Writing, Working and A Wedding: Sunday's ROW80 Update

I've been MIA from my blog lately. At least, for the last two weeks I have been. Work and the holidays have had me running around like crazy, and add to that my best friend's wedding (which was this past Friday) that I was helping to plan (somehow I was picked to do centerpieces along with a billion other things I didn't know how to do. I am not crafty at all but I gotta say, they came out pretty damn good!)...well let's just say I've been distracted.

[On a side note, my friend's wedding was amazing. She looked beautiful and I've never seen her so happy. She's been through a lot of crap in her life but has finally gotten her happily ever after. It's so totally deserved. Even I, a girl who is not that keen on the concept of marriage or HEAs outside of the fiction world, cried happy tears for her.]

Despite this hectic schedule though,I have found time to write. This does not mean I am caught up with my NaNo word count though. I am still behind, though I hope to catch up and hit the 50K mark by the end of November. I will have to write about 2500 words per day to make it, though I will try to lesson this daily amount by writing a substantial chunk of words today. I hope!.

So, since my last post on the 7th, this is how I've been doing with my ROW80 goals:

Write the required amount of words for NaNo: As I mentioned, this hasn't been happening every day, but it is happening. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I really, REALLY, want to make it to 50K by the 30th.  But even if I don't, one thing NaNo has taught me is that, even when I have a crazy schedule, if I put my mind to it I can write a lot of words in a month. NaNo has also taught me the importance of an outline. If I didn't have one set up before I started, I'd be nowhere close to my word count so far!

Continue edits on Finding Home: In Progress.  These are coming along quite nicely but I have slowed a bit. I don't want to rush through these (especially with doing NaNo at the same time) so, slow and steady it is.

Post at least one ROW80 Update (either Wed. or Sun): Yeah, okay. I haven't posted an update since the 7th. 'Nuff said.

Post one non-ROW80 post for the week: Fail. I have posted some reviews on Goodreads though of books I've been reading so, I'm getting things out there, just not on my blog. I need to work on this.

For this week, my goals are:

Finish NaNo!

Continue slogging though the edits for Finding Home

Post at least one ROW80 update (either Wed. or Sun)

Post a non-ROW80 post for the week

Get through the pile of files on my desk by Wednesday

If I can stay focused I think I have a good shot at accomplishing these goals. *fingers crossed* How is everyone else doing? For those doing NaNo, are you ready for the end or did it come up too fast?

Oh, and as you can see, I changed up the design a bit on the blog. What do you think? I tend to change it as the seasons change, so I went for a toned done Fall theme. I also changed my profile to a Google+ one though I honestly have no idea what the hell Google+ does. I will have to play around with it and see what the heck to do there, if anything. (Since I don't use FB, I doubt I will use Google+ but I do like the profile better on there than the old blogger profile. It looks way nicer). Is anyone else on Google+? What do you think about it? Useful, or no? Anyways, have a great week and good luck on your goals!

Thank God It's Finally Over...

The election that is.

I mean seriously. I thought my head might explode with the rabid nature of this year's election and my self imposed hiatus from the news. I turned it on last night and am glad to be able to watch real (and hopefully) non-election coverage.

At least not for 18 months  Because that's about how long it will take until we start to hear and see rumblings about Congressional elections in 2014 and the next Presidential election in 2016. I kid you not.

This is one of the problems with the US. Career politicians who end up spending more time campaigning and trying to cover their own butts than actually getting work done. And I am looking and BOTH parties here. *gives politicians on both sides my best scowly face*

This is main reason I am a firm believer in term limits for House and Senate members. If they can't rely on a job as a politician who does little but campaign and disparage the other side and had a finite amount of time to get work done, then maybe they'd do actual work. The alternative is people continue to re-elect the same people over and over and we need up with what we have now,. Gridlock  I'm not trying to be negative but seriously, over a hundred million people voted and we're left with the status quo that we had yesterday. I hope I'm wrong but history tells me that there might be a better than good chance that nothing changes. Compromise, people. It's about COMPROMISE on both sides. Spending cuts, real and serious tax reform, tax hikes for gazillonaires (*glares at Republicans*), and serious entitlement reform (*double glares at Democrats*). All of it has to be on the table.

