NaBloPoMo | BulgingButtons

November 17, 2013
by BulgingButtons 19 Comments

NaNoWriMo Freak-o

So here we are, just past the midway point to November 30. I’ve been diligently working on my Young Adult novel for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo in case you’ve missed it elsewhere) and so far I have about 23,400 words. Not quite halfway to the 50,000 word goal, but not too far off either.

I’ve been adding to my novel each day, and I’ve watched my word count steadily rise. I have been religious about backing up my work, and I’ve created a PDF or two, just in case. Everything has gone just fine. Until tonight.

Picture this, my fiance has run out to the grocery store, so I decide to add one more scene before he returns. On his way out the door he reminded me to back up onto the snazzy Peter Griffin flash drive he bought for me for just this purpose. No problem. I backed up and was ready to go. Except for one thing. I couldn’t open my document. What? Wait, I just had it. I just backed it up. Except that what I’m now looking at is about 6,000 words shy of what I had just produced.

I was stunned. I was panicked. There were tears. I told myself to calm down. I reminded myself that there were no fatalities involved. I clung to the notion that I had a PDF that was only about 2,000 words short of the version staring back at me from the screen (better than 6,000 lost, right?). Then I put on my logical reasoning cap. I was able to unearth the most recent version of the book in a relatively short time.

Just then my sweetheart walked in the door. I told him of the narrowly averted disaster, and he was properly concerned. He also admonished me to keep backing up. Grr, backing up started this whole issue. I understand its importance, and I believe in it, but I had clearly done something wrong. Later in the evening I tried again to work on that scene. My computer met me with a snide little message saying that there was no such document, and would I like a blank one instead? NO, I would NOT like a blank one. I want the one with 23,400 words in it, thank you very much.

After a second freak out session (no tears this time) and a second round of calming down, the document was found in the same place it was found before (go figure). My sweetheart spent a few minutes backing up all the relevant bits and pieces (this is way more complicated than just a plain old word document, in case you’re wondering why I’m such a dummy about this), then he showed me the correct way to get my work stored on Peter Griffin. Aha! Now that I know the correct procedure I think I’ll have a lot more success. Hopefully no more freak outs are in the near future. I don’t have time for them. I have a deadline.

November 16, 2013
by BulgingButtons 9 Comments

Ten Random Things About Me

Ok, I’ll play. I’m stealing from Danielle at Motherhood and Beyond because I think it’s a fun idea. She took it from Facebook, so if you’re sick to death of this game, sorry. Just click on through and stop by again tomorrow for something brand new. In the meantime, ten random things you probably didn’t know about me:

1. I turned down a chance to visit South Africa when I was in my twenties. I still regret that decision.

2. When I was ten years old I was in Bethlehem, Israel with my father, on Christmas.

3. I love the smell of coconut shampoo. It reminds me of summer.

4. Nightmare on Elm Street was the scariest movie I have ever seen. I hated it.

5. I got a stuffed pound puppy in college from my mom and still have it.

6. I make a delicious roast turkey.

7. I’m currently hooked on the tv show Sleepy Hollow on Fox. So not my usual thing, but I’m enjoying it. That Ichabod Crane is quite a guy.

8. I used to spend lots of time sitting under a maple tree in the front yard of my house, watching people go by.

9. I have never successfully done a cartwheel.

10. I don’t believe I will ever learn how to drive a standard transmission car. I just don’t have that particular gene.

If you decide to do yours, please link back here. I would love to read them. Or, if you’d rather, just post in the comments.

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Sleepy Hollow (blackgirlnerds.com)
8 Things ‘Sleepy Hollow’ Showrunner Wants You to Know About the Series’ Future (Exclusive Video) (thewrap.com)

November 16, 2013
by BulgingButtons 12 Comments

Daily Prompt: FAQ

For today’s interview, we will be talking to Lila, the adorable nearly four year old labrador retriever – shar pei mix. Lila has agreed to this exclusive interview so that her adoring fans (all six of you) can get to know her better.

BB: Lila, thanks for sitting down with me today.

Lila (tilting head): Did you say sit? Or down? Because I heard both. Which do you want me to do? I can do both, you know.

BB: Yes, Lila, I know. How about down?

Lila (laying down, tail thumping): See? I did it. I’m a good dog.

BB: You’re a very good dog, Lila. Let’s talk about your past a little bit. Do you remember when you were a little puppy?

Lila: Oh yes. I had lots of puppy brothers and sisters. They were all warm and wriggly and squirmy and squeaky. I loved that. And we all had a momma and she was big and warm and she had food for us. Ah, it was a good time in my life.

BB: So you were a happy little puppy?

Lila: Of course. All puppies are happy.

BB: But when I met you, things had changed.

Lila: I remember that day. You and the boy came to see me and you took me in the play yard and I showed you how pretty I am from every side.

BB: Yes, you did. You were very pretty that day.

Lila: Am I still pretty?

BB: You’re the prettiest girl in the world.

Lila (tail thumping furiously): I love you.

BB: I love you too, Lila. Do you remember what happened before you met us, while you were waiting for us to find you and bring you home?

Lila (sad, downcast eyes): Yes. I was taken away from my brothers and sisters and my momma. I don’t remember too much after that, but somehow I ended up in a giant room with lots of kennels full of frightened dogs barking all the time. It was ugly and noisy and terrifying. I was so scared there I didn’t know what to do. Someone came by and said I had to go on a special list called an E-list. I didn’t like the way they said it.

BB: You were right to be scared, Lila. An E-list is not a good place for a puppy to be. But someone came and got you off that E-list. Someone from an animal welfare group. They knew you would grow up to be a wonderful pet someday.

Lila (happier): Yes. I got to ride in a truck from that scary place to a smaller place that still had lots of dogs, but there were lots of people there to help out and play yards to run in and it wasn’t as noisy or scary. But I was still alone in my kennel most of the time. Until my first family came. They took me home and I was so happy, at first.

BB: Then what happened?

Lila: I don’t know exactly, but it didn’t work out. They took me back to the place with the play yards and they said good bye. They said I just wasn’t working out for them. I was sad to see them go. I like people.

BB: I know you do. You’re a good girl. Then you met us, remember?

Lila: Yes, I remember. I didn’t want to scare the boy because I could tell he was a little nervous around me, so I played it cool, remember? I didn’t jump or bark or nip or anything. (wags tail furiously)

BB: You played it cool all right, until you got in the car to go home with us and peed on the seat, then started barking.

Lila (eyes slightly downcast): I was a little excited. (single, hopeful tail wag)

BB: It’s okay, Lila. You’re a good girl. (insane tail wag)

Lila: You didn’t say that at first.

BB: You were crazy at first. You were eight months old and you were naughty, naughty, naughty. But you worked hard at puppy school every week, and you went for long walks with me and the boy, and we went to the dog park a lot to help you get some of your energy out. We got a lot of exercise in that first year together. Remember that?

Lila: Yes! I love walks. Can we go on a walk? I’m ready. Just put on my leash. LET’S GO! (wag, wag, wag, jump up, circle, wag some more).

BB: Ok, Lila, let’s go.

Today’s WordPress Daily Prompt: Interview someone — a friend, another blogger, your mother, the mailman — and write a post based on their responses.