NaNoWriMo

Oh my. I'm feeling rather daunted by this NaNoWriMo thing. I'm at 11,472 words and I need to hit 15,003 tonight to be on goal for the 50,000 word finish at the end of the month.

I have lots of reasons why I really don't have time for this. And truly? I don't have time for this. I should be doing the two assignments that are do by November 20th. I should read my book, Three Cups of Tea, for our November 15th book club and I should be working on my memoir.

And what do I chose to do? Write a totally crap novel where the damned characters can't seem to get themselves out of a Santa Fe coffeshop, called...wait for it.
Espressorito.

Uh Huh. It seems a gay couple got together, one a swarthy, thickset Mexican named Juan (who also happens to make kickass Mexican food) and his lover Gianni who is a barista extraordinare and a pastry chef. Naturally, they open an espresso bar, Mexican eatery and saddlery. Forgot to mention that Juan is a true cowboy and leather worker. Of course. And they aren't even the main characters.

I must say that one of the reasons the woman Colette and her new friend David can't leave the place is because it's the perfect coffee shop/cafe that I would never leave either. Juan and Gianni post questions on the bulletin board and in the Santa Fe Herald asking people to come discuss them every Saturday afternoon. People of every background come out of the woodwork so that you have blue-haired pierced-up punks with purple hair discussing this stuff with soccer moms. What's not to love? So, it is a salon pondering existential questions. You can see why I can't get them to leave.

Apparently, this blog is also a way to avoid getting to my goal. Onward. Etc.

Obama is President

I knew I was anxious about this election but I can't believe how emotional it has been. I look at pictures of so many black, white, young and old voters lined up for hours and hours to vote and I am just overwhelmed.
Thank you American voters.
Thank you for making democracy real again.
I will not dilute this with thinking about all that this new 47-year old president must deal with. For now, it is time to congratulate him and his incredible abilities.
And now, I'm listening to McCain's speech and I am grateful for his class and grace in this speech. These are the best words he's said, well, except for this end acknowledgement about Sarah Palin.
Whatever, it sort of cures my romanticism about the whole affair. Onward. McCain should have shut up while he was ahead.

Sunday at the Seaside

Ahh...I haven't been home in ages and the sea and the wind were here waiting. Doing that timeless thing they do, of rush and retreat, rush and retreat. Does everything have to be metaphorical? It feels like that is life.
Last week was so full, with events, and dinners, and theatre right after work so there was no point in going home to the apartment and it was busy, busy, busy, but in a good way and then I got on the last ferry on Friday night and fell asleep in the car until another car's alarm blasted me awake and I was cursing even bothering to come here and then I pulled in to our dark gravel drive, opened my car door with my arms full of all I needed to schlep and there it was - Timelessness.
Calm. Sea. Breeze. Salt. Trees.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
And this week I plan on being smarter. Less after work stuff. More hang out and read and regroup stuff. Dare I suggest a more balanced approach?
And then on Tuesday, like the rest of Canada, I will await the results of the U.S. election. I am usually so optimistic, but I feel like I don't dare believe Obama will really win because I think my heart will break if it doesn't come true. Not that it won't anyway.
Dear U.S. Citizens,
Please vote. Please don't vote for the scary old pretend maverick or Tina Fey's clone.
The rest of us are depending on you to help shift the direction of your world, and consequently, ours.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Canadian

Writing Again

I feel like tonight I'll finally be coming up for a little air. I have an invitation to "celebrate the debut of Loden Vancouver" tonight, but it'll be a short event and I can get home and work on the piece I want to do for my writing group on Sunday. 

I'm loving this whole downtown life, but it is incredible how little free time I suddenly have, not just from the job, but generally. 

I've gone from hanging out, writing, reading and walking to doing none of the above. Why is it so hard to find some sort of a balance? I almost had too much free time before (not really, but almost) and now I'm missing all that time to meander and just think. 

So. The plan is to not book so many evening things and free up some writing time for real projects. I need to polish up some chapters and send the proposal off to the agents I met at the Surrey International Writers Festival. Time's passing...

Fact Checking R Us

It's just after 6:00 pm. I quite like these magazine working hours of 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. And as neck-killing as the constant fact-checking is, I really love finding out all that's going on in Vancouver. There are some great events coming up and I can see that I'll be going to more theatre productions and hearing new music because I'm doing this work. Gotta love that. 

Tonight we're heading off to India Bistro on Davie for dinner. It's had some great reviews so we're going to see what it's like.

Somewhere in between now and then I need to get another query out...Maybe tomorrow.