gearing back up

The 'boring,' such as it was, ends tomorrow. Not much of note has been going on this week.

Good Stuff:
- The lovely weather has continued. It's made running so much easier.
- I'm getting stuff ready to head north. I talked to my mom yesterday, and she does not have every day planned. Only half of them. ;-) That's my mom.
- I'm going to stop on the way to see my grandma. She'll be 97 next month and her biggest complaint is arthritis. She's on her third pacemaker. Just goes to show German stubbornness goes a long way!
- Vicky's car is fixed. There were a few other fiddly bits that needed to be fixed--safety issues like bare wiring and a broken motor mount. It was expensive, but not as expensive as a new car. Or even a used car. She should be able to get several more years out of it with the new engine.
- We were out and about yesterday and went a little crazy. We bought a toaster oven. I know--somebody stop me. The best part was the marked price we $54.99. When we got to the check-out, it was $29.99. I'm thinking about going back to get them for the kids for Christmas.
- Got my hair cut. It's off my neck again, so I'm ready for the return of hot weather.
- Two of my friends became grandparents this week. One lives in Colorado, though, so I'm pretty sure it's not something in the water. At least I hope it's not.
- The second story telling went well, although I got yelled at by someone in another room because I was too loud. I laughed and took it down a notch. I have lived with hecklers most of my life. They don't faze me.
- We saw Red 2 the other day. It was pretty good, although it struck me a little as an homage to Quentin Tarentino. Overkill on the firepower, but it was entertaining. If you wait for it on Netflix you won't miss much.

Not So Good Stuff:
- I'm so scattered right now. It's like I just realized I'm leaving in 2 days, and all the things I have to do to get ready are cascading on me.
- I ordered some new running shoes from Zulily, and they aren't due to get here until 8/7. I didn't realize that the reason they offer things at a discount is because they take orders, and then buy in bulk, and after it gets to them, they ship to the customers. So, yeah, the price was great, but I would have liked to have taken them with me. First world problem.
- Even with the realization that I have to write scenes that aren't going to be in the book, word count was low. I'm hoping to figure out the rest of my middle this week. I'll take the iPad and some notecards with me, just in case I have a quiet hour on the deck. It could happen. Just have to put Mom down for a nap. :-)
- My Uncle Carl--the one with non-Hodgkins lymphoma--had some problems with his blood work last week. I don't know all the particulars, but it appears that he has cancer cells in at least some of his lymph nodes. He's having a biopsy Tuesday. Prayers for him and his twin brother, Carel (my step-dad), are appreciated.

This Week:
- Pack, drive, visit.
- Be nice to my brother.
- Get some exercise, even if it's weeding Mom's flower beds.

Have a good week, y'all. I'll be late next week.