Anyways, enough about politics right? 18 months of peace, writing and more ROW80 updates. And speaking of those updates:

Write the required amount of words for NaNo: I have been trying to make up my NaNo word count and so yesterday I sat my butt in the chair and typed away. I also got a lot of writing in while the election coverage was on in the background last night. I have 2469 words to make up as of this morning in addition to the daily 1667 for the day. I have the afternoon off so hopefully I can continue catching up.

Continue edits on Finding Home: In Progress

Post at least one ROW80 Update (either Wed. or Sun): Done :D

Post one non-ROW80 post for the week: I have an idea to get this done every week by incorporating my love of reading books and the reviews I write on Goodreads. The books I've been reading have blown me away lately, so I think I am going to start reviewing a book or two here on my blog to spread the word when I'm totally knocked off my feet by a particular novel or author. I love to read, I love to give reviews, and I am always looking for something to post about, so it all makes sense to me.

Complete major, serious, HUGE, scary work project: Done!!!  With my work project done, I can take a couple days to relax and regroup before diving into the pile on my desk. I have a busy week next week, but nothing I can't handle as long as I stay on top of things.

Now, I'm off to get some morning writing done. Hope everyone's week is going well and good luck with your goals!

A Day Late...A ROW80 Update

I need a vacation. Not even somewhere tropical. Just somewhere that my phone does not have to be tethered to my ear. What did people do before cell phones? 

I mean, I remember being dropped off at the mall in my teenage years and having to bring some change to call my mom so she could come and pick us up in her Dodge Shadow (or was it a Sundance? She had both, one right after the other. Can't remember which came first). Even when I went to college I didn't have one until I was a sophomore  and even then it was one of those that came in a case and I was only ever allowed to use it if I was injured or had some dire emergency because it was like a million dollars a minute. (Okay, maybe that is an exaggeration but it was a lot and I remember being lectured about it repeatedly so it seemed really expensive at the time!)

Anyways, the point is that being accessible 24/7 and not having a moment of peace is a serious drag. So in that sense, I wish for the days of the rotary phones with the 12 foot long cords I used when I was 14 and had to stretch across my parent's kitchen so I could sit on the basement stairs while I talked to my friends. 

The good old days. Though, hindsight is 20/20, so of course there are things I am glad that have evolved since then. (Tight rolled jeans anyone and enough hairspray in my hair to cause a fire hazard?!?!) Just some that I am not so glad about, like being found so darn easily by cell phones.

Anyways, enough of my complaining. Here's my uneventful (and somewhat of a fail) update:

Write 5K words for the week: I've been stuck and it's driving me nuts. With the upheaval of the last two weeks my mind has been elsewhere and concentrating has been near impossible. I was getting a small amount of words in daily but only ended the week with 2413. That's okay though. I just need to keep trying. 

Continue edits on Finding Home: Fail. Fail. Triple Fail! I have this and I need to get to them. But every time I do I get sidetracked. I promise, that this upcoming weekend I will be working furiously to get these done. 

Post at least one ROW80 Update (either Wed. or Sun): Well I forgot to post Wed. and yesterday's post is being written today so...better late than never I guess, right?! :D 

Post one non-ROW80 post for the week: Fail. Though I have done several reviews on Goodreads of books I've read this week, but those are on GR and not here. I need to rectify this, most likely by re-blogging the reviews of my fave books here on this blog. This would kill two birds with one stone. *ponders this ides*

Complete major, serious, HUGE, scary work project: This is mostly done and just being reviewed. It will be out on Wednesday (Thursday at the latest) and therefore off my desk! YAY!!! *happy dances*

My goals for next week have changed slightly since NaNo has started and will be:

• Write the required amount of words for NaNo: This is 1667 per day, but as long as I am on track each week (since some days I can write longer than others), I just want to target the weekly goal here. 
• Continue edits on Finding Home
• Post at least one ROW80 update (Wed, Sun. or both)
• Post at least one non-ROW80 blog post

With the work project out of the way and things slowing down at work, it is time to buckle down and get my writing on.  No more excuses, just progress, right?! How are y'all doing? Anyone else doing NaNo? How is your progress going? Good luck and see you around the ROW!