Truth Is I’m Tired

Hi friends, summer is almost here! I am close to being on vacation and my very life depends on getting to Cabo San Lucas in a couple weeks. I know everyone is tired, but this feels like a bone deep, soul deep, inexplicable kind of tired. Are you feeling this, too?

Currently, I’m in the midst of interviewing for a job that I am crossing fingers, toes, and eyes to get. Please, send me all the good vibes, light the nicest Selena prayer candles, and set out the good moon juice for me. My writing class is chugging along, and I am clawing my way to a 100 page manuscript, but whew! Intense is the wrong word for it.

This Sunday post won’t be super long, mostly because my brain feels like goo. Let this be a soft place for you to land for a little bit. Take care of you!

• The aftermath of COVID (the inter-math? The current… math) has left the world reeling. Add in everything happening the last few years and yikes, are we okay? The opening line of this article is maybe the truest thing I’ve ever read: “Everything is Weird and Everyone is WRECKED.” (The Guardian)

• The Stanley brand cup obsession is still going strong, though the vibe has shifted to southern sorority girl it seems. Have you seen the “pack my Stanley with me” videos?! Wild. Beyond. I was on board for a little while then hopped off to ride the Owala train, that I’m currently still on for the foreseeable future. However, I did pick up a Stanley JUG for all my summer beach drink needs. 2 gallons of hydration from detoxification to retoxification. It’s giving High School Musical 2, specifically. (TikTok, Target)

• I have dubbed my downstairs neighbor a saint for never complaining when my 3 (three!) cats get the zoomies at 3AM and inevitably run at full speed up and down the hallway. I’m making her Mardi Gras Moon Pie Bars today, basically to bribe her continued patience towards us. (Joy the Baker)

• It was only a matter of time until the term Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (or DEI) was dubbed “too liberal” – the initiatives are quietly disappearing from workplaces. Jobs say they’re evolving it, but are they? I’m a little skeptical. (Washington Post)

• Possibly the best graduation speech in existence – we ALL need ice cream, and no, we are not walking to get it. The children – wise beyond their years! (The Grudge Report)

• Michelle Obama’s mom passed away earlier this week, and Barack and their family shared some sweet thoughts. Marion was a tried and true Chicagoan, and it brought tears to my eyes to read his lovely tribute – made me think of my own grandma that passed. A secret part of me hopes they’re meeting in whatever paradise in which they reside. (Medium)

• Because summer is gearing up for a full-swing, food should get easier, right? That’s how I feel about it. Give me 2 watermelon wedges and a popsicle, please! When Joy introduced her one-pot Hamburger Helper, it really changed the game. Even as an adult, sneaking vegetables into meals feels like a life hack. It’s the savior of summer! (Joy the Baker)

• As I head into vacation, what’s everyone reading? I love picking a book outside of my normal genre specifically for the beach. I am a fantasy/sci-fi lover at the moment, and I read Tom Lake, so maybe give me your best non-fiction reads!  Already, I definitely will be taking Maggie Smith’s (poet) “You Could Make This Place Beautiful” with me, to cry and give me writing inspiration. (Bookshop.org)

• Finally, if you love to dance to a good bass-heavy beat, or (and) you need to clean your entire house at once, please, let me introduce you to the album of the summer. Thank me later, but you are WELCOME. (Spotify)