As previously anticipated, I fell behind this week on my word count. What I did not anticipate was falling behind by like, 5,000 words. Maybe more. I’m not entirely sure, because once a few days passed and I realized just how far behind I was, I stopped keeping track.
Also complicating things was the fact our furnace decided to stop working yesterday. Writing can be hard enough as it is, but coupled with a frosty cold house and chilly fingers, well, forget it. I think (read that as know) part of my problem that I, shall we say, overreacted a bit. I started question what we should do with the boys if the furnace didn’t get immediate attention. Should we go to my mother’s house? Would I have to cook Thanksgiving dinner at my mother’s house? In that case, I’d probably have to spend the night on Wednesday to get the 20 pound turkey in the oven by 7am.
“Uh. It’s like, 50 degrees out.” The Hubs said.
Fine.
In retaliation, I made chili, corn bread, pizza, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Take that, cold house. Not so cold anymore, are you?

No. As a matter of fact, it got up to 72 degrees in here. That’s quite a bit more than the usual 65 degrees The Hubs/Heat Miser usually sets the thermostat at. Nice and toasty.
So, I started working on catching up on NaNo. And yes, I looked ridiculous. I was huddled under two blankets and wrapped in a red terry cloth robe. Because, you know, my brain hears “furnace broken” and my body says “hypothermia.” Here’s a breakdown of the day as a whole:
1. Panic
2. Writing with mild concern frostbite was setting in
3. Mocked by The Hubs for being ridiculous
4. Retaliatory baking and cooking
5. More writing
6. Dinner date with The Hubs, also starring a 10 pound piece of lasagna on special for $15 and which I will eat for a total of three meals
7. Christmas shopping for the boys and the horror of pre-holiday Toys R Us.
8. Still more writing.
And by this morning, I was still like, 3000 words behind. Again, maybe, I’m not entirely sure because I was too mortified to calculate.
The furnace was fixed by 830am this morning.
I calculated my word count after my second writing session today (thank God for warm toilet seats and napping children). And….if I write 1500 (and 6) more words tonight, I will be back on track. This is manageable. This can be done.
But hey, I accomplished an impressive hustle over the span of two days. My page count is over 100. My word count is closing in at 30,000 (and 6). And I made three dozen delicious cookies. Writing and cookies. I require very little else.
Other than a warm toilet seat, obviously.