I never know quite what to put in this box.

Mixed bag this week, but aren't they all?

Good Stuff:
- I made Eric go outside for adventures today. We hopped on a bus, and then a train, had lunch downtown at Eataly and wandered around looking at yummy things we didn't buy. Then, because I hadn't been yet, we walked a couple blocks to the Miracle Mile and wandered into a mall. As if that weren't enough, we realized we were only four blocks from Navy Pier, so we walked down there. We did four miles today. I'm tired. And I didn't find anything to buy, for which Eric is grateful!
- Before we did all that, I was virtuous and did 45 minutes on the treadmill at the gym. Yup. Tired.
- We saw Chad again on Tuesday. Went to dinner, and then we went to see Godzilla. It was better than I gave it credit for. I won't buy it on DVD, probably, but it was pretty good.
- My allergies improved. I don't need hot showers and the neti pot to get through the day now. I'm not sure what stopped pollinating, but I hope it's done for good.
- Added some Blues Traveler and Weird Al to my exercise play list. Oddly, I think I need more Weird Al. He makes the time go faster.
- Finished the first read-through on Weeping Willow and have finished the stuff that's easy to fix. I need to add a subplot because it's very short--55kish words. That won't sell to anyone except maybe Love Inspired. Hmm. Wonder if they take unagented inquiries?
- Vicky graduates next weekend. The parents will be in town for it, but we're all staying in a hotel so Vicky doesn't have to figure out where to put us. It's Friday at 6:30, so I'm packing a picnic basket to prevent hangries.
- Eric's interviews went well. I was wrong about them being permanent. They're contract to hire. :-P One of them is downtown, and the other is in a 'burb (meaning his commute time would just about triple). His headhunter is urging him to hold out for the downtown one. Either job is preferable to what he has now. This decision will be made next week, I'm sure, and the vacation time will reset to 0. Again.

Not So Good Stuff:
- I have a bad case of hormonal bloating. 'Nuff said. I'm tired of feeling fat. It can go away now.
- I need to find some places to walk to besides Starbucks. They're contributing to the fat, and it's getting expensive. Ideally, it will be a place without food, period. I think there's a park within a mile, and I could check to see if we can use the track at the high school down the street while the kids are out of school.
- I'm trying to decide if I'm going to a writers conference this year, and if so, which one. The one I usually do in September is back in St Louis this year, so it would be convenient. I'm not sure I want to spend the money this year, though. Maybe it would be better to stay home and write. There's a lot to be said for networking, though, and that conference won't be back in StL for at least five years. They will, however, be in Dallas the following year, and in Grapevine two years after that, so Jean, if you're interested in Christian fiction, I recommend it.
- Got stuck in holiday traffic. You probably saw that on Facebook.

So that's about it. This week is working on Weeping Willow, getting as much exercise as I can, avoiding sugar, and going downstate for the weekend. Y'all have a good one!