Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

1. I know, I normally do these on Wednesday.... so does that mean I'm a few days late or a few days early?

2. I just finished Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad and I cannot stop gushing about it. Her memoir is about battling nearly-terminal leukemia and then traveling the country to visit people who wrote her while she was a columnist at the NY Times. It's basically perfect. I enjoyed the medical part, the personal aspect, and the travel component. If I can get it together, I plan on writing a whole post on the book.

3. I received a few books in the mail yesterday, despite my temporary deal with myself to wait until the end of the school year and purchase everything at once. In my defense there was a deal, so who am I to argue with being fiscally responsible? Two are graphic novels, and then I finally got The Final Revival of Opal Nev, which I'm super excited about.

4. I started a shared doc in one of my book clubs so we can put our ideas down for our next year of selections and I think it's so interesting to see what people put down.  I've only put one so far, but am resisting the urge to plop down a dozen more. 

5. Most of next week at work will be consumed with some online assessment, which I'm super bummed about, since we just finished Macbeth. I am, though, also super psyched to get some massive time to catch up on grading and hopefully do the rest of my lesson plans for the remaining two weeks of content I have left to teach.

6. Yes, that's right! Three weeks until summer break, basically! I can't believe it. Sawyer is in school a bit longer than I am, so I cannot wait to have a few days of time to unwind alone. We don't have a trip planned this summer, since everything was so up-in-the-air with Covid, but I renewed our annual passes to the San Diego Zoo and Knott's Berry Farm, so it will be pretty darn awesome to start going to the places we weren't able to for so long. Between those types of things, the beach, etc... I am hoping my cabin fever will be kept at bay. I might try to manage one little trip away at some point, but it also depends on a few other things. Who knows! Starting next year, I plan on a big trip every summer. Short-list options: a drive up the West Coast as far as Whistler (in a rental so that we can fly home), NYC, Hawaii (I may be able to convince my husband to come on that one... we have already been but I would like to take Sawyer), Charleston (this might end up being a long weekend sort of things with a friend), Nashville (yes, I want to go just so I can go to Parnassus.... also a long weekend situation) Chicago, and Montana. I could go on and on. There's also a BIG trip to Europe in the beginning stages of planning with a friend, Sawyer, and maybe my mom, but that's going to be in probably three or so years when he's a tad older. Maybe I need to write a whole post... stop rambling, Christine... 

7. I have been running most mornings with Ellie before work and it's so effing hard to commit to this as 5:30 am. I have found the trick is to push myself into wearing shorts and a sports bra- if I can just put these things on and get out the door, I'm awake enough after walking half a block or so to just bite the bullet and speed up. It's ironic, though, that the thing I dread ends up making her so tired and my so happy. My mood is noticeably better on days I run instead of walk, not that it's bad, it's just downright good when I suck it up and go. 

8. I'm getting another tattoo! I had been thinking about a very small new for a year or two, one but wasn't sure where I wanted it. I finally decided the other day and emailed the artist I used for my tree one and he booked me. For May. Of 2022. I know. This guy has sort of blown up in LA and is in high-demand, so I get it. I would find someone else, but he does amazing fine-line, single-needle work and since this is going to be really small writing there is absolutely no room for error (is there ever any room for error on a tattoo?). Something to look forward to, I guess!

9. I have to start dishwasher shopping.  Appliances are the absolute worst- so boring! I haven't had a working dishwasher in WAY TO MOTHER-EFFING LONG, so I'm of course absolutely thrilled at the actual prospect, it's just getting there that is a drag. 

10. The weather has been absolutely amazing where I live- it's this wonderful time of year where the highs are in the 70-80 and the nights are chilly. Having to stay inside seems like a total punishment! I just want to go lay outside with my book and Diet Coke and alternate between reading and dozing. Soon it will be approximately 187 degrees and I'll be complaining nonstop. 

11. I sent my mom a huge order of pastries from Porto's for Mother's Day. Our family's love language is carbs.

12. This weekend is kicking off a stretch of a few jam-packed ones in a row. HOORAY! Tonight we have a park play-date with Sawyer's friend (I love his mom, so this almost feels like a social activity for me, too), tomorrow we are going hiking, and I hope to take most of Sunday "off" (mom "off" is basically 50% of a break, at least when you have little ones).