Is it just me, or was this a beast of a week? I want off the hamster wheel. I am dizzy and tired. Who’s with me? Let’s all hope for a relaxing-ish weekend (adding the “ish” because I don’t know if weekends are ever really relaxing when you’re a parent).
Quote of the week:
“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow; but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.” –Agatha Christie
What I’m reading:
I was lucky to get an ARC of Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls, which comes out in April. Flew through it. I’m now double-fisting and reading Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur and Contradiction Days by JoAnna Novak.
What I’m listening to:
This week, I have been very entertained by Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. I loved flawed characters so this book is a match for me. The narration is great.
What I’m watching:
I finished The Last of Us and really loved it. Hype is warranted. I’m now watching Painkiller on Netflix.
Writing news:
Tinkering with various things and awaiting updates on my latest manuscript. Stay tuned.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Burning Man attendees contribute about $40 million each year to the Nevada economy
- There is now a Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp!
- Diet Coke contains 33% more caffeine than regular Coke
- The average doctor in the U.S. makes $350,000/year
- A new report from the CDC found that 1 in 5 women feels mistreated during maternity care
- Cloud seeding, the dropping of crystals into clouds to cause rain, is happening in several counties in California. Does this explain why it’s been so gloomy this year?!
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“hunker down vs bunker down.” I was listening to something this week (can’t remember if it was a book or a podcast) and they said “bunker down” and I was wondering if I’ve been saying “hunker down” erroneously all these years. Turns out, “hunker down” is correct. From google: “If your meaning is to settle in for a long time or wait for a difficult situation to end, the customary verb phrase is ‘hunker down.’ The verb ‘bunker’ (minus the adverb ‘down’) usually means to hit a golf ball into a sand trap or to store fuel in a tank.”
What I’m grateful for:
- A successful 18-mile run this morning. It felt surprisingly great
- Lots of fun kindergarten-y things going on. Birthday invites, Girl Scouts signup, book fair next week!
- Physical therapy. It’s helping my 43-year-old body feel good lately
- Pet cuddles—always and forever
- Time with friends we met in Maui who have become such a special part of our lives
Snapshots:
