tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70192057869525753502024-03-13T06:04:32.233-04:00Greatest Escapista blog by Kate KaputSuburban Sweethearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014426590429844380noreply@blogger.comBlogger1608125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-3650838964298512782024-03-01T00:35:00.006-05:002024-03-01T00:35:45.293-05:00What I'm Watching<img border="0" data-original-height="1998" data-original-width="3319" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQM8x_8H0LQvfPD9furoQpxS8unY8hNPY6neVb7Kuvva5UDhSniH9Lo-14eKq0ghlHXnzQAuZeJ4qvtsXhy_Usz5cvWMMTJhyJTBCwYRactZM_2UvU2LQ8gxDFM5kPw35EKfnXq6PQt9pSD-e4p3HINiFQU9uZyVJn0KlxlMocAYHRj-mR51OvXvyKuV8/w640-h385/IMG_9350.jpg" width="640" /><br /><p>A very long writers' strike, followed by a very long actors' strike, meant a very long while without any new TV shows. Agonizing, I know! When there was nothing new to watch, I turned to some older content, and now that things are starting to come back, I'm thrilled to be catching up on all things new.<br /> <br />I've dived right back into the entire Dick Wolf universe (all three <i>Law & Order</i> shows, plus <i>Chicago Med </i>and <i>Chicago PD</i>), the return of <i>The Rookie</i>, and the current season of <i>The Bachelor </i>(which is great). But I've added some new things to the mix, too! Here's what else I've been loving.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/asset/tv/the-traitors/7658497932373259112" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Traitors</span><br /></a>Is there anyone who <i>isn't</i> watching <i>The Traitors</i> at this point?! I'm not normally one for competition shows, but this one is just so <i>fun</i>. It brings together a supergroup of reality TV stars from various shows, all competing in a glorified game of Mafia in a Scottish castle. Oh, and the host is Alan Cumming, who wears lots of flowing capes and fanciful hats. <i>(Peacock) </i><br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/swat/"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">S.W.A.T.</span></i><br /></a></b>I've loved this one for a while, and I was <i>so</i> excited for it to come back, especially because it was very nearly unceremoniously axed amid the writers' strike. It's incredibly cheesy and unrealistic and probably poorly acted, but I'll be damned if the theme music doesn't hype me up every single time. Come for Shemar Moore's Hondo, stay for Street, Tan and Deacon. <i>(Paramount+)</i></p><p><b><a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/a6fcfa83-580b-4c82-9362-75a4e97eb665" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Will Trent</span></i><br /></a></b>This show didn't particularly appeal to me, so I don't know why I started watching it, but I sure am glad I did. Ramon Rodriguez plays Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; his childhood friend and on-again/off-again love interest Angie Polaski is played by Erika Christensen (<i>Swimfan</i>!!!!!!!). <i>(Hulu)</i><br /> <br /><i><b><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/70180080" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Six Feet Under</span><br /></a></b></i>I'm not yet done with this one because I had to take a break for a bit (a little too serious for me!) but I'm really glad that I finally started this early 2000s hit about a family that runs a funeral home. One of the stars is Michael C. Hall, though, who I only know from <i>Dexter</i>, so I confess that I keep expecting sweet David Fisher to heinously murder someone...<i> (Netflix)</i><br /> <br /><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81426967" target="_blank"><b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Life with the Walter Boys </span></b><br /></a>I expected to hate this cheesy show about country bumpkins, but when the first season ended, I was <i>desperate</i> for more. It's based on a YA book about Jackie, a teen who moves from NYC to a farm to live with family friends after her parents and sister die in a car accident. Once she arrives, she... falls in love with two of the family's teenage sons? I don't know, man, it was terrible and I loved it. <i>(Netflix)<br /></i><i> <br /><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81249731" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Boo, Bitch</span></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></i>I was thrilled to see Lana Condor in something new, and while this was a sort of absurd little show, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The premise is that two high school friends, Erika and Gia, find Erika's body... and surmise that she has died and become a ghost. She starts living her best high school life before she crosses over, and hijinks, of course, ensue. Ridiculous but fun. <i>(Netflix)</i><br /><br /><b><i><a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/yellowjackets/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Yellowjackets</span></a></i></b><br />I don't know when this macabre show is coming back, but I'll be waiting with bated breath. I've watched season one three times and am on my second rewatch of season two. When a private plane carrying a teen girls' soccer team crashes in the Canadian wilderness, they must do whatever they can to survive. It flashes back and forth between their 1990s storyline and the present day. <i>(Showtime on Paramount+)<br /></i><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/45d67197-5346-4adb-9d90-6ed2d7b7bd85" target="_blank">Masterchef</a></span></i><br />Mike wanted to watch <i>Kitchen Nightmares</i>, but<i> </i>it felt too mean for me, so this show (which I used to watch back in my New Hampshire days!) was our compromise. We started with the most recent season, then went back and watched three more; we didn't watch them all, but we accidentally spoiled a few. Honestly, I was sort of devastated to run out of seasons because this competition show for home cooks is just a joy to watch.<i> (Hulu)<br /></i><i><span> <br /><a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/83bba4b7-9576-4a5a-90d2-4614c62a62b7" style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Next Level Chef</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></i>When we ran out of seasons of <i>Masterchef</i>, we started on this show, another from FOX that's also hosted by Gordon Ramsay, along with Richard Blais and Nyesha Arrington (both former <i>Top Chef</i> contestants). It's got an interesting premise: 15 chefs, 1 building, and three kitchens of varying levels of prestige. With each dish they make, they move up or down a level, to a better or worse kitchen. <i>(Hulu)<br /> <br /></i><b>Have you seen any of these shows? What are you watching? And what did you mist most during the strikes? Hit me with your best recs! </b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-31574741367892776912023-12-31T00:01:00.002-05:002024-01-27T00:33:56.356-05:002023 in Review: Ups, Downs, and a Lot of In-Betweens<img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1447" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOUYcXj_-qnecz6RxeYfyvT62R8xZgGFMxY6HQZoTJqPxci0lWjopRNkWiBXh2K8VEekRNhPtizkUNobmjZvWV_AaJhC8Dqs2jvJZJqxixynzly1GMB8jaGfYgGKN6Udg5OA_Vbr2TdpaAGyoSnEnAY2SBOUd6eVQ-2xGwnSIAHzQpx6r9NBPX4BMnLI/w640-h436/GE%20Main.jpg" width="640" /><br /><p>Honestly, these recaps probably aren't really for anyone but me at this point because, like... who's reading these? But still, they feel valuable to me <span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">—</span> so valuable, in fact, that I'm finally completing this post at the end of January 2024, having failed to finish formatting it sooner, and I'm backdating it to December 2023, just for posterity's sake.<br /><br />Usually I break down my year-end recaps by month, but this time around, I went down a slightly different path. It's turned out to not be my favorite format, and I probably won't use it again, but rather than rewriting this one, I'm just going to say <i>to heck with it</i> and get it online already.<br /> <br />Here's what happened in 2023.<br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="1019" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WCAUWg_d429WzY3_AcByUZWDignwgWAxOEv4p3y1ADkHAV9z2mHHGfLgDrfjx4qXzA3mDFiiGirGUVqcQ4tWV1DZ-1WNC0250wVx3iQ9AbWlSU8Wn9qgcoxPVRR-w-r1YuV2dgSw2A8oTr7QB8X7dPvMZKNJkHtvwSxoGrrDAuQYe7MjJAVn0uMPOq4/w640-h312/GE%20Adoption.jpg" width="640" /></p><b><span style="font-size: large;">We were approved to become adoptive parents. </span></b><div> </div><div>Mike and I completed our adoption paperwork and were officially approved to adopt. We've since started working with multiple adoption agencies, and our profile was presented to a few birth mothers, though we weren't chosen. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvpwuvhJSVc/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">shared the news</a>, we were bowled over by the love and support we received from friends and strangers alike. We're hopeful that we'll start our family soon. (PS, if you know of anyone who is pursuing an adoption plan, we hope you'll keep us in mind. <b><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60d3873571dde10bce0e10b1/t/649b298ee4d91039d35a818f/1687890320740/KateMike_AdoptionProfileBook.pdf" target="_blank">Here's our photobook</a></b>.)</div><div><br /></div><div> <img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="1017" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDkzYhMyNeejMg5_yYYJgNKBi6v8g-xg_TBvZnIS9fmJSKuWHOkUv3M27XX3gTtfOYdN-udqKJpvZ04PEQyVNPx7rr_N5yGYRlzNWSDMv3oHshgY-mY7D0dNqsi_dkG3O6k0D2UW-3y0fr9hAoij6PqFZnE1Gt8BzJgbwE7IIBy9oogljbf-XMbQb3Q8/w640-h210/GE%20Family.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></div><div> </div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">We spent quality time with family. </span></b></div><div> </div><div>We were lucky to spend a lot of time with our family this year. At the start of the summer, my aunts came up for a weekend so they could see our house, and we spent <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs1XD9RpeLl/" target="_blank">a beautiful day</a></b> at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. We also hosted a backyard pizza dinner for my dad's side of the family so they could see our house. <div><div> <br /><div>In August, we <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv6fMtxuxsL/?img_index=1" target="_blank">traveled to Portland, OR</a></b>, for vacation and for the <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0LIFtSAiDe/" target="_blank">beautiful, joyful wedding</a></b> of my exchange student sister, Anielis. Then, in November, we traveled to Hilton Head, SC, to spend a quick but relaxing <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0UnhcbJJF1/" target="_blank">Thanksgiving holiday</a></b> with my family.</div><div> </div><div>Christmas was also full of family. We <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1GXsemgy-8/" target="_blank">drove to Nashville</a></b> to spend a few days with Mike’s sister and their parents. Then we spent Christmas Eve with my dad's family and Christmas Day with Mike's aunt and uncle.</div></div><div> </div><div>One more thing, and speaking of family, this is a big one: I met my half-sister for the first time. It's a story for another day, but suffice it to say that it was a truly wild moment, and it has turned into a really beautiful friendship for which I'm so grateful. <br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="1017" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxgNjTeF-pX9tHyciNw9enyByS-KNClHUim25if0yizecOR-3rkOySzdI2QGJpnDFRyFtEkUMaViKNfeWwyCexosDV5lS8rB4toAuWaPv1PsMJUc9uz0LjA6xFFoujfXDXQ2wQ8z6J52XpzV3rW82ySk84LRsZ_ClHEaNg0L30FOR4XJoryE-IMtfeCM/w640-h210/GE%20Travel.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></div><div><p></p></div><div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Friends visited us, and we visited friends.</span></b></div><div> </div><div>In January, I met up with some of my best friends for <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnj8f2fLjsI/?img_index=1" target="_blank">a rainy girls' weekend</a></b> in Berkeley, CA, and though we barely got to leave the house, it was a joy just to be together. In May, I traveled to New Orleans for my friend Emily’s <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CsXNpnjpGv7/" target="_blank">belated bachelorette weekend</a></b> after hers was canceled in 2020.</div><div> </div><div>In June, we drove to upstate New York (practically Vermont!) to celebrate the wedding of our friends Ashley and Cody. In December, we spent 24 hours in Pittsburgh, visiting our friends Nick and Susan and <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0aRWAqpO0S/" target="_blank">checking out a <i>Home Alone</i>-themed bar</a></b> that made me, like, <i>the happiest ever</i>.</div></div><div> </div><div>We hosted visitors, too. When our friends Adam and Kristina <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwwOzNhAk7w/?img_index=1" target="_blank">came to visit</a></b> from Philly, we took them to as many fun places as we could within a very short time. My old roommates, Jason and Gavi, also stayed overnight as they drove from Chicago to their new home in New York.<br /> <br /><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="1017" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCTiNmnafpwfBSrcz04ARPl1RRmTT-xJs4mT8KvVBI8Xt9e5ihVytYLdTY5lR8nUkFfRhC_OjKEhoMGjGRG-PsptiBY6Xtc16_H49mLA3vlBD3IOsDyRfgrgJ8b4xW1oEStsa8N-GYMvw_QftDMTAJKSk7L8Q0ojMFo06mcTTYanY75em1Lyj8N59O40/w640-h210/GE%20Professional.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></div></div><div> </div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">I felt proud of my personal successes. </span></b></div><div><b> </b></div><div><div>I made more money <b><a href="https://katekaput.journoportfolio.com/" target="_blank">freelancing</a></b> than I ever have before, adding three new outlets to my regular-ish, rotating roster. I don't necessarily do it for the money; I genuinely love it. But the money sure doesn't hurt, you know? <br /> <br />My biggest story of the year was writing <i>Cleveland Magazine</i>'s Best Restaurants feature, <b><a href="https://clevelandmagazine.com/food-drink/best-restaurants/articles/cordelia-is-clevelands-2023-best-new-restaurant" target="_blank">a profile of Cordelia</a></b>. It was really cool to see my story on the cover and get to celebrate such a great spot... and that piece got the attention of another outlet! <a href="https://www.theinfatuation.com/cleveland/guides/best-restaurants-cleveland" target="_blank"><b>"Best Restaurants in Cleveland,"</b></a> which I then wrote for TheInfatuation.com, was published with little fanfare, but I'm still very excited about it. </div></div><div> </div><div>I'm frustrated that I didn't quite hit all the goals I'd hoped to this year at my day job, but I did do well enough to receive a small raise. I also had the opportunity to attend the <b><a href="https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/events/marketing-artificial-intelligence-conference" target="_blank">Marketing AI Conference</a></b>, aka MAICON, with some of my colleagues, where I got to watch both my boss <i>and </i>my husband present from the big stage and deepen my understanding of AI for writers.