NaNo Day 12: Oop'sied Word Count

Forgot I had another word file I'd been NaNo'ing in. To clarify, there are a pack of these word files in my NaNo folder. Multiple files. Figured it safer to have several, rather than just everything in one file. The Not Putting Everything in One basket precaution. Makes sense, doesn't it? Computers, and e-files, aren't 100% foolproof. Nor am I. What if I oop'sied, deleted my Everything in One basket NaNo file, hmmm? A bit of a disaster, that. And noisy, most probably: I'd be wailing. Oh'yes. Wailing.

Anyway. That's not my way. Each day I write in a new word file. It makes it easy finding content, too. I'll ask myself, "Self, that bit about the brain monkeys. Did make a cute one-liner. It could make a story." Other-Self replies, "I know the bit. Jotted Nov 11. Got it." Just an example.

Back to my forgetfulness. Have these daily NaNo files. I total up the word counts from them. I missed one last night. Because I figured it more important to write than go online and update my NaNo word count total, I hadn't updated the total in a couple days. I forgot to add word counts from TWO days, only added the current one.

Did use the holiday well. Wrote steadily from Nov 10 evening through all Remembrance Day. 5146 words. I'm feeling kinda gleeful about that: I've never had a 5000-word writin' session.

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Just remembered another safeguard I should prob'ly do soon. Upload all so far written in an email to myself. An online back-up, let's call that.

NaNo Day 9: Today Ate a Gnu I Knew...Not Really, but It's a Title

NaNo's progressing. It's surprising me, really. I knew I hadn't a chance if I started with anything less than basic outline and characters' sketches. Without those, it'd be like striking off on a 50,000 word journey with a song in my heart and no map. Can we picture such as me, novice NaNo adventurer, um, soon lost? And then, wild-eyed and grasping at mirages, cobbling together any last hope? Cobbling say — this NaNo novice's diary, chronicling for the ages my hopeless expedition through the NaNo wilds.

Hmm. Sounds like that might've been fun, too. But, no, I won't have to play with that. That might've made a good exercise for 2009, when I swore myself purple I was just too busy and never started. I made a plan, going into NaNo 2010. 2010 would be different.

I began preparing well in advance. It might've been June, D-Day, Do Day. I would be ready. The Stupid'busy day job stopped me finishing the outline in time for the November 1 start, but I didn't want that to stop me even trying. I tend to complain...probably past the point of it being useful, in private...and make excuses. I've about had enough of my own excuses. Looking back on last Monday, when all this started, there was no good excuse for not starting. Knew my characters: each one's story within the big story. I knew the big story: Beginning, Mid-stuff, and Wow'ser Ending, all logical, and outlined enough. The hard work was done. Mostly, I'm only telling the story now. Heeding the advice of Protag pathfinders, and NaNo navigators gone before, to keep out of my own way.

The Big Picture

Okay.
So I'm not a tripod.
Am a biped.

Have spliced together my double rainbow.
Am going off-line now.
Have 45,000 words still to write.

2010 NaNoWriMo...A Go'Go! I must be nuts.

Add Gadget. In Blogger's layout design thingy.
Add picture. NaNoWriMo 2010 web badge. From my pc.
Link to NaNoWriMo user.
Save. Done.

If only those 50,000 words come as easily...

Yeah. Officially signed-up.
Web badge looks rather splendid in the sidebar, I'd say.
Can't go wrong with a monkey, eh?
Was 4600 words in, as of this morning, just after my oatmeal, and before rushing about to get to work.

Little Rocket Man Achievement...achieved...

Can't say how I'm feeling, now that I've stuck the garden gnome in the nose cone of the intercontinental ballistic missile, and sealed him in behind the hatch.

I'm nearing the end of Half Life 2, Episode 2, from The Orange Box for Xbox 360. The requirement's been met: the plaster-Plus (as in indestructible) and jolly'painted little old man I'd found at the start has adventured along with me to this moment when we will part ways. I go to fight the deciding fight against the enemy: perhaps to die and re-spawn over and over, 'til I get it right. Then He goes...where no garden gnome has gone before.

30 points. But what have I achieved, really?

Perhaps I expected I'd feel changed, emboldened even, like Amelie's retired papa seeing the point when his globe-trekking garden gnome returned home, took again its position, a still-life in his managed garden.

Perhaps after he's gone, one hundred miles high, I'll see it, and clearly. The point. I can't play too late tonight, though; can't stay up late, searching for meaning: another workweek begins come morning.

Windowsill Farming

The harvest's in. Cherry Belle radishes. Tiny Tim cherry tomatoes. From the windowsill. From plastic ice cream buckets recycled for this purpose of windowsill farming, and supermarket potting soil. South-facing window.

Vancouver’s summer 2010 essentially over mid-August: am guessing these all would’ve cooked in the south-facing window, if not for the cooler weather.

Naturally, immediately had to sample a little of this bounty. A taste. Each. The radish: satisfyingly crunchy, then the peppery note which kept building. The tomato: tangy, then slurpingly sweet; even though just a wee tomato I held between thumb and forefinger.

All of this windowsill harvest an experiment I’ve long wanted to do.

NAASSCAARRR...on TSN...Really?

What?
NASCAR?...I actually get t'see a Sunday race?
Live on TV? A 2010 Chase Race?
ESPN, which I can’t get in my pricey cable bundle, wants t’share a Chase Race with TSN in Canada?
TSN isn’t sooo preoccupied broadcasting golf and football and whatever else – TSN wants to give us NASCAR?
Wonders never cease.

It has been a few weeks since the last race I could actually see…anywhere, on the sportier channels of my pricey cable bundle. I do still recognize my Sunday buddies who turn left…there’s a relief. Happy Harvick looks happy, still. Jeff Gordon’s as ever hopeful. Mark Martin hasn’t retired. Good.

Was in such an excited hurry – rushing to catch the race from Kansas – rushing to catch an actual televised NASCAR Chase Race available to fans north of the 49th Parallel – I saved this as a draft, instead of posting it!