Guilt Monkey update

Hold your bananas! The rat story is finally started! Not enough that I'm bragging about any wordcount or content, but it does officially contain words.

I've begun reading a new book. Exciting announcement, I know. I needed something to read while soaking in those lovely oatmeal anti-itch baths. My current selection is Phillipa Gregory's Wideacre. More on that another day when I get further into it. So far it's good, but moving a bit slow which is not unexpected for 647 pages of historical fiction. I've enjoyed several of her other novels, so I'm willing to give it a chance to truly draw me in.

Mumurs of NaNoWriMo 2010 have begun to surface. As the muncipal liasion for my region again this year, that means its time to gear up, plan events, solicit donations, and brainstorm goody bag items.

Then there's the Young Writers program end of NaNo that I host in an elementary school and assist with at the middle school level. Thankfuly, I found a wonderful school librarian who was willing to take on most of the adult duties last year. I'm debating whether to pull in more schools, knowing I'll not be able to be personally involved unless I finish my clone factory in time. Oh delegation, you are the bane of my controlling exisitance.

Today's question
For the upcoming NaNo season, should I:

A) Not follow in the true spirit of the event, already having proven I can whip out a 50k draft in 30 days 4 times and instead make a 50k effort at rewriting one of my current novels in 30 days. Actually sitting down and diving into those projects hasn't happened yet, though I love all of those novels and think they all have promise. This would be far more of a challenge for me.

B) Set a good example and do it the right way: Do a little brainstorming in October and then write 50k from scratch in 30 days.

C) Run with a prompt you guys come up with because that would be something different for me to try. Each year I attempt to at least challenge myself to write something different or explore a different way of writing. Such as: new genre I've not played with before, a main female pov that does not technically kick ass, multiple povs, humor, etc.

Tap, Tap, I'm done

Since I had a little too much... ahem... fun this weekend and the poison ivy is still driving me nuts, I gave up trying to concentrate on writing. Instead, I finished reading Tap, Tap .

While the quick, clear characterization remained utterly inspiring, the various character voices were well done, and the witty character comments kept coming, a clumsily inserted major plot point halfway through brought on a revelation anvil in an otherwise materfully crafted dark tale. After I recovered from the anvil, (I swear that was the reason for the cold washcloth on my forehead) the solution to the mystery was clear. By the point the main vampire kidnaps the protagonist's wife, I called the ending. Reading the last quarter of the book was just to confirm I was right. I was.

Would I recommend it: Yes. The story is dark, distrubing and definitely adult in nature, but it's an entertaining variation on the typical vampire tale.

Empty wine bottles: too many
Rat story words: 0
Rotten bananas: 5

Vampires of a different sort

Why I'm reading this:

My mother in law handed it to me a few months ago and said, "I know you like vampire books." She shrugs. "I was out of things to read." She's a shut-in reading addict more of the Nicholas Sparks and Danielle Steele variety. Vamp novels are totally not her thing, so I took her "this was really weird" with a grain of salt. I was heading to the beach with the kids and grabbed it off my To Be Read pile without ever even glancing at the inside flap.

Turns out she was right. But in a good way. Tap Tap not your typical sparkly, angsty or lusty vampire novel, to be sure. Gritty, twisted and full of surprises, I've been enjoying every minute of it.

Maybe I'm twisted all on my own, but I've laughed outloud several times at the witty and masterful characterizations of the vampire's unfortunate victims. I am in awe of Martin's ability to pack so much characterization into a paragraph or two, painting such a clear picture that I know exactly who the unfortunate soul is and when they die a page or two later, I find myself caring.

I can't see the end yet, which is a big plus for me. When I finish, I'll deliver the final verdict, but so far I'm impressed!

Rat story progress tally:
Rotten bananas thrown: 2
Progress: 0

Another writing distraction conquered!

First of all, thanks to all who stopped by last week to vote on the direction of my newest writing project. The rats have won! I spent some time doing my rat research last night and am ready to dive in when tonight's writing window comes around.

Onward into my victory!

Prior to rat research time, I was busy cleaning up the remnants of my far too long and drawn out redecorating project. After much swearing and cursing of the original builders, I am happy to announce that the laminate floor is in! The tools are put away, the sawdust has been vacuumed, and the chaos of renovation has been put back to rights.

Behold the the before and after.

The green room becomes...

The red room!
(Yes, we still need new carpet. That wasn't in the budget just yet.)

The other half of the room.

Ah, that feels good. If only it would stay all neat and clean.

Okay, guilt monkeys, I have all my major distractions out of the way. I declare that two weeks from now, I'll have the first draft of this rat story done. Here are your bananas. Thank you.

Why is everything blurry?

I had planned this victorious monday morning post. As usual, my plan went out the window as I pried open my eyes. Well, one of them anyway.

As of last wednesday night, my flowerbed project is complete! My last task was to clean out the overgrown play area--mostly filled with invasive pricker vines which have kept my kids at bay and kept their toys all over the yard since last fall.

The mission was successful. Mulch mountain is no more. The weeds are removed. The toys have their old home back. All was well... until...

I woke up the next morning with blisters all over my arms and cheek and realized we'd been hosts to poison ivy. In the thirteen years we've lived here, we've never had a problem with it. Now, apparently, we do. Or at least, I do.

Vegetation obliteration spray has been applied. Anti-itch cream as been heartily slathered. Thankfully I was wearing gloves so my hands are only slightly affected or it typing would be a miserable task. The bad news is, I'd just cleaned out the wayward raspberry bushes the night before and my arms were covered in scratches that happily absorbed the aggitating oil and I was hot as hell while pulling the weeds and apparently wiped my face on the back of my glove several times, so my eyelid, cheek, jaw and neck are also affected.

As if that wasn't enough fun...

I spent my weekend intent on making the the best of the situation by finishing up the living room project--at least that could be accomplished in the luxury of air conditioning. The last slip cover has been sewn. After a month and half of walking around it, my sewing stuff has been put away. Hooray!

With all of sunday ahead of me and a severe need for distraction from the ever increasing urge to itch my skin down to the bone, I give my husband the wifely equivelant of the boo-boo lip and got him on board with finally putting in the laminate flooring. After much swearing, sweating, prying up of staples and ancient tack strips, and breathing in of carpet padding funk, the new flooring was laid.

This morning I woke up with a half swollen shut eye and a puffy side of the face. Thanks allergies and poision ivy!

Today, I'm planning to enjoy a cold washcloth on my face as much a possible. Tonight we can conquer the trim and then put things back to rights. Tomorrow I can get to writing about the rats.

Lets hope that this time, things go according to plan.