So you think you can NaNo... Day 6, 2013

I thought today would be the day I'd fall behind in word count. With one boy home sick, another one celebrating a birthday, a new water heater being installed, groceries to buy, and 7000 words to edit, I was pretty sure NaNo time wouldn't happen.

I was wrong. So very wrong.

Not only did I meet my word count goal for today, I exceeded it.

The target was 1667 words. I achieved 1852, which means I crossed over the 10K mark, and am sitting comfortably at 10 418. I'd say, today was a pretty good NaNo day.

So you think you can NaNo... Day 5, 2013

Today I managed 1609 words for a grand total of 8566... not bad for day five, not bad at all.

I also managed to edit a few thousand words, write a few letters, and sneak in snuggles with my youngest, who now has the plague. We thought it had waved good-bye and left the house for good, but it turns out it snuck back in for hugs and kisses.

All in all, a rather boring, but productive day with nothing too exciting to report. The best distraction all day was watching bits of Men in Black. My favourite line? "Elvis isn't dead, he just went home."

And here is a random picture of my dog - because she's gorgeous and there are too many cat pictures on the internet.

So you think you can NaNo... Day 4, 2013

I'm on target because I'm awesome like that!

Of course, I have "word wars" and "writing sprints" with Jaclyn Aurore to thank for today's success.

Distractions included, but weren't limited to:

• the refrigerator repair guy stopped in for a visit
• not one, but two boys missed their buses today, and 
• a short visit from a good friend. 

And then, there was this in the mail:

Hercules is a budgie... How he managed to send mail without using a carrier a pigeon is beyond me.

So - today's word count came to 1, 894, for a grand total of 6, 957 to date.

So you think you can NaNo... Day 3, 2013

Today's NaNo distractions started with the raking of leaves and the shoveling of acorns in the backyard. The weather was too enchanting to spend the entire day inside at a computer, so family time and yard work took priority. 

When the work was done, my boys decided a little Animal Planet was in order, so they watched a documentary on Giant Squids while I worked away at my project, guilt-free. It was all going well until the show turned to the subject of squid sex. My twelve-year-old had a question, or two, or three...

When sex ed was done for the day, it was time to pack in the writing and head out to a volunteer meeting. Upon my return, there was dinner to cook, dishes to do and more words to write. 

By eight o'clock I managed to produce 2019 words for a grand total of 5063 words - putting me back on track for tomorrow. Yay me!

So you think you can NaNo... Day 2, 2013

Today is Saturday. I was up early to take a boy to write a high school entrance exam. While out, I ran some errands, and then returned home to fit some writing in.

Albolene distracted me.

All I did was search Google for the name of a good stage makeup remover. Who knew it could also be used to melt away fat? You just slap it on the problem areas (tummy, butt, thighs), encase yourself in plastic wrap, do your exercises, and presto... the pounds dissolve. It must be true. I saw it on YouTube.

This fascinating research was interrupted by a PeeWee hockey game (my boy's team won 3:2 - yay), followed by a quick nap (I think I might be battling the plague - more on that another day), and then a delicious supper made by my hubby (because I was busy napping).

Today's goal was 1600 words... I managed 1382. This gives me a grand total of 3044. It's still early, but I promised my boys we'd watch a movie as a family, and that means no computers, no notebooks, and no cell phones.

So you think you can NaNo... Day 1, 2013

Like many writers, I'm participating in NaNoWriMo. I don't have grand aspirations to actually complete a full-length novel, but I do hope to have at least 50 000 usable words by the end of the month.

Did I achieve my word count goal of 1600 words? - Of course I did.
Did I do it before noon. No - I did it the hour before midnight.

Instead, I spent the day looking for distractions.

I wrote book reviews, edited minutes from a meeting, uploaded family pictures to Facebook, cleaned the kitchen, and researched some interesting topics. One of which was how to remove pasties.

Every NaNo day brings something new. Today, it was all about Goo Gone, apparently, it's good stuff.

Tah-tah for now, my friends. I'll check back in tomorrow with more titillating bits about NaNo.

Where did summer go?

Every year, as September rolls around and the children start back to school, I think: "where did summer go?"

Canadians have a bad habit of believing summer has ended the day after Labour Day. Suddenly, it's apple-picking time, the kids are off to school, and we start to see leaves dressing in Autumn colours. We begin planning for Thanksgiving, Hallowe'en, and Christmas; it doesn't help that the stores are already stocking both Hallowe'en and Christmas decorations before August. Nor does it help that we allow ourselves to get carried up in the momentum of planning for those celebrations.

But . . .

Summer isn't over until the Autumnal Equinox - which falls on September 22nd this year. By my count, there are at least a couple more weeks of "summer" left. The nights are getting cooler, but the days are still warm and sunshiny. A few leaves are turning, but at the same time, I have flowers that are just starting to bloom.

Why wish the season away before it's come to its end? There's still plenty of time for backyard parties, sipping frosty drinks by the pool, and trips to the beach. These days, it seems we're too quick to jump into the next season while whining about the current one slipping away.

I love summer. I plan to celebrate it up to and including September 21st. Autumn will arrive in its own time.