Day 9

15,285: This is 282 words ahead of schedule.

I will tell you something, this is the worst V.I.P. lounge I have ever been in. Stale peanuts, nothing to drink, the chair I am sitting on feels like a rock, my eyes are burning from the dry air and bright screen, and my fingers and toes are ice cold. And it is midnight. Again. And this evening I had to make some major executive decisions about plot twists with very little time to consider. Everything up until now has been a walk in the park in comparison. The NaNoWriMo guide book warned me this would happen, but I didn't believe it would apply to me, the cheerful energizer bunny writer. Guh.

I have received some very encouraging words from some of you in the last two days and they have done me a world of good...Thank you! If you've been thinking you'd like to drop me a line one of these days, now would be a good time. Any time this week. The prediction is that the third and fourth week are considerably easier going for those intrepid souls who get through week two.

The girls are doing great. Maddy is mastering the jump rope this week - there is a sudden jump rope craze at her school, and she is having a great time. She ties all three of her jump ropes together and then onto a wooden post in the back yard and then hollers for me to come turn the rope. The sheer joy in her eyes that she can do it is beautiful indeed. I had a go at it myself, and the neighbor Fred - still on his roof and accompanied by teenage son - had a good laugh. Sonia fell on her mouth yesterday at the playground and still looks like she lost a fight - swollen upper lip. When asked this morning whether it hurt, she said "nah, doesn't hurt". So cool. Tough girl.