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Weekly Roundup: October 13, 2023

It’s been a heavy week. I’m so sad for all those in Palestine and Israel who are suffering the effects of this eruption of violence. I’m the first to admit I don’t know all the history and, frankly, I’m less concerned with WHY all this is happening and more concerned with the fact that IT IS HAPPENING. People are dying—including children. We are all being exposed to such an ugly side of humanity and it’s a lot to take in. Perhaps it’s too simplistic to wish for peace, but that’s what I wish for.

Quote of the week:
“Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

What I’m reading:
My plane flights to and from Chicago gave me LOTS of reading time. I tore through Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, and Control by Amanda Montei. Such a great book. I also read my friend Stephanie Walker’s play, Friends With Guns—very thought-provoking. And I read A Quitter’s Paradise by Elysha Chang, which I enjoyed. At Unabridged Books in Chicago, I bought Woman Without Shame, Sandra Cisneros’ latest poetry collection, with the intention of reading it next month. But I started it on the plane and couldn’t stop. I loved it so much. I’m now reading Tom Lake by Ann Patchett for my book club!

What I’m listening to:
I started Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen because my good friend’s book club is reading it and I wanted to play along. It’s fun so far.

What I’m watching:
I watched all the coverage of the gymnastics World Championships, where USA took the team gold and Simone Biles won the individual gold. I also watched Race to the Summit the night before the marathon to remind myself that the human body is capable of crazy things. I’m a few episodes into Based on a True Story on Peacock and it’s a fun show.

One of my favorite quotes about writing.

Interesting things I learned this week:

Friday the 13th (today!) may be considered unlucky here in the U.S., but other countries have their own unlucky days: April 4th (4/4) for the Chinese, Friday the 17th for the Italians, September 9th (9/9) for the Japanese, and Tuesday the 13th for the Spaniards Florida is the fastest-growing state in the U.S.U.S. employment grew by 336,000 jobs last month, almost double economists’ forecasts—some good news!Chicago is second to Amsterdam in its number of bridges. Learned this on the river cruiseLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw’s great uncle Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930For every human on Earth there are approximately 1.6 million ants. The total weight of all those ants is about the same as the total weight of all the humans on Earth

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Female frogs fake their own death.” I saw something about this on Instagram, so had to investigate. Female frogs will fake their own deaths to avoid unwanted male attention, according to a study published Wednesday in Royal Society Open Science. This is hilarious.

What I’m grateful for:

A great experience at the Chicago Marathon! I finished in 3:30:08, which is about an 8-minute PR for me and will qualify me for NYC 2024 and Boston 2025! I was happy with that and am currently happy that I’m no longer sore! I got to meet up with runner-friends while I was there, eat a lot of yummy food, take a river cruise to explore the architecture, and enjoy some beautiful days. It was a wonderful tripThe biggest hug from my daughter when I got home. I’m the luckiestFun dinner out with a good mom-friend last night. So grateful for the ladies in my life!Yoga class this morning. It’s been a minute since I went to yoga class. My body was very happy

Snapshots:

Done! Such a pretty city! My favorite month… My old boy turns 14 this month (don’t know the exact day so I give him special treats all month).

The post Weekly Roundup: October 13, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: October 6, 2023

I am about to head to the airport to fly to Chicago! Wish me luck in Sunday’s marathon. I’m feeling good overall. Ready to go!

Quote of the week (in honor of the Chicago Marathon):
“Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and I believe running helps you do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life—and for me, for writing as well.” –Haruki Murakami 

What I’m reading:
The New Mother by Nora Murphy. I think any new mother would be able to relate to this one. I’m about halfway through and it’s got a thriller vibe, so curious to see where it goes.

What I’m listening to:
How We Love: Notes on a Life by Clementine Ford. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of her new book at the end of the month, so enjoying listening to this one in the meantime.

What I’m watching:
The Deepest Breath on Netflix. Wow. What a film. I also watched Harley & Katya on Netflix—about the pairs figure skaters. Quite a tragic story in the end. I signed up for Peacock so I could watch the gymnastics World Championships this week so I’ve been exploring shows there. Just started Based on a True Story and it’s fun.