<br /> <br />Finally, toward the end of the year, I was invited to join the <a href="https://rac.org/about-religious-action-center-reform-judaism/commission-social-action-reform-judaism-csa" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism</a> and to participate in the Mandel Symposium, a leadership development program run by the <b><a href="https://www.jewishcleveland.org/" target="_blank">Jewish Federation of Cleveland</a></b>. <br /> </div><div><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="1017" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7TKH5sSIFvfFKN3PAwALLsVq-rygzgNZpqJCM3IL72bZ6ChrqoEN2bUAEPohslnBkKKAlVrPAR-5IZACVB1u3BWLQ8FjOZSm5tZrz3eQafB9sVb-0tv3dFVmj3COkRvNMWRo2grchUbueKeGFytWvLuGnoSONTTiP4KMmwNoesvEaPFM73_Yqdtws9Q/w640-h210/GE%20Boxing.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">I did a lot of boxing.</span></b></div><div> </div><div>Before the first month of the year was up, I <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFdeTzrCM5/" target="_blank">earned my Challenge Coin</a></b>, a rite of passage for boxers who expertly ace a 49-punch combo. I'd been working toward it for more than a year, and it was one of my New Year's resolutions for 2023, so that felt very gratifying.</div><div> </div><div>As the year went on, I <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrAPlhegD_S/?img_index=1" target="_blank">passed Tier 5</a></b> of boxing! And I <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuHuGPmrfdr/" target="_blank">passed Tier 6</a></b> of boxing! And then finally, I passed Tier 7, effectively <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxd5UVTJxoY/" target="_blank">graduating from the program</a></b>. My classmates and I celebrated by eating cake and wearing our boxing robes to a dive bar. <br /> <br />Oh, and in between, I spent a weekend at my alma mater, Kent State, attending <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrbPGyBA0D2/?img_index=1" target="_blank">boxing training camp</a> </b>and learning how to become a trainer. </div><div> <br /><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="1017" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbEfx7PsafCab4WRIO2xALAv8sR8gt43qBTdsH8Sl5uvZKV6K7ksek2bL3EFgRSsGIjQfGyVaZkDynKTzdORrvoI-TOQMArMk2O_H8_JqYVHtlJO6aZadzsbYZJuakMv84ZAGjjsqZIAV0k3UAIRZohrFqYbnDX2c182fHU6pQqmHBgoeS345PSk95kM/w640-h210/GE%20Comfort%20ZOne.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></div><div><span> <br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I pushed myself outside my comfort zone.</b></span></span></div><div><b> <br /></b>Mike and I <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Aso13ARyX/?img_index=1" target="_blank">did a polar plunge</a></b> in the Atlantic Ocean for no apparent reason.<br /> <br />I got up <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzvFo7xAM9c/" target="_blank">on stage at Imposters Theater</a></b> to tell the story of the time I broke my tailbone in college... which was then the basis of comedy sketches performed by a very funny improv troupe.<br /> <br />I did <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1dzw6JA91J/" target="_blank">an outfit-a-day challenge</a></b> with my friend Jenny to try to hone my personal style.<br /> <br />I also got Botox for the first time... with my mom! It hurt a lot more than I expected (needles to the face, <i>of course it hurt)</i>, but I really liked the results. <br /> <br />And I met up with lots of previously Internet-only friends, including <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/meghann_hennen/" target="_blank">Meghann</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/abigail_esh/" target="_blank">Abby</a></b>, and <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rgadoption/" target="_blank">Becca</a></b>.<br /> </div><div><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="1017" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwNwmEbiuLmLlpA_yjif2fPNNXN8DZvSDJL76f0Qmwg506kRmrYa3OFxdPjMBSEON_GGqBZttV20eZIk9EPrhH0QX0e5aH7C3RPs7YOkSCp47EZe_JxWb36RHHtBvDlJzqV9sVPp0Je75mjgps3zshfUWSpdVIVyFVMy1XQx6rsjxxmdjGh5Nnt3biBI/w640-h210/GE%20Fun.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></div><div> <br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">And, of course, I did lots of fun stuff around Cleveland.</span></b></div><div><div> </div><div>My friend Megan had a super-fun <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtHvAICpW2h/" target="_blank">bachelorette party day</a> </b>that included a Tiki Barge and a nightclub in The Flats, which I felt entirely too old for. I <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrMDQSwpffK/" target="_blank">went to Candytopia</a></b> and loved it. And some friends and I <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ConzsgDJiPw/?img_index=1" target="_blank">celebrated Galentine's Day</a></b> by making our own floral bouquets at Blossom Flower Bar, which was very adorable and happy. </div><div> </div><div>Mike and I <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq00DTiJkg5/?img_index=1" target="_blank">visited Daffodil Hill</a></b> at Lake View Cemetary while it was in full bloom. I'm obsessed, and next time I'm taking someone who has more patience for taking photos.<br /> <br />And as usual, I ate lots of good food and found some new favorite places, like <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxZvafRgYct/" target="_blank">Abundance</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpl_gRoLuRY/" target="_blank">Cordelia</a></b>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpS_XPxpYZd/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Jaja</a>, <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0NriygA7WX/?img_index=1" target="_blank">Patron Saint</a></b>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-Sy_IrvzI/?img_index=1" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Ready Set Coffee</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6WIbGpW93/?img_index=1" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Floressa</a>, to name a few.<br /><br />There was plenty more that happened this year, and I documented it less than ever. But it was a good year, a hard year, a busy year, a hopeful year. May the coming year be even better. </div><div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-227730957716811692" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #242424; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 710px;"><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How was your year? What are you looking forward to in 2024? <br /> <br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you want to read past year-in-review posts, check out </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2011/12/you-know-what-they-say-about-pictures.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2011</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2012/12/navel-gazing-at-its-finest-year-in.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2012</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2013/12/maybe-this-year-will-be-better-than-last.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2013</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2015/01/top-this-2015-quick-look-back-at-2014s.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2014</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2015/12/bold-statement-i-think-2015-was-best.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2015</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2016/12/2016-in-review-look-at-year-everyone.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2016</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2017/12/2017-in-review-globally-awful-but.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2017</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2018/12/looking-back-on-2018-good-year-really.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2018</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2019/12/year-in-review-ok-2019-that-was-lot.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2019</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2020/12/2020-summary-in-which-i-try-not-to-be.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2020</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2021/12/2021-in-review-better-year-kinda-maybe.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2021</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, and <a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2022/12/2022-in-review-honestly-kind-of-lot.html" target="_blank">2022</a>, along with </i><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2019/12/from-2010-to-2019-recapping-decade.html" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">my overall recap of the 2010s</a><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</i></span></p></div></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><b></b></ul><p></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-73445321654940274852023-11-26T18:09:00.003-05:002023-11-26T18:13:10.191-05:00Seven Things on a Sunday<img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="1012" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb0BCHoSF1iqQgIg5tT4XdVncn_Asa6fDcgdx0hADe3I6v04hUODudfXg4f9QchPs8z0MhJHcDiLpTMoH71KNP0Z6fSmvVcjheG6VR7ZbNemEA8K-DhFEnFZYwJP_vgze7PL9PSx0OW4VC9Hvku3Ct0xkc8Q3W09afq8VSoxJL2HY8i4vn__haWspmrc/w640-h276/GE%20HHI.jpg" width="640" /><br /><div><br /></div><div>How was your Thanksgiving? We spent it in Hilton Head, S.C., with my extended family. My aunt and uncle own a vacation rental home there that we have been fortunate to use for the holiday each year. It's always nice to spend time with them... and just as nice to get home and usher in the winter holiday season.</div><div><br /></div><div>This post is a riff on "Three Things Thursday," a series that <a href="https://stephanywrites.com/" target="_blank"><b>Stephany</b></a> does sometimes, where she picks 10 categories and shares three things that fit into each of them for her right now. It's a fun way to share recommendations, random thoughts, and some life tidbits, though I've instead chosen seven categories because, well, I like alliteration. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here goes.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three podcasts I'm listening to </span></b></div><div><ol><li><b><a href="https://www.hartman.org.il/program/for-heavens-sake-podcast/" target="_blank">For Heaven's Sake: Israel at War</a></b> is a podcast from the Shalom Hartman Institute, hosted by its president, Rabbi Donniel Hartman, with Yossi Klein HaLevi, author of <i>Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor. </i>In this difficult, emotional, traumatic time, this podcast is one of the things that's keeping me grounded and helping me figure out my feelings. </li><li><b><a href="https://www.whoweekly.us/" target="_blank">Who? Weekly</a> </b>is a long-beloved celebrity gossip podcast that I somehow didn't start listening to until recently. Wanting to do things right, I started from the very first episode... in 2016. That means I'm still working my way through years-old D-list celebrity gossip; I just hit 2020. </li><li><b><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unsub-is-a-white-man/id1579375836" target="_blank">The Unsub Is a White Man</a> </b>is an episode-by-episode recap of the TV show <i>Criminal Minds</i>, hosted by two friends and coworkers who just... you know, recap the show. And make fun of it. And try to decide whether it was ever really any good. </li></ol></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three things I’m looking forward to </span></b></div><div><ol><li>I've got a few <b>holiday parties</b> to go to this year, all in a row, including my work gathering, Mike's work dinner, and one for alumni of the Rekindle Black/Jewish Fellowship here in Cleveland. I'm also going to go to the Hanukkah menorah lighting on the West Side. </li><li>We're headed to <b>Pittsburgh</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>for a weekend, sort of a belated anniversary gift to ourselves and to visit our friends Nick and Susan, who I haven't since since before the pandemic. And we're going to a <i>Home Alone-</i>themed pop-up bar!</li><li>Mike's family is going to <b>Nashville for Christmas</b>, and though he and I aren't staying for the holiday itself, we decided to go for a few days beforehand. His sister has lived there since 2019, and I've never been to visit, so I'm really looking forward to it. </li></ol></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three apps I'm using a lot</span></b></div><div><ol><li>I've been using <b><a href="https://fetch.com/" target="_blank">Fetch</a></b> for a few months now to rake in rewards by uploading receipts. You get actual gift cards in return. (Use code 4E9W73 to join and get 500 points free.) </li><li>I use the <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/apps" target="_blank">NYT Games</a></b> app every day to play Wordle, then Connections, then Spelling Bee; every once in a while, I'll go in and play weeks' worth of Crosswords, too. </li><li>I still don't feel like <b><a href="https://www.threads.net/" target="_blank">Threads</a></b> has replaced Twitter in any satisfying or lasting way, but I'm also accepting that Twitter is dead. So I guess Threads is helping numb the pain? </li></ol></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three books I'm reading </span></b></div><div><ol><li><i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3sGHl3S" target="_blank">The Night In Question</a> </b></i>by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson is the second in a short series of YA mysteries about two unlikely friends who team up to get to the bottom of their classmates' mysterious deaths.