November 2006 Update
Dec. 1st, 2006 09:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mabfanThose of you who keep up with my blog may have noticed that I haven't been posting a lot lately. November has been a busy month, and so I haven't kept up with blogging as much as I would have liked.
For example, I do want to get back to my commentary on Robert's Rules of Writing soon; a lot of people seem to like those, and I find them useful in focusing my own mind on writing. I've also been reading a few new books on writing, which I'll share with people when I have more time.
For now, here's an update on some of what's been keeping me busy in the month of November, including my final thoughts on attempting NaNoWriMo.
Normally, I try to blog the interesting articles and events of Brookline Town Meeting, both for the benefit of residents and as a window into the world of local politics. We met for two nights this session, on Tuesday November 14 and Wednesday November 15, and to be honest, there wasn't much that I would consider blog-worthy. As one of my colleagues in Town Meeting said after the first night, when almost all we did was refer almost everything to the Zoning By-Law Review Committee, "Worst warrant ever!"
For those of you who want to know the results, the town has put up a PDF. And I will indeed try to get a personal report up at some point, if I can find the time.
What always hits me about Thanksgiving weekend is how I have so much time ahead of me, and then how quickly that time fills up with obligations.
On Wednesday, I ended up having an unexpected morning medical appointment, and so Nomi and I both took the day off from work. But what with afternoon errands, the day just filled up.
On Thursday, Nomi and I had our usual Thanksgiving feast at the home of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
osewalrus's parents. But what was odd this year is that for the first time, osewalrus and beckyfeld weren't there. We did get to see lisafeld and most of the rest of the Feld family, and it was wonderful to feel so welcome, even without the connectors there. But their presence would have been most welcome.
As for the Burstein clan, they had gathered at my older brother's family's house in Lexington, and on Friday morning we met up with all of them at the Sears portrait studio in the Burlington Mall. Nomi and I posed for pictures, spent a few hours at the house, and then headed home in time for shabbat.
On shabbat itself, we went to synagogue in the morning and had lunch with friends. That evening, we went with other friends to hear the Capitol Steps perform at Sanders Theatre, and they were very funny. (The last time we had heard them live was in 2001.)
And Sunday was another clean-up day at Chez Burstein, with the gracious help offarwing. We've organized the kitchen and dumped a lot more recycling that had piled up. There's still plenty more to do, but we continue to have a good handle on it.
Having never tried writing 50,000 words in one month before, I have to say that I wish I had found the time to complete the goal. As it is, I ended the month with 12,501 words of a potential novel completed. And I actually attended one local write-in event, during which I had the pleasure of writing with a group of other NaNoWriMo participants focused on the same goal.
On the one hand, I didn't get the 50,000 words done. But on the other hand, I have what I consider a legitimate excuse. I had too much pay copy to work on, and pay copy has to take precedence over "on spec" work. Over the course of November, I found myself finishing off an interview, working on two essay assignments, working on a story assignment, and going over the galleys for two upcoming stories. In short, I was too busy writing to write.
But you know, there's something fun about joining with others in the shared goal of completing a certain amount of words in a given amount of time. So I may give NaNoWriMo a shot again next year. We'll see.
For example, I do want to get back to my commentary on Robert's Rules of Writing soon; a lot of people seem to like those, and I find them useful in focusing my own mind on writing. I've also been reading a few new books on writing, which I'll share with people when I have more time.
For now, here's an update on some of what's been keeping me busy in the month of November, including my final thoughts on attempting NaNoWriMo.
Town Meeting
Normally, I try to blog the interesting articles and events of Brookline Town Meeting, both for the benefit of residents and as a window into the world of local politics. We met for two nights this session, on Tuesday November 14 and Wednesday November 15, and to be honest, there wasn't much that I would consider blog-worthy. As one of my colleagues in Town Meeting said after the first night, when almost all we did was refer almost everything to the Zoning By-Law Review Committee, "Worst warrant ever!"
For those of you who want to know the results, the town has put up a PDF. And I will indeed try to get a personal report up at some point, if I can find the time.
Thanksgiving Weekend
What always hits me about Thanksgiving weekend is how I have so much time ahead of me, and then how quickly that time fills up with obligations.
On Wednesday, I ended up having an unexpected morning medical appointment, and so Nomi and I both took the day off from work. But what with afternoon errands, the day just filled up.
On Thursday, Nomi and I had our usual Thanksgiving feast at the home of
osewalrus's parents. But what was odd this year is that for the first time, osewalrus and beckyfeld weren't there. We did get to see lisafeld and most of the rest of the Feld family, and it was wonderful to feel so welcome, even without the connectors there. But their presence would have been most welcome.As for the Burstein clan, they had gathered at my older brother's family's house in Lexington, and on Friday morning we met up with all of them at the Sears portrait studio in the Burlington Mall. Nomi and I posed for pictures, spent a few hours at the house, and then headed home in time for shabbat.
On shabbat itself, we went to synagogue in the morning and had lunch with friends. That evening, we went with other friends to hear the Capitol Steps perform at Sanders Theatre, and they were very funny. (The last time we had heard them live was in 2001.)
And Sunday was another clean-up day at Chez Burstein, with the gracious help of
farwing. We've organized the kitchen and dumped a lot more recycling that had piled up. There's still plenty more to do, but we continue to have a good handle on it.NaNoWriMo
Having never tried writing 50,000 words in one month before, I have to say that I wish I had found the time to complete the goal. As it is, I ended the month with 12,501 words of a potential novel completed. And I actually attended one local write-in event, during which I had the pleasure of writing with a group of other NaNoWriMo participants focused on the same goal.
On the one hand, I didn't get the 50,000 words done. But on the other hand, I have what I consider a legitimate excuse. I had too much pay copy to work on, and pay copy has to take precedence over "on spec" work. Over the course of November, I found myself finishing off an interview, working on two essay assignments, working on a story assignment, and going over the galleys for two upcoming stories. In short, I was too busy writing to write.
But you know, there's something fun about joining with others in the shared goal of completing a certain amount of words in a given amount of time. So I may give NaNoWriMo a shot again next year. We'll see.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 02:48 pm (UTC)NaNoWriMo was a washout for me, too; I managed a little less than you did. But it got me writing, and maybe next year I'll do better.
NaNoWriMo No
Date: 2006-12-03 03:09 am (UTC)The whole peer-pressure quality of NaNoWriMo is part of what I found it so successful last year. I look forward to another year of writing.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-03 07:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-03 02:22 pm (UTC)Nomi and I always forget about their performances, unless something pings it for us. Last time we saw them was in 2001. Perhaps we'll remember again in 2011....
(And I think they keep a schedule of appearances on their webpage; apparently, they've performed in other Boston-area venues at other times of the year.)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 03:49 am (UTC)