Today is the last official day of summer. Last night, I finished the last of the summer beers stashed in my fridge. I know I’m supposed to buy pumpkin ales now but I am not a fan of pumpkin-flavored things (#sorrynotsorry). Let’s get into the roundup.
Quote of the week:
“I don’t really want to become normal, average, standard. I want merely to gain in strength, in the courage to live out my life more fully, enjoy more, experience more. I want to develop even more original and more unconventional traits.” — Anais Nin
What I’m reading:
Evil Eye by Etaf Rum. I’m really enjoying it. I loved her first book and recommend it often.
What I’m listening to:
The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker. I cannot remember who recommended this to me, but it is definitely a compelling read. Very dark though—reader beware.
What I’m watching:
The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. I told myself I’d only watch the first season but it’s SO GOOD. I’m almost done with the first season and may have to venture beyond.
Writing news:
Playing the waiting game on my latest manuscript.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- If you dug a hole to the center of the Earth and dropped a book down, it would take 42 minutes to reach the bottom
- In the 2022-2023 school year, there was a 33% increase in the number of books banned compared to the previous year, according to PEN America’s latest report
- Florida leads the U.S. in book bans, with 40% of bans taking place there
- Mexico will have its first woman as president next year after the governing party chose Claudia Sheinbaum as their candidate to compete against the opposition’s candidate, Xóchitl Gálvez
- A new feature on Lyft will allow women to match rides with other women, which the company hopes will improve safety and encourage more female drivers
- Cat pee glows under a black light. Whaaaat
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“how to fix smelly shoes overnight.” My daughter refuses to wear socks with her shoes. ‘Nough said.
What I’m grateful for:
- My last big training week for the Chicago Marathon (it’s on October 8!). I did my second 20-mile run this morning and felt great overall
- No cancer on my face! I had my annual skin check yesterday and had precancerous cells in one place. Said buh-bye to those with a little freezing action. Thankful this was caught early. PSA: Get your skin checks!
- Lots of fun kids things—soccer games, playdates, birthday parties, superhero day at school. Kindergartners have very busy lives
- A solo date. Hired my daughter’s favorite babysitter and took myself to dinner and a women’s group
Snapshots:
