There was to be more than a photo entry on Friday, but I got into a creative funk and couldn't write anything that could escape the wrath of the evil backspace key. It was like a scene from Austin Powers...

Me: I was drinking my coffee and...
Backspace Key: Sh!
Me: But this is a good sto...
BK: Sh!
Me: But I...
BK: Sh! Want to hear something funny?
Me: (sigh) Okay...
BK: Sh!

My NaNo writing has slowed to a crawl over the last three days. Instead of keeping a steady pace, I've managed only a memo a day. On a Palm V, a memo holds about seven hundred words.

Yesterday, I knew I hit a new low when I wrote at a Starbucks and counted it as one of my cafes. Spending a day with the family has a way of limiting how far I can venture for coffee and alone time.

The streak of independent cafes lasted twenty days. I was disappointed to see it end, but consoled myself with a venti peppermint mocha. Nothing soothes the soul like twenty ounces of peppermint goodness.

During lunch, I'm writing at Starmars Cafe in downtown San Jose. I would visit Los Gatos, but it isn't close enough to the office. I want to hit a few of those cafes before November ends.

Today's strategy is to write memos sporadically throughout the day. A memo in the morning, maybe two at lunch, one in the afternoon and then three or so tonight. The goal is to reach 44,000 before the clock strikes midnight, which isn't impossible if done with the proper dose of coffee and Skittles or the help of a superhero with the ability to stop time.