Sadly, I haven't gotten East Bay to commit, but I did manage to get us matched up against an entire country.
Ladies and gentlemen, Finland has agreed to take us on. My thanks to them, as I was starting to worry.
It'll be a simple average words per participant, as measured by the Nano site, so there's incentive to get yourself homed and your fingers flexed. They've got a lot more darkness and bad weather than we do, so this will be a challenge. ;)
We may also end up in a war with Pittsburgh, I put a feeler out in that direction but haven't heard back from them yet.
So. For glory, for awesomeness, for the Platymanagoat! Onwards, Sacramento!
-kat
----------
Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon
36,748 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 08 10
O Brave Finland, I salute thee. And shall stomp you with my mighty wordcount.
----------It takes a heap of loafing to write a novel. --Gertrude Stein
www.shimmerzine.com
60,007 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 09 16
Finland! I used to know someone in Finland!
This reeks of the awesome.
Phyllis
----------2007 (winner) - untitled contemporary romance (never finished)
2008 (winner) - Victorian English romance novel (finished, still editing)
50,182 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 09 54
BTW, their forum is here: Finland and specifically, the word war thread is here. They have a slight advantage over us, as I don't think there's anybody in the region who speaks Finnish. However, Google Translate can at least give you the jist of what they're saying.
This ought to be fun!
-kat
----------Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon
40,043 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 10 43
Very neat! It's fun to read their word war post. So far, the sentiments in Finland seem to distill to the following:
"Fun, especially if the permit should be pretty equal resistance."
So, it sounds like they're up for it!
----------Bill F
Sacramento, CA
"The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe" -- Frank Zappa
22,170 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 10 55
:O....
R-really? I-I'm at war and didn't even know it? Ohmygosh I'd better get off my cot and get dressed! I've gotta get out my "gun" and dust it off, I haven't even cleaned it yet! I need "ammo"! Someone get me something to eat quick! I just realized it's my turn at watch! To the bunker people, and you there, join me in the trench. We haven't a moment to lose if we're going to turn the tide of battle.
*So, wow, I guess I'd better get back on planning my novel's physical layout so I can keep pounding next month. I just got my coffee mug in the mail so I've got that, but... I feel so unprepared for this year's word war...
----------2004 - The Adventures of the Irish Pants Man! *
2005 - largely untitled look into What Is Love? *(but didn't finish the book)
2006 - was to be "The Search for the Ultimate Burrito" and became Mr. Doe Takes A Vacation (not even close to winning or finish
38,381 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 11 57
*sneaks in, cleverly disguised as someone who isn't from Finland*
I can't say this on November when the war is officially ON, but decided to be nice when I still can. (Can't promise anyone anything 'bout November, 'cause I'll propably be in my personal hell before the first week ends...) It's nice to have someone to compete against so I'll have some motivation left on the third week when I'm readier to throw my dear laptop through the window (and it's going to be cold outside by then, I hope - more reason for me to drink tea inside and write some nano) than write another word.
Yeah, meant to say that I just came by to wish you luck. o/
(You might need it - although I just hope we all can get out of this alive and as winners. :D)
----------Where was I when I needed myself the most?
~*~
Cups of tea (or other drinks with caffeine) drunk while nanoing: 19
Darepoints received: 13
Words asked & used in text: 27
60,007 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 12 03
Feylana said: "*sneaks in, cleverly disguised as someone who isn't from Finland*"
Someone less blonde, you mean? That's OK, lots of blondes in California. Welcome to the war! :)
Phyllis
----------2007 (winner) - untitled contemporary romance (never finished)
2008 (winner) - Victorian English romance novel (finished, still editing)
60,007 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 12 21
And I suggest that we write in pig latin on this thread as our secret code. *rubs hands together and cackles*
----------2007 (winner) - untitled contemporary romance (never finished)
2008 (winner) - Victorian English romance novel (finished, still editing)
41,800 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 12 25
Word war! Huzzah! Finland's going DOWN!
----------Richard Crawford, Sacramento Region Co-ML
Code Monkey by Day, Word Monkey by Night
http://www.mossroot.com/codemonkey
2,001 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 12 58
*seems very sneaky under her ridiculous spying hat with flowers on top and waves at Feylana*
In all honesty, I am not from Finland. I am, umm, Swedish! Yes. Oh what you mean what I am doing here then? Oh hehe, a good question. I was certain this train went to Sweden! Does anyone have a good map for hopelessly lost swedes? Or right, it's sunnier here, maybe I'll stay… *cough* But there is absolutely no reason to suspect that I am actually Finnish, it would only make you all look very silly. Really.
