Preparing for NaNo

Well, there's only one day left (not counting today, of course) until NaNo, the novel writing challenge. I think I am prepared. I've set up my plot - my story board is full of different colored sticky notes to tell me where the story is going next; my character sketches are almost done: I'm finishing those up today. I have a schedule set up to write and write and write... hopefully that holds together. I have a case of Diet Pepsi and plenty of coffee and cappuccino, not to mention snacks and other goodies to keep me going. This is my first attempt at writing something of this size - 50,000 words, and I am truly excited about it. I think I've planned everything I can plan, or very close to it. Then again, I'm sure something will come up by the middle of the month that will make the challenge, well, a little more challenging. Being a restaurant manager for so long really helps, though. It is impossible to plan an entire day is this industry. Something unexpected always comes up; there is no "typical" day. One learns to expect the unexpected and to still accomplish all of one's original goals anyway. Hopefully that will prove to be the case with this endeavor as well.

And so away I go - off into the world of noveling. Hopefully I will come out on the other side, at the end of November, with my first-ever attempt at a novel. I don't expect perfection in a month's time, but at least I will have a completed draft that I can work on over the winter months. Good luck to everyone who is participating!
Laterzzzzzzzz Taterzzzzzzzzzz1

Moving Rules

Okay, I've moved enough times to know the rules: label every box. Use certain kinds of boxes for each room so you can easily identify them. Keep one small box for the "last things" that you have laying around the house that you need until the minute you leave, etc., etc. Okay, okay. I know all of that. This move? Well, the rules pretty much went out the window. I'm only going to sya this once: do not attempt! LOL. Truth be told, I know that I have everything we own, as our place was completely empty when we left. However, I have absolutely no clue where anything is. Panic didn't really set in until I realized I could not find my phone charger!! I can't live without my cell phone - also known as the "electronic leash." As luck would have it, though, my other "must have," my MP3 player uses the same connection to my laptop (OMG - that's another "can't live without!) as my Blackberry - so I was at least able to stay connected :-) Clean socks? Sure, we've got 'em....ummmm... in a box somewhere. Then it hits me that I did do one last load of laundry before we left the old place. So, if I can locate the laundry basket, I can supply at least clean socks and underwear. Of course, the laundry basket is in the front of the U-Haul, which then necessitates that I crawl over most of our belongings, balance carefully on the back of the couch - balance-beam across it to the front of the truck and retrieve said laundry basket, saying, "If I don't make it out alive, just put in my headstone that I gave my life for some clean socks... people will understand." So, with utter disregard for my own safety, at least my feet are happy now.

The computers are set up and we had coffee for this morning so, really, we're ahead of the game. The next 10-12 hours promises to be interesting as we unload the U-Haul and I start unpacking boxes... it's like Christmas, only with all of your own stuff. I will then spend the next two days trying to regain some semblance of order in the house. Moving is never a lot of fun, but this time I think I've made it probably more difficult on myself than any other time that I have moved. Ah well. I don't plan to move again soon -- like EVER, so there should be plenty of time to make this place look like people live here again. At least we don't have to make that four hour (plus) drive again. We're in Wisconsin to stay. Shweew!
Laterzzzzzz, Taterzzzzzzzz!