.  Not able to speak, she simply nodded.  As I hugged her, I whispered, “Thank you,” into her ear.  She cried harder.  I pulled back to smile at her, and she returned that smile, although she was still crying.  I grabbed her hand, and as I gave it a quick squeeze, I said, “And tell Brian I said “Thank you,” too.”  More tears joined those already flowing down her slightly wrinkled cheeks, and still unable to speak, she nodded.  I grabbed my bag and walked a few paces away before turning around to see if a wave would be needed.  It was.  She was watching me walk away, so when I turned around she waved.  I returned her wave, and then went off to seek my luggage.

I made a soldier’s mom cry on Monday, but not because I was rude or insulting.  I made her cry by expressing a little gratitude.  I wonder what she told her son when he finally arrived.  I was tempted to stay and watch, but my own sons were waiting for me.  I missed my usual Veteran’s Day post; I guess that made up for it a little.

Belatedly - Happy Veteran’s Day to all the vets I know and the ones I don’t.

sparta at 3:12 pm

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I *TOLD* you I was special!

HowManyOfMe.com
Logo There are:
7
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

sparta at 2:58 pm

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I’m home!

I have returned from my trip to Indiana.  The wedding was beautiful, and the party was wonderful, and my friends are fan-frikkin-tastic!

I’m not going to give a play-by-play of the wedding, because it wasn’t mine, and those who are interested have already heard about it (or were there).  No, instead, I’m going to talk about my wonderful, wonderful friends who helped make this weekend fun and as stress-free as possible - these are in no particular order, mind you.

1.  Andrew:  Okay, yes, he’s my husband, but he’s also my best friend.  Andrew made sure I went first class to Indiana and back.  We couldn’t afford for him and the boys to go with me, so he upgraded me to first class.  Flying 1st is pretty nice, I have to admit.  If that was the way flying was all the time, it wouldn’t be so bad.  So I have to say thank you - just one more time - to my wonderful hubby for arranging that.

2.  Cliff and Cindy:  These two drove down to visit with me on Sunday so I wouldn’t be too bored and lonely.  We didn’t do anything in particular; just went to the mall in downtown Indy and wandered around, then grabbed an early dinner.  It was just so nice to see them and to “hang out” and to talk.  I don’t get a lot of opportunities to just hang out with my friends.  Most of the time when we visit, there’s “something to be done” or “somewhere to go”, or I have the kids with me who either dominate the conversation or interrupt it constantly.  I SO appreciated their driving down to just sort of do nothing with me.

3.  CARA!  This lady is fantastic!  She drove four hours up Saturday morning to hang out with me, go to the wedding with me, stay up tooooo late, get up tooooo early on Sunday, visit some more, and then drive four hours home.  Yep, she came up to go to the wedding with me - a wedding where she didn’t know anyone on the groom’s side, and the few on the bride’s side she “knew” hadn’t seen her in about 18 years!  She helped keep me sane during the wedding reception (LONG STORY!), and I’m so grateful to her, I don’t even know where to start.  I don’t think buying her Subway on Sunday is going to do it.  Hmmm - maybe some popcorn mix with blueberries will make a dent, but I’m not sure.  Some of you have heard me talk about Cara - others may have noticed that she posts a comment now and then.  Cara was my best friend through Jr. High - High School - and we lost touch after that.  Seriously, graduation was the last night I had seen here UNTIL our 15 year reunion three years ago.  In the last three years, we’ve made up a good part of those 15 years, and you’d almost never know we’d missed them.  ^_^  I could go on and on, but it would just turn mushy, so let me just sum up:  LYLAS!

4.  Bruce:  Okay, Bruce did not visit me during the wedding weekend, but he has helped out nonetheless.  See, the weekend before, Bruce came up to attend a write-in with me.  This gave me a good push - for some reason - so that my Sunday write-in was pretty productive.  Being very productive before leaving made it less stressful for me.  I didn’t sit there thinking “I’m so far behind on NaNo.  I’ll never catch up.”  I was able to relax and enjoy the weekend because I had been able to work ahead.  Also, Bruce has been helping me with the TECH FOR WRITERS contest stuff, and that’s just cool.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!  ^_^

Word count is somewhere over 21,000, but I haven’t added the handwritten stuff yet, so I don’t know where I stand.

HOW IS EVERYONE ELSE???  Fill me in - details - time to catch up!

sparta at 11:08 am

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11/5/2006

In case anyone’s interested…

NaNo Day #4 total:

Yay, me!  :-)

sparta at 2:29 am

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11/3/2006

Word War!

It’s on!

sparta at 12:53 pm

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11 years ago today

11 years ago today my oldest son was born.  It was a pretty easy birth, to be honest.  And yes, the drugs helped.  ;o)

And now, I have this wonderful boy who is hitting his pre-teen years.  Am I ready for all this?  All the pre-teen stuff - and then -gulp- the TEENAGE years?!  I dunno, but they are on their way whether I’m ready or not.  *sigh*  He’s turning from my little boy into a young man right before my eyes.  It won’t be long before “Hey, Mom, wanna see this Lego creation I made?” turns into “Hey, Mom, can I have the keys?”

So I’m going to enjoy 11 as long as I can (one year - I know), and then 12, and then 13, and so on.  I’m just thankful to have such an awesome kid.

So Happy Birthday, Phillip!  Your mom loves you VERY MUCH!  We have so many fun things planned today - I know you’re going to have a great day!

Phillip reads this blog - he found it using Google one day … I’m not sure whether to be proud or scared (big wink), so why don’t the rest of you wish El Destructo (LOL!  Mom priviliges rule!) a Happy Birthday, too!

sparta at 12:35 am

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NaNo Day #2

Total word count:  6,609 / 50,000

We be jammin’!

:-)

sparta at 12:29 am

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11/2/2006

NaNo Day #1

Word count by the end of Day 1:  4507!

(does the Snoopy dance)

~PJ~

sparta at 12:25 am

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