Happy Friday! I have a very packed day, so here’s a somewhat-rushed roundup for you.
Quote of the week:
“A sign of growth is having more tolerance for discomfort. But it’s also having less tolerance for bullshit.” –Cory Muscara
What I’m reading:
Good Material by Dolly Alderton. I am LOVING it. It’s about a guy named Andy going through a breakup—funny and tender and heartwarming. Writer-friend Michelle Gable recommended it a while back and her recommendations are always great.
What I’m listening to:
Love and Trouble: A Midlife Reckoning by Claire Dederer. One of the writers I follow on Instagram (I forget who!) recommended this and it sounded right up my alley. I’m liking it.
What I’m watching:
I started Under the Bridge on Hulu. I’m only a couple episodes in. My daughter and I watched Brave on Disney. Good mother-daughter story. Lots of feels.
Writing news:
I hit 80,000 words in my new novel. Just yesterday, I thought of a new plotline that is going to require a ton of rework. This is how it goes. I’m pleased with the draft so far. Today, I’ll be in Los Angeles for some meetings related to film/TV adaptations for a few of my books!
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Fingernails grow faster than toenails
- 19% of recent college graduates brought a parent to their job interview, according to a December 2023 Intelligent.com survey. If this is true…it should not be true
- Israel has dropped more than 70,000 tons of bombs on Gaza since October, far surpassing the combined total for Dresden, Hamburg, and London during WWII
- 62.7% of US workers say they are satisfied with their jobs, according to Conference Board data. Related: Hybrid and remote workers are among the happiest (no surprise there)
- The moon is drifting about 1.5 inches farther from Earth every year. So, in the future, it will appear slightly smaller in our sky
- The world’s largest butterfly, Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, has a wingspan of around 10 inches
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Neil Armstrong hair sale.” I heard that a barber sold Armstrong’s hair trimmings for $3000 years ago and thought this was so bizarre. Turns out it’s true. AND people are still selling strands of his hair (or, at least, they are claiming it’s his hair). See here and here. SO STRANGE.
What I’m grateful for:
- My sister’s new kittens (see photos below). They are just adorable. My daughter and I are obsessed
- The Boys & Girls Club. Such a great organization. My daughter started summer camp there this week and is loving it
- Negative Covid tests. We got hit with a cold that I feared was Covid based on how tired I was. But, nope, apparently just a cold and I’m already feeling back to good
A few snapshots:
From top to bottom: New kitten #1 (my sister’s, not mine); new kitten #2; beanie weather in So Cal (#junegloom)
