What a horrific week it's been with this writing contest.   I just wanted to let all my readers know that while I might have been drowning.....I didn't sink. 

It actually got worse since I last posted here!  Just to give you an idea what I've been dealing with, here's some stats.  On July 1, I had 29 entries.  This past Saturday, August 2.........I had 182 entries!  YUP.........you do the math.  That means that I got 153 entries in the final month.  Now bear in mind, this contest has been open for entries since March 1.  FIVE months!

And this past Saturday was the worse...........I got 28 entries!  Poor Ray didn't even want to come home from the PO with that overflowing bin loaded down with boxes, envelopes, etc.  I won't lie........I took one look at it and could feel the tears in my eyes.  I feel beyond overwhelmed.  And I kept thinking.........my poor judges!  They've done above and beyond as it is..........and ALL these late entries will only make it worse!

I spent the entire weekend working on all of it and somehow..........all of the 28 have now been recorded on my Excel spreadsheet and my hard copy, judges chosen, entrants notifed via email that I received their work, etc.  I still have to print out all the score sheets, and then get even more packets together to send out to judges tomorrow.

I'll be honest...........I truly do NOT understand it!  Some of the entries I got on Saturday were three and FOUR boxes filled with manuscripts from ONE entrant.  I mean, come ON........that person did not write ALL those novels during the past week.  And yet he/she waits till the VERY last minute to get them into the mail to enter the contest.  Call ME crazy......but this really just makes no sense to me.

The postmark deadline was this past Friday, August 1.  I've been emailed this weekend, and I know for sure I'm getting at least 3 more entries that were mailed out on Friday.  I'm just praying that will be IT.  The end!  Finished! 

I'm seeing the light because, in order to have that postmark of August 1, it's highly unlikely that I'll be getting any more entries after this Wednesday.  Then it'll just be all the returns from judges.  That's time-consuming enough in itself.....recording all the scores on my hard copy, plus the Excel spreadsheet.  But it's still easier than processing one entry.

So I just wanted to come here and touch base with you, my loyal readers.  Hopefully, by the end of this week I can see my way clear enough to resume a normal life, which includes my blogging and visiting you.  And I haven't forgotten (even though my brain is totally mush right about now) that I have a great story for you about coincidence.

I'll see you here next time and I'm hoping all is well with all of you......................