Almost There

 This week is epic. The book is due, I leave with the rally on Sunday, and if I think about that stuff too much, I get a tight feeling in my chest that I know is the knot of anxiety around all that, and that knot is unhelpful, and in this case, just plain wrong. I’m am kicking ass and taking names and last week when my Mum and Erin decided to go North to the cottage, I lamented that I couldn’t go. There’s no internet there, there’s no cell phone, and I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but writers on book deadlines are horrible, horrible people.  My whole family knows it, and my mum actually told me that I shouldn’t go up there, not if I was going to be "like that."

I tried to give up, and accept that I just wasn’t going to be going, and then I got an idea. What if I could finish enough of the book that I wasn’t "like that"? What if I could head up there with things pretty much wrapped up, with just a little left do do, or maybe even on the final read-through?  Maybe I could go for just a day or two?  Maybe I could do some rally stuff there… air out the tent?

I decided that if I worked like a lunatic, gave up just about every free minute I had, I might be able to earn my way to the cottage. I set a word count goal, and I kept my eyes on the prize. Me, sitting on the sand of Georgian Bay, finishing the book before I went for a swim to the big rock. I’ve been pressing on for days, and then yesterday, a minor miracle.  I have only one essay left to work on, the rest of the book is sorted and ready for the last read, and I smashed my word count goal to smithereens.  It was spectacular. It was like fireworks and today as soon as I finish up the work I have to do, I’m heading off. I’ll finish this book there, and then come home Tuesday night or Wednesday to attend our team fundraiser* and be ready to ride with Jen on Thursday and pack and get ready to go to Montreal – the long way.

I can see the finish line, and it’s going to be such a relief. There’s only a little internet up there – I’ll try to post tomorrow with a bunch of Karmic Balancing gifts – now that we’re in the home stretch there’s going to have to be a bunch of them if I’m going to get them all given away.  I wanted to take a second to thank all of you for the amazing support you’ve shown all of us. This whole year has been such a challenge, and not always the best kind, but the rally… the rally is the best sort of challenge and I’m so proud to take part in it and even more proud that I represent all of you and your amazing generosity. People don’t know what knitters are like, and it is my exquisite pleasure to be able to show them.  I point at what you’ve donated, watch their mouths fall open, and I watch as they wonder why their golf buddies haven’t done the same.  You’re amazing. Every one of you, and I’m so, so grateful. 

See you tomorrow, or Wednesday – and thanks for everything. I don’t know if it’s the joy I feel that the book is almost done, or the adrenaline from being so close to the Rally, or maybe it’s the crazy level of sleep deprivation + caffeine that I’m rocking right now, but I am crazy in love with all of you. 

PS: If you felt so moved, the pages to donate to us are here:

Me
Jen
Ken
Pato

*There’s a fundraiser for the team at a pub here in Toronto on Wednesday evening. Tickets are $25, there will be food, there will be really great door prizes, and there will be entertainment, not the least of which are speakers from PWA and two of my three daughters performing a ukulele version of (amongst others) "Hey Ya" which really, really shouldn’t be missed.  All proceeds go to the riders on our team taking part in organizing the thing.  If I know knitters are coming, there will be yarn door prizes too.  If you’re in town, and you’d like to have a bit of fun for a great cause, email me. I’ll hook you up.