Right now

Right now... (an occasional meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current")

Reading:  I read 5 (!!) books in May (they're all reviewed here on my blog):  

• "It's Okay to Laugh (Crying Is Cool Too)" by Nora McInerny Purmort
• "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng (library book club selection) 
• "The Keeper of Lost Things" by Ruth Hogan (Gateway Women book club selection) 
• "No Happy Endings" by Nora McInerny 
• "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman (the GW book club selection for June)

My Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge YTD total now stands at 17 books -- well on the way to reaching my goal of 24, and a whopping EIGHT (!!) books ahead of schedule, which is a VERY nice surplus to have...!

Earlier this week, I attended my second meeting of the local library's book club, where we discussed "Little Fires Everywhere." Our book for June (and likely the next read in my TBR pile) is "The Three Weissmanns of Westport" by Cathleen Schine. (Anyone read it? ) 

Recent purchases/additions to the TBR pile: 

• "State of the Union: A Marriage in Ten Parts" by Nick Hornby
• "All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership" by Darcy Lockman
• "The People Are Going to Rise Like the Waters Upon Your Shore: A Story of American Rage" by Jared Yates Sexton (what a title, eh??!) 

Watching:  Saw "The Avengers: Endgame," "Long Shot" and "Booksmart" at the movies in May.  "Booksmart" is a teen comedy -- directed by the actress Olivia Wilde -- about two unpopular girls aiming to crash a big party the night before their high school graduation. Kind of like "Superbad" (which we also loved) but from the female perspective, as one critic put it. It was funny, well done and a refreshing change from the usual male focus.  

On TV:  Looking forward to season 3 of "The Handmaid's Tale," beginning shortly (next weekend, I think?) on Bravo Canada!    

Listening: Looking forward to episode 1 of The Full Stop podcast, which will be launching on June 9th, with guest Jody Day of Gateway Women. I recently wrote about this new podcast here. 

Following: Our Toronto Raptors (pro basketball team) made it to the NBA finals for the first time in their 24-year history (against the Golden State Warriors)!! Not a huge basketball fan, but it's one of those things you have to watch. ;)  The city is going nuts... the only thing that would top this would be if the Maple Leafs (hockey team) made it to the finals &/or won the Stanley Cup (the last time they won was 1967, when dh was 10 years old -- 52 years ago!!) (The Stanley Cup playoff finals are also in full swing, but I lost interest after both the Leafs & my beloved Winnipeg Jets were eliminated in earlier rounds. Plus, I think it's ridiculous to still be playing hockey in June...!)  

Drinking/Eating:  Even though the weather hasn't been exactly hot (or even warm) yet, we've already been to the gelato shop a couple of times.  :)

Buying (besides books, lol):  The glass & tile shower cubicle in our ensuite bathroom looks gorgeous... but it is a total B*TCH to keep clean!! -- and it badly needed a good scrubbing after several weeks of neglect while I recuperated from my PVD (the optometrist warned me not to strain myself too much for the first few weeks afterwards, & dh took his instructions to the extreme...! so I was only able to give it a perfunctory cleaning).  I've been using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser -- works wonders on soap scum -- but of course it requires a lot of scrubbing/effort on my part.  This past week, I bought myself a new toy -- a Turbo Scrub rechargeable power scrub brush -- & used it with a little Lysol spray cleaner. Worked like a charm, & with considerably less of a toll on my fingers and on my back & knees (there's even an extension wand, so you don't have to bend over). (I follow up the scrubbing with a hot water rinse -- sometimes hot water & vinegar -- & then a good squeegee-ing of the glass.) 

Enduring:  A cooler and greyer than usual spring... :p  We only just turned on the a/c a couple of days ago (& I'm not entirely sure it was completely necessary yet...!).

(Not) wearing:  While I was wearing my capris & sandals on May 1 last year,  I have yet to put them on so far this year. :p  :(   (There's been the odd day when it's been warm enough outside to wear capris, but they're been sadly few & far between...!) I recently bought a couple of pairs of capri-length yoga pants & have started wearing those around the house/condo... progress!!  lol  

Desperately needing:  A pedicure! 

Planning:  Our annual summer trip to see my family, and trying to work out the logistics... among the considerations: Dad's 80th birthday (and a potential party with family & friends), my sister's scheduled vacation plus vacation time restrictions (important project at work = vacation blackout for late July & August), who can do airport pickup/dropoff for us, etc. etc...

Also trying to figure out how to work in a visit with an old friend from high school (mother of two, grandmother of FIVE... so far...!!), who keeps commenting on Facebook, "We MUST get together next time you're home!" I think I would actually enjoy visiting with her... but she lives about 45 minutes away from my parents -- & I don't drive and I feel rather embarrassed to admit that to her (especially since she was probably in my high school driver's ed class with me!).  I suppose if she really does want to see me, she won't mind making the trip?  

Wanting:  To sit on my balcony with a book & a cup of tea (or a glass of iced tea)... the weather still hasn't been overly warm so we haven't bothered to haul the chairs & little table upstairs from the storage locker yet. 

Loving:  The milder weather, and being able to have the balcony door open -- even if it's been rather gloomy & rainy lately. :p  Progress?! 

Feeling:  Relieved that I don't have to go back to the optometrist for another 6-12 months (unless I notice anything unusual again), and that my recent checkup & bloodwork with my family dr went (relatively) well. I got a mild lecture about my weight, which has steadily climbed in recent years & is at its highest point yet. :(  I could probably stand to lose a good 40-50 pounds, but the dr suggested even just 10 would help. Also, my bloodwork showed I have high levels of uric acid in my blood, which puts me at risk for developing gout (!).  This could be a side effect of my blood pressure medication... plus genetics are not on my side, as both my parents have also battled gout in recent years. This aging stuff is not for sissies...!  :p