What I’m Into: May 2018

Main Events:

May is my favorite month, and always one of the busiest months of the year! My sister and my older niece both have May birthdays. Fifoo’s party was at the end of April, but my BIL Lance threw Debra a surprise party after the nieces’ dance recital (which she thought was the only reason my parents and I came to town). She was surprised and happy. The recital was fun too – I had no idea the girls went to such a legit dance school. My mom and I exclaimed a little too much during the performance about Fifoo’s excellent arm structure. #danceaunt

Taylor and I celebrated our first (dating) anniversary! Having an anniversary was a big deal to me – for a long time I thought I might never have another one, and I’m so happy to have spent the last year with such a great person. He is kind, responsible, talented, and smart, makes me laugh every day, and never lets me down. ♥ I had been saving a gift certificate to Restaurant Iris, so we had our anniversary dinner there. The atmosphere was very romantic and I’m glad I got to go before they close for remodeling next month.

One more big May event: Taylor bought a house! It’s less than a mile from my house, and has an amazing front porch where I anticipate spending many relaxing hours. He closes next week. We’re both very excited. PS: Midtown real estate is CRAZY. I truly got in under the wire. Taylor went to see one house that looked iffy even from the street, and ten people were in line for showings.

 

Reading:

Some notable books of May: House of Bradbury, a cozy novel about a writer who moves into Ray Bradbury’s old house and takes in a wayward young starlet; and Kristy Burmeister’s memoir Act Normal, which is infuriating and extremely relevant in our #MeToo, #ChuchToo era. I’m also loving Alyssa Mastromonaco’s memoir of working in the Obama White House – it’s very Mindy Kaling Goes to Washington. Lots of wise insights and relatable moments.

 

Watching:

After skipping the last couple of seasons, I binge-watched and loved the final season of New Girl. So many good lines. “That’s what you brought us all here to tell us? Why do you always think like a member of the Baby-Sitters Club?”

I saw Avengers: Infinity War by myself on a Monday night, because it was my only opportunity to do so before someone spoiled me. It was… wow. I am still haunted by the ending, and accepting all theories and hot takes.

 

Travel:

For Memorial Day weekend, Taylor booked a big cabin in north Georgia, and Debra and her family met us there. We went hiking, spent an afternoon in Blue Ridge, and enjoyed the hot tub and creek at the cabin. Everyone had fun, and despite predictions of rain all weekend, it didn’t rain till we were leaving! The trail Taylor and I hiked is part of the Appalachian Trail, so I can now say I’ve done part of the AT. On the way out of town, we also had lunch with some cousins who live in the area.

 

Around Town:

I got the three-day pass again to Beale Street Music Fest (somewhat against my better judgment – I’m getting old). Friday night was the best: Dashboard Confessional, Third Eye Blind, and Alanis Morrissette!! I’d never seen her live. She killed it and looked happy and light. I’m glad she’s in a good place. On Saturday Taylor went with me to see Vance Joy, (some of) Ludacris, and one of our favorite bands, Incubus. We also, completely randomly, met Dan LeBatard! Taylor is a superfan and recognized him standing near a sponsor tent. We finally approached the group, got a picture, and had a short conversation about why the Pyramid is a Bass Pro Shop. It was pretty epic.

Sunday was a low-key fest day. The main event for me was my first Flaming Lips show, which was like if Willy Wonka had a band instead of a chocolate factory. I also saw Misterwives and part of Odesza before finally hitting my max tolerance for crowds and heading home. I’m bummed that I didn’t make it to any other Memphis in May events this year, especially since the honored country was the Czech Republic, which is ¼ of my heritage. I just had too much going on.

My mom and I have a Mother’s Day tradition of biking or walking around town and taking pictures in front of murals. This year we focused on downtown. We walked for hours, got fancy sodas at A. Schwab, had a fantastic dinner at Pontotoc, then headed back to Midtown to cap off the day at Railgarten.

Taylor and I had our own spontaneous fun evening at Railgarten the day he put the offer on his house. I love that place and am glad we’ll probably be hanging out there more once he’s in the neighborhood. We also hosted a goodbye party for his boss and went to Raiford’s with some of his co-workers, because someone moving away is one of the three acceptable occasions to go to Raiford’s (the others: bachelor/bachelorette party or milestone birthday).

 

At Home:

Our late/nonexistent spring and excessive rain have been great for plants. My Julia Child rose has never looked so good this late in the game, and everything else is thriving too!

 

Cooking/Eating:

I’ve discovered Zevia beverages – diet sodas made with stevia. They’re not cheap, but it’s a nice break from regular diet drinks. I got the root beer and plan to try other flavors.

 

Wearing:

This month I kept a floral blouse, a pair of cropped pants, and a long jade necklace from my Stitch Fix. I put jewelry low on my priority list, but they keep sending me pieces I love! After this next Fix I’m switching to every other month, so that should help stop the financial bleeding.

 

Beauty:

Ulta finally had Makeup Revolution Conceal and Define in stock, and so far it’s the best concealer I’ve ever used. Perfect coverage and blendability, somehow neither too drying nor too greasy. Every morning I’m amazed by how much better it makes my skin look.

I’ve also gone through half a pack of CosRX Acne Master Patches. While they haven’t made cystic zits disappear overnight, they’ve taken them down a notch. My skincare routine is otherwise unchanged this month. I’m trying to maintain some stability – a bad breakout on our lake trip seemed to indicate my face can’t even handle different water. It’s getting really frustrating.

 

Your Monthly Rufus:

Rufus turned four this month! I always make him a little birthday hat, and he always refuses to pose with it, then chews it up. I’m thankful for another year with a healthy, happy cat. Because he is so energetic, I haven’t let him outside this month other than daily time on the balcony. A few weeks ago he got over a brick wall and into a neighbor’s jungle-like bushes, and it took me an hour of tears and stress to extract him. I think I’m going to get him microchipped and then reassess the situation.

 

Quote of the Month:

 

On The Blog:

Over the years I’ve made many references to my career path or lack thereof, feeling stuck and uncertain, etc., but I had never shared the whole story of how I ended up where I am. This month, feeling fired up to warn and empower younger women, I finally wrote it all out. If I was asked to give a graduation speech, this would probably be it.

 

Good Reads:

♥ Laura Tremaine: Thoughts on a 6+ Week Social Media Break

♥ Lore Wilbert: The Dirt Reminds Us

♥ Jerry Brewer in the WaPo: Is LeBron James the GOAT? Forget the debate. It’s asking the wrong question.

♥ Laura Turner at Catapult: Missing Hope: A Trio of Miscarriages, and What Happened After

♥ Heather Strong Moore: “This Is America” and the Prophetic Voice

♥ Samantha Field: For Thanos So Loved the World

♥ Angela Klocke: We’ve been through hell but we know how to laugh.