</li><li><i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/49NOPCI" target="_blank">How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion</a></b> </i>by David McRaney is one of the most interesting books I've ever read. It's not an exaggeration to say that it's changing my life. </li><li><i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/47w9s4H" target="_blank">Radically Content: Being Satisfied in an Endlessly Dissatisfied World</a></b></i> by Jamie Varon is half memoir and half self-help book, not the type I would typically read. But I used to know(ish) the author, whose book is being made into a Netflix series, so I wanted to check show some love. </li></ol></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three recent purchases </span></b></div><div><ol><li><b><a href="https://bit.ly/46yaYlu" target="_blank">Nike Air Force 1 Wilds</a> </b>were my big Black Friday gift<b> </b>to myself, even though there was no coupon for them. I did get 12% back from <b><a href="https://www.rakuten.com/r/SKBIGA?eeid=45830" target="_blank">using Rakuten</a></b> to purchase them! </li><li>I've been wanting to try faux leather pants, so I grabbed the <b><a href="https://bit.ly/47tYxbX" target="_blank">PU Leather Wideband Waist Leggings</a></b> from Bloomchic for just $23. I'm always surprised by the quality of their clothes. </li><li>Have you ever heard of a <a href="https://bit.ly/3sQ2EzY" target="_blank"><b>Rocketbook</b></a>? I like taking notes by hand but of course never want to translate them into tye afterward, so I bought myself one of these reusable notebooks, which does it for me.</li></ol></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three items on my to-do list</span></b></div><div><ol><li>The trees in our yard are finally almost bare, but I need to <b>rake the flowerbeds </b>before it snows... which is supposed to happen tomorrow night! Woof, home ownership. </li><li>I've been cleaning up and trying to <b>get rid of things</b> (a neverending task), and I've got three bags of stuff ready and waiting to be taken to Savers. The sooner I can get rid of it, the better.</li><li>I rearranged my office and moved the daybed that had been in here. We're going to <b>move the Peloton</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>in here to make way for a crib in the future nursery and inspire me to start riding again.</li></ol><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Three things I'm proud of</span></b></div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Before the holiday, Mike <b>finished the last of our adoption agency applications</b> (for now, anyway), which means we're officially in the thick of the waiting process and hopefully better positioned to become parents soon. </li><li>Last week, I was <b>named to the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism</b>, which is effectively the board of the organization where I used to work. I'm so honored and can't wait to dive into the work. </li><li>I've been <b>doing a lot of freelance writing </b>lately, and I can't wait to see some of my bylines in print! I have three stories in the January issue of <i><a href="https://clevelandmagazine.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Magazine</a></i>, an upcoming piece for Oberlin College and two upcoming food stories for <a href="http://TheInfatuation.com">TheInfatuation.com</a>. </li></ol><div><b>What have you been up to lately? Got any good podcasts to recommend? Or brag on something cool you've done as of late? I wanna hear it! </b></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-31180613234739267832023-11-21T22:24:00.004-05:002023-11-21T22:25:19.150-05:00In a Parallel Universe...<img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1179" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2CLO_lrfIRyaF2B0sWM4mQ2piGWC3NgnPRBaEvr8I46Zyt3TjIGVG4dSb03SwImtXJd_F9aa5Lt5C6bY3ntV6cEm593S78GCRvpQmjlmvhaPxV_9-ckiHRhIzICBkD7_Z4T7BuMy3iFp8IGDsyPlwaqIXw3aEf_HE8LAwxG2NMFoDLky7dIlhhALupg/w640-h496/C25C215C-AA67-424C-8FC6-6C46252E15B2.png" width="640" /><br /><div><br /></div><div>Did you ever read the book <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3GbAGle" target="_blank">Dark Matter</a></b></i> by Blake Crouch? I <i>loved </i>most of it, but I hated the ending so much that I gave it <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1764682056" target="_blank">a very low rating</a></b> on Goodreads and still complain about it to this day. But that's not the point! The point is the concept of the multiverse, of alternate universes and lives and stories and versions of us. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe Matt Haig's <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3QTczfY" target="_blank">The Midnight Library</a></b> </i>is a better example, in which a woman who tries to die by suicide first experiences all the other possible variations on her life, had she made slightly different choices along the way.</div><div><br /></div><div>All the <i><b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120148/" target="_blank">Sliding Doors</a></b></i> versions of her life, if you will. I guess this is a tale as old as time, huh?<br /><br />Anyway. <b><a href="https://www.craftaliciousme.com/in-a-parallel-universe/" target="_blank">Tobia</a></b> recently wrote a post about all of the jobs she might have and lives she might lead in a parallel universe, which got me thinking about what my own might be. Here's what I came up with.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div><br /></div><div>In a parallel universe, I'm a <b>magazine editor</b>. I know, I know, magazines barely exist anymore, but my dream of working for one still does. Every '90s movie seemed to feature magazine editors as the pinnacle of success and prestige, and there's some life in which I am, too.<div><br /></div><div>In a parallel universe, I'm a <b>neuroscientist</b>, studying neuroplasticity and the ways brains work, change and grow. In this life, I'm the opposite of a scientist, with no real understanding of the way bodies function, but there's some version where I put in the work to make this side interest my main focus.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a parallel universe, I'm a <b>marketing executive</b>, maybe at a nonprofit or at some sort of high-powered company. I work all the time and I'm never too far from my email inbox, and I'm probably proud but not particularly happy. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>In a parallel universe, I'm a <b>court stenographer</b>, capturing every word spoken in the courtroom for the sake of posterity and impartiality. I've turned my curiosity about crime and my love of documenting stories into a meaningful career that impacts people's lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a parallel universe, I'm a <b>rabbi</b>, having turned my passion for helping people and giving advice into a higher calling that allows me to provide guidance on a personal and spiritual level. I'm with them for their highs and lows, their good and their bad.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>In a parallel universe, I'm a <b>lifestyle influencer</b>. What lifestyle am I influencing people to have? Listen, I don't know. But in a parallel life, it panned out for me, all the years of blogging and social media use. People know my name, follow my stories, and trust my opinions. </div></div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div><br /></div><div>In this universe, though, I'm just me: professional healthcare writer, prolific freelance writer, sometimes-blogger, mediocre social media user, aspiring future author. I'm pretty happy with the life and career I've built for myself, and I can't imagine it any other way. I hope all those other versions of me are enjoying whichever version of our life they're living! </div><div><br /></div><div><b>In a parallel life, what (or who) might you be? What other versions of you could be out there somewhere, in the ether, and what might they be up to? </b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-52760357928033855762023-11-08T23:15:00.000-05:002023-11-08T23:15:26.369-05:00Why I'm So Obsessed with Acupuncture <img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="2286" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1F-KBaQkPARu4WJgtE4gTn22NpLUFSZ1-xK4WcLtxlsau1xTX7DLamIaz-HmJfGa3Uk8qy-wWZzMesRaRoVOqaZiwpmz-ea-JTeSc79-AyGacCrbhCQN74ffcCmRy47kQvu5o4WrB25fCxbYAGVnd6KD2YwDEQF_YzNWRclzOfHJDdvzF4dVjv6ntZE0/w640-h444/GE%20Acupuncture.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /> <br />The first time I ever got acupuncture, I was living in New Hampshire and experiencing significant back pain. I also happened to have more disposable income than ever before, thanks to the military paying my rent (miss that). I booked an acupuncture appointment on a whim, and I was surprised to find that it was the first thing that ever truly helped relieve the chronic back pain that I’ve dealt with on and off since <b><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2011/06/you-can-do-it-put-your-back-brace-into.html" target="_blank">being diagnosed with scoliosis as a preteen</a></b>.<br /> <br />I eventually left New Hampshire and started paying my own rent, and truth be told, I forgot all about acupuncture and how much I loved it. When I started my current job, though, a coworker recommended a place in Tremont, where I was living at the time. She swore up and down that it was the best acupuncture she'd ever received, so I quickly made an appointment to try it out for myself.<br /> <br />Two years later, I can’t say enough good things about the experience of seeing Fern at <b><a href="https://cleacu.com/" target="_blank">Acupuncture First</a></b>. Her schedule speaks for itself, as she's regularly booked out weeks in advance. That’s how good she is; that’s how relaxing it is; that’s how good it feels.<br /> <br />If you’ve never had acupuncture done before, you might be a little scared about the idea of it. <i>Needles in the skin? No, thanks!</i> Look, I get it. I used to pass out when I had blood drawn. But acupuncture isn’t anything like that. <br /> <br />The needles are solid, not hollow. They're also so hair-thin that, for the most part, you can’t feel them going into your skin. A little bit of a twinge or a tickle every once in a while, maybe, but very, very rarely has one of them actually hurt going in. If it does, Fern quickly remedies the situation by massaging the area or by removing the needle and avoiding that area altogether.<div> <br />Once the needles are in, nothing hurts. I’ve even been known to fall asleep on the table while waiting for her to come back to remove them!<br /> <br />When I was dealing with infertility, she focused on my abdomen; when I’m dealing with allergies, she’ll put a few needles in my forehead, or in between my eyebrows. She's helped me with the foot pain of plantar fasciitis and general back pain and plain old stress. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, she’ll add on <b><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2019/09/i-tried-cupping-maybe-you-should-too.html" target="_blank">a little bit of cupping</a></b>, which feels incredible, even if it leaves me with strange, circular alien marks on my back for a few days afterward. And she always cracks my wrists, which I weirdly love. <br /> <br />
This year, I forgot to sign up for a Flex Spending Account, which I used to use to pay for acupuncture. That means I didn't get it nearly as often in 2023 as I did in 2022... because everyone knows that having an FSA feels like having free money. But never fear! I just signed back up for an FSA in 2024, and I'm champing at the bit to get back to acupuncture ASAP.<br /><br /><b>Have you ever tried acupuncture? And if not... what are you waiting for?!</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-39749800640063491612023-10-30T23:36:00.003-04:002023-10-30T23:38:21.425-04:00If We Were Catching Up Over Coffee...<img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoJ2w7Za6V4KyIOBRXE2JGq2xvJC-0ut8-INcbMzbSPGfdnC9cqIjeIIaUK3ouHfAckU0ARC2HGm0KQLwu6TsqT3NG6cdR1NkQ5p9X62AgYXQqlpXjRkLC-cDrswz5_vbYKrOHJPORZDhj3QWYuylBspb7SH6lUUREt9aeZv4PXfdA_0SVbZtOsP9Bpc/w640-h480/GE0.jpg" width="640" /><p>If we were catching up over coffee, I'd probably still be drinking an iced coffee, even though it's finally gotten chilly. I thiiink I might be one of those people who drinks iced coffee year-round now?<br /> <br />If we were catching up over coffee, I probably wouldn't seem as outgoing or chipper as I usually do. I would only go into it if you asked, though, and even then, with caution. I recently deleted my social media apps for a bit because the Israel/Gaza war has been weighing so heavily on me. Things feel really bad right now, and I'm scared, and it's affecting literally everything.<br /> <br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTExNYEUxxZcUiqcmPYt_uxWvcQtd7aJaaXJTLF8dZWWltnk7G8ySBF6guFAiM05VQJVwGsSfQ2mzW9diVD2ut0tByn1ph8Mxaw6RC0QYsWPnUOt3_aSQ-6aaxFwPcwZf5qxQb8ZAdye-lKNu236oSPLVXZ9FsrK78V0-3N2J4FuA9QNw9cenQ9iE9rs/w640-h480/GE7.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /> <br />If we were catching up over coffee, you might ask me how the adoption process is going, and I'd do my best to update you without inundating you. It's long and slow and arduous and honestly kind of heart-breaking because we just want to be able to become parents but can't rush the process. We are in with two adoption agencies and applying to a few others, and we're just trying to continue to believe that it will happen when the time is right.<br /> <br />If we were catching up over coffee, I'd try to change the topic by telling you about some of the fun things I've been up to lately. I saw both The Jonas Brothers and The Eagles recently (I am a woman of many interests!), and I "graduated" from my boxing program but am still going to classes. One of my best friends recently moved down the street, and I also just went to a two-day work retreat, where I got to see my remote colleagues in person. <br /> <br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmC2aNk0mEy0SfCAX_qD87_ZO4a8eWVIWS8uWni0Mly_xQ4dkkB_J0vPdEcJhx57YQa2oWgY8s7-0FBExCQ8JWt9FDMcHGV0FJ427h2460p1UtVPJVKg8zbMHRwv72_v72NQU8nOo1rpA9RGXpB8ZqFbo8jrhiExrCVkcWCTnFfQCjkztxsQLfGOkXHDE/w640-h480/GE4.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /> <br />If we were catching up over coffee, I might nervously reveal to you that I have been struggling with body image and self-esteem lately, which is, I guess, nothing new, but that doesn't mean it's not still difficult to deal with. I've gained a little more weight, yet again, and I just can't seem to stick to any sort of healthy eating regimen or shake the extra weight even when I do. (Halloween candy isn't helping.)<br /> <br />If we were catching up over coffee, I'd tell you about how I convinced Mike that we should go as Harry and Marv from <i>Home Alone </i>for Halloween. Though he initially felt that I was doing too much in the pursuit of the perfect costumes, I feel that you can never do <i>enough</i> when it comes to Halloween. People really enjoyed our costumes and most importantly, we loved them, which made for a very fun holiday party with friends.<br /> <br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ioKhYtUFjwRoJL0yOVrBjDxV_mnj7xrs0uSYFyzVa8AKhRWTmrW79Ht6Ck7CoFUiwqnEXbpPM19vYEAUSzjYnS95GQdNqXieX1EtUeLFeNR-C1VfJicXEm-7c18XO3hcMaaIvPAP-dG4i22IjhpTdmfy5lb1Lmr92zfn2jilDaLaOSGFEEPRfBLiIhs/w640-h480/GE2.