Weekly Wrap-Up #73 – June 26th, 2022

Posted June 26, 2022 by Lisa Mandina in Weekly Wrap Up / 18 Comments

Once again I’ll be linking this up with the Sunday Post (hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer) and with Stacking the Shelves (hosted by Reading Reality).

Another hot week here in Missouri! Monday started with a visit to the doctor and I had to fast for 12 hours before so they could do some bloodwork. Although all she ended up testing was my A1C, but that was good! I had been at 6.1 I think? And I’m down to 5.6. Prediabetes starts at 5.7, so I’m back below that again. I know I haven’t been eating out as much, and a little bit of exercise with mowing I guess. Just have to keep it up! And actually start exercising. I also downloaded an app and used it Sunday night to record my snoring. Yep. I snore. Pretty bad. Ugh.

Also Sunday night I get emails from all the local school districts about jobs they have open. Well, there is a high school library job in the district where I graduated from, where I live, and where I taught for 14 years before I had to leave them to finally get a library job. I went ahead and applied, but the problem is that the way my contract is where I work now, if I break my contract between now and the end of July I have to pay $3500. If it’s after July 1st, $4000. Ugh. I don’t think I’ll get the job, or even an interview, I’ve been trying to get back to this district and never get past the initial interview that they basically give anyone.

Tuesday I got up and relaxed around the house before I signed on with the Write Without the Fight group to write at 11 am. I decided I’m going to try to participate in the 100 days of summer writing challenge. Although it’s not a challenge. But I did get 1500 words of my YA novel edited/rewritten, so that was good! Then I went to lunch at Freddy’s because I’ve been seeing their adds for new cheese curds and a key lime concrete. Both were delicious! I ran into a friend of mine there, she is an author, Michelle Sodaro, and we sat and talked for a bit. She is my plus-one to Book Bonanza in that she is doing the 10 hour drive or whatever it is to Dallas with me. And then she’ll be hanging out relaxing in our room while I go to the conference. She’s going to use it as a writing retreat!

Wednesday I got together with a different friend for a writing date. After I did so great on Tuesday with writing, I was pumped! And then, I got to our location and went to try to pull up my document, only to realize that it was on the external hard drive I hadn’t brought with me. Instead I did some editing, going back over another doc that was on my computer. One that isn’t finished that I feel as if I’ve written myself into a corner on. ugh. Oh, we had some thunderstorms and some high winds Tuesday night and now I have more big branches in my yard that need to be cleaned up. Not even a month after I finally got the ones from the last year cleaned up!

Thursday I just spent the day at home. There was a little bit of rain in the afternoon, and it was much cooler than it had been. I got some more editing done as part of the challenge since I just stayed home. I also made sure to save the document to my laptop so that if I choose to go work somewhere else on it, I don’t have to worry about taking the hard drive with me.

Friday morning started off with wonderful rain and thunderstorms as I was sleeping in. I actually stayed in bed longer than my normal 9 am just to enjoy the relaxing sounds. The author I’d bid on a three chapter critique of my manuscript with got some notes back to me, and honestly they were really helpful. I know that I just really need to sit down and take the time to do some planning to get things figured out if I want to get that story finished. Went to my brother and sister-in-law’s house for dinner with my mom and step-dad. It’s always fun to hang out with my niece and nephew as well. My nephew was telling us jokes he’d obviously just been making up as he went along. And they all started with “why did so and so cross the road” or “why did so and so drive the car”. The so and so being any range of things, from a dog, to a dinner roll, etc. And really none of them made any sense, but he thought he was funny, and by the end I was in one of those laughing fits that you just can’t stop.

Saturday was another lazy day. No rain in the morning though. I did go see a movie with my mom and step-dad, it was my father’s day gift to take him to see the new Elvis movie.

Books Finished

First is an audiobook I finally finished. It took a while, but was good. My first read by Lucy Score. Second was a book for a blog tour review I posted on Tuesday. Third book was for a review on Wednesday. Fourth book was for a review on Friday. Fifth book was for a review on Saturday.

New Additions to My Library

ARCs:

None

Audiobooks:

This one is from the Sync summer free audiobooks. You can get it this week for free, until Thursday, if you go sign up HERE.

Bookish Stuff:

Getting ready for Book Bonanza I gave in and decided to buy a cart to haul books around, even though I don’t mean to bring a lot since I made my autograph book. But I have some anthologies that are huge, and some new authors I want at least one book autographed by, and every year I end up with horrible shoulder strap indentations in my shoulders that don’t go away for hours because I refuse to use anything but a tote bag Plus, I was seeing the pictures of people putting stickers on their carts, and I thought, what a great use for stickers that I have! So I ordered one and it arrived this past weekend and I already started putting stickers on it. It’s one that I can put a lid on the top and it is supposed to hold enough wait so you can sit on it! Which will be nice for long lines. Here are pictures of the sides and my stickers so far.

