It’s official, I am REALLY freaking out. Today is November 27. NaNoWriMo ends November 30. I MUST finish my 50,000 words. I really really really really must. (Hey, there’s a technique I hadn’t thought of to up my word count, repeat unnecessary words multiple times for effect, or maybe not).
I have my flying pig socks on (for optimism), I have my leggings on (for comfort) and I have my NaNoWriMo hoodie on for warmth and writerly inspiration. I keep typing, but it’s like that giant plate of spaghetti… there’s still so much more to go!
Okay, I need to snap out of it. I’m home alone (well, the puppy is here to cheer me on) and I have no excuses. School is closed today, I’ve already done the Thanksgiving and Hanukkah shopping (that’s a weirdness all its own), and I have no reason not to crank out the words. So, why am I here? Because I don’t know how to fit all the parts together! It’s turned into this big messy thing that I’m not quite sure how to manage. Yes, I’m still following my story line, but I’m not quite sure how to move from one point to another in a way that makes sense. I may just have to forego sense for the time being, and JUST WRITE.
Phew. I think that’s out of my system. Now I need to grab a drink, let the dog out, and hammer away at the old keyboard. Super jealous of my fellow NaNo writers who have finished your 50,000. I’ll be there soon, really I will, just 8,000ish words to go.
Until last year I had never seen an episode of Dancing With The Stars. I don’t dance (two left feet, I’m afraid) and I’m not starstruck (okay, maybe there are a few exceptions, Chris Powell and Channing Tatum come to mind, but never mind that). Why would I want to watch some B list celebrities prance around a ballroom and makes fools of themselves? Then I watched an episode.
Oh my. Look at those moves. She’s not a dancer? Really? He’s a singer/football player/spokesmodel? I had no idea. But look at those moves. I loved the routines, I loved the variety, I loved the costumes and sets, and I grew to love those formerly unknown “stars.” Well, some of them. Some of them rubbed me the wrong way and I looked for every little flaw in their routines. If only I had my own judges scoring paddle at home.
That was last season. I started watching partway through the season, but was invested enough to be thrilled when Kellie Pickler won. She did a dance in silhouette that took my breath away. This season I buckled in from the first week. This group was going to be tough! Some of those people have been paid for dance, that’s kind of unfair, don’t you think? But dang, I loved to watch them dance. Still, I wanted someone who wasn’t a “dancer” to win the competition and take home the coveted mirrorball trophy. I didn’t have a clear favorite until about halfway through the season. I liked Leah Remini‘s spunk, and Brant Daughtery was certainly one to keep an eye on. Snooki was just fantastic, and Corbin Bleu and Elizabeth Berkley Lauren took my breath away. Even the stiff guys, Jack Osbourne, Bill Engvall, and Bill Nye were a pleasure. Oh heck, I liked them all! Let’s face it, I just plain enjoy the show, but when it got down to the final few, it became clear to me that Amber Riley was my choice. Of course she could not have done it without her fantastic partner, Derek Hough.
First of all, this young lady is gorgeous, inside and out. Every time the microphone was in her face she was smiling and upbeat. Whether that’s the sign of a really positive attitude toward life, or a really disciplined actress is a mystery to me, but either way I was impressed. Oh, and then there’s the dancing. The girl can move! She was dancing with an injury for most of the season, but she was still very fluid and light on her feet. I just loved to watch her dance, and the performance she did last night and the night before with the male professional dancers? Well, it blew me away. I could not be happier that this woman, whom professional dancer Karina Smirnoff described as not having a traditional dancer’s body (what a classy way to put it, Karina) danced her heart out and won over the judges and the audience. Way to go Amber. Thanks for winning one for the big girls!
I confess, my brain is mush. I’m working my tail off trying to finish my novel for NaNoWriMo and it’s leaving me with a mushy soft brain, incapable of earth shattering insights. I apologize for this, but I assure you it’s only a temporary condition. I’ve been here before, this land of mush brain, and I’ve always found my way back. I have no doubt I’ll do it again. In the meantime, I offer you 5 more small things that just make me happy.
1. A freshly vacuumed rug. Even better is when it’s one in my home and the dog hair has all been sucked up.
2. Looking through old scrapbooks. Ah, the memories. And the stickers, and the wavy scissors, and the patterned paper! Ok, they aren’t that bad, and they do make me happy, regardless of how well or poorly they’re constructed.
3. My sunglasses. I love them. They’re Maui Jim’s and they’ve been repaired three times because apparently I have a freakishly large head and I’ve broken the bows three times. The last time they replaced them with titanium. That ought to hold.
4. Motown Music. It just makes me happy. I like to play it in the classroom from time to time when we let our hair down. The kids enjoy it as much as I do.
5. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. I don’t really need to explain this one, do I? I didn’t think so.
It’s official, I am REALLY freaking out. Today is November 27. NaNoWriMo ends November 30. I MUST finish my 50,000 words. I really really really really must. (Hey, there’s a technique I hadn’t thought of to up my word count, repeat unnecessary words multiple times for effect, or maybe not).
BulgingButtons 