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br />If we were catching up over coffee, I'd tell you that I miss blogging and that I worry that I'm never really coming back to this space. I want to, I mean to, I intend to, but then it always falls by the wayside. I wrote all day every day for my job, and I've been doing a ton of freelance writing, and I'm so grateful for all of it, but it means I don't want to keep sitting at a computer and writing when the day is done.<br /><br />Speaking of writing, if we were catching up over coffee, I might have to leave early to go work on some freelance projects. I'd share how lucky I feel to be overwhelmed with the work, which is something I literally attempted to manifest (do I believe in manifesting? I dunno), but now here it is... overwhelming and overloading me on a regular basis. What a blessing! What a stressor! <br /> <br />Relatedly, did I write this blog post instead of meeting two fast-approaching deadlines? Yes. Yes, I sure did.<br /> <br />Guess that's the end of this coffee date. How are <i>you</i>?</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-41792376638042222722023-09-09T23:33:00.005-04:002023-09-09T23:57:27.654-04:00Pop Culture That's Making Me Happy Right Now<img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="975" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVCf_MnlF2O0_4hiYSwz4aGrd2gjstYJqAMfMXycOWC6Vtv_2j4T_wuyUOUyLfWfLX5K9Vdqf6ozr4JqunCFCaPwxV4Oh9ZWqVtTLlaLG6zImM0AaBmGwhRIDYX6ly3y1p5oj7CgmUAXRFxhmNhOlqVV4P_pbzBhtb3vaZevBaUTzeNxKi9vZgsGftm4/w640-h302/PopCultureGE.jpg" width="640" /><br /> <br />I started to make a list of things that are making me happy, generally, and then I realized just how much of it was media-related. Listen, I know there's more to life than movies and TV and podcasts and books, but they're the things that tend to lift my spirits most — or at least the things that are easiest to identify sometimes. <br /> <br />Hope you can find a recommendation or two in here. And I'd love to hear some of your faves, too! <br /> <br /><a href="https://www.barbie-themovie.com/" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Barbie</span></a><span><br /></span>I finally saw the all-pink film phenomenon whose marketing campaign so relentlessly and cheerfully tortured us all, and it was just as delightful and decadent as expected. It was the first time I'd been to a movie theater since before the pandemic (!), and I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud surprisingly often.<br /><i><b> </b><br /><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/70157131" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Ugly Betty</span></a><span><b><br /></b></span></i>My mom used to watch this show and was constantly recommending it to me, but for whatever reason, it never much interested me. I recently wanted something a little bit light-hearted, so I turned this on, and I was immediately <i>in</i>. Some of it doesn't hold up, in terms of language, terminology, and, of course, jokes, but in terms of vibe? It's timeless.<br /> <br /><a href="https://www.whoweekly.us/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Who? Weekly</span></a><span><br /></span>This is another one that's been recommended to me for a while (though more like months, not years), and I finally got around to starting it. I decided that I needed to start from the beginning... except the podcast started in 2016, which means I'm currently listening to seven-year-old gossip about D-list-and-below celebrities on 1.6 speed... and loving it. <br /> <br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3Rdosza" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Radically Content</span></a><span><br /></span>I used to "know" the author, Jamie Varon, back in the OG blogging days. I always admired her writing and how effortlessly <i>cool </i>she was. It's wild, then, to read this memoir-slash-self-help book about her own experiences and self-esteem issues and massive, intentional emotional overhaul — further proof that we never know what anyone else is really going through. <br /> <br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Godfather-Marlon-Brando/dp/B001GJ19F4" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">The Godfather</span></a><span><br /></span>No, I'd never seen <i>The Godfather </i>before. Yes, I recently watched it for the very first time, and I was surprised to discover how much I loved it. I don't know what I thought it would be like, but it was very <i>Sopranos</i>-esque, so of course I loved it. Young Al Pacino was so hot! I finally get it. We've started watching <i>The Godfather II</i>, but I needed a little intermission. <br /><span> <br /><a href="https://abc.com/shows/the-golden-bachelor" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">The Golden Bachelor</span></a><span><br /></span></span>OK, OK, this new spin on an old reality show hasn't started yet, but I'm really looking forward to watching Gerry Turner, a 71-year-old grandfather from Indiana find love a few years after losing his wife. And as always, I also look forward to listening to two of my favorite podcasts, <b><a href="https://www.theringer.com/bachelor-party" target="_blank">Bachelor Party</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.lovetoseeitpod.com/" target="_blank">Love to See It</a></b>, recap the fun. <br /><span> <br /><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6qCsKKS7Ol63SJW3LOIX5R" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">"Plastic Hearts"</span></a><span><br /></span></span>This song is a few years old, but I started listening to it after I first heard Miley Cyrus's newest song, "Used to Be Young." I love that one, too, but "Plastic Hearts" is just so damn dancy. I discovered it on an afternoon when I'd done a little day drinking at the nearby food truck park, and I just played it on repeat while I tipsily bopped around my kitchen and washed dishes.<br /><br /><div><b>Soooo what have you been watching/reading/listening to these days? Always taking recommendations! </b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-10873322963558748752023-09-03T00:41:00.002-04:002023-09-03T00:41:13.343-04:00We're Trying to Adopt!<img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="1019" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjf20Mx2vgLUK3JXRtUTNzmjX5G0ygmZqQfH3eFKhG_XCkO32dS1vnNu_ZfQL4uxvYZB-9m3jB2wabxX9HNJZeYE0d_WpbD43bzBptPrP0V1uVPigS6OzHdD3cD7Q7DQ6S2-62zj25RcPk45mawfImZxcO4fue5kw4bjwRsybesYTI7uZ0C9GMfzRLaOw/w640-h328/Adoption%20collage.jpg" width="640" /><br /> <br />I've shared this news on Instagram and Facebook, but I might as well share it here, too, even if it feels a little weird, for some reason, to do so.<br /><p><br />Mike and I recently publicly shared that we're going through the adoption process. We started it last summer, soon after it became clear that we probably wouldn’t be able to have biological kids. I still grieve <b><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2021/01/365-days-of-not-being-mom.html" target="_blank">my 2020 miscarriage</a></b>, and receiving my infertility diagnosis was devastating. (I've written about it only in passing <b><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/05/dont-let-psychics-give-you-health-advice.html" target="_blank">here</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/01/my-small-goals-for-january-2023.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>). But we knew we wanted to become parents. <br /><br />Because of the makeup of our own families (stories for another day), we know better than anyone that it’s love, not biology, that makes a family. That made adoption an easy decision. <br /><br />But that certainly doesn't make the process itself any easier. <br /><br />The road to domestic infant adoption is a long, slow, and complex process, and we haven’t even yet gotten to the point where we inevitably experience speed bumps and letdowns and the stress and sadness of scenarios like not being chosen or having an adoption fall through. We know it will continue to be difficult. <br /><br />But we also know that it will be so, so worth it on that day when we finally bring our child home (into the nursery that’s already waiting for them!) <br /><br />We also know that it will take a village. Our request to you, if you’re so inclined to help, is this: If you know of a birth parent who is seeking an adoptive family for their child, please keep us in mind. Though we are on agency waitlists, we are also able to match privately with a birth mother, should someone hear about us and choose us. We have a completed home study and are fully approved to become adoptive parents! <br /><br />Pretty please: Spread the word. Tell a friend. Share our story. <b><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60d3873571dde10bce0e10b1/t/649b298ee4d91039d35a818f/1687890320740/KateMike_AdoptionProfileBook.pdf" target="_blank">Here's our adoption profile</a>.</b> <br /><br />I don’t know how much of the journey we’ll continue to share, as this is an emotionally grueling and intensely private process. But our hopes are high and our faith is deep. <br /><br />Our child will grow up knowing that they’re doubly loved — not just by us, who wanted so badly to become their parents, but also by their birth parents, who made the difficult but loving decision to give them the best life possible. And they’ll know, too, about the friends and relatives and even the complete strangers who were rooting for them and for our family from the very beginning. <br /><br />We’re so ready to become Mom and Dad, and we truly can’t wait to meet the child who will become our whole entire world. Thanks for cheering us on along the way.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-37057368662013867642023-07-17T07:30:00.002-04:002023-07-17T07:30:00.138-04:00What I've Read This Spring and Summer<img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1694" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGShm8ZGQXZjtgYBu_SHvDFlIn7K2bgn8CcOIXsXRTfp1UWTRfImFYlAPRXhwxarbF41mtIi7D7ngweiA3iJ3ZY8d0yLTkRjBE6IB7EkgFdnaCy5Fz8PG-eyd3-zsyUrUEYyFg5hip4FXJUrqkCDt2XHBJG5zGIlccENtiz2XZCxWe0n52RXFxHsdWsM/w640-h384/Books2023.jpg" width="640" /> <br /><p>I haven't posted a books recap since March because I guess I am sort of not really a blogger anymore these days? <i>Ugh, I hate that for me</i>. But I'm always trying to get back into it and not disappear entirely, so here's what I've been reading for the last few months. As you'll see, I've been particularly into one genre in which alllll the books have extremely similar covers, oops. <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3Oe4QsK" target="_blank">The Black Queen</a></i> by Jumata Emill<br /></span></b>Nova is murdered the day before she's supposed to be crowned the school's first Black homecoming queen... and everyone assumes her enemy, the rich, bratty, racist Tinsley, is behind it. I liked the perspective flips between Tinsley and Nova's best friend Duchess and Tinsley, though the former was written to be so mean that it defied reality; I don't love when a character like that exists at all, much less gets a redemption arc. Still, I couldn’t wait to learn how their story ended. ★★★✰✰<br /> <br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3XWgYSH" target="_blank">Missing Clarissa</a></i> by Ripley Jones<br /></span></b>I mostly really enjoyed this book, about two teen BFFs who start a podcast about a girl who disappeared from their hometown two decades again... but <i>wow</i>, was the main character an idiot. Like, it’s one thing to be quirky and offbeat, but Cam was just straight-up not smart in her decision-making — and a bad friend, at that. I far preferred her best friend, the other protagonist, but we didn’t get as much of her. The ending was fairly predictable, but it was a decent read overall.<br /> <br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3rxgAhh" target="_blank">Missing Dead Girls</a></i> by Sara Walters</b><br /></span>Tillie transfers schools and meets Madison before the year even begins, but on the first day of classes, their peers receive a mass text blaming one girl for the death of the other. This book was billed as a thriller, but in reality, it was a love story, a friendship story, and a sort of meandering bit of mystery that just didn't work for me. This book had so much promise, but it simply didn’t deliver, preferring to focus on flowery in-the-moment language over cohesive long-term storytelling. ★★★✰✰<br /> <br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3PZx0cd" target="_blank">No Way Home</a> </i>by Jody Feldman<br /></span></b>This book was terrible bordering on unreadable. I stuck with it only because the <i>idea</i> of it was so good: A teen girl is studying abroad as part of an American/Italian exchange program when the Italian teen staying with her parents FaceTimes her holding a knife to their throat as they sleep. She goes on a wild goose chase set up by her host family, trying to find... <i>what</i>, exactly? No idea. This book was promising in plot but an utter mess in execution. Do not read it. ★★✰✰✰<br /> <br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3NTcVll" target="_blank">Going Dark</a></i> by Melissa de la Cruz<br /></span></b>A college student returns home from a vacation abroad, but his influencer girlfriend doesn't come back with him, and she's never heard from again — or is she? Where could she be, and what has he done? This book got some negative reviews for not being realistic enough in its portrayal of young people online, but for me, now a certified old person, it was an interesting, fast-paced, fun read. It had a mystery twist that I sort of saw coming and sort of never imagined, making it unpredictable enough to be worthwhile. ★★★★✰<br /> <br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3Ogm4pz" style="font-size: xx-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Queen of the Tiles</a><b style="font-size: xx-large;"> by Hanna Alkaf</b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>Najwa is back at her first Scrabble competition since her best friend died — or was murdered? It seemed like a cut-and-dry scenario at the time, but now Najwa is getting messages and riddles from Trina's long-dormant Instagram account. When she pairs up with Trina's ex to try to get to the bottom of things, what they uncover makes Najwa mistrust everyone she thought she knew. A fun read with an impressive vocabulary and a realistic portrayal of the nuances of grief. ★★★★✰<br /> <br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3PTZYKJ" target="_blank">Four Found Dead</a></i><b> by Natalie Richards<br /></b></span>This book was… fine? Weird? Not nearly as good as it could’ve been? In theory, it’s an interesting premise — a bunch of teenagers stuck in an abandoned mall with their murderous boss. But, like… there are only so many descriptions you can take of an abandoned wall and the same teenagers running around it trying to escape said murderous boss. It got really repetitive really quickly, dragging the whole thing on for much longer than it should’ve. ★★★✰ <br /> <br /><i style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://amzn.to/46OPLFr" target="_blank">Nothing More to Tell</a></i><b style="font-size: xx-large;"> by Karen M. McManus</b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>Four years ago, Tripp and two classmates found their teacher's body in the woods. Now, his old friend-turned-enemy Brynn is looking into the case as part of an internship. Though a few reviews say this book has too many characters, I like that about it. Real life has a lot of characters, too, and when books only ever mention a select few, it's easy to predict what’s coming. In this one, the truth of the case was anything but linear, full of moving parts, misdirects, and mini-mysteries within the larger one — a proper, satisfying mystery. ★★★★✰<br /> <br /><i style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3NYlATw" target="_blank">You'll Be the Death of Me</a></i><b style="font-size: xx-large;"> by Karen M. McManus</b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>This isn't my favorite McManus book, but she really knows how to craft a story, and this was no exception. When one-time friends Ivy, Matteo and Cal find themselves skipping school together for an impromptu trip to Boston, they happen upon the scene of a crime and race against time to figure out who killed their classmate. It was all horribly improbable, as McManus's stories often are, but it was still a great read. ★★★★✰<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>What are you reading? Any recommendations for me? </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/katekaput" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(240, 236, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: black; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Follow me on Goodreads</a><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #242424; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> to keep in touch and to see what I've read in months past.