Nanowrimo

new around this neck of the woods?

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Bonjour!

Have you recently found your way over here from Erin or Ashley’s blogs? If so, welcome! Make yourself at home. I bet you’re wondering, “Who is this Erin character?” Now, that is a good question. The easiest way to get a brief overview of who I am is to check out the “About the Girl” tab at the top of this page (which really does need to be updated, sigh). However, I’ve provided a short list below because I like to make things nice and simple for you.

  • I’m afraid of bees. However, alligators are my favorite animals.
  • I am a graduate student studying creative nonfiction and I do a lot of whining about how I procrastinate too much. (I also don’t have good grammar on this blog, beware!)
  • Besides my day job, I have a part-time gig as a relief worker for adults with mental illnesses, and I also coordinate and plan events such as weddings and concerts. (I’m available for hire! Wink Wink)
  • If I told you that I was a great cook then I’d be lying to you, and I really am an honest person. I can however tell you that I want to be a good cook one day. My boyfriend makes fantastic meals; he’s teaching me what he knows, and the rest we plan on learning together. I’ve been updating this blog with all the cooking I’ve been doing. I cook every single week. Occasionally I’ve been recooking some previously attempted meals, but I like to try new things best.
  • I think everyone really should have a lucky number and a favorite color.
  • I also really want to know people’s middle names. I try to imagine what the middle names might be if people don’t tell me.
  • If it wasn’t for 20 Something Bloggers, I don’t know if I would have continued to blog since I first started in 2008. I also owe a lot of my blogging gratitude to my 101 in 1001 goals list and NaBloPoMo and NaNoWriMo and Grace in Small Things as well.
  • I love everything about home improvement. However, I still do not own my own home. Still, I fantasize about home design projects and knocking down walls and painting and everything that could have to do with houses. Mr. O and I are trying to buy a house right now,  but the process isn’t as glamorous as it may seem.
  • I love to travel. Anywhere.

And here are some of the key players on this blog:

  • Mr. O: The most wonderful man in the world (at least in my eyes). As corny as it may sound, Mr. O is my boyfriend and my best friend. I tend to profess my love for him on here.  I’m apologizing for that ahead of time.
  • Wolverine: The most wonderful boy in the world. Wolverine is Mr. O’s son, and he truly makes every single one of my days better by just being in it. I try not to write too much about him on the blog, but I occasionally profess my love for him as well.
  • Fairfield University MFA Program: I write a LOT about my grad school experiences, and on top of that, you have the chance to get to know some of my classmates, like Phil and AJ and Reuben (who was a guest blogger twice!) and Brooke and Ioanna.
  • Fenway: My Chihuahua/Terrier mix. She’s a rescue dog I adopted while living in Virginia. She definitely keeps me on my toes.

Oh…and these things happen often around these parts.

  • The Defining Moments Guest Series: So far Amanda, AJ, Phil, Brooke, Reuben, Heidi ,Kat, Micaela, Justin, Michaela (with an ‘H’), Holly and Ioanna have all posted about moments of reinvention or inspiration. This series has been a big hit for my readers, and I am always looking for more people to write a guest blog on this topic. You don’t have to be a regular blogger to do this. Kat wasn’t a blogger when she first wrote her post for me… now she has a Tumblr. Micaela still isn’t a blogger, but enjoyed the experience.
  • My Lessons- The Thoughts on Love Series: Now, I’m not an expert, but I’ve been thinking a lot about love this year…what it takes to be in a relationship, choices people make, how other people can affect your relationships, etc. I started this series to share my observations, thoughts and feelings.

So… That’s all folks! I’d love it if you introduced yourself, because I love to check out new blogs. Have an amazing day!

an offer has been made

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For the record: I failed NaNoWriMo before I even started. I have not written one word towards NaNo this month. I know I kind of already posted about this, and how maybe I’d try to do it again next month, etc, but you know… just wanted to clear things up for the record. Also, on the same subject– and this I have yet to publicly acknowledge, even though I’m sure you’ve figured it out already– I failed NaBloPoMo as well. I did nine days straight (without even scheduling posts!!) but bailed on day 10. I didn’t even realize it. I was all ready to type up a post on day 11, and then I realized it. Dang. Failure all around. Oh, well. I will try again on both another day.

