Quick NaNo Update Day 27

I haven't been posting daily updates like I usually do during NaNoWriMo. But I am writing every day, which is also important.

I knew this year my word count, reaching 50,000 words in 30 days was going to be a bit more challenging than usual. I also knew it would probably be really close to the 11:59 pm November 30th deadline. And it is, all around.

I am confident I will make it. It may be on the 30th that I post passing the goal and verify my word count. And I am okay with that.

Right now I am sitting at 43,890. The target for today is 45,000. I don't think I'm going to hit it today.

But, plenty of time ahead to reach 50k. And I will.

That is all.

No story updates or outtakes from this year. No. It's all staying right where it is for now.

I've got this.

Here is where I'm heading tomorrow for a few days, to finish writing my NaNoBook and a day to recover and do, well, whatever I feel like (and make one business related phone call because it's that important; but I might have to drive a few miles away to get a signal).

Corporeal Writing Summer Session

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heat words eros, breaking through timidity, first time second time many times returning to self to the body, speaking from the body breaking down personal limitations, being present in our messedupness not alone sharing space sharing wine whiskey beer soda water sharing breath and air and stories. standing swimming floating in pools of water cold hot. we. are. here. because words. 
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Day Three: The Process of Leaving

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This is the view from my laptop, sitting at the dining table, looking past the living room space and out the nearly floor to ceiling window.

The dishes are washed except for the plate from, um, let's call it "lunch," I just ate, a cup of Pukka Revitalise tea, one fork, one knife. If you know me, then you know it was actually breakfast and, no, I didn't misspell revitalize, it's the name of the tea. Really.

This has been a nice three day writing retreat. And while I didn't accomplish everything I thought I would, I was on the phone last night with S who reminded me that I do tend to plan more than I can realistically do. She's right even though I started to protest, but only for the briefest second. Because. I know she's right.

The sheets and towels and my dirty clothes are in the dryer now. I hear them going round and round and the rhythm is familiar. And one benefit of having a place to go to sometimes which is not a hotel is that I can take my time in leaving and I can wash my clothes along with the things I have to do as a participant in this place, so I can go home with clean clothes instead of one more thing to do when I return to my everyday life.

In these three days with this view and the ocean and time and nowhere to be at any specific time, I have accomplished some writing. The biggest thing I needed to do was to complete and submit a piece of writing for a workshop I'm attending in early May. The piece was edited and submitted; check. Then I wanted to work on something for my newly formed critique group: I have to submit up to 2000 words by next Friday; semi-check. I wrote some new material and paired it with a piece of the manuscript and wove the two together - that's the "check." The "semi" part is that I still need to do some editing and work on the continuity of voice and tone and pacing before I send it in. But the hard part is done, I think. So I can probably call the critique group submission a "check, part one."

While the dryer cycles its contents to dry and I finish the last of the tea, I am trying to just be here. No specific time to depart. No specific time I have to be home. Trying to be present as long as it lasts.

And maybe I'll write a bit more before I go.

Day Two

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The temperature returned to normal, wind blowing the branches of the trees, the ocean loud and crashing and white caps growing, moisture in the air palpable. And the sludge black coffee from yesterday's french press drained caffeine hitting blood, heritage flakes and soy milk consumed, water with lemon at hand.

Laptop booted up, phone off.

Unwashed, hair askew, still in pajamas, hands on keyboard.

Ocean rolling lulling sounds of birds holding on sounds of air water life. Words.

Ready.

Go.

Write.

Yes.
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Writing. Walking. Warmth.

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Done! My submission for the Methow Valley workshop is in.

I took a break from writing and went to the bakery in Nye Beach - an iced mocha and a mini whole wheat sourdough loaf. This was followed by a walk on the beach, barefoot, with unseasonably warm air and waded in the any-season temperature water (freezing).

Now I'm back at the condo to create something for dinner, drink some wine, and get back to writing.




Back to rewriting. I've done my editing and the piece is in. Now it's time to tackle some rewrites. Not just edits, but rewrites and re-vision.

NaNoWriMo 2015 : Consecutive Win #8

The writing is not yet done, but I did cross the 50,000 word benchmark on Tuesday 11/24/15.

Proof, again, that the annual writing retreats help.

Making time and space for focused writing helps. Being in a place where the only distractions are the ocean and the sunsets and walks on the beach helps. Being prepared with food and drink and snacks and tons of tea helps.

And I did it. I wrote over 50,000 words in the month of November - from 12:01 AM on November 1st until 11:56 pm on November 24th, to be more exact. And my manuscript (in it's very raw form) was validated on the NaNoWriMo website at 11:58 pm.

