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).

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