and that was NaNo_2011

Yes, yes, I've been quiet about this. No excuses - we had family staying with us, there were other issues, but even so, main reason for the end result had to do with not forcibly carving out the time as I did before. Thanks to my cheerleaders for adding to the fun (yes it is fun, even if it hurts and even if you fail horribly) and thanks to Red for prodding me along the road.

My final NaNo count:

24069 / 50000
(48.14%)

Sort of half a NaNo? Like running a half marathon instead of the real thing?

Ah well, that's still 24K of Burning Bright 2 that wasn't here in October. I'll push it up to a full 25K today and then keep adding to it this month but right now it's forward with the Big Bang again. That's going to be a change of pace :D

world aids day

Can't believe we've already reached December, but here it is, December 1st, World AIDS day. Some random thoughts from a country where around ten percent of the population is affected (I think that's the last figure I heard).

AIDS is mainly a heterosexual disease here, so listening to a gay man talkhi about his journey with it this morning was quite unusual - he's been living with it for twenty years, which is quite something as effective medication is such a recent advance. Someone I know recently had her first child in her mid thirties after being HIV positive for around seven years. He's HIV-free and she's glowing - she has the dream she never thought could happen. We're not curing it yet, but we're controlling it, which is its own miracle.

The other thing which I find wonderful is how much the stigma has lessened over the years - a popular soap star even came out today to say she's been living with it for several years. Not so long ago that would have been shocking, now there was just surprise. It's true what they say, the greatest weapon against this disease isn't drugs or healthy living, it's education.