Writing news:
Nothing to report this week. Still playing the waiting game on some things.

Interesting things I learned this week:

60% of book challenges in the US are from just 11 adults. These people must have a lot of time on their handsNot once in the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme does it mention that he’s an eggMore than half of us in our forties are caring for both young children and aging parentsTaylor Swift gave $55 million in bonuses to the people she works withNearly half of Americans say they have 3 or fewer friends. One in 5 has one or none. A different poll found that 22% of Millennials say they have no friends at all. Ugh, we are becoming so disconnected from each otherThere’s enough water in Lake Superior to cover all of North and South America in one foot of water. The lake also contains 10% of ALL the Earth’s fresh surface water!The Kaiser strike is the biggest healthcare strike in recent US history, with more than 75,000 workers on the picket lineLaphonza Butler was sworn into the Senate Tuesday afternoon, making history as the first openly lesbian Black senator to serve in Congress, and the first openly LGBTQ senator to represent California. She will also be the third Black woman to ever serve in the SenateThe Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded 116 times to 120 Nobel Prize laureates between 1901 and 2023. Only 17 women have received the prize. This year’s winner: Jon FosseElon Musk said his company SpaceX could land a spacecraft on Mars 3 to 4 years from nowWhen mammals on a South African savanna were confronted with recordings of human voices, 19 species fled instantly. They were less frightened by lion sounds

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“hardest puzzle ever made.” This search led me to this page, which features 50 notoriously difficult jigsaw puzzles. These would drive me CRAZY. I choose relatively easy puzzles because my life has enough stress as it is.

What I’m grateful for:

Six years with my daughter! We celebrated her birthday last weekend (and throughout this week). I’m so lucky to be her mom. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us. So much love! Completing my Chicago Marathon training cycle. It was a great cycle for me and I’m excited for race dayOhana Fest with one of my best friends! We saw the Pretenders and Foo Fighters. Both so good. Chrissie Hynde is such an inspiration—72 years young with so much energy and zest (and her voice sounds exactly the same as it did decades ago)Halloween decorations are up!

Snapshots:

Birthday foxes! Closing out this training cycle with some epic views. Ohana Fest! Chrissie Hynde! Another puzzle complete!

The post Weekly Roundup: October 6, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: September 29, 2023

I know I say this every month, but HOW IS IT THE END OF THE MONTH? We are at the time of year when we blink and it is January.

Quote of the week:
“When a woman tells the truth, she is creating the possibility for more truth around her.” –Adrienne Rich

What I’m reading:
The Change by Kirsten Miller. This was recommended to me by one of my writer-friends and it’s a fun read. If you like Liane Moriarty or Sally Hepworth, you’ll like this.

What I’m listening to:
The Forever Witness by Edward Humes. It’s about how DNA/genealogy was used to solve a cold case double murder. I love me some true crime and this one is well written and interesting. It’s quite similar to how they caught the Golden State Killer and I was captivated by that story.

What I’m watching:
The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. I told myself I wouldn’t commit to a series, but here I am in Season 2 and I am COMMITTED. It’s so good.

Writing news:
Nothing news-y this week. It’s been one of those weeks where I kind of forget I’m a writer because I’m just not in that headspace. It happens.

Interesting things I learned this week:

A group of cats is called a clowder. Related: I saw a funny meme on Instagram that said, “A group of toddlers is called a migraine”The banyan tree in Lahaina is sprouting new leaves. I could cryAt any given time, there are about 50 active serial killers in the U.S. I read this in The Change, but cannot find anything to confirm this stat… If true, yikes!The mosquito kills more people every year than any other creature doesMore women graduate from law school than men, but women make up just 37% of lawyers. Men are 80% of equity partners and 70% of non-equity partners at law firmsU.S. regulators and 17 states sued Amazon this week for being a monopolyJohn Grisham and other prominent novelists are suing OpenAI for using their novels to train its chatbot, ChatGPTMost parents and guardians (67%) think book bans are a “waste of time,” according to a survey done by Book Riot and the EveryLibrary Institute1 in 4 shark species is threatened with extinctionOne of my pupils is slightly larger than the other. This was discovered at my eye exam yesterday. Fun fact: this was my first-ever eye exam. I’ve always had perfect vision and no reason to get my eyes checked, but I need glasses now, so… Anyway, 20% of the population has pupils of different sizes, according to my optometrist

