Survivor

I love watchng Survivor on television. My favorite on the show is Jonathan Penner.

Today they were auditioning for Survivor at Snoqualmie Casino so I decided to try. I did. I talked to so many amazing people who would be great on the show. So many great choices from the Seattle area for the show. There was a young man who competes in the Ironman challenge in Hawaii. He would be perfect for challenges. One man flew in from Phoenix. He had a great personality. One young woman recently came back from a trip to Finland and also went to Egypt. She said that she was a social anthropologist. There was a young man who auditioned who was born in the Sudan and lived through many challenges so Survivor would be easy for him. I also talked to a charming mother and daughter who both auditioned. The mother was born in Nicaragua. So many nice people. I love talking to people and see all the special qualities they have. They are going to have a hard time choosing from this bunch of people.

It was so much fun to audition. You had a minute so it was like a one minute elevator pitch to tell why you should be on the show. I would love to be picked and be on the show. I love talking to people. I'm very strong because I try to go to the gym almost every day to do Zumba and Body Pump, which is a weights class. I've survived a lot in life and I keep going forward one step at a time no matter what. I have a great attitude and I enjoy life. I know that it is possible to be happy no matter what because it is a choice.

I sure hope I get picked!

Snoqualmie Casino

I had such a great time today. I called up this morning to see if there was room on the casino bus that stops right next to my apartment building. The lady said yes. It was so much fun to take a ride out into the country on a beautiful bus. When we got to the casino, they gave me a coupon for a free lunch buffet. It's delicious. I had soba noodles with lots of vegetables and chicken cooked on a Mongolian grill with iced tea and a diet coke. Then I had a chicken leg, a slice of ham and a slice of turkey. For dessert I had one marshmallow that was dipped in chocolate and three cookies. Perfect. Couldn't be nicer. going to the casino is like going on a cruise but not leaving land. Great food. So much fun. A party.

I wanted to go to the Snoqualmie Casino this morning to celebrate finishing National Novel Writing Month. I knew that today that there were Survivor auditions at the casino so I wanted to audition. I did. I had a great adventure and so much fun today. I gambled at the penny slot machine having a great time and talked to so many amazing people and had a great lunch. What could be better? I want to go more often to the casino. It's a fun trip to get away. A vacation in a day.

National Novel Writing Month

I just went over the top and finally finished the goal of over 50,000 words this morning. I wasn't sure if I wasn't going to make it with everything going on in my life. It seems like just when you are close to something you want, everything in life seems to make it harder to reach your goal. I'm so grateful that I kept going and that I finished. This time I am not even sick of the novel like in past years. Sometimes I have not wanted to even think of writing for a few days. Now I am anxious to start on my schedule to revise every day to make it work, to make it better.

I'm grateful that there is a National Novel Writing Month. I seem to work better when there is a fire under my rear end. Otherwise, I get complacent and see other things that need doing. I've been great at procrastinating during November. Things needed organizing that I hadn't considered THAT important before. Suddenly I just had to try a certain recipe and mess up my kitchen taking up valuable time. You get it. Everyone does it but not writing for several days during Thanksgiving really took it's toll and made me wonder if I could finish, if I would finish. Spending time with family was important to me so I made that choice. I made it all work and I'm proud of myself.

National Novel Writing Month

I'd at 43,569 words right now. I'm going to make it and I'm really excited. I love this challenge. I've taken unexpected turns in my novel and discovered surprises. This is a worthy way to spend your time. I encourage everyone to try next year. Writing is probably the only real power I have in life. I'm going to keep up this pace and work on projects to revise them. I wish that National Novel Writing Month was every month.

Dogs off leash

A topic and questions about dogs off leash in Seattle came up at the community forum at the Northgate Community Center this evening. Mayor McGinn answered questions.

One woman felt strongly that dogs in the city should have room to run off leash because it is important for their mental health. She said that the mental health of dogs in the city who are allowed to run off leash is much better than dogs who are in the country.