</span></div><i style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #242424; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">My "What I Read In..." posts include Amazon affiliate links to the titles I discuss. If you buy a book using one of these links, I will receive a small percentage of the commission. Please don't feel any obligation to use these links, but if you do, it will help me buy more books.</span></i><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-11663750617160691402023-07-10T07:23:00.001-04:002023-07-10T07:23:00.133-04:003 Trips I've Taken So Far This Year (and What's Next)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1347" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqfpJjRev24tyBPgxR5I4RqtKYInBuzmsHM1dMQbHk1AzNBqBW2Z8Cnw49KY76VBvfkrAlxqj_U1zEM5cx8jlL2Ee3NCfN3bVHSSm7ZBVpVLyv57k5nPEXHz3MtyHIBI-SWvQTmrYn4OgLnGj2Z6uqiKzlIcLiVd3mmhQvt8oDg7rrdYjeUPnVntYpWQ/w640-h438/Miss%20You%20Already.jpg" width="640" /></div><p> <br />OK, wow, 2023 is already more than half over? Time flies, et cetera.<br /><br />I've done some traveling lately, which has been a real delight after a whole three years of not going much of anywhere. I haven't done a good job of writing about any of them (which seems to be my new jam, I guess), but I thought I'd take a moment to tell you a little bit about the three "big" trips I've taken so far. They were all great and all worth talking about.<br /> <br /><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="1424" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnbsjrhBV1CrIfvn3qzMwl52c6XDQJzS--RS45BKkThf0eEwcQGLwdMfe5gimPzi8apZpEE_8sM-5mITH-DvsyTVD8Q8smQHzuSw7v9WDtHxtZAArOBLg0mVYv3LjNtvG3ntKcqiWUrhY7LhkYAEQ9KcaCq4NrW27ZuUHNOI95TIPX47blRpVyBcD/w640-h448/Berkeley.jpg" width="640" /><br /> </p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Berkeley, CA</span></b></div>I happened to visit the Bay Area during that one point in the year when they got, like, historic levels of rain. I met up with four friends, and we'd planned to spend a day in Napa, but the weather was just too darn bad. Instead, we spent most of our time indoors, in our pajamas, just hanging out and catching up. <br /><br />We wandered the city during breaks from the rain, visiting some tasty spots: tacos and cocktails at <b><a href="https://www.comalberkeley.com/" target="_blank">Comal</a></b>, decadent mac and cheese at <a href="https://www.homeroom510.com/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Homeroom</a>, and a vibrant brunch (like my fresh, filling chilaquiles, pictured above) from <b><a href="https://www.samslogcabin.net/" target="_blank">Sam's Log Cabin</a></b>. The best part, though, was just being with friends who I so rarely get to see. <br /> <div><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1366" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRPjVR3NR6eoYMUhH4Zf7qQqgqqZ2d9j7tXrvx5GuaBmSbX8tK2zM0vFuEJM90pOjf0z-yTb9B0qaLwHZjA2HjKSJt-9bv_Uv6CmNlqa3lMymlnB3EBnKh2BMKGsgUvqIQWE7lE2PqASkOZMZagYZHwNfSIkSid29L1PbuYdMq6KXO3780ZOt-IYk/w640-h470/New%20Orleans.jpg" width="640" /><br /> <p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">New Orleans, LA</span></b><br />My friend Emily's bachelorette party was originally supposed to be in March 2020, and it was one of the first things to be canceled when COVID descended. Even though she's now married with a toddler, she deserved to celebrate her party weekend! <br /><br />We stayed in <b><a href="https://www.thefrenchmenhotel.com/" target="_blank">The Frenchmen Hotel</a></b> (yes, right on Frenchmen Street), and we basically spent a long weekend eating our way through the city. We scarfed po'boys from <b><a href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/verti-marte-french-quarter-1604245" target="_blank">Verti Marte</a></b> and drank tiki drinks at <b><a href="https://latitude29nola.com/" target="_blank">Latitude 29</a></b> and inhaled beignets from <b><a href="https://cafedumonde.com/" target="_blank">Cafe Du Monde</a></b> while sitting on stairs in Jackson Square. Yes, I also <b><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/05/dont-let-psychics-give-you-health-advice.html" target="_blank">got a traumatic psychic reading</a></b>, but overall, it was an extremely fun weekend in an extremely fun (if sweaty) city. <br /> <br /><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="1544" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipk2dp1gbV35IFxeRLTG_mskB5OmUiXIS60eIuOxcF50S0dMyy03wckP6s5ph4MwsjsdtL6TjAvkQnUg-OrQ_1ps3YALtUSd14eSCYzfFxEVWkrPk5oNb-NmHKZvGlIcmiE6if_CqYVMsQ15pWQySajsiogkwrcG-IIJrzL3pkwLyqJt9mPUm5p26uEKI/w640-h414/Plattsburgh.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></p><p> <br /><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">Plattsburgh, NY</span><br />When Mike and I were invited to his friend/former coworker's wedding in upstate New York, we decided we'd make a road trip of it. On the way there, we stopped in Syracuse, where we got dinner at the original <b><a href="https://dinosaurbarbque.com/" target="_blank">Dinosaur Bar-B-Que</a></b> and had fancy drinks at <a href="https://alswineandwhiskey.com/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Al's</a>; on the way home, we got wings in (where else?) Buffalo.<br /> <br />In between was the meat of the trip in Plattsburgh, a little city just a ferry ride away from Burlington, VT. We got outdoor drinks at <b><a href="https://www.valcourbrewingcompany.com/" target="_blank">Valcour Brewing Co.</a></b>, located in some amazing old stone barracks, and had the best veggie burger of my life at <a href="https://www.twistedcarrotny.com/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Twisted Carrot</a>, among other quirky stops. It was great to celebrate with our friends Ashley and Cody, and it was a perfect excuse for a little weekend getaway together.<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div> <br />Next up: In August, we're going to Portland for my exchange student sister's wedding! My mom and I are going early to spend some time exploring the city, and Mike will meet us later in the week for the event itself. We're excited to be working with Emily of <b><a href="https://avanitravelco.com/" target="_blank">Avani Travel Co.</a></b>, a travel consultant here in Cleveland who creates custom itineraries and who has been a lifesaver so far.<br /><br />Until then, though, I'm enjoying spending some time in Cleveland with friends, enjoying our house and even <b><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/05/its-ok-to-become-someone-new.html" target="_blank">learning to do some gardening</a></b>. It's been a good summer so far, and I have high hopes for the rest of it.<br /> <br /><b>What have you been up to? Any good travel lately... or coming up? </b><br /><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-24975160744973770422023-06-28T12:39:00.004-04:002023-06-28T12:39:50.383-04:008 Apps I Use Almost Every Day (& They're Not Just Social Media!)<img border="0" data-original-height="2634" data-original-width="4030" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7DhP1cdlsDG_EVtDYXYSNZ9ZyXEFj-EaPzFwLaqRmX6YmjIfPZh6IHVAd1CnkEstyQLG7OtAq1JHqdEUnewZ97hioKpPMoSGQqrAWnrvrEHSWkn1YzjsHcmwrWJrzvNwd0FS3DT2MqguozXX1XRit9fLGX5tL8z0tM9iZFi_cvEX0VUPW8xEF8okqlw/w640-h418/IMG-0786.jpg" width="640"><br><br>I don't know why, but I always love hearing which apps other people use most often. It's sort of like the "What's In My Bag" of the digital world. The boring truth is that the apps I use most often are exactly the ones you'd expect: Gmail, Instagram, Google Maps, Spotify, etc. But beyond these old standbys, I thought I'd share which apps I'm most likely to be using at any given time. <br><br>How about you? <b>What apps do you use most often? </b>Anything I need to download ASAP?<span></span><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/06/8-apps-i-use-almost-every-day-theyre.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-80358737140840534192023-05-21T14:14:00.006-04:002023-05-21T14:14:51.434-04:00Don't Let Psychics Give You Health Advice<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmQG2D8ttiEiO3OmioGLosTOAOe0HFApHbSplDB2D_HnIJazKl_4KAVaS8p72D2lnpCViekkl-Db1vv4kU6ScQcYQdraWEMx5G6rpf9QqjWGCBHkJgAzJ80Ie6M-mhgktgPJMdtxNPjqP2FkydimicKMICboh1zS-rf2tN3XEPcGQPMrjKNI2fWuV/w640-h426/Channeler.JPG" width="640"><br><p>When I saw that an Instagram friend was in New Orleans the week before I'd be there, I of course asked for her recommendations. When she told me about a "channeler" she loved who has set up shop in Jackson Square, my fellow travelers and I were all in.<br><br>We were in town for a bachelorette party for our friend Emily, whose original event was scheduled for March 2020 and was obviously quickly canceled. Now, Emily has been married for almost three years, and their son just turned 1. But she still wanted (and deserved!) her New Orleans bachelorette party.<br><br>The channeler was younger than I expected, and more normal, somehow. She was youngish, maybe my age, and she was pretty, thin, dressed in athleisure. She sat under a striped parasol in a hot pink chair. She didn't seem like somebody who'd hustle you for money in a tourist trap of a park. <span></span></p><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/05/dont-let-psychics-give-you-health-advice.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-43288728085964691942023-05-16T00:15:00.005-04:002023-05-16T00:17:13.289-04:00It's OK to Become Someone New <img border="0" data-original-height="2509" data-original-width="3024" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxKVNRzm_uIuiYI0oginVSF61GBA9KZrbHWr2IV2Tulv41EXd70J3rrIjPDmNCESZgW9QCx84wj9uTwb4ZU7sjvZtiuTIiIBZDOOMiGrtyzvCNYCEioRcjzQ_LjWQdMVy8E67SQRt1Rk7UQeQx_iRU_s6Tc7DXsJ_sHR6GAnX-ZmntfS_VW-v5HCr/w640-h532/IMG-7256.jpg" width="640"><br> <br><p>I've always hated gardening. In fact, it was the thing I was most worried about when we bought this house — that I would have to plant, have to dig, have to mow, have to rake, have to give a shit. <br> <br>But our yard is big. Much as we've tried to put it off — and ohh, try we have — it's become quite clear that if we don't want to be <i>those neighbors </i>with <i>that yard</i>, we're going to have to put in some pretty serious work on an indefinite and ongoing basis.<br> <br>Luckily, my mom is pretty good at gardening. And more importantly, she loves it. She's been trying to talk me into it for years, to no avail. But two weekends ago, my yard overgrown and my flowerbeds still full of last fall's dead leaves, she came up to help me start the process of sprucing things up.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/05/its-ok-to-become-someone-new.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-29846755865581305802023-04-07T08:00:00.006-04:002023-04-11T00:41:44.781-04:00Podcasts I Love That Recap TV Shows I Love<img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUp6akuU0Qdi-0S2Z143qBI71LYUQD6G2Xqth5CDNoz9Y3p9oLwJAhb7E9kp-ioRsxqHHinBqITZVLejMHJOeMXwMwodVylNRVoaJpGTWN7nf2vxgrEjKzf5xXQ_khODPmeNT4c0ehZMiUmgG4RvzQidmpvqpnwI-mR2xUEGxteLhIhamlyZfEjB_/w640-h427/headphones-g85e771dc2_1920.jpg" width="640"><br><p>Recently I realized that a big chunk of the podcasts I listen to are TV recap-related. Like... <i>a big chunk</i> of them. I thought it might be fun to share which ones I love and see if you listen to any or have any recommendations, as apparently, this is one of my genres of choice. <br><br>In many cases, I like the podcasts more than the shows themselves. Why else would I have been watching <i>The Bachelor</i> all of these years?! Here are my favorite TV-related podcasts. What are yours?<br><span></span></p><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/04/podcasts-i-love-that-recap-tv-shows-i.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-47346164353518538832023-04-04T07:30:00.002-04:002023-04-04T07:30:00.205-04:00Small Goals for April 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1341" data-original-width="2048" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii58VG1LEwOzxazfpQbbEk3G15q6DusG2la9KFgcPjXkRvJK4YiZXUsbrlcvgvhJLaCzpIvDNVD0HhQHVpr4OkQ_NUimVULLsPGVT-SAM44pDac7AnjxgY1tcVqRbCGFL1ZwDKWc6Q5v1J-fK3cfJ0K2vn7EG_1FaAYnogoUTxeitdQvMLnyZAewMx/w640-h420/IMG_4998.jpeg" width="640"></div><i><br>OK, guess it's April alreadyyyy. </i>Time flies when you're gettin' old, huh? The weather is distinctly springy here right now, and the daffodils in my front yard are in full bloom, so I'm feeling excited about sunny days and impending outdoorsiness.<br> <br>Here's how my March goals went:<span></span><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/04/small-goals-for-april-2023.