Unfortunately I’ve got to stop spending money on the Jurassic World Mystery Mini figures. I got two more this past week, and there are only 2 left to get, one of the most rare, and one of the second most rare. Little stegosaurus was one of the most rare.

Also, Shutterfly was having a sale on five free things, just pay shipping, and I broke down and did the deal. I only have four of them so far. First three I got were a tote bag, photo board, and a keychain. The keychain has my Dora on one side and my Argyle on the other side. The photo board is pictures of my niece and nephew. Then I got a mouse pad made up of pictures of me with my favorite authors! I use a mouse pad at work, so can’t wait to put this on my new desk in my library next year!

E-galleys:

Summer Lovin’ is for a blog tour review at the beginning of July. The second book is by a favorite author that I’m on her review team, and I guess I didn’t realize this one was coming out so soon! So it was a bit of a surprise when I got the email about it, but there’s no way I’m passing it up! I’ll just fit it in!

Free E-books:

On Thursday there was a one day only sale supposedly on over 600 ebooks, and I made myself stop after about 10 or so. In the last row, the first one is for signing up for an author’s newsletter. The second one was free on Amazon, but might have had a different cover. I like this one best. The third one was free from the author’s newsletter. I think it is free till the end of June if you want to look at getting her newsletter and finding out!

Library books:

Oh yeah, I also found out on Wednesday that that big list of books I thought I had to read all of? I won’t have to read them all. It should be narrowed down to 25 and then I’ll have to read those by the end of the year. So I took a bunch of the library books back and only kept the ones I know I wanted to read.

Physical books:

Had to buy the illustrated one of this too. You can read my review of the story HERE. The first thing I did once I got it was page through to all the illustrations hoping a certain poking scene from the book would be illustrated, but alas it was not. Definitely did have some funny/sexy illustrations in it though! Will be taking to Book Bonanza to get it signed.

What I’m Watching

Still working on First Kill and Evil. Later this week the second part of this season of Stranger Things starts and I can’t wait! Also started The Summer I Turned Pretty.

And I took my step-dad for his father’s day gift to see the new Elvis movie. It was really good, and sad of course. I didn’t realize Elvis was only 42 when he died. I’d thought he was at least in his 50s. Now, personally I’d never understood the attraction of women to Elvis, but this actor really pulled me in!

Giveaways:

Final Thoughts

How was your week? Did you read or watch anything good? Get any good books? Can you believe June is almost over? Which means my summer break is half over.

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18 responses to “Weekly Wrap-Up #73 – June 26th, 2022

  1. Good luck with the application. I wonder if the district is holding a grudge because you left? Hmmmmmm. Wow! You’re driving to Dallas. That’s a long trip. We went to Freddy’s once. The custard was very good. I get so irrationally mad when I see books I bought as freebies, but I will say that The Puck Drop and Instacrush was both great.

    Sam@WLABB recently posted: Sundays with Sam – The Sunday Post
    • Lisa Mandina

      Possibly, but I wouldn’t have left if they’d have moved me to a library when I’d tried and tried. Oh well. Yeah, it’s a long trip, but I do have a friend riding with me! I rarely buy e-books unless they’re free, so I don’t usually have that issue. Although occasionally I’ll get a free one and then realize I already had it when I click on the Amazon link. I now try to immediately add them to a Goodreads free eread tbr list. lol

    • Lisa Mandina

      Oh no! That is no fun. I have no excuse for not exercising. 🙁 Yeah, the contract thing stinks, but I guess with the way it is hard to find teachers right now it makes sense.

  2. I snore as well. My husband and I actually sleep in different rooms because of it. Well, that and it solves the fighting over the bed covers problem, lol. I’m glad you’re back under the 5.7 threshold. Diabetes is also a concern for me. Fortunately, I’ve been lucky so far. Still, I have to be careful because my dad was diagnosed with Diabetes II when he was in his late 60s/early 70s. Good luck with everything!

    Jenni Elyse recently posted: Sunday Post #24
    • Lisa Mandina

      I guess it’s good I don’t have to worry about a husband! lol My dogs still snuggle with me, so it must not bother them too much. Thanks for visiting!

    • Lisa Mandina

      Finally feeling like summer for sure. Even though now I only have a month left. Thanks for stopping by!

  3. Congrats on the A1C and good luck with the job! I hope at some point, whether now or later, you are able to get back to the district you want.

    Elvis was so young! My mom saw him in Vegas I guess…

    I’m looking forward to the next stranger Things episodes after seeing the trailer for the second part of the season!

    Greg recently posted: Sunday Post #458
    • Lisa Mandina

      It is cute, but also drama of course! I haven’t read the books, probably won’t at this point though.

    • Lisa Mandina

      I have to stop myself from even going to those sales anymore because I haven’t read the ones I’ve already downloaded! lol

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