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Can dogs and humans have the same stomach bug?” I had a mild stomach thing for a couple days and noticed my dogs were also having a stomach thing so I had to google this. What I learned: “While it’s not specific to every illness, gastroenteritis may be transmitted between dogs and people through their stool or even saliva.” WHAT!? I guess this means no more sloppy dog kisses for me?

What I’m grateful for:

The end of the WGA Strike! So happy for all the writers and crew who can get back to the work they love with fairer payTapering my mileage and counting down to the Chicago Marathon on October 8! Feeling good and ready to go!A fun weekend ahead—celebrating my daughter’s 6th birthday, going to Ohana Fest with a good friendFlowers on my kitchen island from my good friendsThe usual kid fun—nighttime beach birthday party last weekend, soccer, new park grand opening in our area. Oh, and the kindergarten school photos are in and they are ADORABLE

A couple snapshots:

It me. The pup.

Most of the photos on my camera roll are of my daughter and I prefer to limit what I share of her. So, you’re left with the occasional selfie, lots of pets, and some clouds (though not this week).

The post Weekly Roundup: September 29, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: September 22, 2023

Today is the last official day of summer. Last night, I finished the last of the summer beers stashed in my fridge. I know I’m supposed to buy pumpkin ales now but I am not a fan of pumpkin-flavored things (#sorrynotsorry). Let’s get into the roundup.

Quote of the week:
“I don’t really want to become normal, average, standard. I want merely to gain in strength, in the courage to live out my life more fully, enjoy more, experience more. I want to develop even more original and more unconventional traits.” — Anais Nin

What I’m reading:
Evil Eye by Etaf Rum. I’m really enjoying it. I loved her first book and recommend it often.

What I’m listening to:
The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker. I cannot remember who recommended this to me, but it is definitely a compelling read. Very dark though—reader beware.

What I’m watching:
The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. I told myself I’d only watch the first season but it’s SO GOOD. I’m almost done with the first season and may have to venture beyond.

Writing news:
Playing the waiting game on my latest manuscript.

Interesting things I learned this week:

If you dug a hole to the center of the Earth and dropped a book down, it would take 42 minutes to reach the bottomIn the 2022-2023 school year, there was a 33% increase in the number of books banned compared to the previous year, according to PEN America’s latest reportFlorida leads the U.S. in book bans, with 40% of bans taking place thereMexico will have its first woman as president next year after the governing party chose Claudia Sheinbaum as their candidate to compete against the opposition’s candidate, Xóchitl GálvezA new feature on Lyft will allow women to match rides with other women, which the company hopes will improve safety and encourage more female driversCat pee glows under a black light. Whaaaat

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“how to fix smelly shoes overnight.” My daughter refuses to wear socks with her shoes. ‘Nough said.

What I’m grateful for:

My last big training week for the Chicago Marathon (it’s on October 8!). I did my second 20-mile run this morning and felt great overall No cancer on my face! I had my annual skin check yesterday and had precancerous cells in one place. Said buh-bye to those with a little freezing action. Thankful this was caught early. PSA: Get your skin checks!Lots of fun kids things—soccer games, playdates, birthday parties, superhero day at school. Kindergartners have very busy livesA solo date. Hired my daughter’s favorite babysitter and took myself to dinner and a women’s group

Snapshots:

Solo dinner date. Well, I was accompanied by a book. Still smiling after 20 miles. Running views.

The post Weekly Roundup: September 22, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: September 15, 2023

It’s beginning to feel a little like Fall. When we wake up in the morning, my daughter has been saying, “Mom, it’s too early. It’s still dark out.” I love this time of year. I’ve ordered my Halloween decorations and I am ready.

Quote of the week:
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” –Albert Camus

What I’m reading:
I finished Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur this week. Liked it. I’m now reading Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls.

