#NaNoWriMo 2015: DAYS 7 & 8

I managed to plow through 6000+ words on Saturday. I don't know how I was able to do it, but I did it. Today, on the other hand, needs some work. As of 5pm I'm only at a few hundred words written. A lot of things contributed to this. First, I found my Diana Mini. I blew it when it came to finishing the film--I forget one vital step in rewinding it, and I ruined the whole roll. But I've learned my lesson and won't let that happen with the next roll.

The last thing in the world you want to rediscover during #NaNoWriMo is your Diana Mini. Now l just want to spend all day photographing things instead of writing. #lomography #dianamini

A photo posted by Terri (@terrideno) on Nov 8, 2015 at 6:01am PST

Of course after I found my Diana Mini in my mess of a closet, I used that as an excuse today to clean said closet. It looks great--and it only took two and a half hours that could have been precious writing time. But the day isn't over--I'll make it to 13,333 before my head hits the pillow.

Pleasure and Pain

This weekend was a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun. The nephew had a great birthday on Sunday, complete with yummy birthday cake. I was able to take a lot of pictures of the event and even squeeze in a couple of shots with the Diana Mini (not the preferred choice of family members who wanted quality photos!). Here's a shot of the cake from the digital:



While everyone was having a good time, I've been in pain the last couple of days. I have a wisdom tooth that wants to finally come through. I thought since I'm 25 I wouldn't have any issues with a new tooth coming in. It's not terrible pain, but if it persists much longer I'm going to have to suck it up and visit a dentist. I haven't been to one since I scraped off some enamel with a 35mm film canister in my photography class. If someone else would have left the can opener where it was supposed to be, that incident never would have happened.

In terms of writing, my goal for this week is to put together some of the genealogy information I have for my family. I did sort of a test biography for one of my ancestors a few months ago, but I made a few conjectures that weren't totally based on fact. Before any of that gets put on my genealogy blog, I'll have to fix that by either finding the facts or making it very clear that it was information passed down through stories.

In honor of my reentry into the depths of genealogy, here are some articles previously written about different aspects of genealogy and family history:

* Florida Burial Laws
* How to Date and Identify Old Photographs
* Top Five Free Genealogy Websites
* Wait to Pay: Use Your Free Trial
* Preserving your Family History
* Clever Ways to Decorate with Vintage Postcards

Eventful Weekend

I'm still working hard on my weight loss goal for the year, and I certainly managed to get in my exercise this weekend. I spent most of the weekend with the nephews. They are a hoot and also really, really energetic. And even though this was the weekend for love, I did not falter and delve into a box full of chocolate candies. Nope, instead I was well aware of my singleness and left it at that. I had plans to write a sappy poem either about the holiday or about being single, but the humor didn't come through for me.

I did, however, manage to complete my first roll on my Diana Mini. I was scared this morning when I rewound the film. This was my first time doing that on an analogue camera and I thought I messed it all up. When I finished rewinding, the counter didn't reset. Luckily there is advice everywhere on the Internet and I found the answer to my question. I managed not to break it and can't wait to get the film developed!

Writing is... slow. I managed one article last week. I hope to complete much more this week all while saving myself from another month of paycheck to paycheck living. Stress is high, but it only makes me more determined to get through.