I am a NaNoWriMo Winner!

NaNo Update for the 22nd Day

The NaNovember 2015 coast writing retreat is under way and it is working.

Today I caught up and earlier tonight surpassed the word count goal for today. The goas was 36,667 and my current count is 36,781. I am not much ahead, but at least I am not behind. Until it turns midnight and then I will have at least another 1667 to write. Which I will. Today I wrote 5656 words.

Yes. The ocean and the sun and the very calm breeze carrying the salty air and the sound of a seal up to the little cabin are bringing me back into my writing.

I'll take it.

NaNo Update as of Day 16

Progress on the story has slowed. This is about the time I usually am at or headed to the coast for my writing retreat. But, one more play to interpret before I go. Soon. Soon, I will be snuggled in a small, cozy rental with food and drinks, my laptop, a book or two, comfy clothes, writing. And writing.

And we're taking flashlights just in case. I love this place we're going in Oceanside. An amazing full view of the ocean and cliffs from the top floor, with big windows and no obstructions. And the last two time? three times, maybe? I've been to this place the power has gone out one night. The last time it was out for nearly (or actually?) a full day.

So. Flashlights.

And keeping the laptops and cell phones charged. Not that there is much of a cellular signal in Oceanside, but I usually have one with my service provider. Yay.

And paper. Paper to write on as a backup if we should lose power for longer than our laptops last. Which I don't expect.

I don't know, maybe there is an energy saving power down time in Oceanside. Naw. I think it's the weather. And we might get a good storm while we're there.

I also have a writing meetup in the "morning" (for me) before work. So, off to bed now so I can writing in the morning and put a dent in the missing word count.

I'm not worried. I will make it to 50k before 11:59 pm on November 30th. I will. Actually I will make it to 50k before 2:45 pm on November 30th because I start work at 3:00 and will still be working at midnight.

To bed!

Time Out to Write

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This is the final night of my annual NaNoWriMo writing retreat. And I am so glad I started this tradition.

On Tuesday I arrived here with 21,668 words written. That was my ending word count at midnight on Monday, November 17th, I should have been at 28,334 if I'd been keeping up on the daily average word count. I had an appointment and a meeting on Tuesday before I headed over, which meant I started this retreat with a 6,666 word deficit. And remember that each day the goal is to write another 1.667 words in order to finish 50,000 words in 30 days.

The ending word count goal for today is 33,334. I just surpassed that number. Woo!

Tuesday I wrote 2,031 words. Yesterday I wrote 4,552 words.Today my ending word count is 33.627.

I made it! I am back on track. I hope to get in some extra writing in the next two days, because I have a few long days ahead when getting in the daily average will be tough. But I am confident I will pass the 50k mark on time. Yes, I will.
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Retreat: Rest, Recovery, wRiting

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Quick NaNoWriMo update: My current word count is 23,699. By midnight on Tuesday, November 18th, I should have written 30,000 words to be on target. So I am only 6, 301 words behind the daily average goal.

Oh well.

I am here at the coast, in the upper level of a two story house. I have picture windows on nearly three-quarters of the walls, which give me a clear view to Twin Rocks, the beach grass, and patches of the beach itself. If it's sunny I have a front row seat and a short block walk to easy (and flat, for which my knee is grateful) beach access. For when the weather turns, which is expected on Thursday, I have a front row seat to the white caps and blowing wave crests, the wind blowing sand and the pounding rain. No matter the weather, this is perfect.

I have internet access and cable TV, a dvd player. I brought healthy food and tasty snacks, tea and coffee, wine and chocolate. I don't have to leave the house except for walks.

I will write. I have written since I've been here. A little over two thousand words tonight. My goal will be to get caught up and a bit ahead. After I return home on Friday I have a writers meeting that night, and more time to write. And on Saturday I will play chauffeur and then, while she teaches an art workshop, I will cafe and coffee shop hop and write.

I will reach 50k and beyond.

I will get into a flow soon. After some sleep. Tuesday was a long and intense day, all done on not quite enough sleep.

Right now I am going to try to get out a few more words and then go to bed. Tomorrow will be a new writing day and tomorrow I can sleep until I'm ready to wake up. No alarms. No appointments. Just me and my laptop and the ocean and a novel to continue writing.

I can do this.
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Affirmative Assumption, My Writing Retreat Adventure, Part II

One of our walks on the beach.