I'm all for dogs. I love dogs. However, I have a different point of view because I believe that if you have dogs in the city, you must be responsible for them. Not all dogs are safe off leash. Not all owners seem to understand this. Not all owners of dogs clean up after them. Most dog owners that I have seen don't bother to clean up after their dogs at all.

I know of an example of a dog off leash who ran through a running event with runners at Green Lake. The dog, off leash, broke the leg of a runner. The owner did not bother to even say I am sorry. He walked away and felt no responsibility. I realize this example is rare but it happened.

I believe strongly that dogs should always be on leash. I know and hear of multiple examples of dogs who are bred to attack being in a home by owners who say how tame and mild they are and then they bite a child or show they are not safe. Dogs should always be on a leash. Dog owners need to be responsible for their dogs. Dog owners need to always clean up after their dogs.

Mayor Mike McGinn

I received an e-mail about the community forum this evening at the Northgate Community Center with Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. I am a big fan. I am so impressed with Mayor McGinn. He listens. His actions show that he believes strongly in participatory democracy. He answered a variety of questions this evening from a room full of people. His answers were thoughtful, intelligent, and he had city leaders from various agencies to answer questions in depth.

I am so grateful to be living in Seattle because I believe this is the greatest city in the world. Everything is right here--Seattle Art Museum, symphony, science center, zoo, aquarium, Broadway plays, great restaurants, music, live theater. I'm impressed. We have a great bus system. A bus runs right by my apartment every 15 minutes and can take me right into downtown Seattle to go to one of the greatest libraries here or to the Seattle Art Museum or visit Pike Place Market or to so many amazing things here.

Everything works here. Everything runs so smoothly. Mayor McGinn is a hero and from what I am seeing, he hires heroes who work well together for him. He hires well. I'm really impressed with Sol Villarreal, his community engagement coordinator. Mayor McGinn is one of the greatest mayors in the world. He lives his beliefs and is a great example. He listens. His team acts to solve problems.

Seattle is the place where people are welcome from all over the world and live and work together in peace. I like that. This is as close to heaven as you can get. Everything is here. And Mayor McGinn is in charge. He loves Seattle and it shows.

National Novel Writing Month

I'm behind in my word count so I am writing fast and furious to catch up. I divided up the words left that I need to write by four days and I have my new daily word count posted. Right now I have 39,485 words done. I'm determined to finish no matter what!

I'm grateful for this challenge. It is energizing. It helps me. I'm going to try to keep up the momentum and work on revisions by posting how many words that are needed to revise every day. Then maybe I can get more projects finished and in the mail.

I'm having fun. I'm going to do this next year. Only next year, I'm also going to visit more Nanowrimo groups in the area. I regret not visiting the library group downtown and the Ballard Library group and the one at Lake Forest. Next year.

I'm also going to participate in Script Frenzy in April to turn this nano novel into a script.

Well, I'm staying out of trouble. I'm keeping my nose clean. I may not be making any money but I'm putting one foot in front of the other to keep going forward.

Thanksgiving

I had a wonderful visit with my family in West Salem. In the photo above are my grandchildren, Jack and Elizabeth. Jack just turned 10. He scored 23 touchdowns in the last football season. Pretty soon, he will have talent scouts knocking at his door! Elizabeth just got her yellow belt in karate. They are both athletic, smart, and nice. I'm so proud of both of them and I had such a wonderful time visiting.

Uwajimaya

I finally got to shop at Uwajimaya in the International District on Friday. When I went on the train and got off my bus in the International District, I found that it was right across the street from Uwajimaya, a Japanese grocery and store. I've been wanting to go there for months. I'm looking forward to the Chinese New Year so I can see the dancing and festivities at Uwajimaya.

It's worth a trip to shop at Uwajimaya. Fresh produce and items you wouldn't be able to buy elsewhere. I plan on shopping there often. I feel comfortable there.

