What a privilege it is to be cold!
After 10 long days, we finally got our air conditioning back and I feel like myself again.
I really do not know what it is about the heat but it was like I spent all of those days swinging wildly on an emotional pendulum.
It heightened every small setback. The fire alarm went off in the hotel we decamped to and I burst into tears.
The computer needed to update at an inconvenient time. SCREAMS.
Lizzie had a brief bout of diarrhea. The end of the world.
I was fraught. I didn’t even realize how much so until it was over and then realized I had been teetering on the edge.
July has been so busy for me and I had planned out every last minute to fit it all in and this air conditioner breakdown was NOT IN THE PLANS. It was so out of my control and that initial lack of control spun my anxiety and everything else out.
I had to ask other people for help (not my strong suit). I had to adjust things last minute (my least favorite).
It’s kind of embarrassing to look back on (and to share) but also feels like I really didn’t know how to handle it differently in the moment.
I work on different strategies to help me be better at dealing with life’s complications but they are always easier to see in the aftermath.
Maybe now that I feel cool, I can remember to act cool.
This Week’s Recommendations
The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin - I walked into this book expecting a romance (on me for not reading the description closer and going on title/cover vibes only!), but instead it was a gorgeous story of friendship. I felt like the ending was a little rushed but overall I really loved these characters, their growth throughout the story, and the ways they showed up for each other. (CW: suicide, loss)
I’ve been thinking a lot about how images influence narrative, particularly as the image of Trump with his fist pumped into the air post-shooting has dominated news stories. I really appreciated this opinion piece in The Washington Post on this topic and these interviews with photojournalists about their role in these situations.
How Charli XCX Made “Brat Green” the Loudest Color of the Year
‘We’re Living in a Nightmare:’ Inside the Health Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town
While Miguel Solorio did 25 years for a crime he didn’t commit, his wife, Silvia, was right by his side. Here’s their love story.
Your Sims Can Soon Be Polyamorous, Complete With Boundaries and Jealousy Settings
The Traitors is one of the greatest shows I have ever seen and I NEED Alan Cumming to get the love and awards he deserves!
Why trying to go viral makes us weaker writers and sadder humans