Drunk Drivers

Here's the Press Telegram Article about the death of my former student.

Crash

So I was running high on my NaNoSuccess as I walked to school this morning. I had my sweater and jacket and Griffindor/USC/Wilson colored scarf on, even though it's not quite finished.

I got to school and started being productive when I hear the announcements. Cryptic announcements on the PA are always bad. Always.

"Teachers, please check your emails. If any teachers or students are in need, the counselors will be available in the counseling center all day."

Somebody died. I go to check my email, and there's nothing there. Great. Go back to work, every few minutes glancing at the monitor for email notification. After about five minutes it pops up and I don't want to read it... but I do.

"Dear Wilson Staff,
Many of you saw the articles in the Press Telegram yesterday and today about a 16 year old girl who died of injuries suffered in a car accident over the holiday weekend. The girl was Kathleen Finucane's daughter, Caitlin.

As details become available, we will let you know. If you wish to send a card, her address is..."

Caitlin was one of the many Caitlin/Katelyn's I had at Rogers. My stomach soured and my mood came crashing down. In a school of 4500, you're bound to lose a couple of people during the year, but this is the first one that has been my student.

We as teachers spend so much time and effort pushing these kids towards their adult life, we seldom get to know how they turn out in the end. We like to think we've made a difference. We like to think that they will all live long productive lives and think back to their childhood with fondness. Something like this stops us in our tracks and makes us reevaluate who we are and what we do and what we teach.

It somehow feels wrong to feel solace in the fact that Caitlin is an exception, that most of our students do grow old and die after us.

Enough Said.

So I had a bad week.

For some strange reason, my wall hit me week 3 instead of week 2. But I think I'm over it now... I just have to get 800 words in today to stay up to par. Got choir and a two hourEnglish meeting after work. Oh Goody. Though I'm giving a test to my Per. 5... maybe write then.

So on Friday on my way to Claude's retirement party I got stung by a bee. I had stopped for gas and was just starting my car when, OOWW!! I looked down at my arm and there was a bee. Not sure if I've ever gotten out of my car so fast before.

There was no one to offer sympathy, so I rolled up a catalog and smashed the hell out of the bee, who was trying to sting my window. Then I got back in my car and curse up a blue streak as loudly as possible.

The margaritas helped on Friday, but it's Tuesday and there's still a red spot on my arm about two quarters wide and it itches. Grr.

Little Red Dot

So I know I'm going to have some people very unhappy with me tomorrow when they read this and see my pretty little guage to the left waaay ahead of the little red dot.

You see, LA and Central Coast forums had a little contest. A 48 hour write-a-thon.

I did 9200 even. Whoo hoo!

But the scary thing is... I'm still behind last year by about 3k.

But I broke 30 this morning. I'm officially 61% done.

97 Bottles of Ale on the Wall...

So my manuscript reached 97 pages last night.

That's 12 point Courier New, doublespaced, one inch margins 97 pages.

It sounds so impressive.

Of course when I type, I keep it in 12 point Times New Roman, single spaced, inch and a quarter margins. Then it's only 39 pages. Eh.

It feels like Monday today, because I had no school yesterday. And then I remind myself that it's Friday and do a Happy Dance. I've been happy dancing all day.

One Lump or Two?

Okay, so I sat down at my puter to do a little noveling and suddenly I realized that Liz had booby trapped it.

Two Lumps: The Adventures of Ebenezer and Snooch

It may be my new favorite. I laughed my ass off for about an hour.

Okay, noveling time.

A noveling we go,
a noveling we go,
high ho the the merry oh,
a noveling we go...

In and Out of Grooves

I feel like someone took a vacuum cleaner to my ear and sucked my energy out. My chest hurts, my eyes hurt, my throat hurts, and it just now occured to me that I have aspirin in my desk.

Yesterday I knocked a full can of Diet Coke onto my keyboard. After a good cleaning, it functions... so far. Maybe still slightly tacky.

I wrote very little yesterday... but then I was ahead in my word count anyway. Still am.

The Choir board meeting was completed in an hour, almost exactly, and I was time in home to watch the Las Vegas/Crossing Jordan crossover = two very hot guys in two very different ways.

Having a hard time getting up the oomph to do anything today. Need to go down to the copy room.... but am procrastinating.

Oh, and the whole reason I started this entry: My new NaNoBlog! Had to keep up with everyone else didn't I?

Baty Report

So on Friday I get home feeling good from what I hope was a productive parent conference, in half English, half Spanish no less, and we head off to Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. It's fairly famous, as it is one of the best and largest independent bookstores in CA. The carpool lane seriously rocks. We managed to cut off about half an hour, but still got stuck in the downtown crappiness.

We were still early though, which is not a problem at all. Had lots of fun meandering around. We were seriously disappointed by the fact you couldn't take Vroman's merchandise into the connecting coffee bar.

