NaNo Eve,

I don't know where this tradition of dressing up like scary things on NaNo Eve came from - us writers are scared enough people!!

Of course, I am kidding, but if it weren't for the fact that I have a quite a few NaNo people and a couple of groups on my Facebook, my entire news feed would be female acquaintances in what is more like varying shades of undress than actual scary costumes. Oh, and pumpkins. Lot's of bloody pumpkins. 

My favourite thing on there at the moment is a video of the Haka, and that's partly because I am so over the moon that the All Blacks won. Yeah, it would have been nice for England to win, or even Scotland, because Scotland had some serious game. It's almost like they went, hmmm, brute force, throwing things, being really manly in clothing which is normally considered very feminine (y'know, skirts, tiny widdle shorts that almost look like lycra Daisy Dukes or something) we've been doing this for fluffing years at the Highland Games, for fluffs sake! And let's face it, they already have a perfect reply to the Haka. The reason I am happy though is because they deserved it, and to see the look on Ritchie McCaw's face, and Dan Carter's to be fair, and Steve Hansen when someone told him happy people smile, I just ended up wanting to pinch their cheeks and be tell them they were adorable being that happy, but even if I had the opportunity to, I wouldn't because I would be scared they might eat me. I could say so much about how happy that game made me, but I won't because I know that most of the people that read this are in England and we are not a rugby nation. (As a point, this is a statement, not a debate. If we were a rugby nation, we would have made it out of the bloody group stages.)

Anyway, moving swiftly onwards. I have a snowman cup which is pretty much my designated NaNoing cup as it came with hot chocolate from someone ultra lovely to help me get through NaNo. It's wonderful, but I haven't had the chance to try the hot chocolate yet, because I make hot chocolate with milk (otherwise known as, I do it properly) and hot milk puts me to sleep. No, seriously. And it's kind of my tradition to see NaNo in the way most people would with NYE. Stay up til midnight and start as you mean to go on. (Difference being that writing stints don't tend to be linked to liver disease, but everyone has their vices.) 

I'm really happy to have found an AlphaSmart 3000 to take, at least a part of, this journey through NaNo with me, because it means I don't have to feel utterly chained to my desk (which is just lush to be honest) Granted, I have already had to take it apart once in order to get the piece of wire blocking three of the keys from working out and attempt a small clean of the keyboard, but it's probably a good thing, because I now know I can deal with small problems with it myself, without it staying in a box in pieces for I don't even want to count how many months. His name is Alphie and he runs on AA batteries and I think I love that the most about him. If his battery goes when I'm out, I just have to find a place with duracells! It's like my little piece of heaven.

That in mind, I did a final check on my pre- NaNo word count earlier this evening by typing everything up and it stands at 1132. For anyone who's actually interested I am keeping that in a separate document so that there is absolute certainty with the numbers for NaNo. 

So it's approaching midnight, my back is itching like crazy as though there's a clothes label attacking it, but I know there's not, because I remove them from PJs, I've run out of tea, I bit my tongue earlier so that's hurting like I can't even say what and I really need some sleep. I'm going to try for a 20 minute nap, but I think I'm too excited. I almost can't believe it's happening again. I can't believe I'm here again. So much is different, but it still feels the same. 

It sometimes feels like NaNo whispers 'Welcome home'