What I’m listening to:
On my run this morning, I finished Blood Orange Night by Melissa Bond. It’s about how she was prescribed Ativan for insomnia and built up a life-altering physical dependency on it, requiring a years-long detox. We’ve all heard about the dangers of opioids (Painkiller on Netflix was so good—just finished that). This book opened my eyes to the dangers of benzodiazepines.

What I’m watching:
I started The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. I’m very overwhelmed by the multiple seasons and plan to just watch the first season since it aligns with the book, which I loved.

Writing news:
Working on various things. Noodling on a new idea for a novel and starting to do some research. I’ve also started a new series of posts on Instagram with quotes about the magic of reading and writing. I’ve been storing quotes in a Word document for years and wanted to start sharing them. A couple I’ve shared so far:

Interesting things I learned this week:

Pluto never made a full orbit around the sun from the time it was discovered to when it was declassified as a planetA billion seconds is about 32 years. I am going to use this fact the next time my daughter says, “Mom, you’re taking a billion seconds!”Over the last three decades, 80% of the top sports news shows had ZERO stories on women’s sports; in general, women’s sports receive only 5% of the media coverageThe milk of humpback whales is PINKAccording to a new Human Rights Watch report, children in the US can be legally married in 41 states, physically punished by school administrators in 47 states, sentenced to life without parole in 22 states, and work in hazardous agriculture conditions in all 50 statesMore than 100,000 people in the US die of drug overdoses every year—higher than the number of people who die from suicides and homicides combinedThe Mandarin term yu yi can be translated to “the longing to feel intensely again, as you did when you were a child”Alfred Nobel (of the Nobel Prize) invented blasting sticks that he called “dynamite” (from the Greek word dunamis, or “power”). In the process of testing various explosives, several people were killed. He was also called “the merchant of death” because his invention was used in warfare

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Hippocampus sea horse.” Am I the only one who didn’t know that the hippocampus in the brain is named after the Greek word for “sea horse” because it’s shaped like a sea horse? Google says: “‘Hippocampus’ comes from the Ancient Greek hippókampos, itself from híppos meaning ‘horse’ and kámpos meaning ‘sea monster’ or ‘sea animal’.”

What I’m grateful for:

A bunch of fun kid-centric things this week—my daughter’s first real concert (Kidz Bop!), the start of soccer season, a few playdates, and my first Back to School night experienceSuccessful 20-mile run this morning! Shoutout to my mom for coming to my house early so I could get this done before my work day. I’m about three weeks out from the Chicago Marathon!Tea at the Huntington Library with my mom. I got her this as a gift years ago, then the pandemic happened, then the tea room was closed for renovations. It’s finally open and we had a great timeLoving my new job. I work full-time in the marketing/advertising world, which I find is a great complement to my creative pursuits

Snapshots:

We’ve had some epic skies lately. My mom and I on our tea date. Doggie staring me down as I try to read. I love when pets use pillows as they were intended to be used. Not sure what these are, but they are right outside my bedroom window. Kitty checking out my herbs (look at those little chamomile flowers!)

The post Weekly Roundup: September 15, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: September 8, 2023

Is it just me, or was this a beast of a week? I want off the hamster wheel. I am dizzy and tired. Who’s with me? Let’s all hope for a relaxing-ish weekend (adding the “ish” because I don’t know if weekends are ever really relaxing when you’re a parent).

Quote of the week:
“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow; but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.” –Agatha Christie

What I’m reading:
I was lucky to get an ARC of Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls, which comes out in April. Flew through it. I’m now double-fisting and reading Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur and Contradiction Days by JoAnna Novak.

What I’m listening to:
This week, I have been very entertained by Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. I loved flawed characters so this book is a match for me. The narration is great.

What I’m watching:
I finished The Last of Us and really loved it. Hype is warranted. I’m now watching Painkiller on Netflix.

Writing news:
Tinkering with various things and awaiting updates on my latest manuscript. Stay tuned.

