And here we are in July! The passage of time never fails to shock me. Yesterday marked the two-year anniversary of my dad’s death, so it’s been an emotional week over here. Let’s get into the roundup…
Quote of the week (inspired by my dad):
“The best way to cherish life is to remind yourself of life’s impermanence. It is to remember that every time you see someone that is one less time you see them. It is to remember that every time you go somewhere that is one less time you visit. By doing this, you naturally slow down. Almost like a reflex, you start to truly live.” –Andrew Anabi
What I’m reading:
Just started Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World by Jenn Granneman.
What I’m listening to:
The Measure by Nikki Erlick. I’m in a neighborhood book club (that I love!) and this is our pick for this month.
I also listened to this podcast episode on today’s run and found it so helpful and interesting: How to Disentangle from Toxic People
What I’m watching:
I took my daughter to see Elemental last weekend and really enjoyed it. I guess some people are saying that Pixar is losing its touch (read here), but I still love their movies.
For shows, I may be giving up on The Morning Show because I started watching The Bear on Hulu and I am hooked.
Writing news:
Just sent off another round of edits on my latest book. Next steps TBD.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- This June was the hottest on record and included the two hottest days ever recorded. According to the New York Times, the past few days have likely been the hottest in modern history
- Iceland has so many crime writers but only one forensic pathologist. He was so busy answering their questions that he held a seminar (which sold out, so he held another one…which also sold out)
- The Chicago Colts (now known as the Chicago Cubs) hold the record for the most runs scored in a baseball game—36 runs in an 1897 game
- A record share of American 40-year-olds have never been married—25% (vs 6% back in 1980)
- In the US, research suggests that 60% of adults believe in soulmates
- In 1939, just 10% of American brides-to-be wore a diamond engagement ring. Thanks to a targeted marketing campaign by De Beers (copywriter Mary Frances Gerety created the slogan a “diamond is forever”), 80% of brides had a diamond by 1990
- Every week, more animals are killed for human consumption than humans who have died in all wars in human history combined
- In the early 20th century, pink was associated with baby BOYS and blue was associated with baby GIRLS because at the time, pink was considered too harsh for girls (due to its closeness to red). Girls were assigned a color associated with the sky and daylight. The colors switched in the 1940s
- Joey Chestnut holds a world record for eating 141 hard boiled eggs in 8 minutes
- Carl Brigham created the SAT after working on the Army IQ screener, known as the Army Alpha test. Brigham brought a clear bias to intelligence testing: He believed people of color were innately less intelligent than white people
- The tallest person ever was 8’11”
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Longest held breath under water.” My nephew was convinced he could beat the world record time so we had to look it up. A 56-year-old freediver named Budimir Šobat broke the record in 2021 with a staggering time of 24 minutes 37.36 seconds. Ummm…what?! For reference, the average healthy adult can hold their breath for 3-5 minutes.
What I’m grateful for:
- A full and fun 4th of July complete with a neighborhood parade, a Padres/Angels game, lots of pool time, and fireworks
- Zero house projects this week. I think I’m done for a good while. I need a break
- Finishing this round of book edits, which took a lot out of me
- My dad and all that he instilled in me. He was so fun and prioritized joy in life (while also working hard and pushing himself). I see so much of him in who I strive to be
Snapshots:
