Let the countdown begin.

Happy November. This month is going to be a big one. I'm scared and excited all at once, which is resulting in my going from rapid clapping and squealing from happiness right into the fetal position and back again, figuratively, several times a day. (It's pretty exhausting.)

Anyway, besides all the normal life stuff going on, here's what else is on the docket:

1. My book deadline. [squeals of excitement] I gave myself seven months to write this book, as a present to myself for my birthday, and here we are, folks. I only have one month left. (!!!) I began pretty ignorantly and I've come a long way, for sure, but now that I know what I know, I know I have so much work left to do. I'm excited but a little scared as to how it's all going to happen. But it's also totally awesome that November just so happens to be National Novel Writing Month. Super cool coincidence, right? It's cool even though I'm not, like those folks, going to write a novel in a month. But I am going to finish one!

2. So yeah. My self-imposed book deadline is my birthday. My 30th birthday. Which is huge. And not only that, I turn 30 on the 30th, which means it's my GOLDEN BIRTHDAY. [rapid squeals] So exciting. My amazing sister sent me a huge box of presents so that I have one to open every day this month, an event she named 30 Days of Ash.

What a sight. Isn't it amazing? I've let out several squeals just thinking about it. And Anna's twice as bad. I've had to pry her fingers away from the pretty packages (days 4 and 17, for instance) more than once.

Anyway, there's a lot going on. So many presents to open, so many thousands of words to write, so many parties to plan. I'm swamped, but in the best kind of way.

In the immortal words from "Major Tom": "4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1. Earth below us, drifting falling . . ." (What?)

Let the countdown begin!