Interesting things I learned this week:

Burning Man attendees contribute about $40 million each year to the Nevada economyThere is now a Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp!Diet Coke contains 33% more caffeine than regular CokeThe average doctor in the U.S. makes $350,000/yearA new report from the CDC found that 1 in 5 women feels mistreated during maternity careCloud seeding, the dropping of crystals into clouds to cause rain, is happening in several counties in California. Does this explain why it’s been so gloomy this year?!

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“hunker down vs bunker down.” I was listening to something this week (can’t remember if it was a book or a podcast) and they said “bunker down” and I was wondering if I’ve been saying “hunker down” erroneously all these years. Turns out, “hunker down” is correct. From google: “If your meaning is to settle in for a long time or wait for a difficult situation to end, the customary verb phrase is ‘hunker down.’ The verb ‘bunker’ (minus the adverb ‘down’) usually means to hit a golf ball into a sand trap or to store fuel in a tank.”

What I’m grateful for:

A successful 18-mile run this morning. It felt surprisingly greatLots of fun kindergarten-y things going on. Birthday invites, Girl Scouts signup, book fair next week!Physical therapy. It’s helping my 43-year-old body feel good latelyPet cuddles—always and foreverTime with friends we met in Maui who have become such a special part of our lives

Snapshots:

I’m in the thick of marathon training, with LONG long runs. The views keep me going. #Mood Ever since we moved houses, the cats are inseparable, which is so odd since they never really hung out at the other house. It’s very sweet.

The post Weekly Roundup: September 8, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: September 1, 2023

Not sure what happened to August, but hello to September. My favorite season starts this month. Bring on the crisper air, cooler temps, and Halloween decorations.

Quote of the week:
“It’s hard to remember that this day will never come again. That the time is now and the place is here and that there are no second chances at a single moment.” — Jeanette Winterson

What I’m reading:
I am just about to finish We Are Too Many, Hannah Pittard’s sort-of memoir about her husband’s affair with her best friend. I really like it. Very unique structure and compulsively readable.

What I’m listening to:
by Diane Ackerman. It’s about her husband’s stroke and their life together as he recovers. Beautiful writing.

What I’m watching:
I’m on episode 7 of The Last of Us and it is so good. Like most parties, I am late to this one, but glad I came.

Writing news:
Got an idea for a new novel this week, so that’s fun. Letting my mind work on it before I take any next steps. Also tinkering with more poetry.

Interesting things I learned this week:

In France, Netflix reports their viewership to writers monthly and pays writers based on that viewership—it’s the law there. Meanwhile, the writer’s strike continues here…Autarky is an economic system of self-sufficiency and limited trade. Saw this word this week and legit thought it was a typo. Nope 46 Ohio schools have chosen to arm teachers and staff. UghThe people of Ecuador have voted to halt all current and future oil drilling in the Amazon. Yay!Only 23% of workers globally are engaged in their jobs. That number rises to 33% in the U.S. but falls to 13% in Europe, according to GallupWorking moms spend 80 minutes longer than dads every day taking care of kids and households, while dads spend almost 50 minutes more than moms watching TV or doing other enjoyable activities, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“origin xoxo.” This was an interesting little rabbit hole to go down. From Dictionary.com:
“The use of X as a symbol is believed to date back to the Middle Ages, when most people were not literate. They would use the letter X—or a cross—to sign documents as a display of faith and indication of their sincerity. They’d also kiss the cross as another symbol of trustworthiness: a literal ‘seal with a kiss.’ In these instances, the X represented the sign of the cross and Christ because of its connection to the Chi-Rho, a Christian symbol. The first two letters of Christ in Greek (ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ) are chi and rho, and chi looks like X. It’s possible that the X also became connected with kissing because it looks like two puckered lips. No matter its history, the letter X was used in letters to symbolize a kiss back in the 1700s. 

The origins of how O came to represent a hug are even more uncertain, though some connect its use to illiterate Jewish immigrants who came to the US who may have signed documents with an O. They did this in contrast to the Christian X. Eventually the letter came to represent a hug. Another possibility is that the O is used to represent hugs because it simply looks like someone encircling their arms in a hugging gesture. It’s also possible that the O came to mean “hug” because of its prior association with X from the game tic-tac-toe.”

