I had a great time signing books at a charity benefit earlier this week. I raised money from book sales for the Council on Aging and donated $1 per book sold during the event. While the final sum wasn’t huge, hopefully it’ll help with holiday needs. I made a short (and not very good) speech into a microphone, which was great practice for future events, and met a lot of people who wanted to share their stories about chronic pain and illness. I knew I wasn’t alone by any stretch of the definition, but I’m continually shocked by how many people can relate to my story.
Amazon recently started shipping preorders of my book, although not all the orders have been fulfilled yet. I know this because 3/4 of my friends who ordered through Amazon received their books, and there doesn’t seem to be a discernible pattern for who has and hasn’t received their order. I’m just glad that at least some are shipping. Barnes & Noble’s stock seems to be in, too, although my friends who preordered from them haven’t gotten their books yet. Soon!
I got some great news this week, along with some frustrating silence. I’m choosing to focus on the good stuff in order to remain grateful and to keep my sanity. Speaking of gratefulness and sanity, I’ve been pretty invested in essential oils lately, and one particular concoction is supposed to help me remain grounded and grateful. I’ve been smelling my wrists a lot, which probably looks weird to anyone watching. Anyway, I made the cut for a television interview in January, and I’ll be featured on a podcast before the end of this year! My friends and I talked makeup over dinner last night. I haven’t worn any, except for Halloween, in what feels like forever. I told them I just want something to make me look ok on a high-definition television screen (in other words, please cover my sun spots and brighten my tired under-eyes). Nothing comical or heavy, just a few improvements. The consensus is to let the pros handle it…at the mall. The effing mall. I haven’t been there in ages, and it’s not a task I anticipate enjoying. Maybe I’ll learn to live with my sun spots, HDTV be damned.