Amtrak

I was invited to spend Thanksgiving in Salem, Oregon with my daughter and her family. I didn't want to drive in the bad weather with all the heavy traffic so I decided to buy an Amtrak ticket and I'm so glad I did. I love trains. It's so much easier to ride on the train than to drive and the cost is almost the same as driving.

I rode the bus next to my apartment building to downtown Seattle underground and came out in the International District which is one block from the train station. This is so convenient.

I had the best time. I sat near four people and really had a good time talking to them. When you share the same space for a period of time and the other person is willing to talk, you get a peek into their world. In the waiting room, I sat next to a woman who was waiting for her daughter who sounds amazing. She teaches bright kids chemistry and physics. I sat next to a young woman going to Salem who is an anthropology major and wants to be a curator at a fashion museum in NYC. I sat across from a really neat guy who lives a charmed life traveling all over the world and enjoys skiing. He was fun to talk to and I really enjoyed his company. He's very special and surrounded by lots of friends and family. He works hard and plays hard and enjoys life. Perfect!

On the way back I sat next to a young woman who spent the last five years in NYC and went to Parson's School of Design. These are all amazing people. I probably will never see them again but I don't think I will forget any of them.

I really love trains. I loved it when the conductor called "All Aboard!" I love hearing the train whistle and seeing the train. I love eating on the train. I love everything about trains.

lumosity.com

The brain exercise website, lumosity.com is really good. I'm impressed with the daily exercises offered.

I found that it didn't work out for me. I am not savy about internet security. Sometimes I wish I had hacking skills because hackers have the ultimate knowledge about how to navigate on the internet. Just like an attorney knows how to protect themselves and navigate in the legal world. I wish I had gone to law school too.

The problem that I had was that I had a high score in memory when I started out with the first few exercises--a 96th percentile. I have a great memory, although I sometimes don't let people know. After a few days, I had lots of problems with the security on my computer. My computer would freeze up on the website. When in the middle of a memory exercise, my computer froze. It started out with a 96th percentile and dropped to around 83rd percentile in a few minutes with the frozen computer. I cancelled lumosity.com. I figured I can't deal with this. Then they offered me a drop in price, a great discount so I thought I would try again because I explained what happened. It happened again only my memory drop went from 83rd percentile into the mid-60's after my computer froze up again after a few minutes. So I cancelled it again and I am not going to try again. It doesn't work for me.

Lumosity.com needs to offer an experience using brain exercises that is accurate and with a built in computer security so it can't be tampered with.

Mayor Mike McGinn

On the front page of the Seattle Times this morning is the headline "Vulcan, McGinn bargain for tall towers at Lake Union." Evidently Vulcan, Paul Allen's real estate firm, wants to build three 24 story high buildings in downtown Seattle and the great Mayor McGinn is negotiating to receive almost an acre of prime land for affordable housing. Mayor McGinn is showing the world how a great mayor operates and deals to get what he needs for the city. Mayor McGinn is probably in demand to teach other mayors how to be a mayor. I bet he gets requests all the time.

When I walk around in downtown Seattle to go to the Seattle Art Museum, I was really shocked to see that the Pike Place Target building that just opened in downtown is so short. It is prime Seattle real estate land and it is only a couple of stories high. I was really surprised. Maybe they were restricted to the size so that they wouldn't restrict the view of surrounding buildings. Maybe there are plans to build it higher or do something more with it like build affordable housing on higher floors for the people who work at Target. I was offered a job at Target downtown but I needed to close, which meant working at night. I didn't feel comfortable riding the bus back to Northgate late at night. I asked that my application be sent back to the Northgate Target. Next thing I know I got called from Appleton, Wisconsin Target HR offering me a job at their Target anytime I want it. Kathy was very welcoming, but that's a little far to go for a part time job. It sounds like a nice, friendly place though. If I ever decide to move to Appleton, Wisconsin, I'll definitely call Kathy in HR.

I love Seattle. I don't want to ever leave. We have the BEST Mayor ever, the most intelligent people, and great opportunities in Seattle.

