Write a novel in November - the challenge

I bet most of you didn't know it was National Novel Writing Month for November, did you? Well, my friend Stephanie told me about it and I was up for the challenge. Turns out, my boss was doing it too. It is now the last day in November. And how did we do?

Boss - completed 50,000 words by Monday
Stephanie - almost there too. I am sure she will finish it tonight.
Me - 14,590.

My challenge - ADD, discipline, evil TV, Thanksgiving and working more than normal at the g-store. There were times when I was really bumming out. Times when I would challenge myself about being a writer. Things like,"If you were serious about writing, you wouldn't have let anything come in between you and getting that done." or "Obviously you can't do it. You didn't even reach a halfway mark! What a joke!" That's when Evil Kdar was speaking. Then Sporty Girl kicked in. "Look, you said you gave it a go, and you did. If you hadn't tried that, you would be where you were at last month - writing NOTHING. You can finish this. Give it until the end of December." So, that's my goal. End of December I will reach the 50, 000 word goal. There are a couple of people who have expressed interest in reading it. I may let them. It's a really lame story, but that was my plan all along. It was not my intention to write something really good. Just write. Let the words flow.

I am proud of the 14,000 + I DID write. Good for me! Pat myself on the back. I think I will do it next year too. That was a great challenge.

Giving thanks on Thanksgiving - to be pissy or not to be...

Let's back up to a few weeks ago. I had just come from vacationing in California. (More postings on thta trip in the near future.) Nobody invited me to Thanksgiving with them. I didn't invite myself over either. Part of me really, really wanted somebody to ask me what I was doing. Then I would say,"Nothing." Then they would say,"Join us!" But it didn't happen.

I told the G-store I would work. I amped up the days - Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Turkey Day was time and a half, so why not? Then Tuesday before the event, Carrie invited me to her folks' house. I had to decline, but it was nice to be invited. I was feeling a little sad and lonely. Then Wednesday, something clicked. I was actually looking forward to working Thursday. My family has non-traditional Thanksgivings anyhow, so what makes this one so different? Nothing, except I get to make some mulah.

So Wednesday night I worked until 11pm. It was pretty busy. Not unreasonably so, just steady. Thursday morning, I was back at the store at 7am. It was a really slow morning. Then, all those people who remembered they needed to get X, Y or Z came in. There was a steady flow of people for about an hour. They closed that puppy up promptly at 3pm. All in all, it was a good shift.

When I got home, my wonderful landlady had left me a plate of Thanksgiving food. YUM! Later she brought me slices of pie. YUMMMMMM! I spent the afternoon and evening watching movies, writing and reading.

It was a good day. I am thankful for my friends, family, health, apartment, cats (despite Sammy's antics), living in the USA (despite some of our President's policies) and having the freedom to agree or disagree. Thankful for food on the table and clothes on my back. Thankful for a car. Heat for the apartment. The trees that help us breathe. The animals and plants that provide me food and entertainment. Church. Starbucks coffee. Laughter. Water. Computers. Money I can save to travel and spend. Clients. A job.

I can honestly say in retrospect, that I am even thankful for Client Flintsone and Rep N. Though it was a painful process and I wasted months being bitter and resentful, I have learned from that experience. I am thankful for that.

So, think of the things you can be thankful for. There are so many more things I could list, but I hope you get the picture.

I love my dentist!

Can you believe anybody would actually say that? I do. I really do. Unlike the dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, my dentist is wonderful and not at all into pain for his clients.

http://www.lyricsdownload.com/little-shop-of-horrors-dentist-lyrics.html

I had my very first cavity and had it filled yesterday. It was a lovely experience. They shot me with novocaine and fed me laughing gas. Now, I wasn't particularly giggly or spacey. Just calmer than I think I probably would have been without it. I even watched for a few minutes. The shots of novocaine were the worst part of the whole experience, and only the first shot at that.

Though I felt I was drooly for about two hours afterwards, I managed to eat some soup and potstickers, albeit carefully. The cavity was between two teeth and not very big. The dentist said I was a very good patient. GOLD STAR FOR ME!

You know, I felt nothing during the proceedure to the point where if he had filed off all of my teeth, I wouldn't really have noticed or cared. THAT'S good dentistry!

More from August

I just thought I should add a tiny bit more about my time with Sarah in August. I re-read my blog and realized I said NOTHING about the concert.

• I went to the Dave Mathews Band concert in Hartford, CT. Met up with Stephanie and her friend Jesse. Though it wasn't Jesse's kind of music, he was a good sport for coming along. (Though the big reason he was there was just to be with Stephanie. tee hee!) The concert was great, though not quite as spectacular as the Saratoga Springs show. I don't remember the opening band, but Dave was good. The arena was in an amphitheater that holds about 25,000, which was bigger than the Saratoga Springs show. I think it was a pretty good venue. There were a couple of things about the Saratoga Springs amphitheater that makes me not want to go back there. But I recently found out that on the latest CD set from DMB, they have a song from the day we went to Saratoga Springs. It's almost like you can here me cheering in the background!
• I drove back to New Milton, to Sarah's house (she was in NYC and I was to let myself back in with the spare key) and couldn't open the door. I slept in my car and took a spit bath in the evil Walmart. It was a bad night and my car wasn't that comfy.
• Sarah took a pregnancy test and confirmed what she thought was a positive. Hurray!
• NYC was really great. It was fun riding the trains and subways. Sarah was a good tour guide. The area we were in reminded me of a taller version of Las Vegas. There were big neon lights everywhere. It was crowded. Vendors on the street. Smells (good and bad) and it was loud. It's something I don't miss when I am in Burlington. Nope. Don't miss it at all. I do have to go back there to see how it looks in the winter. I think I need to go explore it again next summer. I want to do some of the touristy things one should do in NYC. (And see more shows!)
• I stopped off not only at Target, but Trader Joe's as well. I missed them so much!

Swollen tongue

Not as exciting as it sounds, but it's true. I had an allergic reaction to something I ate last night and now my tongue is swollen. Not so I have to go to the doctor, but enough where it is really uncomfortable to talk. And those of you who know me, know what a harship THAT is. It's bringing me down. I have to work at the g-store tonight and it will be painful greeting and being all smiles to people when all I want to do is keep my tongue stuck out so it doesn't chaff against my teeth.

On a more positive note, payday is tomorrow AND I am going to a retreat in the mountains with Carrie and a bunch of church people. Chicks bonding in the woods. It could be a smarmy thing, but come on now. These are church folk!

What is the world coming to? BRITNEY DIVORCING?

This just in...

Visit to Ohio

This one is brief, because I have to go catch a plane.

In early October, I went to Ohio to spend some time with Helen and the kids. Mike was out of town, so I could give Helen a hand with the kids. Mikey turned 3, so we had a b-day party (Thomas the Train themed) which was really fun. I had met some of Helen's friends before, so it was great to see them again.

I spent a day playing soccer mom, as Helen had a shower to go to. That Patrick can really sock it to the ball! Both Joe and Patrick did a good job. I think though, Patrick has a bit of the Dark Side of the Force in him. He kept pushing the other kids. But in fairness to him, they were crowding him a bit. I also had a little lightsaber battle here and there. Played a little baseball. Giggled. Laughed. Cried with laughter. Relaxed. Had good chats with Helen. Went to a wood duck festival (not a wooden duck festival. No, these are really ducks that live in the woods!)

All in all, it was a great time and a perfect little getaway from Vermont.