I love the idea of continuing these – and trying to do updates on a weekly basis does not feel at all sustainable. Going to try a monthly cadence and see how that does
1. Trekking the Parks. Z and I went up to Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks. We lucked out on timing, arriving in between two storm systems – meaning that the road between the parks was open and we had two days of gorgeous weather and that the hour detour we made to pick up chains was completely unnecessary.
It’s hard to describe how breathtaking it is up there, so I’ll drop in a few photos instead.
2. Work-trade program: retiree edition. My dad spent two weeks here helping out with things around the house. It was lovely to have him here, and Z had a blast. He and I worked together to prep the patch of weeds Z claimed for their garden spot – I removed the weeds, he did everything else. He also helped me put together the library kit that had been sitting in a box for two months, so now the Capitol Street Stairs has a library box.
3. Get off my lawn. I’ve started buying cayenne pepper in bulk to mix in with my birdseed. My eyes water and I sneeze like crazy every time I refill the feeder, but the squirrel is finally leaving it alone.
4. Socially non social. Even though I host a bunch of events, I’m fairly introverted. Meeting new people can be exhausting. This last weekend, I brought a waffle iron to the parenting brunch and alternated between making waffles in the kitchen while talking to 1 or 2 people, and wandering into the mixer proper and being more host-like. It may be my new favorite way to socialize.
5. The Cats of Eldritch House. We have a new addition to the roster. I’m calling this one Tiny Tuxedo. And we lost the Princess, who got sick and Houdini’d out of the front porch where I had locked her in to keep an eye on her. She hasn’t come back, and I haven’t been able to find her in any of the usual spots. I keep hearing stories from people about cats who do things like this and show up a month later, so I’m still holding out some hope that she returns.
Links & Things
We’ve been rocking our National Parks Pass, thanks to every kid outdoors. It’s super easy, you just answer a few questions – but make sure you print the paper form! Not all parks will take it if you have a PDF or other electronic version.
People sometimes ask what I do for work, and I say that I work with refugee. I’ve not been a fan of the NY Times lately, but this article was spot on.