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.