I think I hit the wall last night. The “service engine soon” light suddenly coming to life on the dashboard, like some glowing harbinger of doom, was the capper. Barring a miracle, my NaNoWriMo attempt for ‘13 is done.
     I said I wasn’t going to do this, but before I hoist the white ensign, I’ve got to “see” and confirm the reasons behind the gesture. The list includes: moving—setting up, down sizing and repair (still an ongoing project); losing the dog—finding the dog; mom’s sudden medical issues; extra work duties (read WASC report); family birthday obligations (we love to birth our children in the months of October and November); Thanksgiving planning, prep, delivery and clean up (yep, I’m the host) and now the car with all its pending how-to-get-it-to-the-garage-and-still-get-to-work-an-hour-away juggling. So if my 11,650 word count wasn’t a clue, the rest certainly is—I think I’m pretty much toast.
      “Strike the colors, Mister Sunwolfe.”
     I’m not going to call it a complete bust, however. Though the word count is measly, I have written everyday and re-laid the foundations of a daily writing discipline. I made real progress on my latest manuscript and will continue to do so until it is done. I reconnected with some fellow writers and hope to stay in touch for encouragement’s sake. I gained powerful tools and insights from NaNo pep talks and fellow writers. I believe these things alone made the experience, however truncated, worth the effort.
     I still plan to participate to the very end, post my meager progress, cheer on my NaNo-mates and enjoy the last week of the event keyboarding with one hand while noshing a turkey leg with the other.
     In the meantime, anyone know a good mechanic?