Today is ML Appreciation day, and I want to kick it off with a huge SHOUT of appreciation. For the hours of preparation, (and craft making, TIM), tons of encouragement, word war, word challenges, writing prompts, encouraging emails, and reading tons of forum post.

Thank you Tim, Katherine, and Frank for making this the BEST REGION in Nano land.

Dave,

AKA TRRDEDEAN

So you guys are THE BEST. For real, though. Because the amount of work Tim puts in to the coding and graph-ing and all the amazing things he makes. And the things that Katherine collects to supply at write ins (you know, even if I reject the gifts) and her amazing word counts. And Frank with his AMAZING TEACHER SKILLS and hosting rocking prep sessions.

YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING AND THE BEST AND DON'T EVER LEAVE ME.

Y'all are awesome!

Thank you all for devoting so much of your time every November to organize everything for this region. Since I started actively participating in this region it's exploded! We've gotten so huge and there's so much going on every day of the week and I think this puts us as one of the best regions ever.

Thank you for all you do. :)

Thank you all so much! You do an amazing job--and I know it isn't as easy as you make it look!

Thank you all for being there and being encouraging.

You make being here more fun.

I'm pretty sure the Naperville Region MLs are the best MLs. I haven't met any other ones, but surely that's another indicator, right? Seriously, though - I never won NaNo once until I came to the Naperville Region with all its prep meetings and write-ins and motivational doohickeys to keep me going. Keep up the great work, guys.

Thank you all for doing such a great job!

Thanks to Tim and Frank for making this an easy gig. (And to Dave for previous years'MLing--and for starting this post this year.)

Thanks to the entire region for making this so much fun. I've never been in another region, but I doubt there's a better one, and it's not just having the famous NewMexicoKid as an ML (although that helps). As does the willingness of so many people to contribute with prep sessions, hosting write-ins, and encouraging each other.It's thanks to everyone that we don't have the drama that many other regions appear to have. Instead, we keep the drama for our characters as we encourage each other.

Thanks to all of you for all the work you do! I get a behind-the-scenes view, and am very impressed with how much energy you bring to the endeavor. For myself, writing 50K is plenty big challenge, but you take on the additional task of organizing and spurring us other WriMos on.

So thank you all very much, but with a special thank you to my local resident ML.

Happy writing!

Thank you all so much for everything you do! I know it's a lot of work, but we absolutely appreciate it! The only reason I get through NaNo is because of the amazing support of the region and the events and so much of that is from you three. Thank you so much!

Thank you all for your wonderful, kind and gracious comments! Wow, what a way to end this great day!

Special thanks to:

• Dave for all his years of service as an ML, including great pep talks, wonderful prep sessions and kind advice.
• Frank for inspiring a whole new energy and structure to the Journey and for a terrific start to his MLship
• Katherine, my partner in this great venture who shares so many wonderful ideas, pushes me to stretch myself, inspires me to be a better writer, does so much behind the scenes and who reminds me of the joy of ML'ing
• the wonderful, giving, talented members of the Journey who do so much for our region: we ML's absolutely depend on your contributions to the prep sessions (like Roger, Todd, Frank and Katherine L. this year), the other kick-off (thank you, Cassidy!), the write-ins (like Carly, Frank, Jen, Becky, Cassidy, India, and Catherine), and through your participation in our forum and activities, particularly in leading Journey Paths (like our terrific Editors of the Journey Anthologies: Katherine L., Claire, Steve (and Mike M. before him), Roger, Ana and Catherine). Special shout out to Katherine C. (Squiddish) for her amazing gift of the chest of story stones (for those who haven't seen them yet, they will be on display at the TGIO)
• all of you great USA::Illinois::Naperville region participants who have attended our events, interacted through the forum and jabber chat--your enthusiasm and creative energy is the best, bar none

I know I wouldn't come back year after year if it wasn't for all that all of you do. You are the best region in the world.

Thanks!

--Tim (NMK)

Seriously, you guys are the best. You go above and beyond each year to make our region so welcoming and fun. So glad I decided to join the Naperville region! Hooray for the MLs!

Thank you for all of your thoughts. This first year as a Co-ML has been a great experience for me. I could not have done it without the strong support and leadership of Tim and Katherine. Their scheduling and reminders of what need to be done helped keep me on the right track.They have helped me get my bearings and understand what I need to do to be most effective. They truly are the best in the Nano world.

I have met so many great people this year both in person and over the internet through this. I feel lucky to be part of such an active and supportive writing community. Thank you, this has been so rewarding and so much fun.

Yikes! I posted in the wrong place. The thanks and admiration I wrote on Saturday are tucked away somewhere within the avalanche that is the national ML appreciation forum thread. But Katherine, Tim and Frank, you rock! Thanks so much for making the experience fun and providing so much motivation to increase my word count!