3,603 Words & Unrelated Disgusting Things

My novel is at 3,603 words (to win NaNoWriMo you must write a total 50,000 words or around 1,333 words a day, by the end of November). Since it’s 0102 we’ve now wrapped up day two of the competition (or those of us in my time zone, anyway).

I decided I’d keep a list of the songs I listen to while writing, in the order that I listen to them…

The NaNoWriMo Track Listing 2009

The NaNoWriMo Track Listing 2009 so far is: (I listen to most songs on repeat about ten or fifteen times before moving to a different song…sometimes more…like that eight hour car drive to Long Island from Buffalo when I listened to one Eminem song the entire ride, over, and over, and over…so I don’t actually expect this list to be too large, overall):

1. At The End – IIO
2. The Key The Secret – Urban Cookie Collective
3. Mama’s Room – Under the Influence of Giants
4. California Dreaming (2004 Benny Benassi Remix) – The Mamas & the Papas

Unrelated Disgusting Things:

Sunday morning I woke up at the usual hour (somewhere in the ballpark of 0500-0520). I opened my door to see my rodent guest standing on top of the fridge, attempting to open a bag of uncooked oatmeal (of the non-instant variety).

He twisted his head to me, looked startled and seemed to say “I didn’t know you were getting up this early…here…let me open this and we can share a breakfast together, it’ll be jolly!” At which point I grumbled something to him rather similar to anything I’ve ever grumbled to anyone I’ve ever had to see at five o’clock in the morning (the exception being the officers who make sure that we check in for our guard duty shifts…but that’s just because I like to screw with them and sing, and laugh, and dance at 0400…keeps them on their toes).

Monday night I set a humane mouse trap for my little rodent friend in the attempts of relocating him elsewhere. He hasn’t shown and/or hasn’t taken the bait…though there’s not many places to hide since the walls are all poured concrete (an Israeli way of building), he’s not under my bed or behind the couch or under my stove.

At around 0400 yesterday morning (I had to use the bathroom) I opened my bedroom door and noticed two things.

One, Stewart (as my mother has taken to calling him) has yet to take the bait. Two, there is a spider who’s rear end is as large as my fist…she is big and she is most certainly poisonous…the humane treatment is not an option when something that is clearly poisonous is now heading in the direction of where I sleep.

I grabbed one of my combat boots, or in the case of defensive measures, known as the boot of destiny, and delivered a death blow…as I did, at least a hundred (a conservative estimate) baby spiders came running out from underneath her (clearly she must have been pregnant and I gave her an assist…but it took me a moment to realize what was happening). In between muttered profanities I found my can of Raid and their end can be fairly well inferred.

Yes, I’m a vegetarian…but I do have limits…and that’s one of them…not to mention ridiculously gross for so many reasons.

Stewart still hasn’t made an encore performance, but it’s raining outside which means he and other characters are sure to stop on by to send me their warmest regards. All of this of course reminds me that I need to go to the hardware store so I can add a better rubber runner to the bottom of my door to try and make sure that this doesn’t happen more frequently…because, presently, I’m having some problems with other members of the Animal Kingdom.

Yom Siddurim

I had the day off today, which was nice. Lonely soldiers are given (usually) one day off a month called Yom Siddurim which they use to handle paperwork, household matters, etc. Today was spent organizing, cleaning, mopping, sanitizing and taking care of some necessary catch up work and, of course, writing for NaNoWriMo.

This did not, however, stop my army cell phone from going off around thirty or forty times, most of the calls I couldn’t help with since my computer is on base and they want information that I don’t have access to unless I’m in my office (or if it’s about exam grades and reports, my classroom).

One of them (at 20:30) wanted to move her commander’s exam to an earlier day, which I was more than happy to do since I had the foresight of bringing a print out of my schedule home with me…but outside of that I wasn’t really able to help anyone.

Most of the calls went along the lines of “What do you mean you have the day off and your computer’s in your office and you don’t know?” to which the general response is “well, when I said that I had the day off and my computer’s in my office on base and I don’t know because all of that information is in the computer, in my office on base, what I meant by that was that I have the day off and all of the information is in the computer in my office on base.” Difficult concepts, I know. The follow up usually went something like “well, when CAN you help me!?” and the (not shocking) answer was “Tomorrow, when I’m at my computer, which has the information on it, in my office, on base.”

Now, I’m going to look under my pillows and make sure nothing is lurking under the bed…and head to sleep.