Funny Times

Oh, the joy of reaching for the fun of FUNNY TIMES and laughing first thing in the morning. I love it. I need it. There just isn't enough laughter in the world. They say that the best cure for cancer is laughter. The FUNNY TIMES is sure a great subscription as a gift for anyone with cancer, is sick or alone in life.

I'm going to reach for FUNNY TIMES first thing in the morning. I did this morning and I caught myself laughing. I'm going to read or reread it every morning.

If you want some of this fun, send a check for a one year subscription for $26 to
FUNNY TIMES SUBSCRIPTIONS
PO Box 18530
Department 8DNF
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118
www.funnytimes.com

Right now they are offering a free subscription when you buy one for yourself. The only question I have is which one of my kids will receive it. They would all love it, just like me.

Survivor

I love the television show Survivor. I watch it every time it is on. I really like Jonathan Penner the best this time. He's my favorite. I hope that he makes it to the end. He's strong, intelligent, and such a nice person. I want him to win.

Every time I watch Survivor, I dream of being on the show. Am I too old? Am I not strong enough? I've survived a lot in life and I would love to be on the show.

I wish they still had the pirate show that was a spinoff from Survivor.

I'm grateful for each new episode of Survivor. I will watch every single one.

LA Fitness

I visited LA Fitness today and yesterday. I was curious. I got a pass so I wanted to check it out.

I'm really impressed with LA Fitness. When you walk through the door, you see high ceilings, lots of cardio equipment and weight machines, a second floor of cardio machines. A pool on the right that is pretty big. I like the architecture. The building feels comfortable. Lots of natural lighting. A smoothie bar. The dressing room is upscale and very nice. They even have handball courts. LA Fitness is more like an athletic club than a gym. It is really nice.

I'm impressed with the manager and Joe, who is in charge of trainers. Joe spent time with me today explaining the program at LA Fitness. I'm impressed that you get a book that you keep with all the workouts.  I'm impressed that I was told for the first time EVER by anyone at a gym that by such a such a date, I can reach my fitness goal if I do this and that to build muscle. It gives a person hope. I'm not kidding about this. I've been a member of several gyms--Court House, Salem, Oregon; Timberhill Athletic Club and Fitness Over 50, Corvallis, Oregon; Olympic Athletic Club and 24 Hour Fitness, Seattle, WA. When they hand you the book that YOU keep and write the measurements and workout data in the book plus give you the expert training, I consider this the ultimate training experience.

Everyone is nice. They made me feel very welcome.

I'm a little odd because I love to go to the gym. Since my priority is health and fitness, becoming a gym rat isn't a bad thing. I love working out. I love going to the gym. I love Zumba. I love strength training.

Gretchen

It's Gretchen's birthday today. I had five children and she was my first. My Gretchen. I'm so proud of her and I love her so much. She's smart, savy, brilliant, a great leader and problem solver. She can do it all and she has the most beautiful children, Jack and Elizabeth, and a great husband named Chris.

The photo above is of Gretchen, Elizabeth and me at Gretchen's house. Isn't she just beautiful! So is Elizabeth!

National Novel Writing Month

I'm a little behind today on my word count for National Novel Writing Month. My word count total is 20,995 and I should be at 23,338 words at the end of today. I have some writing to do so I had better get busy and quit watching TV. Survivor is on tonight though, one of my all time favorite shows. I will have to save it for when I am finished my word count.

I'm so grateful to be part of the challenge of National Novel Writing Month. It inspires me, energizes me, and makes me feel part of something important. Chris Baty has the whole world writing. I'm writing. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Mayor McGinn's Town Hall

I got an e-mail today about a Town Hall coming to the Northgate Community Center on November 27th from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. I'm going. I wouldn't miss it. I am grateful to learn about it.

I admire Mayor Mike McGinn, the greatest Mayor of any city in the world. Seattle is an international city and Northgate is an international neighborhood inside Seattle. I love it here. Seattle is as close to heaven as it gets here on earth. People live together in peace. Everything is in Seattle. It's as perfect as it can get, and I am grateful to live here. Intelligent people live in Seattle and the Mayor is in charge of solving any problem that comes up. He's great at it. He listens and he acts.

