Getting The Book Done: Days 8-9 of 15

GOAL: To get my novel finished by the end of the month.

Book Update: This weekend is probably the make or break moment for my goal. I have today and tomorrow to get a substantial section complete. After that, I can role through the ending next week. I feel good, though. I'm finishing a big breaksfast of gyro meat and eggs and hash browns at The Uptowner, so named because it's in the ever-so-hip Uptown area of Minneapolis. From here I'll go to a favorite coffee shop and buckle in. I want to get about 1,500 words done, both today and tomorrow. I'm very excited--it's a big circus scene. How fun will that be? Seriously.

Approximate Words Needed To Complete Novel: 15,000
Approximate Words I Should Be At*: 8,800
Approximate Words Completed: 6,400
*This number is always a day behind, as I report in the morning.

Finance Update: Five minutes after I drove my car from the mechanics, where I put $200 on my credit card to float my new exhaust system, something broke inside the door, so I can't roll my window up!!!

God. I'm decently handy, so I went to the library and got the repair manual for a 2000 Civic. Here's a handy tip for the financially strapped: if you need a relatively simple repair done on your car, you can probably do it yourself, and your local library will probably have a repair manual for your model of car, that describes how to repair every component. BEWARE the repair you take on. Screwing up my window is not going to impair the function of my car. Screwing up your suspension could put you in serious trouble.

I found out about the manuals in college when my starter went out, I had to drive 200 miles to my sister's wedding, and I only had a few bucks on me to get the repair done. I replaced the starter motor for $35, in front of my house. Oh so hick, but it got the job done.

Festival of Funny Financials! Hey, the submissions are starting to role in, so keep them coming! See here for submission details!