Sunday, September 1, 2024

Right now

Right now...* 

*(an occasional (mostly monthly) meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current"). (Explanation of how this started & my inspirations in my first "Right now" post, here. Also my first "The Current" post, here.)

August flew by way too quickly.  It was good to be back home, after spending two weeks with my family out west, but suddenly it was the end of the month, with back-to-school and all things fall on the very near horizon.  

Pandemic diary/update: August was month #53 since the covid pandemic began in March 2020 -- now in Year FIVE. :(   And we continued to hear about people we know coming down with covid -- many of then for the first time, and often after travelling.    

We (still!) remain covid-free (knocking wood, loudly...), and we continue to mask in stores, malls and (most) other indoor public spaces hereabouts, especially where there are a lot of people around. (Well, I do -- I know dh has been slacking off again, whenever I'm not around to hand him a mask...!)  This article from the New York Times (gift link) solidified my resolve to keep masking!  (Albeit we have been eating out more again recently -- see "Eating," below.)  

Among other outings this month, we: 
  • Celebrated Younger Nephew's 32nd birthday at their nearby townhouse on Aug. 4th.  
  • Drove up to visit Older Nephew & Little Great-Nephew with BIL & SIL on Aug. 5th. (It was a civic holiday here, but ON's wife/LGN's mom had to work.) 
  • Marked 26 (!) years since the loss of our Katie on Aug. 7th: picked up some flowers (also stopped off to pick up a prescription for dh and fill up the gas tank on the car) and headed to the cemetery near our old community. Afterwards, we had lunch at a local cafe, browsed in the local mega-bookstore outlet, enjoyed some ice cream from Dairy Queen ;)  (see "Eating," below) and then picked up a few groceries before heading home. 
  • Headed to the Eaton Centre mall in downtown Toronto on Aug. 15th via subway, for the first time since pre-pandemic... to meet up with Mel & her family!! Patio dinner, followed by a browse at the Indigo bookstore there. 
  • Returned to our old community on Friday, Aug. 16th for haircuts at the mall. Lunch at Tim Hortons in the food court, a bit of shopping, and a visit with Katie at the cemetery before heading home again. 
  • Spent a rainy but pleasant Saturday afternoon (Aug. 17th) at BIL & SIL's. Older Nephew & his wife were off to a wedding downtown, and they dropped off Little Great-Nephew with his grandparents, en route. Younger Nephew & his wife brought Little Great-Niece over for a visit too. We wound up watching BIL's old home movies/videos of the nephews from the early 1990s, when they were almost exactly the ages their kids are now. LGNephew wasn't overly interested (I don't think he could really fathom that that little boy on the screen was his dad), but the rest of us had some good laughs (and I'll admit I got kind of misty-eyed too). They were SO damned cute!  :)  (And I was SO damned SKINNY!!  lol)(And no doubt thought I was fat at the time!)  SIL made homemade pizza, LGNephew assembled Legos with his uncle, and LGNiece amused herself with various kitchen utensils. A good time was had by all.  :)  
  • Went to the local mall to walk, shop and have lunch (pizza)(Aug. 20th).  
  • Went for a pre-long weekend pedicure and then a browse at the local mega-bookstore (Aug. 29th). 
  • Drove with BIL & SIL up to Older Nephew's on Friday night (Aug. 30th) for dinner with him & Little Great-Nephew (their wife/mom was off on a bachelorette weekend for one of her girlfriends). We wound up driving in two cars to a nearby large town and eating at a restaurant there.   

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Also right now:  

Reading: I finished 2 books in August (reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2024 books").  
This brings me to 24 books read so far in 2024, 53% of my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books.  I am currently 5 (!) books behind schedule to meet my goal. :(   

Current read(s): 
Coming up: Most of my book groups have their next reads plotted out for a few months in advance -- and listing them here helps me keep track of what I should be reading next. ;)  
  • For the Notes from Three Pines (Louise Penny mysteries) Readalong: The last discussion was for book #3, "The Cruellest Month," posted in June 2023 (no further posts/books since then).  I've continued dipping into the series on my own, between other book club obligations. Book #6, "Bury Your Dead," is the next one on my to-read list! 
  • Other books on my priority list: 
    • "Moonflower Murders" by Anthony Horowitz. The TV version is starting on PBS on Sept. 15th, and I want to have the book read by then. (I PVRd the adaptation of the first book in the series, "Magpie Murders," because I hadn't read the book yet -- and then lost all my PVRd stuff when we got a new modem last fall!  I did eventually read the book, reviewed here -- and got to see the TV version in reruns on PBS -- see "Watching," below.)    
    • "The Marlow Murder Club" by Robert Thorogood.  TV version begins airing on PBS on Oct. 27th.   
A few recently purchased titles (mostly in digital format, mostly discounted ($5-10 or less) or purchased with points): 

