I validated my "word count" and "won" NaNoWriMo 2009.

I typed 60,117 as of today. I might still type a bit more tomorrow, however that would simply be adding details. I have the first draft done. Me happy. ^_^

I did it! I wrote 50,000 words yesterday. Well, actually I wrote more than that and I'm still going. 50,000 done. Mission Accomplished I have won NaNoWriMo. Now I need to get to 60,000.

I'll do my word count tomorrow (Sunday) or I might do it tonight, before I call it a night. By the way, "do my word count" means that I copy/paste in my whole novel and get it officially counted by the NaNoWriMo website.

I then get a certificate and the word "winner" by my login on my profile.

Yolanda

I'm still writing my novel for NaNoWriMo and am up to 46,933 words as of today.

I'll definitely reach 50,000 words. I'm going for 60,000 if possible, though.

Sorry I haven't posted more often, but I was busy writing. ^_^

I am up to 17,017 words as of tonight.  I am very surprised.  Not at the word count.  I figured I could do it as long as I give msyelf 2-3 hours a night and plenty of hours on the weekend.  However, I didn't think writing again would be this much fun. 

Don't get me wrong, I knew it would be fun.  I love writing, however I also knew that 50,000 words would be a lot of work especially since most of it has to be done in the evenings after work or early in the morning before work.  I can't write the whole 50,000 word novel on the weekends.  That way truly lies insanity.

Tonight, I've done my quota and then some.  I'm tired now, but not exhausted.  I mean I'm pretty worn out.  I've been up since 5am, but I'm enjoying my story so much that I'm not really feeling it.  Last night, I walked away from the keyboard, drove home from the library and still ended up with enough energy to scribble a few notes before going to bed.  I had to force my brain to turn off.  The story is talking over my brain.  It is running so well, that I resent having to put it on hold while at work.

I already have a title!  Yay!.  My first novel is "Tenshi no Sumai a.k.a. House Angel".

I didn't think I'd have a title yet.  I don't know when this month, I thought I'd have one by, but I didn't think it would this soon.  I was scared that the book would be almost finished before I gave it a (good) title.

I am participating in NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month.  I will post my progress as I go.  I'm very excited and hope that feeling lasts awhile, because typing 50,000 words is a big goal. ^_^

I am considering shooting for 60,000, however we'll see how it goes.  If I get busy at work (which I sometimes do), then I'll have to settle for 50,000 words.  

Of course, that wouldn't be all that bad.

I'm on a James Bond kick. I truly enjoy Daniel Craig as Bond, but I still enjoy watching Pierce Brosnan as 007. Of course, Sean is the man, but Pierce and Daniel can easily make me forget he exists.

Here's a suggestion for a quick handed Bond girl. Bond + handcuffs. Key to cuffs goes on a chain that hangs down between breasts. Invite Bond to "get the key". Assuming Bonds' hands are behind his back, he'll have to get the key with his mouth. I'll stop here. I'm sure no further explanation is necessary. Fun for all.

I know Bond would have no problem with said game based on his comment in "Quantum of Solace":

Strawberry Fields: If you attempt to flee I will arrest you, drop you off at the jail and take you to the plane in chains, understand?
James Bond: [Opening the taxi door] Perfectly. After you.
Mathis: I think she has handcuffs.
James Bond: I hope so.

So you see Bond wouldn't mind at all. ^_^

I guess the latest news in my world is that I'm looking forward to the 6th book.

I'm currently re-reading GoF and OOtP. If I have time, I'll re-read 1-3, too.

There's a Barnes and Noble near my place that I'm going to for the midnight Harry Potter release.

I might wear my costume or at least my cloak and hat to the release party. However, I'll probably get mistaken for a sales associate. They wore costumes last year for the release party. I don't know if they're planning on doing that again, but I'm pretty sure they will.

Now that I think about it, I can leave the costume at home and just wear a HP T-Shirt. I have some from Nimbus 2003, Convention Alley 2004, and of course my Sirius Black "Wanted Poster" T-Shirts. At the GoF release, there were plenty of costumes. Fans came dressed for the occasion so either way I won't look out of place.

I'll have my book and a Tazo Chai Tea Latte Grande or two from the Barnes and Noble cafe. (The Barnes and Noble cafe sells "Starbucks" coffee.)

Once I get home, I'll read for a couple of hours before turning in. Of course, I'll get up and start reading again.

My goal is to finish the book before I logon to HP Chat on Sunday. The whole point is to avoid spoilers although to be honest everyone may not have read it yet, so we may still end up tiptoeing around book 6 stuff.

Anyway, if you're going to a book release party, I hope you have as good a time as I plan too.

I have a new job. I've been there 3 weeks total as of last Friday, so I'm being kept pretty busy with training and setting everything up.