"Do not ASSUME," the saying goes. "Because when you break it down, it makes an ASS out of U and ME."

You've heard that phrase or something like it, right? If you haven't, well, now you can add it to your list of old fashioned or outdated bits of advice or pack it away in your arsenal of witty retorts.

Assumption has been given a bad rap. I know, I know. It's true that I shouldn't assume that I understand another person's experience if I haven't lived it. I agree, though I may be able to understand some of the feelings or bodily reactions if I have experienced something similar. I know that I can never understand the lived experience of being, for example, a Deaf person in this country (I am hearing), or a person of color (I am white), or a Wheelie ([can I use that term, Bug?]  I am a walkie), and so on.

But it is also true that assumptions can be positive experiences. The writing retreat at Rockaway Beach, which ended one week ago, was proof of positive assumption.

It has been hard to put what I felt into words, in person, when I've tried to explain it to a couple of people. Some success and mostly people "got" what I was trying to say. I'm going to try to put the words down here, as well.

But there was an atmosphere of assumption:
- that each of us are authors;
- that each of us hae a project we were working on or towards;
- that each of our projects are worthy of publication;
- that each of us are or can be published authors;
- that each of us would find our own process about how we needed to take care of ourselves and our writing during the week;
- that each of us would write and process and take breaks, sleep and eat and be involved in group activities as was appropriate.

When the cook was away for a night, we went out for dinner!

That each of us are skilled writers of equal value and importance and writing ties us together was in the air for the entire week. There was no doubt that we were authors and we were writing.

I suspect some people reading this may wonder why that was even a question. Of course. We each went there for a writing retreat. Duh. But it isn't always true when writers or wanna-be-writers come together that there is this total giving over to our author selves as valuable and in a spirit of acceptance that whatever each of us needs to do, she will do it, for herself and her writing. I am grateful to each participant and to Lori Lake. The success of a retreat like this has to have a good facilitator, a good leader, who sets the tone and expectations.

Lori made each of us feel comfortable in our author selves. She made time for each of us individually, before and during and even after the retreat. She led discussions in the evenings, shared resources, was a positive presence throughout the week.

Luca did an amazing job of meeting a myriad of dietary needs and preferences, with delicious and healthy meals. With making sure there was a variety of options for our make-our-own breakfast needs, which happened from the time the first person got up around 6am until the last of us got up around 10am. She also led us in a couple of collage nights, designed specifically for our retreat. Again, Luca was another great leader in the assumption that each of us would participate or not in the collage nights, as we needed to do for our author selves that week.

It was a week of being present. Of writing. Of knowing that I was in the right place and with the right people. Affirmative assumption can be a very good thing.

Rockaway Beach, OR  10.11.14

My Writing Retreat Adventure, Part I

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October 5-12, 2014, I was at a writing retreat in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. It was held at the Oregon Writers Colony house, which has an ocean view out one side of the house and a lake view out the other. There were eight wonderful women authors and we were led by author Lori L. Lake and fed by poet, artist, and caterer Luca Hart.

I will admit that I was nervous going into this adventure. Excited and nervous - what I have come to call, lovingly, "anxietement" (the melding of anxiety and excitement, which often feel very similar to me). It is outside of my norm to go away for a week where I don't know anyone. I had met Lori at a conference, I liked her, I liked her writing, I was drawn to what she had to say and it resonated, and she had been very friendly and approachable in email conversations. And that was the only person I knew at all. After I arrived, I did find that I had seen - and possibly met briefly - a couple of the other other authors, but I didn't *know* anyone. And I was going to be sharing a room with someone I had never met. There was nothing to fear and it was a wonderful week.

We don't all have our author websites up and running yet, but I'm sure that all of us will, soon. Here is the list of the fantabulous writers I spent the week with, and their websites.

Lori L Lake

Jessie Chandler

MB Panichi

Judy Kerr

Rae Richen

Laura Morrison

Linda Vogt

Julia Ingram

Luca Hart

I miss them all and there have been dropped hints/requests for organizing a reunion next year. Count me in!

back row: Me, Lori L Lake, Laura Morrison, Julia Ingram;
middle: Rae Richen, Luca Hart;
front row: Linda Vogt, Judy Kerr, MB Pinichi, Jessie Chandler

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Big Breakthrough

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I have put in many hours this week on the novel. I am not done yet. Each step I make gets me closer to completion and yet, sometimes, farther away.

I was going to type, "farther away, it seems." But that has been one of my own discoveries this week is how much I qualify and discount in my story. Especially this story which was first written six years ago. I believe that my writing has improved in many ways since that time, but there is still room for improvement, need for feedback from outside eyes and brains.

This morning I started working on the timeline and plot map, which includes physical location of characters and movement in the story, where important events take place. I have made note of needing to that for at least a couple of weeks. This week, here, I have noted it and it was a major thing I needed to do which I put in my notes. I was going to start it last night, but it was late, I was getting tired, and I knew I wanted to start on it while I was fresh.

Which I did this morning.

I had to stop for lunch. I tend to overtake one end of the main table when I'm writing here. At least I have up until now because I am taking notes on one set of paper and making revisions and have my laptop. I take up space. So I paused for lunch. No problem.

After we were done eating and the table again cleared, I got back to it.

And I DID it! Making the map was slow at times. Some incidents and connections were not as clear as they seemed on the page or in my head. Who went where. What happened before or after what, was complicated.

I was happy it was complicated because I don't want my novel to be boring. But it wasn't as easy to plot it out as I thought it would be. Silly me.

Amazing things happened as I plotted and circled. Drew solid lines and dotted lines.

I realized that the section I moved to the front of the book was not an attention grabber, a hook. No. It really did have to be the first thing that happened. That is the inciting incident. It has to happen first or nothing else makes sense. (Or perhaps it's too twisting and manipulative to make it not be the first important thing.)

I also realized that the reason I moved it to the front originally, the thing I thought had to happen? It couldn't happen there. No way. It had to happen in a different time and place.

That was the big breakthrough. Once I realized that, things really fell into place. Not all of it easily; some events still had to be figured out, counted and timed in a way, noted and considered.

Which I did. I had the visual map. Then it got to a point where I had to write it out in a first, second, third, etc way. In that process I discovered that there were two incidents at one point - they needed to occur somewhat concurrently, so I had to do some thinking about how I wanted to place them in terms of story interest and timing. And I did that, too.

So, now. What's next? I believe I can move forward with rewrites now. Actually with some re-vision. There are no major changes in characters or the significant events. But there are some other changes related to the story and I think I understand now and it will move forward.

This will not be a fast process. But I have a map now. I know where the characters came from and where they're going.

Now it's time to get back to it. I was so excited that I wanted to take a writing break to write this update from the fogged in Rockaway Beach.

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All It Takes Is?

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I started to write this as, "All it takes is a little time and space to write." Which is true in that time to write and making space to write are important.

I started this women's writing retreat with the belief or the hope that what I needed was these two things with the novel and I could get it to the next level. I've been moving slower than I would have liked and part of the reason, I thought, was not enough time. I meant not enough long blocks of time.

I was at the combing point of my novel. I needed to go through each scene, each page, each chapter and make notes about characters and settings and plot and much more. It was hard for me to do this adequately in the short pieces of time I made for writing. And I did make time - it just didn't feel like enough.

I felt that what I needed was a big chunk of time so I could immerse myself in the novel and comb through it all within a period of time in which I could also hold it all in my head. Then, I would be able to move on, to take it to the next level of revision and move it toward publication.

And in these first two and a half days that is exactly what I have done.

I have read the entire novel from word one to word final. I have made notes about:
- characters
- plot points
- settings
- time (meaning date; and the actual time or timing in a few places)
- things I labeled FIX (meaning I need to fix it)
- things I labeled SNORE (feels gentler than "boring" and keeps the work lighter and I'm not beating myself up about it)
- things I labeled PROBLEM (bigger conflicts of plot which couldn't be fixed with a few words)
- who is in each chapter or scene
- research I need to do (or redo in most cases)
- plot or story ideas I might incorporate or look into further
- things I labeled as FACT in terms of the story
...and a few more. But I'm sure you have the idea.

I didn't think I would get to this point by this time.

I am happy.

And I realized there was one more factor for me. The magic ingredients were time and space and commitment. I've had the commitment and found the time and space, and the writing camaraderie thanks to the facilitator, Lori Lake.
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A Week of Writing

This is the first day of the week long writing retreat I'm attending in Rockaway Beach. Which just happens to be one of my favorite places on the Oregon coast.

I will admit, now that I'm here and my fears were unfounded, that I was a little nervous. Excited - and
nervous. I know some people (who don't know me well) might be surprised, but I was nervous about coming to this writing workshop where I didn't really know anyone. I had met the facilitator and talked with her - and felt completely comfortable with her, but didn't know much about her beyond what is available online. I did meet her partner briefly - though I didn't know it was her at the time. And I had no idea who else would be attending. I'm open to meeting new people and I have to do it all the time.

