Free ways to add value to my life - access to tons of audiobooks and museum passes through my library! Any other ideas?

Back to school is a lot different for me this year. DD18 graduated HS last year and is all signed up for her college classes. She's got enough money to cover what her Pell Grant won't, and to buy books. She doesn't need new clothes. If she does, she'll buy them with money from her job. Same goes for school supplies. I feel like singing "It's a whole new woooorrrrrld!" This is a whole new chapter in my life, not having to participate in any back-to-school activities. I'm all excited about it. LOL!

I'm so over it. Still a week and a half before school starts again. I'm over playing 7,597 questions an hour. Go fucking google it, kid. It has rained every. Single. Day. For the last 9 weeks. We are all stir crazy. We have read over 200 books. I cannot do anymore.

I love re-reading childhood and middle school books, PBS Children's shows, Nick JR, fairy houses and accessories, the children's section at the library (though now that my kids are grown I don't peruse there if it's full of kids and parents cause I feel like a freak), Happy Meals. The list could go on!

I still play on the playground equipment, go down the slides, swing on the swings, etc. I also still love roller coasters, blowing bubbles, coloring in coloring books, and having jump rope contests with my nieces. I don't think you can ever be too old for anything.

I write books for major publishers. Many.

Sometimes you just have to laugh your ass off at life. I've been reading a whole bunch of books about being a more positive person, I took the dog out for a walk listening to some self help books on Audible, and in the course of that walk I stepped in dog shit...twice and then got stuck in a massive rainstorm which had a couple of threatening peals of thunder. Fortunately my dog isn't bothered by the noise, because he is enormous and I would've struggled if he'd taken it in his head to try running away. But I have to say instead of getting in a super angry funk about the whole thing, I took refuge under the overhang of a nearby building and had to hold back laughter. And hey, at least all the rain had washed the shit off my shoes by the time I got home.

I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole recently and ended up watching videos about the Mandela effect. Now, some of that shit is kinda creepy. I remember the Berenstein Bears, as opposed to Berenstain, and have books to prove it. But so much of it is bullshit and is just a testament to the faultiness of the human memory.

As an indie author, I appreciate this more than you know. I rely on reviews. When you're not backed by a large publishing house, reviews are your bread and butter. Hell, even authors who do have a publisher still have to promote their work, and online reviews can make you or break you. When I read some misspelled drivel, calling out the author over petty stuff, it makes my blood boil. That's the reality of the business, though. And Goodreads is, believe it or not, worse than Amazon. Ever read Facebook comments on a political post? It's like that, only instead of arguing over Trump, it's over books.

I think Goodreads is worse than Amazon, when it comes to reviews. For instance, I looked up one of my favorite books and some reviewer had cherry picked one line, and was trash talking the author. When you put the one one into context, it made sense, but the reviewer must have wanted to look smart. It just seems like most reviews are solely for the purpose of trying to sound more intelligent than the author. And that's just lame.