There is something I am dying to tell you about. I’ve gone back and forth in my mind about whether or not I would mention it on here. I don’t want to jinx anything, and at the same time, I don’t want to admit defeat if it falls through. But, in truth, I don’t keep much off my blog. When I started Reinventing Erin, I promised myself I would remain true to myself, and be honest and genuine about what is happening in my life. I mean, I want to make a career out of nonfiction writing. I’ve got to get used to sharing. So, basically. I don’t feel right keeping this a secret.

Mr. O and I put an offer in on a house.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Insert excited freakout here)

How exciting is that? This just happened a few hours ago (right before I went to sleep, seeing as how I just woke up), so there are a few more things we need to do. Technically it was a verbal offer, so today my realtor is going to bring us the forms to sign at work and then get those forms to the listing agent. Then the waiting begins. Will they accept our offer? Who knows. I hope so. I hope they just immediately accept it and we don’t have to go back and forth. There is a lot that needs to be done on the house (A LOT), so I’d rather spend my time trying to get that all sorted out then negotiate with the seller, but I’m resigned to the understanding that once those forms are signed everything is out of my control until I hear back from the listing agent. I really hope it is soon because I am a pretty obsessive person.

I’m just going to practice what I preach: think positive, live with intention and visualize what I want to create in my life. So that means, in my heart I will believe that THIS is our house. That we WILL get our offer accepted and that we WILL be able to fix everything that needs to be completed, and that things WILL go successfully. I believe this is absolutely the right decision. We’ve been waiting for this house to be ours, and now we have a chance that it will be…. Let me rephrase: it will be our house.

If things don’t work out the way I hope they will, then I understand that everything is meant to happen as it will happen. I am sure this will be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. I understand that is a type of home ownership initiation. I’m just excited. I feel really, really positive and good about this. I have great ESP or intuition or whatever you want to call it, and my intuition says this is the right decision.

Now we’ve just got to sit down, relax and wait to hear back from the sellers.
Send positive thoughts our way!

living with intention

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Last week I had a mini breakdown.

And by mini breakdown, I mean that I pretty much freaked the heck out from Thursday am to Friday night. This happened last month too, and while I very much wish I could pin it on PMS or something of the sort, I just can’t (although there was a full moon- just saying). I’m the type of person who likes to understand why things happen. I believe that there is a “reason” for everything, and it honestly makes me feel so much more comfortable and calm to know how things are related. For example, if I don’t take my vitamins or I start eating food with a lot of whey, my joints will begin to really hurt. So, when I feel like my world is crashing down, I like to understand why I feel like that.

The problem is… that there are no problems. I’m very, very fortunate to be as happy as I am in my life.

I am head over heels in love with my boyfriend and his son.  I love every single moment of our lives together, and cherish every single step we take towards our future, like buying a house with Mr.O or reading stories and bedtime kisses with Wolverine. Even more than that, I couldn’t ever thank Mr. O enough for the support he gives me in times like this. He is nonjudgemental and loving and kind. More importantly, he doesn’t make things easier for me (which drives me a bit crazy, but this might be the most important aspect). When I am sad, I want to immediate relief. I want Mr. O to play Prince Charming and have him swoop in and make everything better. But he won’t. This is what I’m grateful for. He is smart enough to understand that I need to fix my own emotions; he can support and encourage me; he can hug and kiss and hold me, but I am the only one who can change my life. This is what makes my heart flip and flop for him. He probably hurts to see me sad, but he doesn’t bandage over the sadness, he lets me experience it and move past it. He makes me feel confident enough to know he won’t leave me, and he firmly reminds me that I am absolutely not “crazy” when I claim that something is really wrong with me. This true love.

I am a student in the greatest creative writing graduate program ever. I am working with a kick ass, incredible mentor this semester and am very proud of my critical project I’ve created this semester (Side note: today is the last day to submit to The Story Behind the Status, so if you’re interested, get a move on!) I will be graduating in less than 8 months, and I’m kinda bummed about it. I wish I could get my MFA, but stay in the program forever (and not have to pay for it). Thank goodness for our Alumni Association!

I have some pretty amazing friends and family. I’m lucky to have people around me who support me and usually do not question my decisions, etc. It is nice to know you have people in your corner. I’m so glad to have friends that I can pick up with easily even if we haven’t spoken in a while. I went out last Friday night (which is what helped kick me out of my melt down) for my best friend’s birthday, and was able to spend time with a handful of other friends who mean so much to me. Plus, I had a FANTASTIC margarita.