So please tell me EVERYTHING about your evil plans for this war with Finland. As a proud citizen of Sweden I hope I can assist you to beat these Finns. Ehhh, and I know about this war about happen because I … read about it in a newspaper in Sweden! Yes! So, I am your ally, we can't let Finland to win (yes, think about all those cold dark rainy depressive evenings in Finland and the amounts of over-dramatic words the Finns will produce with that weather as inspiration!) so it is for your own good to share ALL your little tricks and secrets and tactics with me. You see, as Finland's neighbor I can tell you if they will work. *puts on her most trustworthy smile* Just tell me!
*tries to stand in front of the location sign and waves her hands around in a very distracting way*
Anyway, greetings and good luck for November! It's lovely to have a little word war. I hope you all will write most awesome novels, and most important, have great time. :) I know I will.
And I think I like you already. Despite that talk about stomping, scary… Maybe I ought to start running already!
36,748 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 13 04
Wait, November? No, no, there must have been a translation error for Finland. It's actually in December! Don't even start thinking about your novels until the end of November! Thanks for helping us spread the word! I would hate to see everyone in Finland wasting all their efforts by writing in the wrong month!
Remember: Nano is in DECEMBER in Finland!
----------It takes a heap of loafing to write a novel. --Gertrude Stein
www.shimmerzine.com
2,001 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 13 12
Yes, what a horrible tragedy it would be if some tried to write a novel in November, you are right, thanks for the reminder, everyone knows NaNoWriMo is in Decem--- …
Oh wait!
38,381 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 13 43
Good, I'm not blonde, so you have no proof to think of me as a Finn then either, yes? I'm from Sweden too. *smiles convincinly and continues spying 'round the topics*
Oh, December? Darn, we must quickly spread the word amongst our fellow soldiers. :O I mean, even the site's admins have got it wrong! Thanks for letting us know, though - that's almost too fair a game.
...no, wait. I guess we'll be Really clever and write our nanos in November, so when you see our word stats in the beginning of December you'll just give up 'cause we've written so much only in one day. ;)
----------Where was I when I needed myself the most?
~*~
Cups of tea (or other drinks with caffeine) drunk while nanoing: 19
Darepoints received: 13
Words asked & used in text: 27
17,197 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 13 55
Awesome!!!! now, where do we officially sign up again?
::sings:: Finland Finland Finland, that's the country for me!
Finland is the country where we dance
Finland is the country where we play
Here in Finland boy and girl can find a true romance
In traditional Scandinavian vay!
Schlip! Schlap!
Schlip-a-schlap-a vay
Schlip! Schlap!
Schlap away all day
Schlip! Schlap!
You simply can't go wrong
Vith traditional fish-schlapping song
Finland, Finland, Finland
The country where I want to be
Pony trekking or camping
Or just watching TV
Finland, Finland, Finland
It's the country for me
You're so near to Russia
So far from Japan
Quite a long way from Cairo
Lots of miles from Vietnam
Finland, Finland, Finland
The country where I want to be
Eating breakfast or dinner
Or snack lunch in the hall
Finland, Finland, Finland
Finland has it all
You're so sadly neglected
And often ignored
A poor second to Belgium
When going abroad
Finland, Finland, Finland
The country where I quite want to be
Your mountains so lofty
Your treetops so tall
Finland, Finland, Finland
Finland has it all
Finland, Finland, Finland
The country where I quite want to be
Your mountains so lofty
Your treetops so tall
Finland, Finland, Finland
Finland has it all
Finland has it all
----------I cannot believe I put my battle eyeliner on for this!
41,800 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 14 36
That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw what Kat had done! Great minds think alike.
----------Richard Crawford, Sacramento Region Co-ML
Code Monkey by Day, Word Monkey by Night
http://www.mossroot.com/codemonkey
41,800 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 14 38
Ha! You have outed yourself as a member of the Finland Brigade! Truth to tell, I was suspicious all along.
The lesson here is obvious. Beware Finns in Swedish clothing.
----------Richard Crawford, Sacramento Region Co-ML
Code Monkey by Day, Word Monkey by Night
http://www.mossroot.com/codemonkey
24,464 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 17 37
No fair! The Finnish can come in and spy on us since they can speak English, but we can't spy on them ... darn.
----------Military Sci-Fi (click banner!)
Times written during class: 2
Times dreamed about: 4
Missions Failed: 0
60,007 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 18 03
pssst. google.com/translate then past the url for the page you want to read and choose the languages. it doesn't get all the words, but gives you the general idea ;)
----------2007 (winner) - untitled contemporary romance (never finished)
2008 (winner) - Victorian English romance novel (finished, still editing)
32,321 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 18 22
Hello, ALL!
Don't let my Finnish name here fool you, heh heh... but I am your go-to for the translation. Please keep using the Google translator, but if they get sneaky, I can tear the word apart and tell you what I think - I bet they are gonna try to sink me now!