I will post more later. I hope to do so sometime this week.

I will email all of you sometime this week. I hope to do so tomorrow, but I can't make any promises. I wish I could, but I can't.

Today is my birthday. I had cake twice today.

I had cake at work, not because they knew it was my birthday, but because I have a co-worker with the same b-day as me. He knew it was my b-day too, because he was filling out some of my paperwork (for a security badge, etc.), so he came and got me when they started serving the cake and ice cream. An email then went out that it was my birthday, too. So that was cool. I'm already part of "the team".

The second cake I had was at my fitness center, I told them it was my birthday and they got me a little cake. The cake was real good, nice and moist with buttercream icing. Oh, and I made a wish.

I bought myself the "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" paperback, another paperback, and a Tazo Chai Grande with non-fat milk. Speaking of, I better go drink it before it gets cold.

I'll type more later.

Bye for now.

I'm back from Convention Alley. Actually, I got home at 2am last night.

I'll type more later today or tomorrow, however I need to get the gym and workout before it closes.

I'll email all of you hopefully in the next couple of days.

I was doing a bit of research on what house Moaning Myrtle was in.

As far as I know, it is never mentioned in the books, so I tried to figure it out from her movie uniform. Anyhow, this is what I ended up posting:

As far as I know her house was never stated in the book.

Since I couldn't remember what uniform she wore in the movie, I went back and re-watched parts of my "Chamber of Secrets" DVD, but I couldn't make it out. All I could see was what looked like a Hogwarts crest.

Anyway, I did a bit of research and apparently at least one site said this:
"The Hogwarts uniforms changed from fifty years ago to the present time. The fifty years ago uniform had the Hogwarts crest and a pin to tell which house the students were in. Notice how Moaning Myrtle's pigtails always cover her pin, for what house she was in was never mentioned in the books or movies. This is especially clear when Harry, Ron, and Lockhart go into the bathroom to find the Chamber of Secrets."
The site was a HP trivia site. You can find it at:
http://www.moviemistakes.com/film2434/trivia

I also found this interview with Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle).
"Lizo: There's been a lot of speculation on the internet earlier about your uniform and what house Myrtle was in when she was at Hogwarts - I've been trying to look at it but I couldn't quite see.

Shirley Henderson: I can't remember what it is.

Tom Felton: I'm sure it was Ravenclaw."

One more little tidbit that I uncovered was this:
"And we think we solved one mystery that no one's ever had the answer to before. She wore a blue uniform - which means she must have been in Ravenclaw house."
I found that at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_2526000/2526767.stm
The problem is I don't know if the above quote was based on observation of the film or on the actual uniform she wore. If they were watching the film, then they saw the ghostly Myrtle which makes it hard to tell color.

To be safe, your friend could do a Hogwarts patch and tie instead of house specific ones and cover where the pin should be with her ponytails (if possible) like they did in the movie.

I'm sorry I didn't see your message earlier. My post may be too late for your friend to do much about her Halloween costume.

I hope this helped.

Yolanda

The above post reminded me of a thought, I've had before, but never posted which is the difference between the book and the movie uniforms.

In the book, Harry and Ron don't know where the Slytherin common room is and they stop a girl to ask her. She responds "I'm in ravenclaw", so obviously the book uniforms do not denote house. This same mix-up couldn't occur in the movie, because the movie uniforms are house specific.

The movies aren't the only images we have of Hogwarts students in house colors either. Some of the illustrations for the HP books have Harry, for one, wearing a red and gold scarf.

Least I forget, the Harry Potter Sorcerer's Stone/Philosopher's Stone PC game has color coded robes so they are house specific too.

Anyhow, in the book, they wear "black robes" and they also wear hats to class not just on special occasions like in the movie.

Anyhow, I'll have to add more about the book uniforms later. I finally sat down and put one of my random thoughts into a post, unfortunately for all of you reading this it wasn't one of my more relevant ones. Oh, well.

I just got back from Yaoi-con in San Francisco.

It was the third Yaoi-con and my third year going so it feels like a reunion when I see all my friends.

I suspect Ottawa and Nimbus 2005 will be the same way.

I have more Harry Potter doujinshi.

I'll post more later, but I have to go now.

So much rambling, so little time...

"I solemnly swear, I've never been up to anything good."

The above is an altered version of the quote:
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good".

If you've read "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", then that might sound awfully familiar.

Back in July, I attended Nimbus 2003, which is the Harry Potter Symposium.

At Nimbus, as I exchanged email names, I acquired a lot of live journal names too.
I decided to setup a live journal shortly after I got home. Well, almost three months later, here I am.

Considering how much I love to discuss Harry Potter and anime, I'm surprised I hadn't jumped on sooner.

Anyway, that's all for now. I just wanted to put up at least one post tonight.