So, back in the day when I actually had to get up, put on real clothes, and commute to a job, I learned that, when it comes to messing up the work week, the only thing worse than a 3-day weekend is a “Mandatory Monday” between the weekend and a holiday. Like this week. I suspect a lot of people are taking off today to grab a four-day weekend since tomorrow is the 4th and we all know that only relail and food service folks have to work on the 4th of July. Here in the USA, anyway. Me? I’m like a cat. I don’t really pay attention to what day of the week it is as long as I follow my schedule of things I gotta do. Monday means Wallyworld. Tuesday means laundry. Wednesday means…well, something, I’m sure. Same for Thursday and Friday. Saturday is sports (if Stormy has a match or game) and Sunday is for figuring out what the heck I’m doing for the next week.

Just in case you missed the announcement, Smashwords is having their annual Summer/Winter (depends on which side of the hemisphere you live in–LOL). Almost all of my books are half-price with the Smashwords coupon. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO. Books are on sale for the whole month of July but ONLY at Smashwords.

Also, happy Halfway Day! Sort of. It was actually yesterday. As of 12 noon on July 2, 2023 is halfway over with. You know, just in case you have plans for the year that you need to get on. Yeah, me too!

Since it was sort of a holiday weekend, no soccer and since it was First Saturday, we did have siren test. Sadly, our favorite restaurant is now closed so no Alvarado’s. Instead, we opted for Earl’s BBQ. It’s a local chain and they do make good BBQ. No sure it will become our First Saturday go-to for family lunch but it was tasty and even the cooks came out to see and pet Jake so yeah, we’ll be back since he’s so welcome there. As a service dog, he can go anywhere with us but some places are…friendlier, shall we say? The Earl’s in Ednmond was definitely welcoming.

It’s hot–hello! Summer in the South! But it’s not 🤬 🥵 which is just swell by me. We did a little work in the yard and will try to do a little bit more each morning this week. Stupid grapevines and wisteria vines are taking over everything. Not to mention to volunteer oak and sweet gum tree volunteers. Ugh.

There’s not much else going on around here. I keep slogging along–slowly but not very surely–on CROSSFIRE. Not sure why Iffy and I have such a block about finishing the damn book. The first of it is some darn fine writing, even if I say so myself. Part of me thinks I should just go back to the beginning and reread the whole thing then start writing where I left off. Except I’ll fall into that ol’ editing trap that kept me from finishing a couple of books because…I kept editing what was written and made no forward progress. I am not the only author this happens to.

I’m almost to the end of my marathon relisten to the Kate Daniels series. The two new entries (a novella and a book) release as an audio bundle on the 10th. I have 3 books left but according to the chronological timeline, I need to listen to the new books before finishing out with the last book, which isn’t the last book in the series/expanded world, but will be for quite awhile. Two book in 8 days? Yeah, no. Two books in 4 days? Yeah, definitely. I did break down and spend Audible credits for the dramatized versions of MAGIC BITES and MAGIC BURNS. I borrowed BITES from Hoopla before I decidef to buy. I guess I’ll throw BURNS (the 2nd book and I just finished the 9th) into the mix to take up a day or two.

Welps, I think that’s all that’s happening in my world. I get to spend the next couple of days coddlyng Jake because he hates fireworks and we have some idiot neighbors. The far-away ones (ie. the sponsored big fireworks shows) don’t bother him quite so much anymore. It’s the closer, sharper firecrackers that sound like gunshots that freak him. It’s double irksome because it’s illegal to own or shoot them inside city limits, and that includes the two municipalities that we share borders with. Anyway, have a safe and sane 4th, USAers and happy regular Tuesday to the rest of the world. Anyone have exciting plans for the 4th?