Why do I have earrings though?

Pic of the Week

A portrait of me from the kid I nanny.  Complete with bags under my eyes, "Because you don't get enough sleep."  

What's going on?

Not a lot, honestly.  Since basically everything I do to earn money is related to either entertainment or education, things slow WAY down in the summer.  In fact, in the next 10 days or so, I think I have 2 hours of work on the books.  Luckily, we have some GORGEOUS weather coming up as well, so I'll be spending quite a bit of time outdoors - hiking, cycling, paddle boarding - it's gonna be great. 

I have a new friend here in LA that does audiobook narration for a living, which is something I've been interested in looking into for a while, and she basically told me, "You'd be perfect for this, you should absolutely do it!" so I'm gonna spend some time getting together some samples and starting on that journey.  Should be fun!

What I'm reading

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.  Just a little adorable YA LGBT romance situation.  Missed connections and young love.  A little bit of language and tastefully dealt-with teenage sex to watch out for, but overall pretty wholesome.

What I'm watching

This is a post-apocalyptic, dystopian situation with some light fantasy elements.  It's kind of gritty and quirky and thought-provoking and beautiful.  Language warning here as well.  Also, the premise of the show revolves around a world-wide viral pandemic, so if you're not ready for that, maybe steer clear.

What I'm cooking

Some good old caramel brownies.  My aunt Lisa sent me a little care package with all of the ingredients.  I'm not even sure she knows that these are my absolute favorite brownies. I used this recipe because I can't remember where I put the one my mom used to use.  They taste the same, but I don't recall eggs being part of the recipe I grew up on, so this batch was a bit cakier than the brownies I'm used to.  Still.  SUPER rich and indulgent and delicious.  Highly recommend giving them a try, but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't use eggs.

Hello friends, my old friends.

Pic of the Week

Mom loved her some carrot cake, so I got some of the best in town to celebrate her birthday.  If you're ever in LA and need a good slice of cake - carrot or otherwise - can't recommend Susiecakes enough.

What's going on?

Happy Birthday Mom!  I probably celebrated too much in her honor cuz I ate WAY too many treats.  But whatever.  You only live once, and as we say - Go big, or go home!

Also, Happy Pride month 🌈🌈🌈!!!  It's lovely to have family and friends and community that all say, "Hey!  We love you!" and don't have any caveats or asterisks or pre-requisites.  Thanks for being my people.  :)

This week it feels like the end of the pandemic has finally arrived - at least socially.  I went to four different social gatherings in the last 7 days.  Memorial Day BBQ, movie night, birthday party, and a back yard get-together.  I'm thrilled to be seeing all of the people I love and hugging them and sharing food and laughter again, but after 4 different events, I'm a bit exhausted.  😂😂😂 Turns out socializing a lot after you haven't really socialized in a while takes a toll on you.  Happy to be getting back in the groove though.

Also I bought a BUNCH of tickets to concerts at the Hollywood Bowl this summer.  Bring on the events!

What I'm reading

Reading this one with one of my tutoring students.  It's a cute story.  My student thought it should have ended differently, so I assigned him to write the ending he would have liked to see.  Like the evil genius I am.

What I'm puzzling

1,000 Colours.  This is easier than it looks.   And also it's beautiful.

Peach season is back!

Pic of the Week

This is one of my favorite things about spring in LA.  These are jasmine hedges and these little white blossoms are so fragrant.  This stuff pops up all over the city in the spring and makes everything smell so fresh and nice.  This particular hedge is at a park where I do a little class for some toddlers once a week.

What's going on?

Another busy week, but a tad more chill than last week.  Plenty of work to keep me occupied.  Had that lovely LA experience a couple of times where it took me an hour to get to work and 20 minutes to get home driving the same freeways.  I went to the movies today and apparently a bunch of US theater chains - including AMC, where I see most of my movies - aren't requiring vaccinated folks to wear masks, though LA still has an indoor mask mandate in place until June 15.  But after that, I won't really have to wear a mask anywhere!  Yay science!

What I'm watching

This was really fun, and BEAUTIFULLY designed. It was a tad long, and maybe not the best for younger kids, but definitely an enjoyable couple of hours. 

What I'm reading

Great read so far on what masculinity is and should be.  He also gives a great TED talk on the subject that every man should watch.

What I'm listening to

Found a new podcast called Body Stuff and the first episode debunks some myths around how much water we should be consuming every day.  Made me feel much better about my water intake habits.  

Is it a paper airplane?

Pic of the Week

Came to Utah for the weekend and built a fort with the kids.  We also got McDonald's, cookies, watched a movie, and had a freeze dance party.

What's going on?

This was a BUSY week.  First truly busy week I've had in a while.  Did a Story Pirates show, a couple of ultrasound workshops, tutoring, nannying, pelvic exams, 2 auditions and a callback, got an eye exam, and even snuck in a date. Also bought myself a fancy new blender because I was wearing down my roommate's. 😬

It was nice to be out and about and busy with things all week.  Almost felt like normal life!

There's a new airline in town and they've got airfare between Burbank and Ogden for super cheap, so I snagged a ticket a couple of weeks ago ($38 round-trip!) and came to Salt Lake for the weekend.  My flight was only about half full, which was even better!  I've spent the weekend seeing a couple of friends, hanging with Brianna's little nuggets and eating FAR too many cookies.  I'm hoping these tickets prices stay low for a while.  Might persuade me to spend some more time in Utah. 