I found a seat in about the third row, and some familiar faces came in. There's always that awkward moment when you know someone looks familiar, but you've only met them once or twice but you've seen their posts online? It's weird. I recognized Cybele right away, as she sat next to me. I pulled out my little PDA and keyboard, intent on getting a little writing done and looking very industrious to everyone else. I wasn't the only one with a laptop or writing device there.

"So do you like writing on that keyboard?" A voice from above me asked. I looked up and there was Chris. I suppose it must be strange to be in that semi-celebrity state where people just look at you slacked jawed before processing the information that yes, Chris Baty was talking to me.

I don't remember my answer, but I don't think I embarrassed myself too badly... probably not at all.

Chris started to pass out sticker name tags that said, "Hello, my novel is _____."

"Don't fill them out yet," he said. "Wait until November 25 or so and fill in the space with 'DONE.'"

I thought this was hilarious. Cybele said she'd use it as a laptop sticker.

Chris started off his lecture with saying right away that he wasn't going to actually read from the book, just discuss his philosophy. He took a poll. About 75% percent of us were registered Wrimos, about 25 percent of us were repeat offenders, and only about six had "won" before.

He talked about half an hour, outlining NaNo with his witty reparte and then opened it up to a discussion, where the new Wrimo's could ask questions which could be answered by either Chris or the veterans. It was a really cool, relaxed way of totally covering the reasoning and pitfalls of NaNoWriMo.

After the hour and a bit was over, I stood in line and got my book signed. It says, "To Jenny, Here's to a third month of inspiration & literary mayhem!" Coolio isn't it? I suppose I need to practice all my fun quips for when I have to do booksignings.

At home, I caught up on my word count while Lizzie watched Without a Trace.

So on Saturday, I get up, make my wordcount of the day, then head out to The Tropical, a Cuban cafe on Silverlake and Sunset Blvds. There, in a very dark and scenic room with poured concrete floors, leopard print couches, and a calendar on the wall filled with AA and NA meeting dates, about 15 LA Wrimos gathered with Chris Baty for coffee. Russ, my pal Aarrrgh_User name, Cybele, and several others all sat and talked about what we were doing, how we were doing, and how we planned to do.

We went around the room and announced word counts.

I HAD MORE WORDS THAN CHRIS BATY! Bwahahahahaha! Of course I'm not exactly on a book tour or driving from San Fran to LA and back. But he should have plenty of time to write on the plane to DC and Texas next week.

Overall, I found Chris Baty to be as funny and inspiring in person as he is in print. I feel absolute sorrow for those of you who cannot bask in his presence and feel the "warm sexual glow" of a real novelist. (His words... not mine.)

Who needs Chris Baty?

Who needs Chris Baty when you've got amusing friends like these.

Mel is all angsty in her blog about the election and Clare consols her with these comments.

"You have to look on the positive side:
1. You still have something to complain about
2. At least you're not in Kansas, where Bush swept the board (apparently)
3. John Kerry looks like the tree people from LOTR, an amusing fact that changes the way you look at him forever! Anna thinks Kerry looks like Postman Pat. And she didn't know if he was Kerry or Carrie because both sound the same in an American accent. And she wants to know why Bush isn't on the stamps or coins. I said it would scare people when they mail a letter or buy something and then realise who they actually voted for. "

I never thought about it that way, but now that you mention it, I think John Kerry is an Ent!

Halfway through the day and already have two parent conferences scheduled for the next two days. Hopefully we'll make some progress! Been a busy day.

Adding to that...

Here's a reason I love Chris Baty, founder of NaNoWriMo

"Hey there! Oh man, two days in, and the excitement of it all has returned. Like the irresistible, pathetic overuse of the word-count function."

Too true. The man is brilliant. Going to see him on Friday.

Cat Wrassling

So Norman is in one of his moods. He was wrassling with Eddie until Ed got smart and sat on the end of the bed where there was fewer avenues of attack. Then he decided to attack the rug. Now he's meandering about the apartment complaining.

I'm tired. Still haven't made the shift from Daylight Saving Time... but I did make word count today. I'm officially a day ahead, which is good, considering I may have no computer time at all on Thursday. I need to play around with my Palm. The other day I couldn't get it to sync. Otherwise, I will be sitting at In N' Out and typing madly away on my little gizmo.

I'm not writing it as linearly as before. I've got several chapters started, and not finished... but I know where I'm going. I just have to fill in the blanks.

Today at school was frustrating. Tomorrow Period 6 will probably be lots of parent phone calls, wondering why their children are disrespectful and lazy... well, not couched in quite those same terms, but you get the idea.

Let the Race Begin!

So NaNo has officially gotten off to a bounding start! You can check my meter to the right... yes you can see I've written an impressive 3,451 words so far. I'm camped out in my bedroom and ran through Brahms Requiem two and a half times. I definitely need to find earphones with a longer plug. These are so not going to cut it.