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Watching:  
  • The Olympics from Paris. I especially love watching the swimming events... and the diving... and the rowing (although it was mostly on in the middle of the night, my time!)... and track and field...! And especially the men's 4x100 relay, where our Canadian men's team -- none of whom had made it to the finals in their individual events -- won an unexpected gold!! A huge moment of national pride for all Canadians!  :) 
  • "Paving the Way," a 2013 documentary shown on PBS (the Buffalo channel, anyway), on Aug. 16th, about Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to be nominated to run for Vice-President of the United States, in the 1984 election (with Walter Mondale).  I was 23 at the time -- yes, a Canadian -- but I remember just how much that milestone and her example meant to me, and I frequently found myself tearing up repeatedly as I watched. I remember when Kamala Harris WAS actually elected VP four years ago, feeling similarly teary, and thinking "I so wish Geraldine Ferraro had lived to see this day."  (She died in 2011.) 
  • "Magpie Murders" on PBS -- based on the Anthony Horowitz book, which I read and reviewed here. I loved the way the some of the actors played multiple roles, and how Susan (the wonderful Lesley Manville), the main character, interacts with the fictional detective Atticus Pund!  :)  (As mentioned above, "Moonflower Murders," an adaptation of the sequel by the same name, will begin on Sept. 15th.) 
  • The Democratic National Convention in the U.S. from Chicago, Aug. 19-22. Way too many late nights!!  but some great speakers!  Too many highlights to mention, but the women -- Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and the nominee herself really knocked it out of the park. I also loved Doug Emhoff's speech -- and I LOVED seeing Elizabeth Warren get a long, loud, well-deserved standing ovation that left her tearing up and wiping her eyes. (The clip in the link is edited;  I believe the ovation went on for almost two full minutes.)  
Listening:  To Heardle Decades: Stats as of  Aug. 31st: 
  • Heardle 60s: 76.6% (529/691, 209 on first guess), up 0.3% from last month. Max. streak: 15.
  • Heardle 70s: 80.0% (345/431, 193 on first guess), down 0.3% from last month. Max. streak: 18. 
  • Heardle 80s: 41.8% (127/304, 48 on first guess), down 1.5% from last month. Max. streak: 4. 
  • Heardle 90s: 26.25% (107/408, 21 on first guess), up 0.7% from last month. Max. streak: 4. 
Following:  

Eating/Drinking:  I feel like I've been eating out in restaurants more in the past two months than I have in the past four pandemic years!  lol  
  • Coffee Culture (cafe), in our old community (Aug. 7th/Katie's day):  We had chicken caesar wraps, a favourite from when we lived in the area and used to go there. (Followed by ice cream -- Skor Blizzard for me -- from the Dairy Queen drive-through later, lol). 
  • Mercatto Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto with Mel and her family (Aug, 15th). We sat on the patio and the weather was lovely, albeit things were a bit noisy for the first while we were there...!  I had the pasta carbonara -- cooked perfectly al dente, albeit a little too much pepper for my tastebuds...!
  • Tim Hortons (mall food court in our old community, Aug. 16th):  We had breakfast sandwiches (egg & sausage on a biscuit) with wedge fries.  Tim's is certainly not gourmet fare, but it's cheap and dependable.  ;)  
  • Blaze Pizza at the mall (Aug. 20th): Thin crust, fast-fired. You can build your own, which is great for me with my tomato allergy -- I usually get bacon & chicken with a cream sauce base -- and while I can never eat the whole thing, that means a box of leftovers for lunch the next day!  :)  The air circulation seems good and we generally go before 11:30, when it's not too busy yet, and sit in a booth near the entrance to the mall.  
  • Lone Star Texas Grill, with dh, BIL, SIL, Older Nephew and Little Great-Nephew (Aug. 30th):  I had a burger & fries. We got there just before 8 (!) -- and being the Friday night of a long weekend, it was busy, they were out of tortillas for wraps and fajitas (!), and service was slow -- it took a while for our food to come-- but our young waitress was friendly and helpful, and the food, once it arrived, was good!  
  • Takeout:  The usual soup & pizza slices from the supermarket, generally once or twice a week; takeout teriyaki rice bowls (also from the supermarket), Chinese food from Mandarin, and Swiss Chalet takeout rotisserie chicken with a baked potato (I can never eat the whole thing, but the leftovers made good sandwiches the next day!).
Buying (besides books, lol):  
  • A couple of new nightgowns (like oversized T-shirts,my favourite style)  at La Vie en Rose. Alas, I didn't try them on and should have bought a larger size (I like my nightgowns roomy!), and wound up returning them. 
  • Natural pain relief cream for joints and arthritis from Saje, which I've been using as needed on my wonky left knee -- not bad!   
  • A couple of T-shirts at Carters/Oshkosh for Little Great-Nephew, and a dachshund-themed sleeper/hat set for his baby brother, due just before Christmas!  (Did I mention we now know it's a boy?)  I'm still wary of buying too much for babies in advance, but I absolutely could not resist this one!  ;)  
Wearing:  Lots of shorts and tank tops (and enjoying them while the good weather lasts...!).   

