Due to a minor financial crunch I’m sticking to a strict budget for the week and staying away from most stores (I’ve done a stock-up at the supermarket and that will last us until Friday).

Unfortunately, that leaves me in the house with a whole lot to do and not a lot of opportunities for breaks. On one hand, yeah, that’s good because I kinda have to get all the things done (quite apart from the writing and indie publishing work, there’s all the cleaning, cooking, and other adulting tasks that are part of my daily life).

On the other hand, it really helps my mental health to get out of the house occasionally, which makes store runs great. Why do I need to get out of the house? Mainly because I need a change of scenery as much as anyone. And because while I love the J Crew, I do need the occasional break from being Mom and grooming them/petting them/feeding them/playing with them/et al. They aren’t happy when I go into my office and close the door, and lately Jeremy has been planting his big orange butt outside my door and yowling plaintively until I give up and let him in. Adorable as they are, actually leaving the house proper gives me some very necessary space from their feline needs.

And before you say, “Go for a walk” allow me to remind you that it’s something like 90% humidity and temps in in 90s here right now and yeah, this fat woman does not want to keel over in the middle of the sidewalk from heat stroke, thank you very much. Plus I’m already getting my steps in with my treadmill.

I think I may re-institute something Lyndon and I used to do during the height of the pandemic—when the cabin fever got really bad we’d go out for a long drive and just wander around Plano, Richardson, and north Dallas. Couldn’t hurt, and maybe I’ll find some new and interesting stores for when I have money again.