M.J. Fredrick's Blog, page 33

Sorrow

I need to turn off the TV and block news sites because I’m compelled to find out more. The State Police yesterday said they had evidence to complete the picture, to explain why, and I keep tuning in to see if they’ve released it, though I know they won’t, not so soon. I think about those teachers who probably went to work that morning like I did, anticipating Christmas break. I think about the parents who I hope kissed their kids good-bye as they got out of the car, thinking they’d be safe. I think about the principal who went TOWARD the gunman, as I know my principal would do. I think about the siblings who heard the screams and didn’t know, then waited and waited and waited at the firehouse.

I picture everything as if it was at my school, and have spent the weekend playing out scenarios in my head. If we’re in the cafeteria, what do I do? The playground? The gym?

I was glad to be at work on Friday after I heard the news, to hear the sounds of happy kids, and to get hugs from the children who didn’t know, who hadn’t heard. I wonder what Monday will be like.

How Do You Know When to Push Yourself?

I’m working on revisions of my NaNo novel, which will be pretty extensive, but right now my goal is 1500 words a day and it’s not been too taxing. I mean, I’ve been able to sit in front of the TV and watch movies and play a few games on Facebook and fool around on Pinterest and even make a few Pinterest projects. I figure I need a break after pushing myself through NaNoWriMo.

And then I signed up for the class Write 50 Books a Year with Delilah Devlin and Elle James. (Which, hey, was this week and I haven’t gotten any emails! Probably just as well.) I know I can be more productive than I have been this year, and I plan to be in 2013. I’d really wanted a novella out by Christmas, and it’s half-written, but that ain’t gonna happen. I really want to bundle my series, and I finally emailed my cover artist about it. I know the more I write, then sooner I can get the house paid off and then be a full-time writer, only I’m not sure I trust myself to make the most of that time, either.

How do you know when to push yourself, or when you need a break?

Goals the Week the Boy Comes Home

So kind of a busy week ahead. Josh will be home Friday night, but Fred has a gig and I’m going to the district Christmas party. He is amused by how busy we are when he’s not around, lol. We’re expecting a big cold front tonight, so I need to take care of my plants today.

1) Field trip–a concert with my choir

2) Food Bank distribution the same day. Not sure if I’ll stay, but I’ll take a change of clothes in case.

3) Christmas party Friday

4) revisions on NaNo book

5) hopefully go get a trim and my eyebrows done

6) hopefully go see The Hobbit and maybe Skyfall

Okay, maybe not BUSY, but big things going on, I guess. Also our last week to be meat eaters for awhile. Need to start cooking vegetarian again next week. Also need to stock up on food that the boy can snack on. I learned my lesson when he came home for Thanksgiving!

Goals for the First Week of December

This will be a busy one at school.

1) Superintendent meeting

2) Breakfast duty (but that means I get to leave early most days)

3) Finalize field trip details

4) Finish revisions on pregnant heroine story and send it back

5) start revisions on NaNo story.

6) Wine-tasting party Friday

7) start practicing the guitar I bought

8) start preparing for the lessons I’m doing after Christmas

NaNoWriMo–DONE!

According to Scrivener, I had 50,066 words. According to Pages, I had 50,256 words. According to the NaNoWriMo validator, 50,000 on the nose. Crazy, right? But I finished the story, which needs some big revisions, but has good bones. Very happy. Very tired.

Finishing November

This week is a week of finishing. I’m finishing my NaNo project (which will need big revisions, lots of moving stuff around but I have the raw material and a good outline for revisions.) I have to write at least 7 pages a day to finish, and that’s a struggle during school. Heck, it was a struggle during vacation. Add to that, Fred’s on vacation, so while he’ll cook and give me time to write, I feel bad abandoning him on his vacation.

And I’m finally finishing 11-22-63. That’s right–almost 3 months of listening. I’ve taken a couple of weeks off to listen to music, but now I’m down to under 3 hours and so much is happening that I can’t listen to it fast enough!

I’m 5 books behind on my Goodreads goal of reading 80 books this year. I’m around 60 books–no way will I finish 80, unless I read a bunch of short ones between now and Christmas. I’m reading Shannon Stacey’s latest now (I’m so bad with titles that sound alike). I very very rarely read stories with single moms, especially single moms with teens. I’ll only read them by people whose books I love. I don’t know why it is. I just prefer singles finding love for the first time.

Online Shopping

I had to go back to work so I could stop shopping. I was clicking left and right this week, and my UPS guy and mailman are going to hate me.

I bought:

a quilt rack like one I saw in Fredericksburg but didn’t want to carry around

a new laser printer that was on sale Black Friday–cheaper to buy a new one than to buy a new drum for the one I have

Supernatural Season 7, 2 DVDs for the boy, 2 for the husband, Rudolph, Last of the Mohicans

books for school and for my friend’s daughter and my husband

an action figure for the boy

a coat for myself

I got a few dollars credit to use in TV and video, which I may use to buy The Bourne Legacy, which comes out in 2 weeks. I’ve not seen it yet, but it won’t be on Netflix until January and I want to see it NOW.

Did you get any good deals online?

Monday After Vacation

Usually the Monday after Thanksgiving is in December, which means NaNoWriMo is over and that we only have 3 weeks of school until Christmas vacation.

This year Thanksgiving was early, so we have four weeks of school, which is good from a music teacher’s standpoint. There’s never enough time to do Christmas songs and teach Hanukkah. And it never fails that testing falls in there somewhere. Not this year, though.

Still, it was hard to get out of bed this morning and it will be harder getting off the couch in 45 minutes. At least I can wear jeans.

Still plugging away on NaNo. Skipped over some stuff in the interest of finishing on time. Going to need big revisions anyway.

Goals for the Week after Thanksgiving

So….last week of NaNoWriMo. I’ve been so uneven this year, that finishing on time will be questionable. Actually, won’t finish the book, but do want the 50K.

I don’t think I have much going on after school this week, so maybe, if I’m very good….

1) Technology meeting Thursday

2) Finish NaNoWriMo

3) Cook nearly every day, since we spent money like crazy people last week!

4) Put in paperwork for my choir’s field trip Dec. 12.

I think that’s it. But with 10K words to go, that and work is all I’ll have time for. I’m doing Hanukkah with the kids, so they’ll be playing dreidel, not too stressful, lol!

The Night the Animals Talked

I have looked for this video FOREVER! Only one other person outside my family remembers watching it. And here it’s on YouTube!