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It’s November, and an idea that I swore I wasn’t going to entertain this year has, once again, seated itself firmly into my big squishy brain.

NaNoWriMo.

Last year, I was all geared up to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. That was the goal. I solicited ideas from friends, and the one idea that resonated well with me was a Steampunk alternative history novel. I planned the characters and outline for the weeks approaching November 1, and I got downright excited about the idea.

Daniel Fallen-Tree Parker, born to a Texican mother and Apache father, grew tired of farm life in the 1960’s. He left home, and struck out on his own, trying to find work in an alternative Germany, who never became militant, and dominated the world through peaceful economic growth. A golden land where millions of unemployed Americans were emigrating. He eventually found work with the Hamburg police department, piloting huge steam-driven powered suits called Kaiserhunds. He discovered, as he rose through the ranks, that the Utopia the German Kaiser had created wasn’t as perfect as everyone was led to believe.

The environment was interesting, but Daniel Parker and his buddy Jessie Nowland, were flat and boring. So, I slogged through the book until I reached about 50,000 words, and simply stopped writing. I was relieved to be done, and swore I wouldn’t do it again.

But, here I am – back again for more. This time, I have no planning, no ideas whatsoever, and NaNo officially begins in 3 hours and 30 minutes, as of this writing.

I’m doomed.

I’ve come up with a few highfalutin ideas that seem like great short-story ideas, but hardly worth a novel. I really don’t know what I’m going to do.

I decided to go to the faire for the last weekend. I wanted to get some video footage for a project I’m working on. Heather stayed home so she could get some projects of her own worked on. I got here minutes after opening, and got a fantastic parking spot! Unfortunately, that was the last of my good luck.

Thirsty as hell, and having spent the last of my cash, I headed to one of the two ATM machines, and spied the hideous line. For a half hour I endured the obnoxious drunk chick in front of me blowing her acrid cigarette breath at me, and making jokes only she found funny.

Finally, I was two from the front of the line, and theATM ran out of cash. Nice.

So, i stand in the other ATM line, but this one seems to be running faster. At least I have this iPhone with which to blog.

By the way, fried twinkies are good, but unfried ones are better…

At the request of the real best man, Here’s the speech I planned on giving. Click the link below if you’re interested in reading this very long speech that ended up getting cut to about a third of its intended length. See, when I asked Chris’s parents for material to use, they forwarded me the same material they forwarded the officiant, who used pretty much everything in his part. Imagine me, standing up there, smiling, listening to my own speech being read to me before I have a chance to give it. I felt like a chump, but I pulled it together and delivered what I thought was still passable.

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Today, I’m working from home, fighting off some awful virulent space plague. The symptoms are easily managed with simple cold medicine, but the cold medicine in question loops me out so much, I fear for my ability to drive and operate heavy machinery. (It says so right on the box)

So, I’m working from home today, which isn’t a bad thing at all – for one thing, I’ll get to watch something that totally shocked me to find at the iTunes TV store: Johnny Socko and his Flying Robot!! My parents probably remember well my obsession with this stupid Japanese import. I watched that show every day, even going so far as to draw a picture of the robot on the wall in our living room when I was 6.

I’ve only watched part of the opening sequence, and I’m filled with mixed memories. The theme, as I’ve hummed to myself for the past 31 years, isn’t what I remember. The robot himself isn’t nearly as badass as I remember. I was nervous getting the episode from iTunes because I was afraid of totally destroying warm childhood memories. Kinda like the day I came downstairs at 2am Christmas morning to find my mom and dad putting all our toys together.