Outta Here

It's "travel eve" around our house. It's hard to believe that our two months in Kansas City are soon to be behind us. Alas, the temperatures are falling, and we are definitely ready to head south. We are so outta here!

This has been a great visit. No doubt about it. We haven't done everything and seen everyone we'd hoped, but we've had wonderful times with family and friends. It seems there's never enough time when we're here, but we've managed to pack a lot of good times in the time we've had. And, between the fun, we've squeezed in doctor, dentist and vet visits, and Rocky and Bullwinkle have been tuned to tip top shape. Our fingers are definitely crossed!

Back in the day, before we hit the road, we remember reading blogs of fulltimers who talked about how hard it was to leave family. Back then, we imagined how tough it might be. Today, we know. It's definitely a mixed bag. We're sad to leave our loved ones, but we're eager to get back on the road.

So, come tomorrow morning, we'll do just that. We're planning to fire up this big ol' moose and head south about 200 miles. A few days after that we'll head further south. And, a few days later we'll go even further. You see, we have lots of exploring to do. And, in five months or so we'll be back to these familiar digs, laughing it up with family and friends once again.

Until then, we'll miss everybody here in our ol' hometown. But, starting tomorrow, we're definitely ready to get back to the life we love.

More soon from the road.

The End

This was the first morning in the last 27 that I didn't have writing on my agenda. That's right. A mere 50,557 words from the beginning, I have reached the end of my first "novel" (and I used that term very loosely). In the land of NaNoWriMo, that makes me a winner!

(Insert applause here.)

Like a good winner, I have prepared an acceptance speech. And, it's short!

First, I would like to thank my beloved husband for putting up with me for the last 27 days. While I sat for hours glued to the keyboard, still pajama-clad and unshowered, he kept our home running like a top. Thank you, Paul, for the breakfasts, lunches, dinners and, most of all, the encouragement. Your wife has come up with some pretty crazy ideas over the years. And, this one ranks right up there.

Another big thank you goes to our friends, family and beloved readers for your words of encouragement. I felt supported during this wacky marathon. I was also very accountable! For those of you who have expressed a desire to read this most recent creation, I thank you for your interest. All I can say is, "maybe, someday". This thing needs a lot (and I mean a lot) of heavy (and I mean heavy) editing. If I ever declare it readable, you'll be the first to know.

Finally, a shout out to the creators of NaNoWriMo. I never (and I mean never) would have done this had they not extended their wild challenge. And, an extra shout out to my dear friend Cindy, who got this crazy idea before I did and she somehow roped me into it with her. It was fun.

To all you wannabe novelists out there, I encourage you to block out your calendars for next November. It's challenging. It's nutty. It's fun. And, you can actually write a novel in 30 days. Really!

Now that we're on the other side of "The End", I'm stepping away from the keyboard (in just a minute) and we're gearing up to head south. Like my crappy novel, we're at the end of our two-month stay in Kansas City. We're out of here on Thursday.

Lots to do. Gotta go.

Word Count

Just in case you were wondering, I am still working on my "Great Frantic Novel" as part of National Novel Writing Month.

A few good folks have inquired about my status with this nutty project, which to date is best described as a barely readable attempt at chick-lit. But, I'm pleased to report the words are adding up. And, this month, that's all that counts, really. Like I said, the 50,000 words I pull together this month don't have to be good. They just have to be done.

During a break in today's writing blitz, I did craft a couple of posts for Bullwinkle's Travels recapping our recent travels across Kansas to Abilene and Emporia. Then, I found a nifty little widget that will report my current word count right here on this lil' ol' blog.

So, now I'm really holding myself accountable. And, I'm still procrastinating!

Gotta go find a bunch of words.

50,000 Words

Despite a long and perfectly rational list of reasons not to, I have decided to participate in NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month is held each November. Last year I thought about it. This year, I've decided to do it.

You see, I've been working on my Great American Novel for over a year now, on and off. (Actually, it's been more off than on.) With NaNoWriMo, I have the great pleasure of joining thousands of professional and wannabe writers in penning my "Great Frantic Novel".

My mission, which I've fully accepted, is to write 50,000 words. That's about 175 pages. In 30 days. In keeping with the spirit of the month, this project is about quantity, not quality. (I'm going to have to remind myself of that.) This novel doesn't have to be good. It simply has to be done.

So, I'm doing it. My hope is this marathon will get my creative juices flowing and reinvigorate my desire to write the real thing. The discipline of writing every day will be good for me. Besides, I love it. The feeling of finishing a novel (even a crappy one) in a month will be joyous.

If I had to pick a month to try to write a novel, November would be my last choice. It's the second half of our annual visit to our old hometown. The doctor stuff is pretty much out of the way, but that's been replaced with a growing list of commitments and to-dos that will keep us running until our departure date. And, oh yeah. There's a holiday in there, too.

Even though it's not the best month, November is the month of this challenge. So, I've taken it on. The reason I'm sharing this news here is two-fold: First, I don't think I'll have the time or energy to do any blogging on top of my novel-writing. So, both blogs will be on hiatus during the month. (They already have been. I'm just making it official.) Second, this makes my goal pretty public. Now that y'all know about this, if I don't do it, I can just imagine how embarrassed I'll be.

Dear reader, did you have any idea how motivating you are?

I have many words to churn out today, and these don't count. So, I'll close.

See you after I reach "The End".