I work for a great company in a job that I’m good at.
I changed jobs the month after I started graduate school I went from working in the HR field for 8+ years to a medical software company where I would be training clients. There was a pretty major pay increase and I love to teach, so I thought it would be perfect. There were a lot of people who didn’t think this was the best decision, and I do understand why. I needed to devote my brain to school, and by changing careers, I couldn’t give school the attention it needed. It felt like I went to school during the day (for work) and then came home and went right to school (for school). There was a LOT to learn in my company before I could start training clients, and by the time I got home, I felt mentally EXHAUSTED. The company is great, and the friends I made there are great, but it isn’t where I needed to be in my life right now.
However, I know now that going to work there was one of the best things that ever happened to me. In my time there, I completely paid off my credit card debt, and I met the man I will spend the rest of my life with.
But, I needed a change. So my “fairy godmother” (aka my current boss- who also happened to be my old HR boss) contacted me one day in May and presented a golden opportunity- a job that was the next city over from my house (meaning a daily commute of about 30-40 minutes total instead of the 3 hours daily at the medical software company), with a salary that I was very pleased with, a job that I’d be creating from the ground up and best of all, in a field where I KNEW MY STUFF. Did/do I have a lot to learn here? Absolutely! I’m actually working soley in one area of human resources that I was never involved in before, but I GET it. That is the amazing thing. I understand it all, and the things I need to learn, well I absorb them easily. It isn’t my dream job. I want to be standing in front of a college classroom challenging them to WRITE! But for now… it is exactly what I need. I feel safe and secure here. I love having my “fairy godmother” for a boss. She teaches me, pushes me, trusts me and is a really great friend too. Do things get hectic here? Every Single Day. Does it work for me right now? You betcha!

So why the meltdowns? Actually, why the multiple meltdowns? I had one last week, one in the end of September and then again a week later in the beginning of October, and umm, I think I had one in June. Why?

When I breakdown, I feel like my world is crashing around me. I know that it isn’t. I mean, I’m rational enough to understand that things are great, but then acknowledging that makes me feel even more nuts. If things are great, then what the F U C K is wrong? Am I crazy? Like legitimately, I mean that. Is something wrong with me? My thoughts are like a carousel and I obsess and I freak out and imagine all the bad things that could happen and then I imagine how I would feel if they would happen and then I think about all that is wrong with the world and then I think about how nuts I am being and then I think about how much I don’t like myself sometimes and then I just cry.

and cry…

and cry…

and do some more crying.

Mr. O made a very valuable point on Friday. When I get in freak out mode like that and cry like a nutjob, it is as if I’m a little kid who is inconsolable. You know when kids start to cry for whatever reason (they don’t want to eat their dinner, someone said something mean to them on the playground, it is bathtime, etc) and then they can’t stop crying. And the crying gets louder and the breathing gets all crazy and they get themselves to the point where they could almost throw up? Yeah, that is what happens to me. I was so interested when he said that. He is SO correct! Let me tell you one thing about Mr. O… he gets me to THINK sometimes. That is EXACTLY what I do. I get to the point where I am absolutely inconsolable, and because of this, even if I pull myself out of a crying fit, the sadness will linger for a good couple days.

Now, the freak out at the end of September was justified. I understand why I cried like a maniac. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the one in October was probably the remaining emotions from the September freak out. But I do not understand my freak outs last week and in June.

Do you think I’m being nuts writing an extremely long blog post about four crying incidents? Because if I didn’t make this clear enough, these incidents didn’t FEEL like temporary moments of sadness. They FELT like the end of my world as I knew it. Dramatic? Yes. But was that how it felt? Yes. I am extremely uncomfortable feeling like this (I’m also extremely uncomfortable with the amount of adverbs in this post). A few years ago I had a period of pretty severe depression that lasted almost a year I’d say. Obviously depression is unexplainable, and just happens. But it feels horrible and scary (actually terrifying is a better word) and unending. So, for the record, I never, ever, ever want to feel like that again, and take my mental health very seriously. These four mini breakdowns felt like that depression. And THAT is what terrifies me.