Food Network

I love watching Food Network and I really love to watch BAREFOOT CONTESSA with Inez Garten. This afternoon, she made crab cakes and a lemon tart. Watching Inez is like spending time with a good friend. I really like her.

I also love watching Paula Dean, who came right after. This is the first time I saw her cook with Michael, her husband. Usually I see her with her handsome sons. Paula said that Michael, "turns my tickle over" as he makes her laugh and she says is the king of their home. They made smashed potato cakes which sure looked delicious with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes with green onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, garlic, butter, sour cream, egg, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper cooked in olive oil. Wow!

You can always learn and enjoy the great chefs on Food Network.

Coco Ho

I was goofing off and watching TV and I found surfing. I love to watch surfing. In my heart, I am a surfer girl. I would need to learn how to swim well, take off 40 years, and 100 pounds to pull it off though.

Coco Ho is a surfer girl from Hawaii. She has won the Paul Mitchell title of SUPERGIRL PRO SURFER for the last couple of years. The competition was in Oceanside, California.

I really liked what Coco said. "Growing up in Hawaii, the first thing you learn is respecting your elders. Take that on the road and spread it. Teach it to everyone else." Coco is a great example.

She also said that "having strength and independence as a woman is super important. If you can go out and live your own life and do it on your own, no one can take you down. I think it's real important for girls to be independent, have goals and dreams of their own and see where it takes you."

Coco Ho has qualified for next years world tour.

This year the winner of SUPERGIRL PRO SURFER 2012 was Sage Erickson from the U.S.

Funny Times

I got a free copy of the Funny Times in the mail today. I was really interested in looking at it and grateful that I received a copy. When I saw the name Dave Barry, as one of the writers, I knew it was going to be GREAT! He's one of my favorite writers. When I think of Dave Barry, I also think of Stephen King, Amy Tan, Mitch Album, and Frank McCourt and the time when I watched the Miami Book Festival on BookTV and watched them play in the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band made up of best selling writers.

It says that you don't have to wait for Jon Stewart to laugh on late night, you can read FUNNY TIMES.

We need more laughs in the world. There aren't enough. There needs to be more fun and more comedy.

FUNNY TIMES is definitely worth the price of each issue. A year subscription is only $26. Right now they have a buy one, get one free offer so you can give a free gift subscription when you buy one for yourself.

Send your check to
FUNNY TIMES SUBSCRIPTIONS
PO Box 18530
Department 8DNF
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118

Seattle Times Newspaper

I love the Seattle Times. I subscribe. I can't even think of not subscribing because I would miss out on what is happening around me. The Seattle Times is the pulse of Seattle and the surrounding area and all of Washington. I don't understand people who don't want to subscribe. I can't imagine life without it.

This morning what jumped out at me was the interview of Elizabeth George, one of my favorite mystery writers who is brilliant and lives close in Whidbey Island. That got me to dreaming of meeting her and asking her to read my youth novel I am working on.

I really need to take a good editing class or find someone to work with who lives to edit. I'm sitting on four mystery novels that are finished and need to be revised and sent out.

Another thing that jumped out at me was learning that at the University of Washington at Bothell, there is a MFA program in Creative Writing. Wow! Bothell isn't that far from me. I'm wondering if they honor the over 60 program where you can take two classes for $5 a class.

I'm wondering and wishing...............

Seattle Art Museum

I went on the bus today to the Seattle Art Museum to see ELLES: Women Artists from the Centre Pompidou, Paris. They were handing out free art books today to members so I wanted to go. I selected a European art book. I'm very grateful for the beautiful book.