But to deliberately put myself in a situation where I am sharing housing with people I don't know for an entire week? And what's more, to share a room with an unknown person? It's not my usual method.

However, I was so impressed by the facilitator when I met her, I was sure that others drawn to her would be okay. And there was something in her that I knew I wanted to write and discuss writing with her. Bonus that is was in one of my favorite places!

But a week? In a shared house? Me?

Yes. Me.

Today has been great. The weather was perfect. We snacked. We talked. We laughed. I went for a walk on the beach with a couple of the other attendees. The facilitator's partner is a gourmet cook in addition to writing and other talents - so we had a delicious home cooked dinner.

And I do feel completely comfortable with all of the other writers.

All fears were unfounded. All nervousness or anxiety has stepped aside for the excitement and the time and space for writing.

Look at me! I'm writing. I have already made some progress on the novel - which includes the use of something I printed out two weeks ago but never touched and I almost didn't pack, but tossed into my laptop bag at the last minute.

This is going to be an awesome week.

October is Prep Month!

"But, Dot, you're a pantser!"

"I know. But prep doesn't have to mean outline."

"What does it mean if you're not outlining?"

"Things like character sketches. I did that last year and it was fun, it kept my writing creative brain busy and excited about NaNovember, but I wasn't writing the novel."

"Snore. What else?"

"One year I did try an outline, sort of. That was a two thumbs down snoozer for me; the worst NaNoExperience I've ever had and I've never touched that so-called novel since; sucked big time. I've heard many NaNo authors talking about whole outlines of their novels. With research about subjects that will come up. With storyboards. Full worlds created and visualized And plot points and pictures with circles and arrows on the back and --"

"Dot, don't go rambling off into 'Alice's Restaurant' lyrics. Most people won't know what you're referencing, anyway. Back to NaNoPrep. The pantser's view."

"My prep? Reading. Reading more. Seeing what ideas pop into my head which may become novel ideas. Or maybe characters again. I don't know. If I'm getting super excited about NaNoWriMo again, then I want to do something to build momentum so I will be ready at the stroke of midnight which was Halloween and becomes November. Ready for the ML's "GO" to begin writing. Yes."

"Dot? Hello, come back. It's not November, yet."

"I know."

"So do you have any ideas?"

"Nope."

"When will you get an idea?"

"Don't know."

"What are you working on."

"Oh! That reminds me. The novel. It was a NaNoNovel. I really liked the story and my story is that I would never have come up with that story if I would have outlined it. Never. But I like it. So I'm revising. I did some revision a couple or so years ago, then set it aside to focus on the memoir. Now the memoir is marinating on the shelf, so I've returned to the novel. And a book of short stories I'm writing."

"And?"

"Oh. Yes. The writing retreat at the coast. I'm attending a writing retreat facilitated by author Lori Lake in October. That is really exciting. A whole week away, devoted to writing. One on one meetings with the author. Writing prompts. Some art projects. The beach. That is prep for sure. Plus I hope to get more direction on the novel during the week. And do some more writing of something else. The editing is still going well, I'm enjoying it. But I like to write new material, as well."

"Ah."

"Any more questions?"

"Nope."

"Good. Good night."

"You mean good morning?"

"Not on my schedule. Nighty night!"

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NaNoWriMo Day 12 : The Writing Retreat

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I am wrapping up the day with just over 500 words written. I don't mind it being a low count day, as I am still over the cumulative target (21,667) with a cumulative word count of 23,091.

Today I packed a bunch of stuff. Then I swapped out a couple of things and repacked. Piled my laptop and my clothes bag and my hot tub/cuddle blanket/NaNoSweathirt/Tea bag and my writing books in anticipation of leaving for NaNoWriMo writing retreat 2013.

Went to an appointment.

Went home and waiting for my writing buddy to arrive.

She arrived. We packed my car. We made meal and snack stops at New Seasons and Trader Joe's and Starbucks for coffee on the road.

And here we are. Food put away. Bags unpacked. In our comfy clothes and the ocean welcoming us outside the open sliding glass doors, hot decaf in our cups. Laptops plugged in.

We are writing.

I'm done with my NaNoWriting for today and am moving on to the first poetry class exercise for this week. We will get the second exercise tomorrow morning and I'd like to get number one done before I get number two. I think that's a reasonable goal; don't you?

So, with that, I'll send this post into the world, along with a picture of our collection of writing books. Yes, we did discuss who was bringing what ahead of time, only so that we wouldn't end up doubles of a few books. Quite a lovely collection we have. We should be set if our muses don't show up now and then and the plot bunnies flee into the beach grass to munch.