I don’t want to scare you guys. I feel remarkably better. I feel safe and normal. But I do feel cautious. Was it a mini bout of depression? I don’t know. Probably not. It was probably just an overwhelming moment. While my life is truly blessed, I do have a lot of stress. All of the blessings I noted above can be overwhelming. I’ve got deadlines for school and projects I’m behind with at work. I’ve got houses to look at and disappointments when my favorites go off the market. I’ve got friends I don’t see, things I don’t do.

It all adds up.

And then I usually break down.

Why the hell am I writing all of this? Who knows. I guess I just want to be real. I can’t do everything. I can’t be everything. I’ve got to take everything one day at a time. I just want you to know that this is who I am. I wrote a post a week or so inspired by Ashley of all the things I don’t do. I’m not Wonderwoman. To me, my life is perfect…it is everything I could have ever wanted. But that doesn’t mean I can’t get overwhelmed at times. Because I do.

I wish I could sum this up better– present you all with the key to managing life, paint a pretty picture– but I can’t. If there is anything that I have learned this whole year is that our life MUST be defined by ourselves. Am I crazy? Not by my standards. Am I happy? Yes, by my standards. Is my life where I want it to be? By my standards, you betcha. I’m still going to have tough days here and there. I won’t always understand why. But it’s a part of life I need to accept, acknowledge and experience. And once I learn how to do that…. I will feel better.

Oh, and side note. I want to thank you. My blog followers always amaze me. You guys are some of the most supportive, caring individuals. You too make my life better every day. I couldn’t do it without you.

november happiness

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I’ll tell you, one thing I like about the month of November is the quality I am seeing in my Google Reader. There are a lot of my favorite bloggers who are also working on NaBloPoMo, but even for those who aren’t I’m just loving what I’m reading. Such quality!

So I talked about NaNoWriMo, and how I wasn’t sure if I should just admit failure (before even beginning) or keep trucking… Yup, I’ll admit failure. I didn’t even try to attempt NaNoWriMo, and I just can’t force myself to do so. I’m not giving up though. I’m trying to figure out the best time to work on a month when I can complete a novel’s worth of writing. It needs to be soon, because I need more material in order to finish my creative thesis and graduate. But when do I try to make this work? December? There are holidays and birthdays and I have to go to school on the 27. January? I won’t be home from school until the 7th, and then I have a big project at work until February. February? I think thats just too late.

I don’t know if I can do it, but I’m going to try like hell to make December my month of NaNoWriMo. Sigh. These next 8 months are going to be very difficult, but I know I can do it. Thesis…Here I come.

giving up or not, cooking and wedding ideas

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I don’t know whether to announce that I haven’t even made an attempt yet at NaNoWriMo, and therefore am already giving up, or just haul ass and write all those words I missed in the past three days. I haven’t decided yet. Thoughts?

I made dinner last night for Wolverine and Mr. O. I won’t lie, I’m pretty proud of myself. I made garlic bread, corn on the cob, spaghetti with little necks and a garlic/wine/cream sauce. Mr. O helped a tiny little bit too, so I’ll give him some credit, but I did a lot of it on my own. I promise pictures will follow.

My nose is so stuffy.

Oh, yesterday I stopped by Target after work. I have a great idea for all you brides out there. Anyone who is getting married in the next year and planning on doing a candy buffet for their “favors” should 100% ABSOLUTELY go to your retail stores and stock up now on candy. Right now at Target it is 50% off. I’m sure it will also go to 75% off. But you can go anywhere: supermarkets, drug stores, etc. I got a bag of mini snack size Hershey bars to bring into work for $1.37 yesterday. You can easily complete a candy buffet for at least 50% by doing this. There was so much candy that didn’t even have Halloween markings on it. You could never tell the difference. Plus it won’t spoil. Just keep it in a cool area of your home, and if necessary you can always put it in the fridge or freezer. I doubt you’ll need to do this until summer, and maybe not even then.

This is is probably only 1/3 of the $1.37 bag I bought!!

this is how i know there is something wrong with me

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I can admit my faults, and folks, there is definitely something wrong with me.

I’m a big fan of NaBloPoMo… I’ve attempted it about I don’t know, maybe 6 or 7 times. Unfortunately, I’ve never successfully completed the beast. NaBloPoMo is National Blog Posting Month. The idea behind it is to post once a day every single day in the month. November is the “official” month, but people do it every month.

