Week 32

A good breakfast
On Sunday, we got brunch with a side of sunshine at Italia with my folks. I must save up my money to go there for dinner, but brunch is truly the way to do it. I got an omelette with arugula pesto, homemade mozzarella and veggies. Divine.

Helmet hair don't care

August selfie
We went out for a cooler, shorter ride than the previous Sunday, but this time Joel convinced me to try a big hill at the end. I got nauseous and had to pull off just before the top, and told Joel to quit telling me what was around the next corner (I'd rather not know the continued agony that awaits). But I did it and the downhill was delightful. And then, of course, was the quick ride uphill back into the neighborhood. Moral of the story: I didn't die.

Milestones
My niece heads to college in a few weeks, so Sunday was a proper celebration of the years that brought us to this moment as we celebrated her high school graduation and the next big chapter. It had been awhile since I'd been to a "kid's party" at my brother's house, and it kind of caught me off-guard as I thought back to all we've celebrated there since the kids were young. I feel so lucky to be the aunt who lives in town, and I mustn't take any of it for granted.

I caved
One of things I've looked forward to most this month, especially due to the lack of it over the past couple months, is roadtripping. For years, we've had to burn discs if we wanted to listen to podcasts, and in recent years we just haven't had the time or energy or blank CDs to do it, so we end up listening to the same old CDs or random radio stations across Washington and Idaho. In celebration of our first roadtrip together this summer, I surprised Joel by taking my car in for a stereo upgrade with an aux input and bluetooth. It's the most basic model I could get, but it is making all the difference. Hallelujah. (While I waited for the installation, I hung out with the fish and birds at Northwest Seed & Pet nextdoor.)

They squawked like mad and then got quiet when I took their picture

Listening
Now that I have that new stereo, I am listening to podcasts again. This week was Malcolm Gladwell's latest season of Revisionist History. His writing style has always felt a touch manipulative to me, but his subjects are fascinating and memorable, so I'm ultimately a fan.

Watching
It was funny to observe our nephews getting into The Office this summer during various visits (and hear them quote Michael and Dwight), and this week it happened to be on our TV quite a bit, too. I'm not mad about it.

Tourist in my own town
I had a rough day at work on Wednesday, but it ended up being one of the most enjoyable evenings I've had in awhile. We got dinner at Biscuit Wizard and a beer at Black Label at Saranac Commons. While there, we ran into an old friend and his new dog. From there, Joel headed to Spanish club and I took a leisurely walk down Main Street to Auntie's in the sweltering heat and relished each step. I found a book I'd been wanting to read, and another I immediately knew I needed in my life, both used and therefore less expensive. After purchasing them, I walked across the street to the Davenport Grand rooftop lounge in time for a smoky sunset. There we reconvened and headed home again. It was just what I needed, letting the evening lead me, and feeling like summer wasn't slipping by just quite yet.

Rooftop reading

Reading
I picked up Walker Percy's Lancelot at the library recently and started it this week. It was totally one of those library moments when every book calls my name simply by its placement on a featured shelf. I read the first page and was drawn in by the narration right away, having known nothing about this book or other in advance.

Recipes
Another one of those weeks. My highlight was another baked potato (with cottage cheese, chopped corned beef, green onions) and two beautiful rounds of fruit salad a la Joel (with fresh mint from the garden).

Making/Doing
I took a week off from this to reenergize for next week.

Priest Lake
That's where we are! Photo proof (I'm sure) to come.