Whatnot | Book Chatter

The Neighborhood It’s been warm. About 104. Not horrible if you can get most of your errands and walks done early. The pup and I try to take our walk at 7:30 a.m. As you can see from the photo, it’s nice and shady for a good chunk of our walk. She tends to dawdle though so sometimes it’s quite warm by the time we return.

I have quite a bit going on this week. Two in-person meetings in the evening which in and of itself is not much but more than I am used to these days. Plus, my daughter and I share a car right now so I will have to figure out the ride situation since she will still be at work by the time I need to leave.

I am surprised at how early some schools are starting this year. I have two friends whose kids have started already! I mean, they started in July! That is unheard of. I started to see first day of school pics and my brain imploded. I know it’s a stressful time too because some states are not requiring masks for those young students and of course they are unvaccinated. This has caused a lot of anxiety for some of my friends. I pray that these littles stay safe!

As for me. I got that memo about a return to work but never any details so I suppose I will be back in some form in September. I hope PJs and yoga pants are acceptable. I kid you, but I am also dead serious. I lost the Covid-19 (pounds) that I gained over the past year and a half but I do not care to go shopping for clothes and it would be weird to wear the same things I had when I left work so long ago. Like, time stopping. Anyone else in the same boat? Does anyone even care what I look like?

This past Monday I reviewed The Paper Palace. It is a Reese pick and once again, a solid pick it was. It was very good but a very tough subject. I included a trigger warning for sexual abuse so be aware of that going in. I am now almost done with Where The Truth Lies and hope to have the review up by this Friday.

I keep putting it off but I really need to have a list of dorm essentials by the end of this week. I know lists exists and the school even sent one but I want to keep it trim since the idea of moving all her stuff out and back every semester gives me hives. Not easy to do from afar.

I hope you are all doing well and that your reading is great. I am getting excited for fall and crossing all my fingers that the R.I.P. Challenge happens.

Cotton candy sky. It has been a little humid and cloudy where I am but not bad at all. There’s even been rain in some places, just not by me. The clouds make for a spectacular sunset though.

How have you been? I opened up my work inbox this week to a “return to work” memo. I was offered hybrid flexibility but it’s the week that I am moving my daughter to Missouri, which I guess they forgot about so I will ponder that scenario and try to figure out a schedule that works best all around. I have so many feelings about it. They announced the other day that the state of California will require state workers to be vaccinated and since I work for a State university that means us. As you know, I got the jab so I am good but I would say about 25% of staff have not. I have no idea about the students. It would be nice to see people but the commute is such a nightmare. Since the shutdown, they put in an Amazon fulfillment center along my route home so there is even more traffic now. I will start queuing up my podcasts in preparation.

Reading has been going really well. Count The Ways, which I will have reviewed by this Friday was just too good. I know I keep talking about it but it was THE book of the summer for me. It’s not even what I would call a summer read. It’s just really good storytelling and I want everyone to read it. I am now reading The Paper Palace which is the current Reese pick. It’s pulling me in but it started off a little on the crude side. Not a big deal but I actually checked my Kindle copy to make sure I was in fact reading the right book.

My son is still living between two locations in Kansas because the house he is supposed to be in, still needs some work but it’s coming along. His apartment is about a 1/4 of a mile away, so not far. He picks up a rental car today. He’s been without a rental because we had to wait for the dealer to officially submit his repair claim and that has finally been done.

Want to see the space he will be transforming into a community arts center? This is in St. John, Kansas. This is their “downtown”.

Kansas

There will be contractors to manage the actual renovation but he is there to re-imagine how the space will be used and come up with ideas for community gatherings. As you can imagine, he has plenty to do.

You all had such good suggestions for my daughter’s room sorting. She wanted to do it on her own and for the most part, did. She didn’t tackle her closet filled with dolls and tea sets but I suppose I can do that later. I do like a good organization project.

I’ve not been watching anything besides the Olympics here and there. Instead, I hole up on my living room couch, under a blanket with the AC cranked, tucked into whatever book I am reading at the moment. Before the pandemic I never spent any time there but it’s become my little reading nest. The Pup joins me there too.

I hope you are all doing well and reading something great. If so, let me know.

Chatting with friends about books and life…