What I'm watching

New Amazon Prime series.  Each episode is one person's story, and they all involve only that one person.  I watched the first three episodes with a friend.  Seems they are all separate stories, but may all be connected further into the season.  It's really well done, and I'm excited to see the rest of the season!

What I'm listening to

During the ultrasound workshops this week, I basically just lay on a bed while people looked at my insides, so I listened to a LOT of podcasts.  A couple of recommendations from this week:

On the Media: Trans* Formations - fascinating episode about the trans community.  Regardless of your feelings about what kinds of policies should, or should not, be in place, this offers a dose of science-centered, fact-based information that I found fascinating.

Worklife by Adam Grant: S04 E13, How To Bust Bias at Work - Adam Grant studies organizational psychology, so even though this is geared toward a work setting, I think a lot of these thoughts apply more broadly.

Mormon Sex Info: Family Acceptance Project - I tend to be a pretty resilient, stable, well-balanced individual despite some risk factors present in my upbringing.  (Fun fact: those who grow up in communities that are not affirming of LGBT identities, like Mormonism, are at 8 times higher risk of suicide). But I sometimes wonder where I'd be mentally and emotionally if those risk factors had been further mitigated.  The information in this episode is vitally important for the mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and physical well-being of LGBT youth, especially in communities like the Mormon faith that don't always have the best track record when it comes to LGBT issues.  

Eat Wheaties!

Pic of the Week

This is what happens when you're rushing to get out the door and accidentally spill your breakfast smoothie.  Luckily I'd already drunk most of it.  *facepalm* Let this be a lesson to us all.

What's going on?

Another pretty chill week around these parts.  Some work in various fields, some delicious foods (found a new place that does chicken sandwiches on waffles!) Cycling, and running, puzzles, and movies, and reading.

Something smells funky in my front room, so I'll probably spend some time figuring out what that is.  Isn't adulthood glamorous?

Wish I had something more exciting to report, but alas.  Just know that I'm getting plenty of sleep, and probably eating more than I need to.

What I'm watching

 This was honestly a delight. Tony Hale is so funny.

What I'm reading

This is a kind of sequel to the Sherlock Holmes stories.  In this one he takes on an apprentice, who is a feisty teenaged girl.  It's lovely.

Moms are rad

Pic of the Week

You know how sometimes you can hear a picture?

What's going on?

Happy Mother's Day!  Always a bittersweet day.  But I'm grateful for strong female role models of all types and the immeasurable impact they've had on my life.  Thanks to all the mothers, the would-be mothers, the other mothers, the can't be mothers, the don't want to be mothers.  You're doing great!

More chill vibes happening around these parts this week.  Nothing of note to report, honestly. Riding the waves of existential ennui.  What Adam Grant calls "languishing".  It's a delight.  *sigh* But honestly, I'm fine.  There are books to be read, and trails to be hiked, and plants to be watered, and puzzles to be solved.   Sometimes you're just in a bit of a funk, and a lingering pandemic doesn't help. 

My friend Tara and I have taken to sending each other a list of the plants we eat each day - mostly fruits and vegetables - as a way to both motivate us to make sure we're getting plenty, and keep us accountable for getting enough.  Here are all of the plants I ate this week: chard, collard greens, lettuce, blueberry, strawberry, mango, acai, banana, tomato, bell pepper, mushroom, celery, butternut squash, corn, cabbage, potato, kale, summer squash, garlic, beet, radish, onion, pickle, carrot, cucumber, cara cara orange, peas, edamame.  Not a bad list for the week, I'd say.  

What I'm watching

This is kind of a dark, gritty, magic-laden world of intrigue and mystery.  It's fun!  

What I'm reading

Warning that this is some queer, feminist literature.  And it's beautiful.  There's also some language, so be doubly warned.

What I'm puzzling

Classic movies panoramic puzzle!  I think the actual puzzle is one or two more posters wide on either side.  It's a fun one!  I like to do these puzzle without the help of the box, if I can.  It's fun to see if I can.  :)

Breezy and beautiful

Pic of the Week

Look at us, hanging out without masks!  A friend's rooftop birthday party, and it felt so good!

What's going on?

Glimmers of hope on the social front, that's what's going on.  I went to a birthday party this week, got a BRUTAL massage, had dinner in a restaurant, went hiking with friends, visited a museum...it all involved other people and was all very lovely. 

I also continued to stay home a lot, went paddle boarding one day when the weather was PERFECT, watched TV, read, worked on my LEGO set.  Pretty chill stuff overall. Nothing of note to report around here.

What I'm watching

This was honestly so delightful and well-done.  Funny, heartwarming, empowering, highly recommended.

What I'm reading

Great book so far about questioning our assumptions and how to be more open-minded about the things we think.

What I'm LEGO-ing

It's been nearly 25 years since I put a LEGO set together and I bought myself this one as a little birthday treat.  It was SO fun to do this again.  Plus, this one is pretty cool.  It's got working doors, trunk, and hood, seats and a steering wheel that are adjustable, an engine, and you can even buy a light kit for it - which I plan to do - that gives it a work dome light and headlights!