Enjoying/Loving:  Spending time with the nephews and their kids. :)  I may not have kids, and we don't get to see them as often as we'd like, but they are a gift.  :) 

Appreciating:  Being included. BIL & SIL are so good about inviting us to come over when the kids are there, or when they're going to see them. Not every time (and we wouldn't expect that), but often enough.  I know many childless people are not as fortunate. 

Noticing:  Just a tinge of red/yellow/brown on a few of the trees locally lately...! 

Trying:  To be good (or at least better??), health & diet-wise, over the next few weeks: annual bloodwork and physicals coming up soon. My gradually rising cholesterol levels were a point of discussion last year -- erk... 

Prioritizing: Staying away from the mall and other public places this past week or two, to avoid the hordes of back-to-school shoppers & families frantically trying to cram in last-minute summer activities before classes resume...!  (We did this pre-pandemic, too! -- if you don't HAVE to be out there when things are so completely nuts, why subject yourself, right??)  There will be plenty of time to enjoy these places once the kids are back in school and things are quieter! 

Wondering:  Whether it's going to rain today (as we head to a cousins' gathering this afternoon). Our hosts have a big house, but it's nicer (and safer!) to stay outdoors, if possible!  

Wanting: Life to slow down, just a bit...!  Even though I'm retired, I always feel like I'm juggling all these balls and never getting anything accomplished...! 

Hoping:  To get out on the balcony with a cup of tea and a good book on Tuesday afternoon -- back to school day hereabouts. ;)  I haven't spent much time out there this summer, especially when it's been so hot & humid -- but I've started doing this on this particular day over the past few years, weather permitting. It's a way of calming myself amid all the hoopla, a reminder to relax and BREATHE, and a good reminder to myself that while there are certainly some things I'm missing out on as a non-parents, there ARE some advantages too. ;)  

Also:  Hoping to do better on my reading this month than I have over the summer.  (Although -- a couple of my book group reads will wrap up this month, so a better monthly total is probably guaranteed...!)  

Anticipating:  A busy few weeks ahead:  a get-together with the relatives on one side of dh's family today (it's a long weekend here -- Labour Day on Monday);  all the back-to-school hoopla & social media posts hereabouts; cottage weekend soon with dh's cousin & his wife (a little earlier this year than our previous visits); a meetup lunch with some local and visiting childless friends from online; and World Childless Week, including my webinar/chat with Michael Hughes of the Full Stop podcast about family history and childlessness on Sept. 16th.  :)  October will be here before we know it...! (Yikes!!)  

Feeling: Thankful that the summer has been less eventful/stressful than the last few. A little sad that it's already (almost!) over (!), but looking forward to cooler temperatures and the lovely fall colours. 
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1 comment:

  1. MaliTuesday, September 03, 2024 12:26:00 AM

    I love these updates on your life. Glad you've been enjoying your summer, and getting out and about. And so appreciative for your BIL and SIL including you guys so much. That's really precious time with the niblings and great-niblings.

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