So, I could have shared this post a few days earlier, but for some reason, out of pure laziness, I’m not sharing it till now. So now all of these events seem like they happened ages ago.
Daily Life
May 1: I dropped Darby off at Birdy and Goose’s house, then I headed to Kingsport! Thankfully traffic wasn’t horrendous on a Wednesday. I made it to Kingsport around 4:30, and the drive flew by.
Obligatory Mason photos:
For dinner with my parents, we ate at Chili’s. I got Triple Dipper appetizer. I chose the fried mozzarella, Southwestern Egg rolls, and honey-chipotle chicken crispers! I ate half, then saved the rest for later.
May 2: Haley’s graduation day!
It was such a busy but joyous day. To kick it off, we had to be at my parents’ house by 9 AM. We went through Pal’s for breakfast. If you’re ever in the area at breakfast, get some cheddar rounds!
At Niswonger Children’s Hospital, there were two Clydesdale horses for a fundraising event. My older sister loves horses, so we went for her.
For lunch, we ate at Giovanni’s. Recommendation: the garlic knots! We mainly went to get an order of garlic knots, and I was craving pasta, as usual. I’d never had the penne dish from here, but it was good!
We had to hurry back home so we could get ready for the graduation. It would take about an hour to get to the graduation location.
My sister is now licensed to be an occupational therapist’s assistant! So, so proud.
The graduation was pretty short, thankfully. I think graduations have gotten shorter because the guest speakers are aware and keep them brief. The woman at Haley’s ceremony kept her speech to be around seven minutes.
We were all starving since we hadn’t eaten since like 12 PM. We went to Cheddar’s in Kingsport, and we ate dinner around 8 PM, which is a late dinner for me.
I ordered the bourbon-glaze salmon with broccoli and fries, and it was delicious. Not pictured: the honey-butter croissants I inhaled.
I got a Darby update:
He never sleeps on me like that, what the heck! I was just a wee bit jealous.
May 3: Haley and I stopped at Scooter’s coffee. We both ordered an iced Caramelicious. Definitely a favorite drive-through coffee establishment of mine!
We then headed to the Asian market. I stocked up on more spicy peanuts! I didn’t take any more pictures this day. It was more laidback and I managed to do some work.
May 4: Haley, Reece, and I had breakfast with our parents at Pop’s. Mom talked about how their waffles are a hit, and she was telling the truth! Haley and I split the Cinnamon Roll waffle and the menu item that has bacon, sausage, hash browns, eggs, and toast.
Mom and I went to Kroger for groceries. I bought some ingredients to make teriyaki chicken with fried rice, egg rolls, and pot stickers.
The sauce in the photo is not what we used, bit that seems like it would be good as well.
Nick, Hannah, and Levi also visited for a bit. Levi is as wild as ever.
Everyone seemed to enjoy it, so that was a success!
May 5: Time to head back home to Nashville! First stop, 7 Brew. I had enough points to redeem a free drink, so heck yeah! I was going to use a coupon that was 50% off a drink, so I’ll save that for next time!
I ordered an iced Caramel Macchiato. I managed to drive both ways without a bathroom break, which is good, but that meant I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the coffee.
I was so happy to see Darby again! Stephen picked him up on Saturday.
He looks hilarious and so cute with my band on.
May 10: We tried seeing Aurora Borealis, but unfortunately we didn’t capture it in photos as well as other people did.
Kylie let us come over to try to catch a last glimpse of it.
May 11: It was such a busy day! I had to take Kylie to the airport at 8 AM, then Stephen and I went to Sperry’s Mercantile to check out what they had and the coffee shop.
I managed to walk out with only three things, though I was really wanting a huge quiche that would go to waste since I wouldn’t be able to finish it. The coffee was super good! I ordered an iced The Grand National, which is a cinnamon brown sugar latte.
That afternoon, I checked on Luna, then picked up some plastic eggs with Darby since we’ve been doing egg hunts. It is adorable watching him find them!
Finally, I dropped in on Spud to spend time with him and feed him his dinner.
May 19: Pups & Pints time! It was supposed to be the 18th, but the weather was dicey. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to go initially since I had yet another eczema breakout that started two days before. However, I decided to give sunning and drinking orange juice to help my flare-up a try, and it worked!
I remembered that my old doctor mentioned getting into a tanning bed and that helps some people with eczema, but I had forgotten about that until I read how natural sunlight helps kill the bacteria in eczema.
Also, vitamin C helps with inflammation, so looks like I’ll be drinking more orange juice!
After getting some sun on me, my rash was less visible and the itching reduced greatly!
At Pups & Pints, we only lasted like 45 minutes. The sun and temperature were brutal. Darby didn’t even want to go under the tent where there were fans and shade. He just wanted to go home and refused to move from the sidewalk!
Darby was super curious about Goose in the car.
The darned cicadas were flying everywhere, and one even landed on my bag! I freaked out, naturally.
May 23: Corgi meetup at Sandbar! This meetup had the least amount of corgs. Kelli was able to spend the afternoon with me, and she finally got to go to a corgi event!
We first had lunch at Mestizo’s, then went to Honest Roasters in the L&L Market so she could try their drinks for the first time.
