41 Comments
Jun 17Liked by James Breakwell

haha - I think your parents blessed you with the age-old curse, "I hope you have kids just like you".

I finally ordered The Gods of Spenser Island. Beach reading!

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Some of the best parts take place on the beach! Totally appropriate.

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Jun 17Liked by James Breakwell

Looking forward to getting my copy of your latest book!

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Oh the joy of traveling with discontented children! I remember so fondly.(not) Now my grands are at the age where they don’t want anyone looking out “their” window. (3yo and 5yo) it’s truly a crime. 🙄

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It's amazing how children with everything, on vacation no less, can have so many problems. There is no end to their suffering.

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"Mom! She's breathing my air!"

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“Mom!! She’s touching me with her eyes!!” I actually heard that one from our back seat.

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Jun 17Liked by James Breakwell

YAY book!!!

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Depending on how big the crack is I use clear nail polish to stop it from spreading. I reapply once a year. I am currently on year 19 with the same car and windshield!

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We were able to find a guy. Not quite as cheap as the nail polish solution, but close enough. Much better than getting dropped by insurance.

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If the crack isn't in the "visual field" many states will pass a cracked windshield during the annual inspection.

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No to worry, Greg. Indiana has no vehicle inspection law. Well, not to worry about the law, at least. Other vehicles that might be summarily condemned and confiscated in some other state? That might be a concern.

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Your newsletters are so funny and yet so heartwarming!! You'll have to let us know how your piggies did in your absence, especially Onyx

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Oh, there are stories about the pigs as well. Just wait.

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Oh, the audio books on the car rides! Countless times they were on during all kinds of trips, from daily school rides to family vacations. We had crime stories, memoirs, fantasy, historiosophical stories, fantasy, and so on... Thanks for bringing back so many memories!

I'm going to wait some time for the arrival of my copy, but I'm still very happy for the book premiering! Very eager to read it soon!

As for quoting oneself back to them, the only lines of mine that are quoted back to me are my temper tantrums from the times I was struggling with keeping my cool and often being provoked by them. As

I was also reading a lot, my speech sounded a bit as if I ate a dictionary and then vomited it. This resulted in me producing a line: "I will not defile you with my presence!", which I said thinking I wasn't invited to play with cousins and their friends on one school trip. At first they didn't understand what I meant. Then someone had realised what I wanted to say and told me they were only joking and in fact would like my companion. In a strange way it soon became the family go to announcement when somebody wanted to stay alone. Another often quoted is the the most famous polish curse word beginning on "k" I shouted for few minutes straight when one of them broke my record of goals scored during a FIFA match on my PS Vita, leaving our parents downstairs in serious shock. Happily next day I retook the record. I normally don't use swear words and barely tolerate hearing them, which is my greatest influence on my entourage, as friends sometimes tell me I make them mind their language.

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It's unfortunate the temper tantrums live forever, but I get it. I also quote my kids back to themselves from their angriest moments. All my tweets make that much easier.

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You only lost half an hour going through Chicago? I think you used up your luck for the rest of the year. Either that or you drove through at 2:00 AM.

Yes, Wisconsin is the best place in the world, with Minnesota a close second. "Minnesota Nice" is really a thing and i been far more comfortable there. I miss Wisconsin terribly.

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We spent more than a half hour there. It was an extra half hour. Because who doesn't want to spend even more time in the worst place on Earth?

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Plus Wisconsin is home for the my favourite racing facility in the US (though so far I enjoyed it only in simulator in Forza Motorsport) - the famous Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI!

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I'll have to look that up. I'm in Indianapolis, so there's only one race track in my awareness.

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Which is my no. 2 (both road course and oval experienced in the same way as the #1), with Circuit of the Americas near Austin in thrid in this category.

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Wow.... we must have passed each other somewhere along the way on Sunday! On Saturday, I set out from Townsend, Tennessee, in my RV and spent the night in Lafayette, Indiana. This was already part of my road trip itinerary, and as it happens my 16-year-old niece also needed transport from Tennessee to Wheaton College in Chicago for summer camp, so (with her parents' blessing) I gave her a lift. We camped in someone's back yard in Lafayette overnight, and on Sunday we drove from Lafayette to northern Illinois. I bet we literally passed each other somewhere on I-65. I'm camping here until Saturday, then heading up through Wisconsin to Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota.

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We likely did pass each other. We were on I-65 mid-afternoon and in Lafayette right around 5 p.m.. Maybe we saw you going the other way on the interstate.

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By the way, if you'd like to reciprocally read my travel blog, it's here: https://viviansrvvignettes.com/

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I added it to my favorites! I must admit I find your lifestyle both intriguing and terrifying. I need a house anchored in the ground and full of stuff.

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Thanks for the follow! :-)

Funny thing is, I'm almost 10 years older than you, and 10 years ago I would have said the same thing. I've always had deep roots and attachments to places, and borderline hoarding tendencies. This is me letting all that go and not being enslaved by what I own. It has been an experience.

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I subscribed and began to read from the oldest posts. I like the way you write - it's very enjoyable and seeing your life through it makes me happy for you.

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Thank you! Writing is always more fun when you have readers! ;-)

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Wishing you safe & memorable travels!

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I too had a migraine then here in Missouri. Pretty sure that weather shift from spring to summer weather did a number of us in here in the Midwest. I recovered well enough to day trip on I-70 which was not my favorite choice for a recovered day! Glad you all had a good time.

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I've made a fair number of trips down that interstate, too. Maybe I just drive too much in general. Time to stay home.

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I think your auto-correct is working overtime because the article says Spencer with a C but the book cover says Spenser with an S. My eagle eye caught this because I had earlier asked you about the spelling. At any rate, the weekend sounds like fun and with this hot spell upon us, boat rides sound great.

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You are correct! I'll have to chance it back to an S.

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We were excited today to receive the shipping notice for our signed copies of The Chosen Twelve and Gods of Spenser Island, both gifts for my youngest grandson’s birthday, as well as Pterodactyl for a younger child. Now we know almost the exact moment of signing!

#its the little things

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Awesome! Thanks for keeping me going!

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Hope the pigs did as well as the dog while you were away. Sounds like a great trip this year! And - squee!! - my book is ordered and I’m hoping is winging its way to me soon. Not from Main Street, sadly… I ordered from a local Swedish online bookstore, as I didn’t want to wait for it to be shipped from the US to me ;-)

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I love that you're able to get it in Sweden! The world really is a remarkable place.

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I can’t wait for the new book! I loved the last one and was so upset that it ended on a cliff hanger.

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The problem was that what happened next took a whole book to tell. Hopefully it was worth the wait!

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The sequel is going to be just as riveting as book one is, I just know it!

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I received a message from the bookstore in your new book is on the way.

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