Runnin' With The Devil

No.  Not really, but that title has been running through my head, so I figured I'd use it.  At least, I hope not!  We're in San Antonio for the week.  Wurstfest, you know.  Or maybe you don't.  New Braunfels' tribute to sausage -- a week long celebration of sausage, beer, and German music.  Shrug.  It's a big deal down here.  Mr. L plays with the New Braunfels Village Brass Band at two church services (Catholic today and Lutheran next week) and in the Big Tent early next Saturday afternoon.  I'll probably go with him Saturday afternoon and next Sunday morning, but this morning, I'm at Panera getting a head start on word count (at least, ostensibly). 

The Good Stuff:

• I'm on track for backwards NaNo.  I got the last thousand words for yesterday after midnight last night, so the count will go on today's total, but I'm shooting for 3101 for the rest of today to stay on track.  Starting tomorrow, my daily goal drops below 3000.
• Kitten made the transition to San Antonio on the front seat (in her carrier) beside me.  For most of the trip, she rubbed against my fingers, which I left draped in the door of her carrier.  For the last hour, she mostly slept.  This kitten just loves to be held and cuddled.
• Rossie was active in the house last night.  Usually she takes a few days to willingly come out from under her chair.  She likes being in San Antonio.
• I got the data plan dropped back to 4GB for next month.
• Got half the front yard mowed this morning before having to put the mower on the charger.  I should be able to finish tomorrow -- just in time for rain on Tuesday (which we need -- SA didn't get the rain Austin and Central TX got last week).
• Half taxes paid for the two big Central TX properties.  Plan to pay the little SA property tax this month as well.  Next month is the big SA property tax, and January will pay the remainder of the Central TX big properties -- by paying half before Nov 1, the other half won't be due until the end of June.  That gives us latitude in case something goes terribly wrong financially.

The Not So Good Stuff:

• No progress on the newsletter preparation (but that's not a huge deal, since November is focused on NaNo).
• I must not be focusing on Mr. L enough lately.  No matter what I do or don't do, he seems unhappy with me.  When we try to talk I can't hear him and he can't hear me.  We discussed the need last night for incorporating a long, vocalized pause before we begin speaking to each other.  It would alert the other person we're about to speak, and it would enable the speaker to get up to a volume the other person could hear.
• In a corollary discussion, the reason long-term couples do not speak in restauarants is not that they have nothing to say or that they don't like one another, the are just tired of having to either say, "What?" or having to repeat themselves.  It's just easier to try not to talk over the ambient noise in most places. Young people do not yet understand this.
• I can remember lying on the living room floor and rolling up to a standing position in one smooth movement and thinking I couldn't figure out why other people could not do this.  Sigh. I'm so sad about that.  There are a few things I miss about my 17-27 year-old self.

The Week Ahead:

• Maintain progress in NaNo.  This is the tough week for me.
• Get yard work done.
• Help Mr. L where feasible with his household repair goals for the week.
• Work with cats
• Pay the little SA property tax (Alamo Heights city -- it should be in the held mail when it arrives on Monday).
• Drool on new MacBookPros as well as the Mini (I need to replace my Mini, and it will be my Christmas present to myself.  I'm seriously considering a 15" Retina MacBookPro as well.  I think I can hold off on the iPad for one more generation.)
• Go to Wurstfest on Saturday and try to have a good time.