I want to go again to see ELLES and next time to listen to a guided tour. It's nice that they have the audio tour. I saw art created by women who wanted to be recognized and taken seriously as artists. I saw some art created for pure shock value. What I didn't see was social commentary in the art that told the reasons why women painted pictures in Paris in the 1930's instead of being married, having eight children, and living a subservient life. I didn't see tragedy or abuse or great loss depicted in the art. I'm curious as to why. Without knowing the individual stories and background, I can assume that some are brilliant and rebellious, but this was quite a departure from accepted behavior in the 1930's. I guess I want to learn more about these women. I'm curious.

I love to go to the Seattle Art Museum. I get inspired to create art and to paint. I need to take a class.

nanowrimo.org

So my word count right now is 11,775 words. So far so good. I'm keeping up. I wish I had plotted the novel but sometimes it is fun to just let it unfold to see what happens. Then it becomes an adventure and you discover things along the way that you hadn't anticipated.

I've completed the challenge of National Novel Writing Month to write the first draft of a novel in the month of November in 2006 and 2008. Both times I haven't planned or plotted and I was surprised and happy with the result.

Stephen King recommends writing and letting it carry you on an unexpected adventure. He's a master writer. He used to be a high school English teacher. I have his book, ON WRITING, and I have read a lot of his books. He's the second highest paid writer in this country after James Patterson, followed by Janet Evanovich. All three are great writers and obviously everyone agrees because everyone reads and buys every book they write.

We'll see what happens. I'm grateful to be part of this challenge this year. It makes me feel like I belong to something great and much bigger than myself. There are sure a lot of talented and gifted writers participating. I was looking at some of the cover art and novel summaries. It looks like there are going to be best sellers among those who finish. How exciting!

Chris Baty who started National Novel Writing Month in 1999 is a hero. He has the whole world writing novels.

It's a great day in America!

It's a great day today since President Obama got reelected. There is hope again in the world. Everything is going to be fine. I'm so grateful that the voters were intelligent enough to vote for President Obama. I can't imagine it any other way.

I'm grateful for all the young people who turned out to vote and all those people waiting in life for 12 hours.

Everything will move forward to protect change put in place. Progress will continue to make sure that all people are protected and given opportunities. I feel so hopeful that everything is going to be ok now.

President Obama's acceptance speech was inspiring. He's great at uniting people and bringing consensus. I admire him and know that if he has the support he needs, he will become the greatest President we have ever had in the history of this country. Everyone is counting on him to make a difference.

Bob's Red Mill Cornbread Mix

After watching Dr. Oz yesterday and learning how jalapeno peppers boosted metabolism for weight loss, I decided to make cornbread this morning. I went out to buy jalapeno peppers and frozen corn yesterday to put in it so I would be ready.

It just came out of the oven and it looks and smells delicious.

I love Bob's Red Mill products. I buy the bulgar wheat to make tabbouli. I buy muesli, ground flaxseed, and wheat germ. I plan on trying others.

Zumba with Daniel

Daniel teaches Zumba in the North Seattle area. He's from Brazil and has been teaching for 20 years. He's high energy and a gifted dancer. He's going to be teaching on Fridays from now on in the mornings at 24 Hour Fitness. I'm excited to take his class.

Daniel is magic. He's very popular and his classes are always crowded. Everyone loves to come to his class.

Panera Bread

I'm excited to learn that Panera Bread in the Northgate Mall, near me is hosting an event every Saturday for National Novel Writing Month. I'm excited. I'm going next Saturday for sure.

I love Panera Bread. They have the most delicious food. Everything on the menu is perfect, made fresh, and tastes delicious. I love the orange scones. I love the healthy, delicious salads. I love the sandwiches. I love everything they serve. I'm glad Panera Bread is close to me and I go there as often as I can. It's one of my favorite places to eat. I took my son there once for lunch.

nanowrimo.org

I finished my word count this morning before going to Zumba. Now I have 5,033 words. I'm going to write some more today.

I wore my special t-shirt from the Office of Lights and Letters who sends out the National Novel Writing Month books, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. I ordered a sweatshirt, t-shirt, and another copy of NO PLOT? NO PROBLEM! by Chris Baty. The last copy I gave away. I also ordered five pencils that says "There's a novel inside this pencil." I love pencils. It's a harmless collection that can be used and doesn't take up a lot of space. I also ordered Chris Baty's book, THE NANOLAND CHRONICLES: Bedtime Stories for Wrimos. It's autographed by the legend who started all this back in 1999 and has the whole world writing.