Love, from Fair Oaks, Kerri
----------I'm o happy to be here, finally, with all of you. I'm going to sleep now.
24,464 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 18 30
I never trust an online translator! Oh the translations you get ...
----------Military Sci-Fi (click banner!)
Times written during class: 2
Times dreamed about: 4
Missions Failed: 0
36,748 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 19 27
Yes, the different time zones make everything so complicated! Just remember: Nano in December for Finland, and you'll be FINE.
OH AND one more thing, Finland: Don't forget to set your "home region" to Sacramento! That way we can get your word count accurately!
----------It takes a heap of loafing to write a novel. --Gertrude Stein
www.shimmerzine.com
40,043 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 20 27
LOL
----------Bill F
Sacramento, CA
"The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe" -- Frank Zappa
51,191 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 00 06
Oh my gosh, I've been laughing since I started to read this topic. You are so cute and I'm really happy we finally have a region to compete with. Yay!
And, to prove that I'm from Sweden, here is some Swedish for you:
Jag tycker så mycket om ni alla!
(Um, and if there should be any grammatical errors, just blaim my tireness.)
And also, if any of you would like to have a personal writing buddy from Finland, I would love to be one. Generally I'm writing kind of gaimanish fantasy-whatsoever, but as I love to read any kinds of stories, I guess I'm interested about your stories, no matter what genres they are. :)
----------2006: Feathers And Winds/Sulkainsitoja ja siivetön
2007: The Winterpainter And A Bird/Talvenmaalaaja ja lintu
2008: The Day You Stole/Päivä jonka minulta veit
46,117 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 00 30
Oh December!!! I knew I was forgetting something! But you know, that means that you Sacramentonians(? Sacramentoers? ...? ...well anyway) can't start until the fifth of December because of your later timezone. I thought it was the fifth of November, but since we are starting the first of December it's the fifth of December for you of course. Poor you, your nano won't end until next year... :(
Anyway. Hello all! It's nice to meet you and nice to be competing against you. You seem like a fun bunch of people!
50,182 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 05 07
I'm really glad we did this; this thread is making me laugh so hard.
I'd be careful with the Finns, though. I read my history. Go read up on the Winter War if you don't believe me. It's one of my favorite pieces of WWII history. The short of it was a war that pitted Finland vs. the Soviet Union. Soviets said, "Ah, Finland, tiny country, we shall walk all over it." Then, the Finns proceeded to show the Soviets just how wrong that assumption was. Let this be a cautionary tale to those of us here in Sacramento who think our victory is assured.
[And yeah, to our Finnish friends, I know this account is somewhat simplified, but it goes to prove the point I want to make. Besides, I'm telling folks just how awesome your country is.]
-kat
----------Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon
32,321 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 07 24
Folks, my house IS Finland!
I truly believe I need to meet up with all of you here in Sac soon, so I can invite the less dangerous over to my house for FINNISH FOOD!
Pulla!
Makkara and Sinappia!
Karalian Piirakka!
Peruna Piirakka!
You must try Finnish food, and I can tell you all I know about Finland.... when can we meet. When can we scheme... I am in Fair Oaks and can meet up anywhere. Anyone feel like a meet-up today, even? Barnes and Noble in Citrus Heights? Temple in Midtown?
I have so much to teach you of Finnish strength and perseverence. They may have the challenge of the potentially over-compact word, but they probably speak and write in English better than we (it's true), so don't let them fool you into feeling sorry for how much more they have to write. They are a country of HIGHLY intelligent and rational people. AND they have the power of Joulu Pukki. *sigh*
Let's not be defeatist... I will teach you, so, meet me!
my email: kerriolson@usana.com
----------I'm o happy to be here, finally, with all of you. I'm going to sleep now.
32,321 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 07 26
And thank you, Universe, for giving us this war on Finland. I love them so.
----------I'm o happy to be here, finally, with all of you. I'm going to sleep now.
50,182 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 07 51
Today won't work for me, but if we plan something later in the week, I could probably come. Or if you can come to the Meet and Greet on Sunday, that could work too. :)
-kat
----------Kat Templeton, Sacramento Region co-ML * http://www.retstak.org
"If I have weaknessess, don't let them blind me now." --Paul Simon
41,800 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 08 30
I can't make it today either, though I might be able to this evening after 7. I do you come to the Meet & Greet so that you can tell us what you know. And if you show up to the kick-off with Finnish food, your ML's will love you forever.
----------Richard Crawford, Sacramento Region Co-ML
Code Monkey by Day, Word Monkey by Night
http://www.mossroot.com/codemonkey
42,524 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 08 39
I could do Temple today, actually, but not until about 2:30 or later. You're talking about the downtown Temple (K & 10) or the midtown Temple (S & 29)?
----------There are three types of people in this world: those who can count, and those who can't.