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-44749418696958786402023-04-01T08:00:00.008-04:002023-04-01T08:00:00.205-04:00What I Read in February & March<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="1380" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxFnxj8jMqo3zRDVkqSO5wvlplQqYn1NM4BzDwnS19W5VgrdMHlOA3jZVGGiyq4ok9thNv88x6xtk64Kbo9XbaA6zdZN6nn-sPAO9yjuesweS1qVTKSmYOSm9S4fB9SPl4_22HmgQzqgIMRZMMbZhzGVQalwtdeqyKxE6hLePEDC2_UAEf6W7znJ6/w640-h462/Feb%20March%20Books.jpg" width="640" /></div><br /><span>Two months gone, eight books down. I haven't felt particularly compelled by fiction lately, though it seems surprising that I read only <i>one</i> fiction book in the last two months! I typically prefer memoirs to straight non-fiction, but lately, even that's appealing to me, as evidenced by these selections. They do take me longer to read, though, so my numbers are way down these days.<br /><br />What have you been reading lately? Have any good recommendations for me?<br /></span><span><span> <br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3nrI9Xa" style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">How We Fall Apart</a> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>by Katie Zhao<br /></b></span>Nancy and her three best friends are shocked when their former friend Jamie, the top-ranked student in their grade, is found dead. Adding to their shock are the sudden and sinister messages appearing on the school social media app from an anonymous poster calling themselves The Procter and threatening to tell their secrets. I really enjoyed this story, but the ending was so bad that by the time I finished it, it felt like a letdown. <br /><span> <br /><a href="https://amzn.to/40g1rgJ" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Eating Mindfully</span></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> by Susan Albers<br /></b></span>This was my second book by Dr. Albers, a Cleveland Clinic psychologist who specializes in issues related to food. I liked it a lot and found it both valuable and respectful, not shaming or pressuring people who struggle with eating issues, their weight or body image. I almost wish, though, that the book came with some sort of workbook that helped me apply the many, many practices and possibilities in it into my own life. By the time I finished it, I'd forgotten so much! <br /><span> <br /><a href="https://amzn.to/40JLbo1" style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">One Life</a> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>by Megan Rapinoe <br /></b></span><i>Hoo, boy</i>, what a great memoir. I'm not a soccer person, but I've long respected Rapinoe's vocal advocacy and activism, even at the risk of her career. It was really interesting to hear about her life story, her tireless work for equal pay for female athletes, her relationship with WNBA player Sue Bird, her refusal to visit the Trump White House after winning Olympic gold, and so much more. She's a powerhouse, a role model, and a really interesting human.<br /><span> <br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3lKrs95" style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear</a> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>by Jinger Duggar Vuolo<br /></b></span>No, I don't know why I read this, but after reading Vuolo's first memoir, why not? Some parts were fascinating, like her condemnation of the harmful teachings of her childhood church. But her ghostwriter works for the LA megachurch where her husband is a pastor, which has come under fire for threatening women who try to leave their abusive husbands. With that lens, this book feels a lot like propaganda for her new church, which may be just as bad as the last.<br /><span> <br /><a href="https://amzn.to/40nvbID" style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Uncultured</a> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>by Daniella Mestyanek Young<br /></b></span>I love a good escape-from-a-cult memoir, and this one was better than any other I can remember reading. Young grew up in Children of God, a sex cult with truly horrifying beliefs and practices, but escaped when she was 15 and eventually joined the army... which she describes as being another kind of cult. She is brilliant, thoughtful, and incredibly articulate, and I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone with an interest in cults and cult-like thinking. <br /><span><span> <br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3FZTwfq" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar</span></a></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b> by Alan Morinis<br /></b></span>It's rare that you read a book you can truly call life-changing, but for me, this book was and will continue to be. Mussar is, to sum it up in a much-more-casual-than-is-appropriate way, a form of Jewish self-help practice that I look forward to implementing into my life, and I just can't say enough good things about how deep, intellectual, and emotional is book was and made me feel. <br /><br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3LYHczG" style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hello, Molly!</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><b style="font-size: x-large;">by Molly Shannon</b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>I was told that this book was both hilarious and devastating, and that about sums it up. I flew through the audiobook, read by Shannon herself, and found it to be both very funny and very emotionally moving, touching on her mother's and sister's tragic deaths, her fraught relationship with her father, her comedic bravery and ingenuity, and much more. You don't have to be an <i>SNL </i>fan (I'm not!) to enjoy this book. <br /> <br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3zkhePy" style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church</a><b style="font-size: x-large;"> by Katelyn Beaty</b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Here's another one that doesn't seem like it should've been up my alley. But with my background in media and religion, along with my general fascination with all things evangelical, I found it super compelling. It's <i>verrrry</i> Jesus-heavy (as the name implies), and it was a slog for me to ignore all the "kingdom" messaging. But it was a really, <i>really</i> interesting and thoughtful look at how social media and evolving concepts of celebrity are impacting modern Christianity.<br /> <br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/katekaput" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Follow me on Goodreads</a><b> to keep in touch & see what I've read in months past. <br /></b><i style="font-size: small;"> <br />My "What I Read In..." posts include Amazon affiliate links to the titles I discuss. If you buy a book using one of these links, I will receive a small percentage of the commission. Please don't feel any obligation to use these links, but if you do, it will help me buy more books.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-1539776138520598082023-03-02T07:00:00.017-05:002023-03-02T07:00:00.208-05:00Small Goals for March 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1594" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtUr-JXXpwmROtyjstNpF5HGhVUPSxjxqPg-54sGjhTRoyvGnrw7uk0TmIoM-Q72q1WUsrLqNIf-zsssz_u7-9ECBfJySG46ujihqFP0XBbbcsS2jZwwtPBKgXwr-4VE69bY4tfJxBR1HCdla50VuNOwcXdiRRx0O39P6Ugl-Hun0VaRo_nQ6aRQX/w640-h480/KBK%203.jpeg" width="640" /><br /><br />February is a short month, so I'm giving myself some grace on not hitting all my goals. Plus, there was a 70-degree weekend in there, and who has time to wallpaper a bedroom on a 70-degree weekend <i>in February</i>?! Not me, I'll tell you that much.<br /><br />Here's a look at my February goals and how I did on them.</div><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Spend my FSA money. </b><i>Done!</i><b> </b>I did this toward the end of the month and am looking forward to receiving what feels like a free (it isn't) package containing lip balms, sunscreen, an acupressure pillow, and a few other medically related goodies. I also realized I didn't sign up for an FSA this year. <i>Womp.<br /> </i></li><li><b>Complete some important paperwork. </b><i>Done! </i>I'm feeling super excited about what comes next, and I can't wait to write all about it (or some about it, anyway) when the time feels right. <br /> </li><li><b>Schedule physical therapy. </b><i>Not done</i>. My back has been feeling fine, so I opted out, but that was probably a dumb choice? The prescription is good for a few months, though, so I may yet do this, or at least take the opportunity to find a local spine health specialist.<br /> </li><li><b>List purses and shoes online. </b><i>Done!</i><b> </b>That said, as soon as I completed this goal, I received a bunch of other stuff to sell (woo!), and I haven't yet listed all of that... so despite my doing my diligence, this goal remains. <br /> </li><li><b>Finish wallpapering the guest room. </b><i>Not done</i>. This just seemed like too much work, and not all that fun, and I just... did not feel like it. Ha. I also don't think I bought enough wallpaper, so that's something I'll have to contend with here soon. </li></ol><p></p><p>It's hard to believe that it's March already (I think adulthood is just one giant loop of repeating this sort of phrase over and over and over), but here we are. <br /><br />I feel like there are a million things I could've included on this month's goals list. I need to take more photos for something important I'm working on (me being cryptic again!), and I have a lot of interviews to conduct and deadlines to meet for freelance assignments. But I want to be sure these monthly goals don't turn into to-do lists, you know? They should be real goals, not just a list of shit I need to finish.<br /><br />So here's what's on deck for my goals and me this month:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Make plans for a day trip to Jamestown, NY. </b>A friend reached out to me this month to ask if I'd want to meet her in upstate New York to visit the Lucille Ball Museum on Easter, so of course I said yes. Can't wait to figure out some details before we go!<br /> </li><li><b>List purses and shoes online. </b>As I mentioned above, I have a bunch of new-to-me stuff to list, so I'm going to try to get all of that done and out of the way, which will allow me to focus on actually trying to make sales. <br /> </li><li><b>Write in my journal 10 times. </b>I miss private journaling, which I haven't done consistently for years. I do it every now and then, and then I forget for months at a time, so I don't have any consistent practice or routine.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Start a new Mussar book. </b>I'm about to finish a book about the Jewish practice of Mussar, which felt frankly life-changing. I can't wait to dig deeper, and I don't want to let too much time lapse between learning.<br /> </li><li><b>Attend all of my personal training sessions. </b>I signed up for group training sessions with one of my boxing coaches and three friends. Each Saturday, we meet for a personalized session and take-home work. I want to hold myself accountable to all of them this month.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Try one of Ready Set's March specials. </b>Bonus frivolous goal! This local coffee shop has <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpOXSfbJLcZ/" target="_blank">the <i>cutest</i> monthly specials</a></b>, and they're tasty, too. I want to get in this month to try one of their newest creations. </li></ol><div><b>What are your goals for this month? How did you do on February's goals, if you made any?</b></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-73656019705391087052023-02-28T07:00:00.000-05:002023-03-30T23:22:23.317-04:00What Dreams May Come (Though I Wish They Wouldn’t)<img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgwEdN5h_39DHByYyPWR5ymaTE9XuZeJ3n7Du8krLo4iydfmNSl6TRDtTSpn879jo2Dti_Xy7niqoEmqWs7xWDQP5ii-Kok_G0_n7iN1Zcna9LWRDvlwE3usAIG9kU-tQ2m7vKDd2gLNMd3VJepNB9xxpK72oTnOngYqsOsZ-K-R_31RZ7fNWlCox/w640-h480/IMG_0406.jpeg" width="640" /><br /><p>If you asked me whether I'm prone to nightmares, I'd say no. I don't see monsters or dream of murders. The macabre content I consume during the day (lookin' at you, true crime) doesn't seem to penetrate my sleeping mind.</p><p>But that doesn't mean I sleep peacefully, either.</p><p>When I was in college, I went through a period of time where I consistently had the world's most mundane dreams — mundane dreams that were also incredibly problematic during my waking life. I'd dream about things like studying for a test or picking up my prescriptions from the pharmacy. I'd dream about completing a class project or calling my grandmother. </p><p>It was like my to-do lists were too long to accomplish during the day, so my brain tried to make its way through them at night. Come daylight, I'd get confused, thinking I'd already done things I'd only dreamt of.</p><p>I don't do that anymore; it hasn't happened for years, and even when it did, it was only in times of maximum stress. I know, now, how to catch myself from getting that wound up. I know that if I have even one mundane dream about a to-do list item, there are probably more to come, and it's time for me to get my stress levels under control.</p><p>But I still have anxiety dreams, ones I haven't been able to stop even when it feels like, during the day, I'm not anxious about anything at all. </p><p>I have normal anxiety dreams, though there's nothing normal about them. Maybe I should say "common," the ones you see decoded in dream books. </p><p>Sometimes, I dream that I'm not quite flying but floating, that when I jump, I can stay in the air and keep the momentum going so that I soar above the ground and transport myself easily from place to place. Sometimes I dream that my teeth are falling out, crumbling into gravel in my hands as I spit them out. They grow back in as quickly as they fall apart, and the sharp pieces just keep coming. </p><p>Even my less-common dreams are common, I suppose, because no one's brain is all that unique, is it? Certainly not my own. And yet, these dreams feel much more personal, somehow, much less rote and predictable than the good old flying-and-teeth tropes.</p><p>Sometimes I dream that I'm 38 years old, in this moment, and I have to return to my high school or even my elementary school, to request transcripts that they can never find. Sometimes, I have to retake a class, something that the administrators realize I never completed or that I never passed; in some cases, I simply never attended at all. I have a college degree, but they tell me I don't have a high school diploma yet. They tell me, without saying so, that my entire life is a fraud.</p><p>Sometimes I dream, inexplicably, that I am back in my sorority house, and oftentimes, there's no one else there, everyone out at parties and sisterhood events. The ones who are there don't notice me because I am nobody, just like I was when I was in my sorority in real life, and the ones who do notice me aren't kind about it. Sometimes I still have a room waiting for me there, or I have secretly co-opted the room of a sister who's out of town, and I always feel the dual comfort and terror of play-acting that their life is my own, as though I ever belonged.