Writing, ho!

NaNoWriMo Day 11: Good Enough for Now

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[image found at Stress Relief Solutions]
Today I did write. In between a meeting with a very nice interpreting student on the topic of theatrical interpreting and work I was able to write for a bit and added 1006 words to my daily count. I'm going to call it for today with a total word count of 20951. That's pretty good and I'll take it!

I'm at work now and, while I thought I'd add more words on breaks, that hasn't happened. And I'm okay with that. I am still ahead of the goal for today. And I have some major writing time coming up, so I'm not worried.

Tomorrow my Tuesday writing partner is unable to meet. But I am committed to being there, anyway, and I will take the opportunity to write for the entire time. That will get me caught up for the lower word count the last two days and get my word bank back up to a comfortable level.

Then I have time to write on Wednesday. And Thursday to Saturday are completely dedicated to writing, both on my NaNoNovel and for the online poetry class. Which reminds me, the other thing I need to use my breaks for tonight are to finish posting my feedback to other writers in the Literary Kitchen. And that is the one other thing I will do during my writing time tomorrow morning is - write poetry! We get new prompts on Tuesday and Thursdays and then we post a more polished poem on the weekend. So far, so good; I like it.

Oh, I almost forgot. There is a new development in the NaNoNovel. It hasn't quite happened yet, but it is on the brink. There have been some gluten free pastries - savory and sweet - and coffee brought in, there has been an altercation and a secret hinted at. And, soo, there will be sudden darkness. I have some ideas about what will happen, but the characters haven't yet revealed their plan.

Something is about to happen, for sure, though!
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The Final Pages in Pajamas

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Today I'm alone. It's midday and I'm still in my pajamas.

I'm in the living room with a cup of coffee with soy milk, a spinach + broccolini + chicken apple sausage scramble, a bowl of fresh blueberries, and a big bottle of electrolyte enhanced water. I also have a supply of Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snacks, Dark Chocolate Nutty Bits, and some air popped popcorn.

Because today I think I'm finally going to write the final words of my memoir. No, I'm not procrastinating by writing this post. But I am stating my intention and I am using this as my warm-up to writing the final words.

First, I have to type in a couple of chapters I wrote by hand. Then the final pieces I only have outlines for.

Hopefully, before I go to bed tonight (and it does have to be *tonight* - I have an early job tomorrow), I will have written to the end of this book. I will print out the newest pieces to do some editing on breaks at work.

Hopefully, number two, is that I will have this printed out and to my first editor within the week. (Note to self: check with her to make sure she wants a hardcopy - I forgot to ask.)

So - pajamas, writer fuel including coffee and water, drapes closed (I really am in my pajamas), my laptop, and background white noise to block out the cars on the street and the guys playing hackysack and the lawns mowers and weed whackers. Writing.

Writing to The End in my personal at home retreat.
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Unexpected Absence

I thought I'd make my Friday post when I arrived at the beach last night.

First delay was that I ended up working. Then, due to a couple of other things (forgot to pack the notebook with the memoir excerpts for the contest! Forgot the application for a special program I'm applying to) I lost my time between jobs to running home to get said things and shove them into the back of my car with half of everything else I own (I am *not* a light packer for weekends: two days? two weeks? I probably have the same amount of things, except the number of pairs of underwear matches the number of days I'll be gone, plus one). So all spare time lost, which included time to fill the gas tank.

So I had to get gas after working last night. And coffee since it was later and I had a late-night 90 minutes drive ahead.

Then - the beginning of the weekend rain - traffic slowed on the dark highway through the forest and mountain range.

And then, I came up behind what appeared to be a new truck driver. Judging by the extreme slow-downs for all curves and crawling uphill and frequent downhill braking. But I would rather be delayed by nearly and hour than get in an accident. And I don't know those windy roads very well, there was no moon, no lights. So I sipped my coffee - now cold - and rolled along with Lady Gaga and kd lang cds.

And the promised internet access? Nope. Well - I did have it for about an hour before I fell asleep. Then it was gone. And today - nothing. I've tried everything I can find with my Blackberry browser - but no luck. I've connected to the wireless router, but can't get back online.

No big deal - except that I can't post my Lit Kitchen assignment, I can access the online version of my book (which is okay, I have the latest versions of the parts I need downloaded to my laptop and I do have the printout). And I'll probably get more done on the book with less internet access.

Back to the book.

And probably no more posts here until Tuesday.
.