I usually try and write this blog as the week is happening so I don’t forget things.
Didn’t do that this week. Definitely forgot things. Lol.
You’ll remember that one of the things I did after starting Minute Marketing was clean my desk/office. While I was doing that was I found a bunch of papers and things that were never filed or thrown away dating back to 2013. Seeing that date on the papers was shocking. I couldn’t believe that there were things I really hadn’t touched or done anything with in five years.
Then, my friend C texted me her new headshot. She mentioned that it had been five years since the last one so it was time for an update.
I. Was. Shocked.
We took our headshots on the same day. Had it really been five years already?
I questioned her and she said the picture was taken the year she turned 21 (I remember that, she turned 21 shortly after we met) and she was about to turn 26.
So she was definitely right, but I can’t even believe five years has gone just like that.
Now that I’ve been doing this weekly blog review of what I did the last week, I’ve started to like it. Similar to what happened when I started writing my book reviews on this blog, my memory is improving. The weeks feel like less of a clump and more like distinct entities. Hopefully this weekly blogging will help me keep the years of my life straight.
Because, honestly? The last five years were kind of a blur.
Sure, there were fun things and bad things, things that stick out in my mind that I know exactly when they happened and things that stick out that I have no idea when they happened. But none of the years feel very separated from each other.
Time and memory are tricky things.
Anyway, let’s dive into the week (what I can remember of it, anyway):
I’m not positive about all I did during the day Saturday. I know I worked on Shadow of the Magician because I hit my target goal of the weekend of nine chapters edited. I think I did some work after that. I probably did. I work every day right now. I know I took Elliot for a long walk, which seemed like a good idea at the time. Then the boyfriend and I cleaned and dusted the living room on Saturday night before going to Wings-N-Things as a reward.
Sunday, I know I worked on Shadow of the Magician again and then I think I did some work. I took myself to Sprouts to go grocery shopping, which was fun because I took my time looking around at what they sell. We also ended purchasing plane tickets for our Puerto Vallarta trip in November, so that was good. Bit of a struggle figuring out the flights. Not a lot of US carriers service that area from San Diego. We ended up deciding to fly out of Los Angeles because we have friends up there and were able to book the same flight out as them. Not sitting together though because Delta wanted to charge us $600 more to pick our seats (not an exaggeration).
My back was hurting on Sunday, too. I have issues with my SI joint on one side and I get random flare-ups every 6-8 months. Just a side effect of falling off horses too many times. Usually I can attach it to something, but this time the only thing I could think of was the walk the day before or the fact that I have a new chair. Elliot was also limping around so we were quite a pair. Elliot has arthritis in one of his ankle joints and is supposed to take pain medication, though I have not been so good about remembering to give it to him daily.
Monday was BUSY. I had back-to-back meetings in the morning. First one was at Holsem Coffee in North Park and I got THE most delicious chai latte there. I modified the one they have on the menu so here’s what I got that was so good: chai latte without the maple, with almond milk instead of regular, and sweetened with vanilla. Mmmm.
After that meeting I drove home to get on a video chat with a prospective client. Decided I don’t really like video chats. Kind of kicked up my anxiety. Pushed through it to do some work the rest of the day before I got on another call with one of my clients and then it was time for writer’s group. We had a smaller group and it was more of a brainstorming session discussing each other’s books and how to get through our problems.
Tuesday I rode Pia in the morning. My trainer is going away for a couple weeks so we packed in as many rides as possible before she left. Pia was not so good on Tuesday and my back was still bothering me. I did a lot of work on Tuesday after that since I didn’t have any meetings or calls.
Wednesday I went back to the barn in the morning. My back was feeling much better all on its own and I had a much better ride on Pia. I went home and had to call AT&T because they were trying to charge me for another month even though I returned my box. Got that sorted just in time to go to another meeting with a potential client at Panera Bread. I tried the frozen blood orange lemonade from their summer menu…it tasted nothing like lemonade and was like drinking an orange juice slushy. After the meeting I headed back home to do some work.
Thursday I had my final ride with my trainer before she leaves and Pia was good again. My back was also good. I’m honestly surprised I got over that flare-up so quickly. It usually hangs around for a week or so before gradually subsiding. This was like 2.5 days of pulsing pain and then back to normal. Not complaining, just weird. Someone recommend I see a DO (doctor of osteopathy) since my condition is a chronic condition and I have not found a solution, just methods of managing it. I will probably give that a try just to see if their methods make a difference. But that will be after my expensive trip to the dentist – the joys of adulthood!
I listened to a great podcast (linked below) which inspired me to try and make my work time more efficient. I did end up getting a lot done before I went to meet another prospective client in Del Mar. Got a little caught in the fair traffic, but not too bad. I then drove to my friend K’s apartment because we had bookclub that night.
I love my bookclub. We’re multi-generational! It’s my friend, K, her mother, her mother’s friend, myself, and another woman whom K knows because she used to babysit her grandchildren. The differences in ages and life experiences make our book discussions really fun. We meet every two months, usually at K’s apartment. We read The Book That Matters Most and had a summer potluck “barbecue”, which involved barbecue and picnic foods, but we didn’t actually do any grilling.
Friday I went down to the Bahia for Social Media Day. It was a nice event, I learned some thing (always good), and we had lunch literally on the beach behind the Bahia. It was a grey, gloomy day which was a little depressing. I really hate June gloom.
After I got home, my neighbors came over with a fruit tart. I’d been taking care of their cats, plants, and house while they were away. I had to medicate one of the cats twice a day so my training from when I used to work at a veterinary clinic came in handy as kitty definitely did not want me sticking that syringe anywhere near her mouth.
The boyfriend and I tried a new place on Miramar called Bowl to Go for dinner. The meat was definitely tasty, but they don’t give you much meat for the price. They give you a ton of rice to fill up the bowl, which is fine, but then they charge $7.50 for about $2 worth of meat.
Tried to go to bed earlier, ended up reading a lot of Undercurrents (tagged below) and then I discovered there were ants in the bedroom. Apparently they liked our laundry. So we ended up doing laundry at 10pm. Ugh. So over the ants. I keep putting out poison traps, which kind of works, but they retreat into the walls and then pop out at another, different spot when they find something else to eat. I know I should bomb the house, but it’s such a hassle, especially when you have pets. Anyone have suggestions for me?
What I’m Reading:
Rise of the Youpreneuer by Chris Ducker (Finished!)
Undercurrents: An Anthology of What Lies Beneath edited by Lisa Mangum
DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson
What I’m Listening To:
On her podcast this week, Amy Porterfield had Brooke Castillo on to talk about productivity, mindset, and taking action. SUCH a great episode. You can listen to it here.
What I’m Watching:
Nothing this week.
What I’m Loving:
This honey goat cheese I got at Sprouts last weekend. SO good!