I’m also a fan of NaNoWriMo. That stands for National Novel Writing Month. Last year was the first year I attempted it… and when I say that I attempted it, what I really mean is that I worked hard at it for about a total of 8 days (at most). The idea is similar; you spend 30 days writing a novel. It averages out to about 50,000 words, which is about 1,667 a day.

Have you got the hint as to why there is something majorly wrong with me?
I’m going to attempt them both.

You read that correctly. It is sick, I know, I know. But here is the thing… Actually completing a NaBloPoMo is on my new list of 101 in 1001 goals. So why not at least attempt it in the first full month? And as for NaNoWriMo? Yeah, that is a wild undertaking… Well, I’m going to be upfront about the fact that I am not attempting to write a novel. I am going for the 50,000 words, but 1) it will be all nonfiction and 2) there is a pretty major chance those words will be in essays. I’m pushing myself this month, because my thesis is due in approximately 7 months, and I know that I’m not as prepared as I would like to be. I’m not there yet, and even if I write a horrible 50,000 word draft, I will still be better off than I am right now.

Am I crazy? Absolutely.

But here goes nothing…

welcome new friends!

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49 go on a cruise (9)Ola, amigos. Have you recently found your way over here from Kyla’s blog? If so, welcome! Make yourself at home. I bet you’re wondering, “Who is this Erin character?” That’s a good question. The easiest way to get a brief overview of who I am is to check out the “About the Girl” tab at the top of this page. However, I’ve provided a short list below cause I like to make things nice and simple for you.

  • I’m afraid of bees. However, alligators are my favorite animals.
  • I am a graduate student studying creative nonfiction and I do a lot of whining about how I procrastinate too much. (I also don’t have good grammar on this blog, beware!)
  • Besides my day job, I have a part time gig as a relief worker for adults with mental illnesses, and I also coordinate and plan events such as weddings and concerts.
  • If I told you that I was a great cook then I’d be lying to you, and I really am an honest person. I can however tell you that I want to be a good cook one day. My boyfriend makes fantastic meals; he’s teaching me what he knows, and the rest we plan on learning together.
  • I think everyone really should have a lucky number and a favorite color.
  • I also really want to know people’s middle names.
  • If it wasn’t for 20 Something Bloggers, I don’t know if I would have continued to blog since I first started in 2008. I also owe a lot of my blogging gratitide to my 101 in 1001 goals list and NaBloPoMo and NaNoWriMo and Grace in Small Things as well.
  • I love everything about home improvement. However, I do not own my own home. Still, I fantasize about home design projects and knocking down walls and painting and everything that could have to do with houses.
  • I love to travel. Anywhere.

And here are some of the key players on this blog:

  • Mr. O: The most wonderful man in the world (at least in my eyes). As corny as it may sound, Mr. O is my boyfriend and my best friend. I tend to profess my love for him on here. Sorry, folks.
  • Fairfield University MFA Program: I write a LOT about my grad school experiences, and on top of that, you have the chance to get to know some of my classmates, like Phil and AJ and Reuben and Brooke.
  • Fenway: My Chihuahua/Terrier mix. She’s a rescue dog I adopted while living in Virginia. She definitely keeps me on my toes.

Oh…and these things happen often around these parts.

  • The Defining Moments Guest Series: So far Amanda, AJ, Phil, Brooke, Reuben, Heidi and Kat have all posted about moments of reinvention or inspiration. This series has been a big hit for my readers, and I am always looking for more people to write a guest blog on this topic. You don’t have to be a regular blogger to do this. Kat wasn’t a blogger when she first wrote her post for me… now she has a Tumblr. There are two more guest bloggers that will be coming up this week. One of them has never blogged before, and probably won’t again (unless I can convince her to write another guest post!).
  • My Lessons- The Thoughts on Love Series:  Now, I’m not an expert, but I’ve been thinking a lot about love this year…what it takes to be in a relationship, choices people make, how other people can affect your relationships, etc. I started this series to share my observations, thoughts and feelings.

i’m not a newbie anymore!

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So, not only have I finished my first semester of graduate school, but I have also finished all my training at work! Technically, I’ve got a lot to learn still, but it will be more of a on the spot training. I’m moving on up in the world, folks!