When I was waiting outside Zumba this morning, I stood next to a young woman waiting for class with me who said that she is also participating in nanowrimo and she told about the writing this morning at Panera Bread. I guess every Saturday there is a National Novel Writing Month event at Panera Bread close to me. How amazing! How nice of them! I'm grateful.

I love Panera Bread. It has delicious food. I love the orange scones. I love the great salads. I love the sandwiches. Everything on the menu is delicious.

Zumba with Vanessa

The schedule at 24 Hour Fitness is changing after November 10th. Everything is going to be changed. New classes added and some new instructors.

One Zumba instructor, Vanessa Herrick, is no longer going to be teaching at this location. She doesn't live close so she is going to teach closer to home. I finally got to talk to her when I left Zumba class on Friday morning.

I enjoyed taking Vanessa's class. She's always nice, always smiling, always positive. She's a great dancer and is nice to everyone. She wants everyone to have fun and a good time. I will miss her.

Arabella Steinbacher

I had the rare privilege of being at Benaroya Hall to hear Arabella Steinbacher play Tchaikovsky's violin concerto in D major on her Stradivari with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. I was in awe. Tears came down my cheeks when I saw her bow dance on the strings and the passion that flows as her body becomes one with the violin. I love excellence and perfection.

I didn't read about Arabella until the intermission when she was finished. I figured she practices 15 hours a day and has done this for years and years and years or she was one of those rare souls born in this world who are pure genius. She started playing the violin at age 3. She was born to play the violin. The world should give her everything she wants in order to just hear her play. Her home is in Munich, Germany.

I saw her leave at the side where I was sitting during the intermission. I wanted to go over to her and tell her how much I admire her but words could never be good enough. I wish I were her friend. I wish I had asked to take a picture with her.

I love to go to the symphony. I bought a package of four tickets to go to the symphony on Friday afternoons at noon. Then I can ride the bus during day light hours and I get to hear the Seattle Symphony Orchestra play the language of the heart. Glorious!

Rent

I received notice this morning that my rent is going to be raised $50 a month. I'm wondering if I stay or if I find another place. Maybe I should cancel Weight Watchers and not renew my card to the Helen Madison pool. Maybe I should cancel TV. Unfortunate but maybe that is an answer. It would be great to find an apartment with more reasonable rent for me. My rent now goes to $1150. a month. I love where I live and the location. We'll see..........

Found a Dog

I found a little dog yesterday on my way to the gym. It had been out in the rain for a long time and it was shaking. I was worried that it would get hit by a car in the busy traffic so I brought it home so I could find out  where it belonged. It had a harness but no tags. I called PAWS, the Humane Society located in Bellevue, and the King County numbers for animal control. After several calls, I finally found the right number and arranged for a pickup. It didn't take long. I was worried that I would have to take care of it for a couple of days or drive to the shelter to drop it off. I'm grateful they picked it up.

I'm not interested in having a pet. I've had enough pets in my life to last a lifetime. Cats scratch furniture and eat houseplants. Dogs have to be taken outside all the time and walked. There are vet bills. If an animal goes outside then you have to worry about fleas. Dogs bark. Not good. You can't travel with a pet. Not for me....

www.nanowrimo.org

I'm writing and having fun. I'm excited to begin National Novel Writing Month. There is something about being part of it and getting the word count done each day to make you feel rejuvenated and energized. I love it. I love the challenge of trying to get it done every day. This is the first thing I will do each day and then on to my other writing projects, exercise, eating healthy, chores, and reading. My life will be full this month. I'm grateful to National Novel Writing Month and Chris Baty who started it. He's a hero and has inspired people to write all over the world.

So far today I have 615 words and I have to reach 1650 words for the day.