</p><p>I dream that my high school musical performance is in progress, but I haven't been coming to rehearsals and don't know the choreography. I forget to bring at least half of my costume — my shoes, maybe, or my dress, or the entire thing — and I run home to get it or I dive into the vastness of the costume closet, and every time, without fail, I miss the show, frazzled and behind and a perpetual failure. Occasionally I make it on stage for the very end, as the final song is in progress, just in time to catch the furious eye of the choir director who never liked me. </p><p>There's a theme, I know. The theme is my past, but that's the funny thing: When I'm awake, I feel pretty OK with my past, and even better about my present.</p><p>I enjoyed high school, where I was relatively well-liked and had a close group of friends. I was the chorus in our school musicals but never had more than a line or two, and I certainly never missed a whole performance. I have some open wounds from my time in my sorority, yes, but that was nearly two decades ago, and it was followed by two decades of <i>great</i> friendships that do not make me feel like an impostor. </p><p>So why are all of these strange elements of my past haunting me in my sleep? What do I need to work through that I don't even realize I've not dealt with? And why does it insist on coming back to me during times of happiness and very little stress? </p><p>I do all the right things. I take medication, I go to therapy, I'm in boxing, and I meditate multiple times per week. I work a 9-to-5 job, I get enough sleep, and I eat green smoothies for breakfast, and my life doesn't feel all that stressful. Yet these stress dreams plague me sometimes, and nothing I do can stop them.</p><p><b>I just can't figure it out: Why won't my brain leave me alone? And what the hell do I need to do to make that happen?</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-52893566403280845192023-02-26T10:30:00.005-05:002023-02-27T22:39:42.317-05:00Places I've Eaten Lately, a Roundup (CLE Weekends, Pt. 7)<img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1327" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNWoL5VAUxhmIG1NA7uHDoQRgtXN6VsNa3KeH6A5Cy7zKiCYiSWhGEod7ln-rwv04hbym1CbfFmn6v1n8mYNpCy_ikO4_QCePRFBFNYlD9OxUnpCUnN63Qlrr9PLbL277lrQZ4oW5fyI2Y3In0Fi70CpHveTwmIye1Yp4ul1dpBA4BfcAYR3vkOKg/w640-h512/IMG_3041.jpeg" width="640" /><br /><br />I share a<b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/katekaput/" target="_blank"> lot of food content on Instagram</a>, </b>but I enjoy it so much that sometimes it seems a shame for it to be so short-lived! I thought it was worth putting together a roundup here, too, of some of the places I've been lately and enjoyed. <div><br /><div>There's always more than I could possibly share, but here are the spots that have been at the forefront of my mind. Tell me: <b>Where have you been lately?<br /></b><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="1753" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xqdiUd47Y8DjGHHDa5b2ZuxaiBCAm1NIQTOVYMo3i9LYjjSFXDfdoXcBgC2bdd2leLyfD3zXF4ZRnOxRKPj1bh5aHYOrzzfySbJtf99Jseh8PrMfl2jXS3tQsVoNdD6flQT1SnVOjWNzw5IJiCsXC4Y-YAqNdd0JQLepJrONkImfnFBbtYUnalrI/w640-h480/IMG_2912.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /> </div><p><a href="https://www.naturesoasisstores.com/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Nature's Oasis</span></a><br />I guess I thought this spot was just... a health food store? But wow, it's so much more. It's an all-natural foods market and cafe that also sells lots of locally made goods, like candles, stickers, cards, and other trinkets. They have plenty of seating, very friendly staff, and a great vibe. I've only been once, and all I got was a latte, but I expect I'll be back here a lot over the summer! <i>15613 Detroit Ave., Lakewood.<br /><br /></i><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1707" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsm2QT4VwAWnAt25Gw7ferbsrCxh-Kqu1sXeWGDHtfoawbRwEYa4TkGjZLcRqPVmvCV4HtydfKkgDEhG4d9WxTWNxIQiMcs74jDYGx80X7hIbgD1vz3bjBfSF_12D0BPyT144PAbjL-wBsQSMGyQHtbSx4cLUuQIvdm-bda7hFQnacPlmePA8eyxM/w640-h480/IMG_3069.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /> </p><p><a href="https://readysetcoffee.com/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ready Set! Coffee Roasters</span></a><br />My friend Annie (check out her new Lady Gaga book!) has been recommending this spot forever, so I finally went with a couple of friends after a Saturday-morning training session. It is <i>just the absolute cutest</i>, with a really bright, clean aesthetic and delicious drinks that, at least around Valentine's Day, were creative and adorable.<i> 7306 Detroit Ave., Cleveland<br /></i><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMScGnS11yNVkH7SVa_mntB43UBKha4ZbreRL3SOdtcD-qkqzawI4hPAwk4b-Q1KyYeB4jqNlEZHdu-ad6PV2I8V-SjIlQ9qqlEX_GMZ24Z92IuInbkXlcaLyPvzMRQJDUsN9BrvBwYF2gA0RlNVoRLDiKHf5O2njDvUFPhH6E3y5lUD4TXBT39KqS/w640-h480/IMG_3237.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihH_0o_cmtAwwQNImvYdL2GQOIkXWv32apmVREPpBPPCgGbLJP5jpLM_cNvO8jERpvWPPwmt3S4US_j6WlndOIHgqyvpcjhsY3bbJd-AlByv4vuEND2TR7rKkdMCVri9bu992-afIGK13CugYXw7tQtl8R_enXAFJGLwvXMQAbWvNub06KubfnSD-t/w640-h480/IMG_3229.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="1923" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HqHBJWrhPjXYmZ6K5AH6eZzT2VUTW5Qf8M8nnTQbGjw20H4rAMQB6Fe38R3YM50xCIfG9grnkp7quknMVmZXPpYNeedc5ZvFOi1G0phqTCLOzQvJvddIPK5G25N64KGyEpant9oBekH2rHTphyaEE0ZcYVVuRZt5uYyYF3uwebzvkc7bKkrZykot/w640-h480/IMG_3241.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br /><a href="https://agaveandrye.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Agave & Rye</span></b><br /></a>Hoo, boy, this place bills itself as "epic," and it isn't lying. While based on Mexican cuisine, their menu is completely unique and over-the-top in a very fun, <i>very</i> tasty way. I was given a promotional gift card to visit on National Margarita Day, so I got a prickly pear margarita and Flamin' Hot Cheetos-encrusted coconut shrimp over mango salsa. Mike got taquitos and the Happy Meal taco (!), and there was so much fun that we could barely eat even half of it. <i>1352 W 6th St., Ste. 152, Cleveland<br /></i><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1531" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGqZtaLKvYj6wfpQi2xE5_09UPbpqaEBxI40MSrP_WTxB1E4SQ9korYvTEjjU-KZpsr4c7mZ5h2OoZAMqJfyGmK13edG2UwmfLNKwYFrTsqQg5oZa7eS8lF3isa_fKWv4Y24P2BmqkI2yKJDRwoqS-dVDLYTYKstoPKUHqxKooavOigBIXZqpBkNp/w640-h480/IMG_3075.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br /><b><a href="https://deweyspizza.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Dewey's</span><br /></a></b>I guess this place is a chain, though it looks like it's only in Ohio and Minnesota? Even though this is nottt my best photo, trust me when I say that their pizza is so good. It's got just the kind of crust I like, not too thick or too thin, kinda crispy <i>and</i> kinda puffy. We ordered pickup and got the Bleu Ribbon, a white pizza with mozzarella, provolone, smoked ham, Amish chicken, brown sugar caramelized red onions, garlic aioli and parsley. Chef's kiss. <i>18516 Detroit Ave, Cleveland (and other locations)</i><br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgh7EYG_4RhZMPjyrjmSZD6CUcvSh9fxN3YCz2PEnvA-SYbHydTp7eY2lFW9u2pN03nIRa57HQL7OA_j32idDXQg9-a8qf7zLvovJX7wWjQF-nSgD80hiMpWEuwlCg9ZwuRDW2jbQ-JkGrO5Vwt0xk1u7LhMmhi6TIUdNFVOfbXJCkNjXbCy11VqF/w640-h480/IMG_2923.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1293" data-original-width="1724" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKKOpC4iRMYkyR_V_UXUyxrDslZmdwU8GDHB2qnYQfDYACnCHU1Q7SQoVMOXow3ByQSyteKMVoR8ksJO9w9-Sl2tQ1HlIKUTIOLQL_XsP9PwtsZsJlUzdsllbd4jgA51UwoGDzjOhdtHv93PD5cs83S14u0FyOWO-WDc53rNHk1i7hZttFpBGNepo/w640-h480/IMG_3143.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.thevegandoughnutco.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Vegan Doughnut Co.</span><br /></a></b>I'd tried these popular, delicious square donuts at past events, namely the Cleveland Flea, but that was a loooong time ago. And... yeah, now, I've been three times since the start of 2023! Yes, their donuts are completely vegan, and they're also nut-free, preservative-free, and trans fat-free, while still very very big on flavor. We brought a half-dozen of them to a Super Bowl party and got pączki and king cake donuts on Fat Tuesday. <i>14811 Detroit Ave., Lakewood</i><br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1532" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWx6lHvFvnrDuxLejykjVy58K_lOqaXKQj8x01msAxneBheIQFE3S9sVDEuJ8asomccOLTIMtPoOz8uTYqiB57_5TMZUPUoHbmwJNMCvAPjXudmzKREfBQlF4QVA5ayCXc3LiZG6ojU_nxIM7pNAF7P2NvrfhSuDvC2HidwmLY3CSzWSCV0LV7xLe/w640-h480/IMG_3031.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.prosperitysocialclub.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Prosperity Social Club<br /></span></a></b>As former Tremont residents, we've been to this hotspot many a time, but it had been a while! My mom's college friend was visiting Cleveland for a weekend and wanted to go here for their pierogi. I, for whatever reason, was really in the mood for... vegan wings?! Everyone at the table made fun of me, but I <i>love</i> their buffalo tofu, and nary a regret was had. (Also, Mike and I split a side of pierogi.) <i>1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland<br /> <br /></i><b>Where have you been lately? And if you're here in Northeast Ohio, got any recommendations for me? </b></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-5351323668712141342023-02-23T20:14:00.007-05:002023-03-30T23:22:16.152-04:00Have You Ever Tried EMDR? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2627" data-original-width="4030" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM61QIUbW149k0URqpa0hCtaE-pNTYj6TV8QXH2Qxv1yeSMoMPbj6PkuJtKPtsf2pRlHRSG7nz733ZvN0bukD9xNRG4ud2tEosLsRxx58-H4WPp9JR97uCIM4kVEsJ_i2aUx997gP714DSZNDNoywTXiUDE5w1k48BXnG26-y6okH7RCzNvPP21xkt/w640-h418/Playhouse.jpg" width="640" /></div><p>I've been seeing my therapist for coming up on a year now, and I really like her. It's never been too difficult for me to get into talk therapy because, well, I like talking, and I think I'm fairly introspective. Just like I find myself and sort through my issues in writing, so too do I find it helpful to be able to say my thoughts out loud to another human who can help me process them without judgment.</p><p>When she asked if I'd be interested in EMDR therapy, or <b><a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22641-emdr-therapy" target="_blank">Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing</a></b>, I was immediately game. It doesn't involve much talking at all, at least not in the sense of traditional psychotherapy, but it's super fascinating, as far as I can tell.</p><p>First developed to help people who have experienced trauma, EMDR is now used to treat anxiety, depression, phobias, and more. The goal is to help you process traumatic memories or thoughts in a more adaptive way -- to get at memories that are "stuck" in the wrong part of the brain and causing distress and symptoms like fear and sadness. </p><p>EMDR can help your brain to reprocess these memories in a way that reduces the negative emotions associated with them. To do so, your therapist asks you to focus on a specific event or memory while they guide you through a series of eye movements, sounds or taps that stimulate both sides of your brain. Scientists think that this bilateral stimulation can rewire and reorganize the way that your brain stores and processes memories.</p><p>So we started today. It was weird to <i>not</i> talk very much, to just answer these very specific, pointed questions and have my therapist take careful notes instead of responding. And for all of the uncomfortable things I've discussed in therapy, it feels deeply unsettling to start in on the <i>really</i> uncomfortable stuff, to jump right into all of your worst and most vulnerable feelings.</p><p>I asked that we start on my relationship with food, as I've trying to build a healthier lifestyle that we keep me alive and well for the long term. I've been working hard to implement better habits and make better food choices, but it's very, very hard to do on my own. I'm hoping that EMDR can help me truly reprocess my relationship with food in a healthy and sustainable way. </p><p>We're only half a session in, so I don't have much to report, and I won't necessarily share about this again in the future. But I'm excited about it, and I'm interested in hearing from anyone who's tried EMDR in the past, to whatever extent you're comfortable sharing. </p><p><b>Have you ever tried EMDR? How did it go? What can I expect?</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-918289985199339232023-02-12T22:44:00.002-05:002023-02-12T22:49:30.563-05:00A Flower Bar, a Great Meal, a Used Bookstore (CLE Weekends, Pt. 6)<div class="separator"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQKMyOPTlgq4aH-WVEt0Y7AX1xURZGlyqRuZeKZu4Fe4-E4dnrDyZW2el0Ake-IaMJVxEnt6PmNERrtnnOquDo2BN2OVACg-NISuNoQLURvBUJBe3tu1itsa1sxzPZ5nZ1eV1T7hYkLUUyCzInybcTA3x9CSKbcKwLx31-TZ-_eVLQF8wFnR04jDT/w640-h480/IMG_2756.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></div><p><br />Hey, hi, 'sup, etc. I haven't done one of these posts for a while, and surely I've experienced/checked out many more cool things since the last time I did... but hey, might as well round up and recommend a few good things, right? <br /><br />As always, more of my adventures are captured in real-time (or realer-time, I suppose) over on Instagram. But here's a little bit more info on some of the things I've posted about and alluded to as of late, should you be looking for things to do in the CLE.<br /> <br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoFlntDiVFvtq8CzuiwE-cBZkwBLNAt4HRbsaNzdyGggZVGecBvkystnD2vOdBHVpap4mL-J26xsDWVGbkEzDtTeGp22nh22ItcVsDpUR8c0ObuQRfc2sePRdmr7QOSCDcp-tU6lQ92ropnA4v-zX-mBoPvzIch6hczxsv-5xHZOIwUSb4i63kNIe/w640-h480/IMG_2743.JPEG" width="640" /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Coffee at Edda<br /></b></span>I finally stopped into <b><a href="https://eddacoffee.com/" target="_blank">Edda</a></b>, Ohio City's newest coffee shop. It's located in the brand new Intro building, which is truly a wonder to behold, and the coffee is <i>really</i> good (though I know basically nothing about coffee, so this is based on taste alone). It's a spacious with great lighting and lots of seating, plus sandwiches on bread from <b><a href="https://leavenedcle.com/" target="_blank">Leavened</a></b>. Get the ham and brie!