Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Happy Wednesday! Link up, link back!

1. There is no tired like "first full week back with students" teacher tired. Dang. But, all in all, things are going well. My class sizes are leveling off, the kids seems fine, and I'm making a dent in grading their summer work assignments. Sawyer and I have fallen right back into our weekday routines, which helps so much. It's so nice that he mostly get himself ready now- anything to save me a few minutes! Despite feeling a little beat today, I have to say that this is the first school year since having a kid that I've gone back to work in August feeling mostly refreshed. As a whole I feel more optimistic, calmer, and just more ready, than I have at work in a really long time. 

2. Last week we were not only getting back into the the groove of things, but we also had to deal with the added local panic of a fire that was less than ten miles away (The Holy Fire). I never, ever felt that my house was in danger, but some of our neighbors and my husband were very concerned, since the hills where the fire was located look much closer than they were. The fire ballooned quickly and grew to over 20,000 acres in a few days with little containment for five days. There was a lot of smoke and ash, made worse by high temperatures and wind. While I definitely have things that panic me, this was not one of them, and I refused to do anything more than the officials told us to do (so when our fire chief listed our area as one to pack go-bags just in case, I did throw together important documents). They have over 70% containment at this point, with very few structures damaged, which is a huge testament to the dedication and ability of the firefighters. 

3. I started reading Sawyer a few pages every day of Charlotte's Web and I found an old book label I had made myself when I was in elementary school. It had my name, of course, but also the Babysitter's Club logo, which my dad had helped me scan in. I was a BSC fiend and even wanted to start one with my friend at one point. Unfortunately, her dad was a CPA and told us that unless we got a tax ID and went about it "the right way" he wouldn't let us. Eye rolls for days- he totally ruined my chance to channel my inner Stacy (when in reality I was probably more of a Mary Anne). 

4. I saw that Instagram is rolling out some updates that will introduce some productivity features that allow you to keep tabs of your time in the app and even set timers for allotted time a day. I live for this kind of data. I know Apple plans on incorporating even more advanced options similar to these in an upcoming IOS and I cannot wait. 

5. I am reading the Book of Tess right now and I am a little torn on how I feel about it. The story is interesting right now, but I'm concerned it might end predictably. I am also not blown away by the writing, either, but I do love the fact that the author is a doctor- it's more forgivable knowing she's a smart lady. I might also go as far as to say that it feels like sophisticated YA, but I don't think I'll take that plunge quite yet. It's probably the perfect thing for me right now, since I can't commit huge stretches to reading right now. 

6. I am listening to  Heather Harpham's The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After Happiness, which is about coping with her daughter's blood disease and complicated relationship with her father. So far I'm pretty interested, but I do think that maybe it's moving a tiny bit too slow, although that might just be because I am listening in super small increments right now. 

7. Over the past week or so I have had three or four different friends contact me, completely unsolicited, and offer some really kind comments. It's hard for me to accept compliments, but I tried to be as gracious as I am capable of being. More than anything I was just left with this feeling of "DAMN, I have good, kind people in my life that understand me and my intentions." 

8. We watched The Quiet Place last weekend and it was terrifying. I am not a fan of suspense/horror movies and while this was was well-done, it scared the crap out of me. 

9. It just occurred to me the other day how bizarre it is that I am not in close contact with either of my college roommates, from the two years I dormed at UCLA. We aren't on bad terms, but neither girls are super active on social media, so contact sort of just fizzled out. It's just so strange to me! We lived in the same room, ate countless meals together, cried on each others' shoulders, and were kind to each others' families. And now, nothing. Weird, yes, but also... totally fine.