"how's your writing going?"

Thank you to everyone that has asked the question and kept me encouraged and writing. The month is halfway done and I've just passed 10,000 word mark. Soooo....I'm not exactly up to par with some of the more experienced NANOWRIMO writers, but this is my first time and I'm doing it and I'm very happy that I'm getting more into a habit of writing.

I'm not giving up, I'm just admitting that I'm not going to make it to 50,000 by the end of the month.

I've got snowboarding to prepare for, Thanksgiving Apple Crisp to make, driving to Bend and hanging out with friends and family (and that snowboarding thing to do), picking up in-laws and crusin' around town with them for a few days and all that is happening within the next week...and for six days straight...my husband to murder and Gilder to blame for it!

In addition to the writing, I've also got to work on cleaning, working, and running...this is not a defeat, this is encouraging the challenge. Oh and I've got a trip to California and a band's tour to prepare for...


science stickers anyone?
Please take a moment to meet my second character:

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November 1, 2007 - Cassandra

She wandered the campus for the last time, reminded of her first day when she stood in the same hallway, carried the same messenger bag, and felt a similar sense of despair and anxiety. But that wasn’t what today was about. Today was supposed to be a celebration. A celebration of life and the accomplishments of all of her hard work. She was no longer a student. She was a researcher. Her thesis had been reviewed, defended, and she had received a passing grade. There wasn’t anything left for her here. This life is over. This life is over and life is finally beginning. It was time to forget everything that went wrong and think about the future. She tried to stop it, but her thoughts drifted back to her last day on campus in June.

“Cassandra Renee’ Reynolds”

The guy behind her kicked her heel and said, “That’s supposed to be you. That’s your name isn’t it?”

“Cassandra Renee’ Reynolds?”

She wanted nothing more than to move her feet and go up the three steps, walk across the stage, shake Professor Washington’s hand, take the diploma cover, and smile for the photograph. But she didn’t want to miss it. She didn’t want to do it and not realize she was doing it. So instead, she stood there. Waiting until she could be – completely, in the moment.

“Peter Jonathon Ryder”

Again the guy behind her kicked at her heel, except this time his shoulder prodded her in the back and he said, “At least move out of my way.”

It’s over. There’s nothing she can do to change it and she knows it. She’s completely in the moment and she can’t believe she’s ruined what’s supposed to be, to date, the best day of her life.

Stop. It’s done. It’s time to leave; it’s time to let it go and move on. She still graduated, even if she had skipped the whole, taking her diploma cover and smiling for the photograph thing. And now, this would be her last time on campus. She’d collected the bound copy of her thesis from Professor Winston’s assistant and completed her obligatory walk around the quad. It’s time to walk away. It’s time to leave. It’s time to forget. It’s time.