The final days of getting ready to launch your book are like a marathon. A marathon obstacle course. With extra potholes. And sheep on the course. Rams, in specific – the ones with horns. That’s the last two weeks.

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Today I was supposed to write this brilliant how-to on audio books. Actually, yesterday write, today publish. But that didn’t happen. I’m not sure if it’s because I fell over a week behind on audio book production due to the demolition next door. A demolition that took years to happen, and just happened to be done during the three weeks I’d budgeted to do the audio book.

Or, perhaps, it was that I spent time waiting for tow trucks and repairing my car.

Maybe it was the lack of hot water when the tankless-run-forever-water-heater went down and I had to go to work without a shower.

Perhaps it was the fact that my audio files were rejected for not meeting quality standards.

Yeah, probably that last one. I got a really generic email from the quality assurance engineer that told me that “the majority” of the files had a certain issue. Mind you, it’s an issue that should be very easy to fix. I’ve been doing this for a really long time.

So, last night, after a day at the day job that could only be described as Sysiphusian, I got home and fired up the system. I randomly reviewed the production files audibly, visually (great software to show the wave forms), and did it to both the system files and the finished MP3 files. Nada. No indication of the trouble they heard. Zilch.

I went to bed.And for the next hour I tossed and turned, thinking of all the things going wrong.

Around 1 I changed course. I started thanking God for all the stuff that was going right. The house with a roof. Enough food to make me fat. A wife who loves me and tolerates me. A dog that grows more affectionate each day. A job that pays well and keeps me out of the weather. A book that is starting to garner unbelievable reviews from readers and reviewers alike.

All the things He gives me each day. I counted them. And those sheep on the marathon obstacle course all started to step aside as I fell asleep.

This morning I rigged the water heater to work long enough for a shower. I’m sure I’ll be punished by the utility for that evil act. I made fresh coffee. I sent an email to the audio people to get more detailed answers. I can fix it if I know where to look.

What looked horrible, and kept me sleepless last night at midnight, is not so bad this morning. In fact, it’s nice and sunny outside and the day beckons.

I’ll do the audiobook post soon. But I have to get it right first.

I hope your day goes right.

(update – email from producer with specifics. I’m on it!)

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