What I’m grateful for:

Surviving this week’s 18-mile long run. The struggle was real. Just about 5 weeks until the Chicago MarathonMy daughter is loving kindergarten, which makes my heart so happy. We already had our first playdate with a new school friendMy daughter’s dad made it through a harrowing week of hiking in the Sierras. He came back 15 pounds lighter and is still in the process of finding the words to describe what happened out thereFall is in the air!

Snapshots:

I spend a lot of time wearing my dad’s t-shirts. Makes me feel closer to him. Took this photo at 4pm on Tuesday, when I realized I’d been wearing my pants inside-out all day. Most mornings this summer were foggy. They’ve been much brighter lately. I love the sun (except on my long runs, when I feel like I’m going to die of heat stroke). Cats being bros. The leg hang kills me. Puzzle complete. No missing pieces this time! I notice a new bloom on every dog walk. Proof that my thumb is not black.

The post Weekly Roundup: September 1, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: August 25, 2023

The sun is shining and we’re almost dried out from Hurricane Hilary passing through on Sunday. I’m grateful it wasn’t much worse than most of our winter storms. The apocalypse vibes were very reminiscent of Covid and I would like to have no natural disasters or other crises for a while. On to the roundup!

Quote of the week:
“Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and being alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You have to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes too near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself that you tasted as many as you could.” — Louise Erdrich, The Painted Drum

What I’m reading:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Such a great book, with a main character I won’t soon forget. I have less than 100 pages left. It’s heartbreaking in many ways, but so well written and beautiful.

What I’m listening to:
I just finished The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin. Great memoir–highly recommend.

What I’m watching:
I watched The Beanie Bubble last weekend and really enjoyed it—about the people (and drama) behind the Beanie Baby madness. I also started The Last of Us, despite telling myself I would not commit to watching a series. Each episode is like a movie and it’ll probably take me a year to watch the full season, but oh well.

Writing news:
Nothing to report this week! Still tinkering with some poems, awaiting news on my next manuscript.

Interesting things I learned this week:

More U.S. office workers call out sick on August 24 than any other day. Runners up are February 13 and October 25 (which are my daughter’s dad’s birthday and my dad’s birthday, respectively. WEIRD)96% of Americans age 16 and older have some COVID immunity (23% from infection alone, 26% from vaccination alone, 48% hybrid), according to a CDC reportCheese contains casein fragments called casomorphins, a morphine-like compound. In other words, dairy protein has opiate molecules built in. When consumed, these fragments attach to the same brain receptors that heroin and other narcotics attach toThe majority of workers in the U.S. (59%) across all sectors of work said they support increased unionization in their own workplaces, according to a CNBC pollData collected by the Captivate Network shows men are 35% more likely to take a break while on the job, ‘just to relax.’ Men are also more likely to go out to lunch, take a walk, and take personal time during working hoursOnly 3 of the 350+ shark species are associated with nearly 2/3 of shark attacks (tiger, great white, bull)

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“batten down the hatches.” I kept using this phrase in jest as Hilary was arriving and wanted to google the origin of it. From google: the phrase comes from “the practice aboard a ship of sealing hatches to prevent water getting below-decks in a storm by using covers secured by strips of material, called battens, firmly attached to the frame of the hatch opening.”

What I’m grateful for:

Minimal damage/disruption from Hurricane Hilary. We got lucky!Smooth sailing in kindergarten for my daughter (and her slightly anxious mama)Time with family—my daughter’s aunt, uncle, and cousins last weekend, plus a midweek family pool partyTime with one of my best friends who is in town. Good for the soul

Snapshots:

Before Hurricane Hilary arrived. Calm before the storm. First tropical storm to hit southern California since 1939. Dog was like “wtf is this weather in August?” Went for a run the day after the storm, when it was still a little drizzly. I looove running in the rain! Plants were big fans of Hilary. Followed this guy around my yard a while. When the cats are not lying on my puzzles, they are lying on my books.