<br /> </div><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1532" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gdjWtIl7HlEkC722Pup-jSufXatPhuI53-p9o84lX9hVlR_j398_Pjw85nF5ut9jadzhCdnXuJ2sMd1bmQLBBQfZLf915ri9DzMtVkJaogY-UFM5UTlBOO5pBmd7u4_KTwz_GuAfc3RB9Je3ovi0jiURwpcQ-QQ8U30WpT6SAhFSSr1v5FqnSR-t/w640-h480/IMG_2751.jpeg" width="640" /><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>DIY Bouquets at Blossom Flower Bar</b><b><br /></b></span></span>Some friends and I signed up for a Galentine's Day event at <b><a href="https://blossomcleveland.com/" target="_blank">Blossom Flower Bar</a></b>, a Lakewood staple that recently moved into a new, more spacious location downtown. We sipped on BYOB booze while making our own flower bouquets... and luckily, someone else trimmed them and ultimately made them look nice in the vases we chose. I am committed to ensuring that my cat does not eat these beauties. <br /> <br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1532" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSR3zuPDk4_1JH5mljx03WYaNmgK_VZByCEEFi98o1A85mFK7e0D2pRLdg_CJrColohWfMkQuOxKiqCjwQAxwMbO35lYpWnFjLBVFiHjAfIAlzO6Py5B6_ml4B23Y0d5VgTacOBJfL7FB7EbPvjn8s6G8J_Bw2EmxZEoiwLPPX6QtmXhVzEdSArMap/w640-h480/IMG_2381.jpeg" width="640" /><br /><span><b> </b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dinner at Bartleby<br /></b></span></span>I met up with a few CLE influencers (<b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lostinlaurelland/" target="_blank">@lostinlaurelland</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/oliverstwistblog/" target="_blank">@oliverstwistblog</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/aimon.ali/">@aimon.ali</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/everyday.connor/">@everyday.connor</a></b>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/camrynnicolem/"><b>@camrynnicolem</b></a>) for a luxe dinner at <b><a href="https://www.bartlebycleveland.com/" target="_blank">Bartleby</a></b> in Ohio City, in the building that used to house Crop Bistro. <b><a href="https://clevelandmagazine.com/food-drink/restaurant-reviews/articles/bartleby-boasts-excellent-pizza-and-midwesterners-seafood-menu-in-former-crop-bistro-space" target="_blank">I wrote about Bartleby</a></b> for a recent issue of <i>Cleveland Magazine</i>, and it was a delicious and lovely, if expensive, evening out with friends. It's always so nice to hang out with people who <i>also</i> want to photograph everything.<br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1531" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpL1GTbbBwtsTIWj6VW0E_GXHtwsg1Ty8p_juf65JCxmiu087us9oizHjVnZJY1H3ZP2-E3b_KdCSWoOKHU0DdpOpAgO4deGA9pQDgBc8De0PlQ9mCF3uU4CO7kZBO-xImWf62GUxBSlpqqrmbBqbLD0OkL504tfivCk3Q1ei4GJxeaajc49ITab3S/w640-h480/IMG_2798.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Browsing the stacks at The </b><b>Bookshop in </b><b>Lakewood <br /></b></span>When I learned that <b><a href="https://www.bookshopinlakewood.com/" target="_blank">The Bookshop in Lakewood</a></b> was struggling due to transphobia, I asked friends and neighbors for book donations that I could take in. I ended up with store credit I didn't plan to use (after all, I wanted to help them make money!), but I did spend a bit of it on a few excellent finds, including a Jewish cookbook, a home repair guide, and Greta Thunberg's memoir. <br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXL19IymSkVAwcW4M4vg3MaeEcZB5JZkCbkuymX-dsPyJKh9ex-kx4QvHQ_IlZ8sYz4Zl1TgyyOqQbh6ZSwixuVRoYKEUv8MscezGfTlvt9OOynCrsfIVi_fSBEIKM-EsPPJDC51acgtrMySpJoD8Ilw0tljscZLVzaZHDu00NbXj9nitbVqCUTFL/w640-h480/IMG_2546.JPEG" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /><br /><br />This bumper sticker has nothing to do with anything else, but I saw it, and it delighted me, so I thought I'd share. Personally, I would've gone with Jack Kelly over Patrick Bateman, but delightful nonetheless. <br /><br /><b>What have you been up to lately? Been anywhere new? </b><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-55009166211682813972023-02-08T18:04:00.005-05:002023-02-08T18:04:59.101-05:00Small Goals for February 2023<img border="0" data-original-height="2334" data-original-width="3739" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdaUBE5SomUDAIEP7C5T3UjcTJPwvvyfz9a81P8n6IIbdOoRCfwdc1bpeDT-6GEbLX0biCWqrKOBhSy1K1wzlWvIqOkNQwkKFiL6vw_GpAvHG4gthMolsBLG2oOeK-_JUqHe-WjfFryS01BD0QHUKgvuhRZmVJK-70rbq80vYMCX4sEhLIo9qD7P_/w640-h400/IMG-2476-jpg.JPG" width="640" /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I forgot that setting small goals publicly on this blog also means admitting when I've failed at them! That's why I'm doing this, though, right? Gotta hold my feet to the fire, or whatever. Here's a recap of my January goals and how I did on them.<br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Make a smoothie every weekday. </b>I didn't exactly achieve this, as there were some weekdays when I didn't have a smoothie. But there were many week<i>ends</i> when I did, so I think it probably all evened out?<br /></li><li><b>Schedule a DXA scan. </b>Ugh, I tried to do this, and then it got hard, and then I gave up? But I did finally schedule an appointment as of February 1, so we're gonna say I achieved this one. <br /></li><li><b>No fast food at night. </b>This is another one that I soooort of achieved? I got Arby's mozzarella sticks twice, including one time after boxing, so I technically didn't hit it. But I got close, so I'm proud of myself.<br /></li><li><b>Organize and put away Christmas decorations. </b>I forgot I set this goal, and no, I did not achieve it. Our decor came down early in the month, but... yeah, the tree is still up. Oops. <br /></li><li><b>No booze (mostly).</b> I had a few drinks during January, but less than usual. It wasn't all that hard, and I felt fine about it. I realized I just don't really drink all that much to begin with.</li></ol><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">We're already more than a week into February, I know, but here are the goals I set in my head for the month and am already working toward completing. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Spend my FSA money. </b>I have some money left over in my Flex Spending Account, which can only be used on, like, medical stuff? I don't want to spend it all on Band-Aids and Neosporin, so I've got to figure out a worthwhile use for it all before it expires in March.<br /></li><li><b>Complete some important paperwork. </b>This is hella vague, I know (sorry), but I'm putting it here so that I hold myself accountable to it. I'll tell you about it later, maybe, but suffice it to say, this one is important to me and <i>has</i> to be done this month. <br /></li><li><b>Schedule physical therapy.</b> I threw out my back early this month (cooool, cool) and was given PT orders to help heal. I'm prone to putting off medical appointments for as long as humanly possible (see last month's goal), so I want to prioritize this one.<br /></li><li><b>List purses and shoes online. </b>I've got a bunch of stuff to try to sell on Poshmark, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, etc. I've listed some of them, but I want to get everything online so that I can promote the heck out of it and hopefully start making some money. <br /></li><li><b>Finish wallpapering the guest room. </b>I started hanging peel-and-stick wallpaper in our guest room, but I stopped about halfway through because... I don't know, that shit is hard? But now it's just sitting there half-done, so I want to wrap it up.</li></ol><div>They don't seem to hard, but life gets in the way sometimes, so I guess we'll see. Do you set monthly goals? What's on your to-do list? </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-62889059794811298192023-01-27T08:30:00.000-05:002023-01-27T22:32:32.528-05:00What I Read This Winter <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="1628" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4FNXRA8vu8MFBjjRBV_Os5QxpSM-Jr78Zr5gLAz-ayJh4pkbHoUkDVFTd-9MHluVWL6KxEvkOzzIoFmS1_K4KWVdepC3alLKpPE52pwAC3AVlosQR-S0wkMn282DkqrhgMZP16IYcBGcr1zQVXSX9Eo5ssSxLgIo5GCIgx1Boie1clgvIQuKXPuH/w640-h392/Winter%20books.jpg" width="640"></div><p>I've still been reading, but my reviews have fallen by the wayside (as has <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/cantkaputitdown/" target="_blank">my bookstagram account</a></b>, oof). I don't want to stop reviewing books, though, so I finally sad down to comb back through my recent reads and bang out my opinions on all of them. <br> <br>And I knowww winter isn't over yet, but some of these books were ones I read in the fourth quarter of 2022, and I didn't want to wait any longer to post about them. I've already read five books in the new year, so I decided I'd just post about them all. I seem to be on a roll, so... more book reviews, coming soon! <span></span></p><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/01/what-i-read-this-winter.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-11628696537684413982023-01-24T19:30:00.016-05:002023-01-24T19:30:00.195-05:00My New Obsession with Press-On Nails<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1169" data-original-width="1536" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQHp1geWzuitJ0CB9Dj_7WYnFoUXUzDDcHTiVGtqV1YKQhs-GuZFSndoQNYxEreP2raqKFNxIGqKv-K1bXH6CcSMzAg2XNSDl_jovcPTXQWhGcPUAQT8eDmReziRUTlrpsKonCA5mxLLBNdI50bbuvYkS6D3cfgdhAYh6Piy66IpaatH_LanzYEqL/w640-h488/IMG_1545.jpg" width="640" /><br /><br />I've always hated having my nails painted. It feels like they're suffocating! No one else in the history of the world seems to feel this way, but I have just never been able to deal with the feeling. On top of that, I'm bad<i> </i>at doing my own nails, and it's way too expensive to have anyone else do them with any regularity, so I've just never bothered.<br /><br />Why I do <i>not </i>feel that press-on nails are suffocating my real nails is beyond me. If anything, they should feel <i>worse</i> than nail polish, right? Alas... I bought a set of press-ons two weeks ago, and I've been obsessed ever since.<br /><br />I don't know what compelled me to try them in the first place. Tale as old as time, really: I fell for an end cap display at Target. They sell <b><a href="https://oliveandjune.com/" target="_blank">Olive + June</a></b> products now, and for some reason, I just felt compelled. They were $10. Why not give them a try?<br /><br />I bought the <b><a href="https://rstyle.me/+I7GF73fmocgDVyEJJdK1cA" target="_blank">Outlined French</a></b> design in "short squoval," and I put them on midday one afternoon when I wanted a little break from work. They were very easy to apply, just a little dab of glue on each nail and then 30 seconds of pressure to get the job done. I filed them down a bit to make it easier to do things like, you know, type and remove my contacts, but once they were slightly shorter, I was in love with them.<br /><br />In my memories, press-on nails are janky and cheap. They look ugly, they don't stay on for more than 24 hours, and everyone can tell they're fake. But these? <i>Not so</i>. Press-on technology has come a long way, baby! <br /><br />My first set stayed on for about a week, and I swapped in new ones almost immediately. By that time, I'd already amassed multiple options, not just from Olive + June but also from <b><a href="https://www.impressmanicure.com/" target="_blank">imPRESS</a></b>, which costs even less. Those are technically stick-ons, but I added a dab of glue to keep them on for longer, and they worked just as well (if not better).<br /><br />Now? Well, now I want to own and try <i>every single kind of press-on nails</i>, of course<i>.</i> It's like suddenly the world of nice nails is wide open to me, and I want to catch up immediately. I've got my eye on this set in <b><a href="https://rstyle.me/+5cD0cBi48CX1aVTrrZ2iVQ" target="_blank">Glitter Party Pink</a></b>, but they only come in medium, and filing them down seems like a pain in the ass. Still, I might go for 'em.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="860" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzzGbWUoSeLp5oLqfXYhISkniu2cAj1ZFhqBaOeaE_uhQjWZCItmUNvbv6-E1q5byvEbfSrDActbGSsqbDCgdZEsjEyZOBFNhOxvVk4eiuFTzoIxpq98PgDUjKsgdZ0NlDEOK7URokYJoNNrF4OIqCWaqxUlkMX1e_rI8WVMB_nb3YQHhNiXKA7yL/w640-h450/Glitter%20Party%20Pink.JPG" width="640" /><br />I've added, like, two dozen sets to my Amazon wishlist. <a href="https://rstyle.me/+0_-D7yabKARXQmwWFyJGRw" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Hot Strawberry</a>! <b><a href="https://rstyle.me/+LVnJZRNICDqIvvCj6-h14Q" target="_blank">Besties</a></b>! <b><a href="https://rstyle.me/+DZVKHjRPjAZ_jPt-jnGSNg" target="_blank">OMG</a></b>! How could you not want all of them? Should I get all of them? <i>I want more glitter options.</i> (Dear God, who am I?)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="1014" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguH_SA_LRgHRXib9OpHHCc65D_r-tSKBMpjA3jhJ0pmf7el3F4oCI71ZonU0XgX17Q8CKJguj3VnDvHGUBNfCsuEwiiJie4MsOQUSFV3-HXIRVxAskLzhWT0CDH1YtpA9RzVrygSRsZn28NIDp8Q_zXUYti0m3D8mkmZIkH4_aXl9KEAdkPJruYGBc/w640-h214/Olive%20+%20June.jpg" width="640" /></div></div><br />I haven't yet been to a boxing class while wearing them, and I'm a little nervous about whether they're hold up/stay on inside my boxing gloves. But I guess the worst that can happen is that one of them falls off and I just... glue it back on? Seems pretty low stakes.<br /><br />So! That's me right now! Just obsessed with press-on nails like a girly-girl tween in 1997! And I am wholly unashamed. It's so fun to find something new and small and joyful. I highly recommend it.<br /> <br /><div><b>What are you into right now? And are you a fun-nails person? </b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7019205786952575350.post-91836225933023951522023-01-22T13:50:00.006-05:002023-01-22T23:07:10.451-05:00Stop Bailing on Your Social Plans <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1734" data-original-width="2461" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje92WTRYK2kf92dt4vWR9TB8wa7pGoHXXNLQl-rC6uIO5IlHVdOWqVD8dP_txJQ54cLYqWZJdSwNZxS9vRLLmBGDLAW1TG2U560n-EXsQyEgGhqLDSFS0NyBCGT6Dhd4g46PZm_CeQhA2WriFoTlRW4R-Ueb0JfkcPTt8SyPcvKlTc1DP601rEx8zA/w640-h450/Brewella's%20with%20Allison.jpg" width="640"></div><p>I love when people cancel on plans we've made together. I enthusiastically say yes to things and then, when the time comes, I want nothing more than to <i>not go. </i>It's not usually because I'm lazy or sad or well or because the weather is bad. Usually, it's just because I start to feel kind of anxious, and I'd rather just... not bother.<br><br>On one hand, I embrace the idea of cancellation without regret, of realizing you're not in the mood or don't have the emotional bandwidth to do something social. I'm all for drawing boundaries and recognizing your limits and saying "no" without apology, etc., etc., etc.<span></span></p><a href="https://www.greatestescapist.com/2023/01/stop-bailing-on-your-social-plans.html#more"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2