So lets just put this out in the open: I did not finish NaBloPoMo OR NaNoWriMo….wah. I have no one or nothing to blame but myself.

The next 20SB Blog Swap will be on 12/20 and I am so very excited. My swap partner is actually brand new to me; I’ve been a bad 20SB blogger. Not “bad,” I’ve just neglected my membership. I’m actually very glad I got paired with a person I’ve never communicated with before, because I am looking for some new people to follow! Make sure y’all tune back here on the 20th so you can read what my swap partner has to say 😉

I’m going to Atlanta in less than a month!

Over the course of my first semester, I came across some article or blogs I found interesting or helpful. I figured I would share them, in case any of you budding writers (or readers) might be interested.
Check out Sari Botton’s Conversations With Writer’s Braver Than Me. Her first interview is with Vivian Gornick. How awesome is that? She’s done 4-5 more since then that I can’t wait to read.
Also, you might want to check out this random post I found about Joan Didion. I love the quotations on here.
The Forums on Nathan Bransford’s Blog are kind of fantastic. Don’t forget to check out the actual blog as well. It’s pretty great.
For writers (like me) who find the idea of writing 15-20 pages (on deadline) daunting and scary, you should check out this site.

Will someone please get me this shirt or mug? I found this on Sari Botton’s Tumbler, but it can be purchased in The Rumpus Store.

I still have yet to put up my Christmas Tree or send out my holiday cards or decorate for the holidays (besides some garland on my desk at work, which I will make sure to photograph and post). I’m thinking next year that I will do all this stuff after Halloween, because November and December fly by for me, and I am always upset that I have not completed any of these tasks. Oh well, I’ll put up my tree (its a wire tree) and I’ll keep it up til Valentine’s Day. Who says you have to take down a tree right after Christmas, anyway?

So, I’m doing the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day. Has anyone else done this before? Any suggestions? I’m getting nervous about it. I think I’m going to start jumping in the shower without putting the hot water on, and then gradually work up to the hot water. HA!

trends

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So I finally got my MacBook Pro on Tuesday night. I’m a little in love with the PhotoBooth app, which I remember blogging about already. Since I posted a picture the first night I had it, and then 4 more gorgeous shots last night, it would probably be a good idea to continue the trend. Just because.

Now, I’ve been stressing about writing. I’m going on vacation next weekend, and besides travel time, I’d really like to relax as much as possible- to stress less about school for a long weekend (because we all know I will stress while I am there; I just want to not stress as much). I only got a little over 1200 words written tonight. I’m aiming for at least 2000 a night to catch up to my NaNoWriMo goal of 50, 000 words. So I need to buckle down.

There fun pictures will give you a little behind the scenes of what a writer– well just this writer– looks like mid-sentence.

words, words, words

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It seems like every night before I fall asleep at about 12:24am,  I think of a thousand things to blog about. Plus, those ideas all seem so interesting at the time. Unfortunately, I don’t really remember them once I wake up, and even if I do remember the ideas, they really aren’t as novel as I thought them to be the night before.

The writing for NaNoWriMo is going very slow, and it doesn’t look like I’m going to make the 50,000 words. I’m being to hard on myself when it comes to the writing. I’m trying to edit too much; I’ve got too many negative thoughts, like “My stories aren’t important,” or “I’m an awful writer.” So what happens is that I either withdraw and stop writing completely or that I write crap and delete it, which is ridiculous. I want to have faith in this process, but I know that I’ve pretty much sabotaged my possible success. I understand so many other people who are doing NaNoWriMo feel the same way as me, but I’m just frustrated with myself. Lets all keep our fingers crossed that I make the word count.

So, I’ve got big news. If you follow me on facebook, you’re probably sick of my complaining about this and my millions of questions about it, but if not then you should probably know……that I bought a MacBook Pro!I won’t be able to afford to send my future children to college, but at least I’ll have a shiny new toy. I’m totally nervous about changing from a regular PC to an Apple. I’m very comfortable with my PC; unlike so many other people, I’ve never really had any problems with my computers. I’ve had some minor irritations here and there, but I don’t dislike the operating system. So why did I go Mac? I don’t know. I think the mystery of the Mac Obsession intrigued me. So many people responded to my questions about Macs and told me about their undying love for the Apple brand, but I just wasn’t sure what the big deal was. So I pretty much spent a huge amount of money to figure out what big deal is. So far, from all the tutorials on the website were super helpful and easy to understand. So it makes me excited to get it and use it!

Well, I’m going to end this for now, but I promise to be back soon with hopefully something much more interesting to say.

really, erin?

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I’m surprising even myself.

I don’t have the best track record with NaBloPoMo, but I seriously thought I’d at least make it past day THREE!

Guess not 😉 I only managed to post the first two days of the month. Oh, Well. I’m not even going to count that toward 101 in 1001 goals list, because that would be like the weakest try ever.

Do you feel better knowing that NaNoWriMo is kicking ass though? I don’t know how many words I have written, but when I get home, I will give you a total word count 🙂

getting flipped off

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I love this! I know its old, but I didn’t have a chance to sit here and write up a long post this evening. So instead I chose to share a fun little video with you 🙂 I literally didn’t write ANYTHING that pertained to NaNoWriMo last night 🙁 But I have managed to get in 2,225 so far today, and I’m expecting there to be more. I’ll try to upload the exact number of words before 12a. But for now, I hope you enjoy!

right foot

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Starting this thing off correctly.

Welcome everyone to the month of hell. Pure exhaustion and misery.

Erin is going to attempt NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo!!!!!! What’s wrong with me again?

I know this is a cheap blog post, but I’m going to try to go kick some ass on NaNoWriMo. I just wanted to make the beginning of the month official!

beating myself up

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So, there is a chance that you will be hearing from me more often. If you don’t know, I’m currently working on a 101 in 1001 days challenge. I love it oh so much, and it has seriously enhanced my life. If you haven’t checked out my other blog, you might as well make your way over there right now to check it out. That is where I document all the fun things that I’ve done while working on my 101 goals.

Anyway, because I like to torture myself, I’m going to try to do a double goal combo starting November 1st. NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo. If you don’t know what those are, you can find more info out via the links, but basically it means I need to post on this little blog of mine every single day. In the past, that has either been really difficult or super easy, so I am going to keep my fingers crossed for this one. I don’t know why I’m trying to torture myself like this, but I am hoping it will also help me with my writing.

Here is the problem. NaNoWriMo only happens once a year- in November. My 101 in 1001 challenging will be finished on 10/1/11. So if you’re a quick thinker, you’ve already figured out that this is my final November that I can participate. So its now or never. Either get on the horse or quit complaining.

I decided to go for it.

So, obviously it needs to be tweaked a bit to make it work. I’m not writing fiction. I don’t even know if fiction is what everyone does or not, but since its the National Novel Writing Month, not the National Memoir Writing Month, I’ll just assume fiction is the status quo. But, I like to be different. Which means I will try to complete the first draft of a “memoir”. The reason I through that in quotes is because I’m not quite sure what that even means to me. I know the goal is 50,000 words at minimum. To be considered victorious, 50, 000 words must be written by 11:59pm on November 30, 2010. So, what I’ve decided to do is try to outline some type of memoir-ish collection of essays. I think that will help me the most in school right now, and while it isn’t the most marketable type of book, I’m not doing this to get a writing deal. I’m truly doing it to become a better writer, scratch that… I’m doing this to become a better student.

And god knows I need some help with that. With every packet I have turned in for graduate school, things have gotten easier. Its just so hard for me to figure out a schedule. I don’t know how to work with deadlines, how to schedule time for writing, etc. I’m working on it, and I see improvement, but I need more. So, while torturing myself to write 50,000 words in 30 days, I’m doing it so I can learn how to be a better writing. 1,667 words a day is structure. I need some type of structure.

You know whats funny? I have a deadline on 11/1 and 12/1 for school. I also will be going on vacation for about 5 days before the end of the month. I mean, seriously…I don’t get why I make these choices, either. I just can’t control myself.

So, the goal is to complete a collection of nonfiction essays for NaNoWriMo.I bet you’re wondering why I mentioned NaBloPoMo before. Thats because I have one more month to “complete” for my 101 in 1001 goal. I figured that since I will be writing all day, I might as well be on here writing as well. There is really no excuse not to do it. So… I will also attempt to complete NaBloPoMo in November as well. I thought it would be awesome if I could post little excerpts of my writing on here… and since the goal of NaNoWriMo is to produce, not edit, it really will be little excerpts.

Wish me luck.

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