Oh, my dears, we are right in the middle of the 'ber months, and like all basic bitches, I am thrilled.
October goals:
Read my Book the Month back ups (all of these, plus the new John Green that's on it's way)
SO MANY BOOKS this month you guys! Mostly audio. And! This is the first month of the whole year that I have only read 3 books on my Kindle, instead of the book-a-week rhythm I was going for. I actually had a disturbing feats and famine book cycle this month instead of reading a little bit every day, so I am going to try to get better at habitual reading next month.
Here are my reads, from worst to best:
📚🎉Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb: Snooze. I read this light romance for the Pop Sugar challenge, and I did not like it very much.
📚🎉Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd. Meh. This should have been better, based on the plot about commercial time travel. This author is actually a husband/wife team, and I have liked their other books.
📚🎉Love You More by Emily Giifn: It's not just her politics that suck.
📚🎉Awake, Awake by Fiona Mozely: This was really buzzy, but it just... didn't do it for me.
🎧Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead: Anne told me the main character is really unlikable, but I went for it anyway.
📱🎉Start at the End by Emma Grey: NOPE. I usually really do like this author, but this (time travel! or at least multiple timeline!) romance did not totally work for me.
📱🎉Forget me Not by Stacy Willingham: SNOOZEFEST.
My oatmeal exploded in the microwave at work when I ran upstairs between classes I was observing to eat breakfast, and I almost cried. Instead, I pivoted and ate my nectarine and plum with 2 of the granola bars I stock for my TAs. Calorically similar but not as filling.
Now Dorothy and Cooper are selling things on Depop as well as buying, and I am constantly going to the post office. I wish they could drive. I also wish they'd think about donating their cast-offs instead. But! I do like the idea of a fast fashion exchange. Is anything from Brandy Melville ever worth more than like $6 anyway?
Minnie is a joy to watch in the water at swim team practice. Is she the fastest swimmer? Absolutely not? Is she the most technically proficient swimmer? No not at all. Is she working her little tail off learning strokes and applying corrections from her coaches? YES SHE IS, and it is a delight to observe. She is such a good listener, and she is so determined to improve. I was like Minnie, I am so proud of you for working so hard and being so cheerful when your coaches tell you to fix something, and she looked at me like I was crazy and said MOM THAT'S WHEN THE LEARNING HAPPENS, AND I LOVE TO LEARN.
On a Friday afternoon, I cleaned up my office, recycled papers from literal YEARS ago, and prepped what I needed for my first meeting of the day on Monday. I loved spending just a few minutes taking care of future me, and when I got to campus a few minutes late the following Monday and had a student come immediately to my office before I even had a chance to walk down the hall and fill up my teeny tiny Hydroflask, I felt pulled together and ready to welcome them.
Snack box Sunday is still working for me. I really like asking Dorothy and Cooper to tell me what they're hungry for on the weekend when I am grocery shopping and then packing a whole week's worth of on-the-go snacks. This week, Cooper's box has 47 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, and Dorothy's has 27 grams of protein (she does not drink a protein drink like Cooper does) and 4 grams of fiber. Not bad
Cooper! Is a permitted driver. WHAT.
We had so much fun driving up to see Harry on Sunday. The drive was lovely because the leaves are starting to change, and the weather was crisp but still friendly-- fun all around.
I have already made PUMPKIN MUFFINS so we could bring some to Jack, and they were as delightful as I imagined they would be-- hot take: THEY MUST HAVE CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
I also ADORE this salad, and it was perfect with arugula and chicken mixed in the next day and as a stand-alone side dish the first day. I think beets would be an excellent addition.
I have big plans to make these pumpkin oatmeal cookies from NYT cooking
That was our shoe circle sitting near the door of our Peoria hotel room because we spent the second! weekend! in! a! ROW!! in P-town this time for Parents' Weekend at Bradley.
We enjoyed a pickleball tourney, cookies the size of our faces, dinner and dessert with my mom and Steve, some Peoria shoe shopping for Jack, and the Peoria Riverfront Museum's America 250 exhibit.