The post Weekly Roundup: August 25, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: August 18, 2023

How many of you have been in the whirlwind that is back-to-school week? I had no idea this was such a THING. I think I am more emotionally exhausted than my daughter. As the weekend approaches, we are now preparing for Hurricane Hilary, which is set to hit southern California as a tropical storm. I am looking forward to relative calm in the near-ish future.

Quote of the week:
“You live your life as if it’s real… The evidence accumulates that you’re not running the show, but you make your choices with the intuitive understanding that it’s unfolding as it must… And if you can relax in that… if you can even touch it, or if it asserts itself from time to time, then the invincible defeat is transcended.” –Leonard Cohen

What I’m reading:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. In this busy phase of life, I rarely tackle books longer than 400 pages, but I heard too many great things about this one (it’s 560 pages). The writing is PHENOMENAL. Such a unique main character with a truly distinct voice. I’m enjoying it.

What I’m listening to:
A Living Remedy, Nicole Chung’s latest memoir. It’s about the deaths of her parents and her grief is very relatable.

What I’m watching:
I finished Season 2 of The Bear last night. Such great characters. I’m ready for Season 3! While deciding what to commit myself to next, I started watching Tiger 24, a documentary about a tiger who is labeled a murderer after the deaths of four people.

Writing news:
Stephanie Willing won a One Voice Award for her narration of my book, Ways the World Could End. Yay!

Interesting things I learned this week:

Hilary will be the first tropical storm to hit southern California since 1939Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the U.S., and it had the 4th highest homelessness rate in the nation in 2022, according to the Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentThe Maui Relief Effort Readathon started on August 14 and runs through August 28. You can participate by filling out the Google form, reading books by Hawaiian and Polynesian authors, talking about the readathon on social media by using the tag #ReadForMaui, and pledging to donate to Maui relief organizationsIt may not be a great idea to donate anything besides blood to the Red Cross (read here)Barbie surpassed $1 billion in box office earnings less than 3 weeks after opening, making Greta Gerwig the first ever solo female director to pass that markMortgage rates have hit 7%–the highest in 21 years!In the 1800s, Oregon passed three Black exclusionary laws, prohibiting Black people from living there or buying property there. I had no idea about this… very upsettingNeurodivergent people make up at least 20% of the populationAn increasing number of mothers, including 2/3 of moms with young children, are breadwinners, and 4 out of 5 Black mothers are the sole or primary provider for their householdsThe prevalence of food allergies increased 50% between 1997 and 2011, according to the CDCMore than 2,400 Swiss women over the age of 64 are suing Switzerland for violating their rights by not doing enough to protect them from climate changeResearchers have discovered a new pack of endangered gray wolves in California’s Sierra Nevada, at least 200 miles away from the nearest known pack

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Does gum have plastic in it?” My youngest nephew insisted that it does, so we had to google. And it does. From google: “A key ingredient in most chewing gums is polyvinyl acetate (plastic) which is also used in the production of glue, plastic bags, and bottles. Plastic is the ingredient that makes chewing gum… chewy, and you will find it listed in the ingredients list as gum base.” Um, gross. I think my gum-chewing days are officially over.

What I’m grateful for:

Surviving the first week of kindergarten! I had a really rough time starting kindergarten when I was little and it’s like all those emotions came flooding back as my daughter started this week. She did great and I am slowly recovering from my own stress about it allLots of fun activities lately—going with a friend of mine to another friend’s beautiful wedding, a beach day with my daughter and her preschool buddies, celebrating my nephew’s birthday with a pool/pizza partyMy first great-feeling long run in a while—16 miles this morning! Chicago Marathon is about 8 weeks away

Snapshots:

Hi, it’s me. I was fortunate to attend an old friend’s wedding at the most beautiful Japanese gardens. Beach playdate with the preschool crowd the day before kindergarten started. Lots of these guys in the yard right now. Lots of foggy mornings lately, but there was some sky on this morning’s run. Started a new puzzle. Cats are still obsessed with sitting on it.

