The world is in its place

Okay, maybe there are a few problems to worry about like wars and extreme politics, drought and an unbelievable heat wave. But my little corner of the world is back in order. It wasn't easy.
I picked up my car yesterday at noon (hot and sunny). Got half a mile from the dealership, and the car died--in the right turn lane of a busy street. Made a lot of other drivers really angry, but I have to say one woman pulled up next to me to ask if I needed help and a gentleman got out of his truck to make sure I was okay. I assured them I had just called for rescue, and the man said, "Okay, as long as you're alright." There are good people in this world. Rescue, from the dealership, came pretty quickly--it just seemed like forever as I stood in the heat, with my anxiety level rising. They pushed the car into a nearby parking lot, and the courtesy driver, a nice young man named Blake who was by now my friend since this was our second visit, drove me home. I resigned to not having the car for at least another twenty-four hours, but they called about 4:00 and said it had been "an honest mistake"--I've heard more technical language than I can possibly understand this week but it had something to do with timing and tension and a belt and a bolt. Third time was the charm--Jacob and I made it all the way home.
The computer was much easier. I thought it would be two o'clock before it came, and I would have to rush Jacob right out there after school, but just as my stomach was rumbling and I was thinking of lunch at 11:30, the TV dealer called and the part came in. I rushed out and got it. Installing it and starting the computer took two minutes--and I was back in business. I've been working like mad most of the afternoon to catch up--and doing well at it.
This has also been my first week of keeping Jacob after school, and it's gone well. Because open spaces sometimes bother me, I worried about crossing the street but it's been a piece of cake. I cross right in front of my house but we have to trudge down the block to cross where the guard is when we come home. Hottest time of the day, and I'm wiped out by the time we get home. Jacob ran all the way up the block today, taunting me. He has also refused to hold my hand--my, how we grow up. But he stops to give me a hug in the mornings and waves happily to me as he comes out of school in the afternoons. We talk, and snack, and he draws. Not much TV which is good.
So tonight I'm back into my routine. Sophie is sleeping at my feet, and I'm at my computer. Car in the garage. All is well at my house. Hope I'm not speaking too soon.
One thing I did this evening was to proof a story of mine, "Prisoners," which will be in Tales from the Backlist, an anthology being produced by BacklisteBooks.com. This sounds like BSP (Blatant Self Promotion) but years after I wrote it, I am surprised and pleased by how much I like it. It's in Sue Ellen Learns to Dance and Other Stories, available in print or from Kindle or Smashwords. How's that for subtle BSP?

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This post is mostly for Denise Weeks, who writes YA fantasy as Shalanna Collins but has at least one mystery, Murder by the Marfa Lights, under her real name. I mentioned last night I was reading the book, she found the blog and was ecstatic that someone was reading her book. She asked several questions and I know of no way to answer except on the blog. So yes, Denise, it's still holding my attention. I found it on the Kindle store when I was browsing the cozy mystery category, and I guess the idea of the Marfa lights, which have always intrigued me, plus my neighbors who talk about Marfa all the time drew me to order it. And, if I remember, the price was low. (I've read a lot on the Sisters in Crime listserv lately about how books priced really cheaply, like 99 cents, do so much better than even those $2.99 ones--volume vs. individual price, and volume wins!). Denise, I'm sorry you didn't spend more time in Marfa, but I'll ask my neighbors about authenticity anyway. Is it available any way except online?
If you were ecstatic to find someone reading your book, I was most pleased to find a new reader for my blog. Did you find the mention on Google Alerts? I find the Alerts service most interesting--some days it picks up my blog; other days, it "alerts" me to sales of my older titles. I'm investigating getting some of my '90s historical fiction up on Kindle. I think it's a great sales tool.
Other than reading Denise's book, I'm a drudge today. Spent the morning at the office but the server was having problems and for most of the morning I couldn't do what I came in to do. But we had a terrific meeeting with an author who is doing a book for 7th graders about the Texas Revolution. Susan, Melinda, and I were really enthusiastic about it. Then the server came back up, and I was able to send out the proposals I wanted to.
And tonight I've been working on taxes--categorizing the expenses from 2009. I can only take so much of that in a spell, so I have lots left to do, but I'm making a dent in it.
I did conquer techbnology today--with help. I now know how to find my VPN connection to TCU and have the link to my desktop installed. The link to my TCU email (instead of the web email I use at home) isn't quite working yet, but I can probably fix that tomorrow. And, wonder of wonders, all by myself, I finally got my cell phone to bring up my e-mail. For a non-techie like me, such small triumphs are really wonderful.
Still a busy week in which I have to get up early every morning--yawn!