It’s national chocolate day! Oops. I mean Valentine’s Day.

It’s also the last day of Mardi Gras break. It’s back to work and school in the morning. We had a great break until Friday. Late, or early depending on how you see things, Friday my oldest started vomiting, that lasted for HOURS. I don’t know what it is about a school break, but someone’s going to get sick. She’s better now and at the moment- no one else has gotten sick. I’ve sprayed the entire house down with Lysol and washed all her linens. I thought about dipping her in hand sanitizer, but decided that’s frowned upon.

I took my youngest with me to the salon. I was in drastic need of a trim and highlights. Yes, you can be in drastic need of highlights. I was getting too grey, now I’m too blond 😦 My husband loves it! Anyway, the young one decided to get her hair trimmed and straightened. I have stiff-straight hair. My children range from fat, bouncy curls to ringlets. To them having their hair straightened is an event, I refuse to buy a straightener. She walked out of the salon and required a quick photo so she could text all her friends. I also refuse to buy them a phone. She’s pranced around the house for days. As soon as water touches it, it’ll curl back up. Kids are so funny.

Enough rambling. On with Row80 goals:

Participate in the weekly Health/Fitness Challenge at church.  Goal this week attend two workout classes and one day on treadmill.  Let’s be honest. The only exercise I have had is chasing beads at a Mardi Gras parade!

-Read 4 books a month, roughly 1 book a week.  I’m still reading Crimson Claymore by Craig A. Price Jr and I finished the ebook Let’s Get Visible . I just picked up the Stan Lee biography from the library, it’s a graphic novel! I may have to burrow under a blanket and read that. I don’t think I can wait. Of course I’ll have to steal it from my children first. 3/4 read.
-Edit book 2 in my mystery series.  Nada! I’m tossing this goal for now.
-Work on self-publishing Book 1. On hold. I’m making this my critique group project. It’ll take awhile, only 5,000 words at a time.
-Institute Meatless Monday.Total fail this week. Does fish count as meatless?
-Keep up with the local Critique Group.  Done!
-At some point I need to write a story I’ve plotted. Still at 1000 words. I have a conundrum. I was wanting to use a certain fandom as a backdrop (something the characters are all interested in), but I’m not sure what legal issues are involved with that.

– Edit/publish Coffee.   Done! Mystic Brew is out in the world. It’s my first time using KDP select. Because of that, it’s only available on Amazon.  In honor of Valentine’s Day it’s free the 14th and 15th. If you are tired of pink roses and hugs and kisses, give it a try. If you haven’t read the blog post click here.  That’s it, no more shameless self-promotion.

I feel like a weight has been lifted. Having my short story published makes me feel so much lighter. I don’t know why, but it does. I plan on publishing two more this year. I spreading them out a bit. I think making decisions about my WIP has helped as well, it had started to feel like a dead weight.  Sometimes it’s hard, as a writer, to look at the paths to publication and find a place in it. Sometimes you have to make a new path. Later on you may find that it didn’t work, but at least you tried.

How did your week go? What must read book did you find this week?

-CK