The post Weekly Roundup: August 18, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: August 11, 2023

It’s been a rough week. I’ve been glued to the news about the Maui fires and feeling so sad for everyone there. Maui is such a special place and I’ve been lucky enough to be a frequent visitor for years. The locals there rely so much on tourism for their livelihood and I worry about that. I know they will rebuild, but they need help. Read here for ways you can help. Now, on to the roundup…

Quote of the week:
“It is not possible to develop the capacity to see beauty without developing also the capacity to see ugliness, for they are the same capacity. The capacity for joy is also the capacity for pain. We soon find that any increase in our sensitiveness to what is lovely in the world increases also our capacity for being hurt. That is the dilemma in which life has placed us. We must choose between a life that is thin and narrow, uncreative and mechanical, with the assurance that even if it is not very exciting it will not be intolerably painful; and a life in which the increase in its fullness and creativeness brings a vast increase in delight, but also in pain and hurt.” –Philosopher John Macmurray

What I’m reading:
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck. It is so unique and beautiful. A real delight.

What I’m listening to:
The Forgotten Girls: A Memoir of Friendship and Lost Promise in Rural America by Monica Potts. Very interesting and heartbreaking in many ways.

What I’m watching:
I finally finished Season One of The Morning Show. Ended up thinking it was good and well-done. I just can’t do the time commitment of series. That said, I’m watching The Bear and this is a series I CAN do (short episodes are my jam). I have two episodes left of Season 2 and I’m sad to be done soon.

Writing news:
Nothing to report! I have jotted down ideas for poems and that’s about it.

Interesting things I learned this week:

The Hawaii fire is already the second-deadliest US wildfire in the last century (and will likely become the deadliest after search and rescue efforts conclude)Tourism is the lifeblood of Maui’s economy: $4 of every $5 the island generates comes directly or indirectly from tourism, according to the Maui Economic Development Board. Tourism accounts for 75% of all private-sector jobs in MauiThe Lahaina banyan tree is the oldest living banyan tree on earth at 150 years (it appears to be still standing from footage I’ve seen. It’s scorched, so survival is TBD)Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in May–December of 2021 show that mothers spent the hourly equivalent of a full-time job caring for children over the course of that year while working a paid position at the same timeMothers who spend all day with their children produce more cortisol (aka stress hormone) than 98% of the world’s paying professionsSimon & Schuster was sold to KKR, a private equity firm, for $1.62 billionA Texas judge has ruled that doctors can intervene to save pregnant women’s lives and preserve their health without risking criminal penalties, exempting them from the state’s abortion ban (phew)The number of workers aged 75 and older is expected to grow by 96.5% in the US by 2030, and nearly half of all families in the United States have zero retirement savingsA 2019 report published by the People’s Policy Project in collaboration with the Gravel Institute stated that over the course of one year, the average American works more hours than the average worker in any other peer nation84% of voters support paid leave, according to a 2021 survey by Paid Leave for All Action Only 18.4% of American households follow a traditional, nuclear family structure, according to a 2021 report by the Center for American ProgressThe FDA has approved the first pill for postpartum depression (such great news–read here)ASICS (the shoe brand) is an acronym for the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano (translated as “a sound mind, in a sound body”) Iowa, Kentucky, and Texas had the highest graduation rates in the country in 2020, with each graduating an average of 94% of its students; Arizona was the lowest (74%)

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“nose picking Covid.” I saw a click-bait headline about a study that found that nose picking increases risk of Covid. I had to investigate further because I really could not believe they spent research dollars on this. But they did! And it turns out your risk of Covid increases 280% if you pick your nose. So…don’t.

What I’m grateful for:

My older dog is still kickin’! We thought we would have to say goodbye this week (second time in a couple months when I thought that), but he is back to good after some antibiotics for an infectionThe end of preschool and beginning of kindergarten! I LOVED my daughter’s preschool so it’s sad to end that chapter, but we are so excited for kindergarten (starts this coming week)! Wind chimes. Small touch, big effect

Snapshots:

My daughter said I looked pretty and should take a selfie. I complied. My idea of a fun weekend. Took this while walking my daughter to visit her new school. Yoga sessions become playing-with-dog sessions.

The post Weekly Roundup: August 11, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.