I took a photo of Kelli’s drink because it was just so pretty! She ordered an iced Cherry Blossom Matcha, which I plan on getting next time. I stuck with my iced The Bootlegger.
Then, we went to Target to look for the corgi doormat. Well, we didn’t even look for that; instead, we got sidetracked by the athletic wear!
I bought a pretty blue romper-like thing and Kelli did as well, but hers was black.
I’ve really been loving these Poppi sodas! You get a bold taste without the sugars and calories. It’s a win.
Miscellaneous days: I tried a new Poppi flavor, and I think watermelon is now my favorite! It is so good.
This La Colombe cold brew is pretty good. I’m going to have my dad try it because I think he’d enjoy it.
That concludes the month of May!
Books
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- What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall
- synopsis: Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft—writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island.
But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then Coco receives a sinister threat in the mail: her own obituary.
As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer’s crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive. Because whoever is watching her is hell-bent on finally putting her past to rest. - genres: mystery, thriller, suspense, crime
- rating: 2
- This book was a slow burn, and I could not get into it like I wanted to. I liked Coco’s sassiness and expected her ex-husband to play a bigger part in this book or even show up, but nope.
- I kind of lost interest after a while. The obituary introduced before the story begins hooked me, but that’s not in the story until almost the end!
- The real killer is kind of a letdown.
- synopsis: Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft—writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island.
- This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
- synopsis: This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.
Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.
It’s easier said than done
Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.
If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it
When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is. - genre: romance, chick lit
- rating: 3
- This is my least favorite Carley Fortune book, which is disappointing. I’m not a big fan of the friends-with-benefits trope, especially with the amount of lusting going on that consumed Lucy’s every thought.
- I would’ve liked this story better if Lucy wasn’t so thirsty over Felix. The smallest thing like saying her name or just walking made her lust after him when the setting was not romantic at all. Maybe that’s to show off Felix’s appeal? Who knows, but come on, girl!
- The last 100 pages or less got better because then they actually started getting to know one another and talk instead of have sex immediately. Thank the Lord.
- Felix’s nickname is Wolf, which everyone calls him that, except Lucy. Maybe that’s a new twist with the story, but the nickname itself is meh. I cannot picture any guy’s mom or sister calling their son or brother “Wolf” all the time.
- One thing I never bought was how Lucy was Bridget’s best friend, yet she didn’t even know Felix was her brother when they first hooked up. How do you not know what your friend’s family looks like? I thought maybe, sure, they’re not close, but they seem to be close and that’s not the case.
- synopsis: This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.
- The Way I Used To Be by Amber Smith
- synopsis: All Eden wants is to rewind the clock. To live that day again. She would do everything differently. Not laugh at his jokes or ignore the way he was looking at her that night. And she would definitely lock her bedroom door.
But Eden can’t turn back time. So she buries the truth, along with the girl she used to be. She pretends she doesn’t need friends, doesn’t need love, doesn’t need justice. But as her world unravels, one thing becomes clear: the only person who can save Eden … is Eden. - genres: young adult, coming of age, romance, mental health
- content warning: rape, sexual assault
- rating: 4.5
- This book had me in tears and it broke my heart for all survivors who were/are living with this unfortunate secret.
- Eden was 14(!!) when this happened. What a pivotal moment in her life. She should’ve only been trying to navigate high school, not have this huge weight on her to carry around.
- As the reader, I was frustrated by the who situation and Eden keeping this awful secret to herself, but I can understand why she and other victims would share a similar story. I cannot imagine going through something like this, but I feel like I would probably react in the same way.
- Josh Miller was an angel. I loved him. He was incredibly patient and wonderful to Eden. The absolute perfect boyfriend.
- synopsis: All Eden wants is to rewind the clock. To live that day again. She would do everything differently. Not laugh at his jokes or ignore the way he was looking at her that night. And she would definitely lock her bedroom door.
- The Way I Am Now by Amber Smith
- synopsis: Eden and Josh decide to give their relationship another chance in this much anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Way I Used to Be that explores how to move forward after trauma—in life and in love.
Eden and Josh never had a fair shot at a healthy relationship. When they dated in high school, they each had their own problems getting in the way of the deep connection they felt toward one another. Unbeknownst to Josh, Eden was carrying the burden of a devastating sexual assault, while Josh was dealing with his own private struggle of having an alcoholic father. - genres: young adult, coming of age, romance, mental health
- content warning: rape, sexual assault
- rating: 4.5
- I am quite surprised that Eden gives Steve a shot. I kind of wanted to know what happened to him later on in the book, even though he wasn’t really of importance.
- Josh was, as usual, wonderful.
- I liked that this story continued, and it was nice seeing Eden happy again, even though she was still struggling with what happened.
- These were good books, and I recommend them if you can handle the subject matter.
- synopsis: Eden and Josh decide to give their relationship another chance in this much anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Way I Used to Be that explores how to move forward after trauma—in life and in love.
- Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild
- synopsis: “I could just kill you right now!” It’s something we’ve all thought at one time or another. But Ruby has actually acted on it. Three times, to be exact.
Though she may be a murderer, Ruby is not a sociopath. She is an animal-loving therapist with a thriving practice. She’s felt empathy and sympathy. She’s had long-lasting friendships and relationships, and has a husband, Jason, whom she adores. But the homicide detectives at Miami Beach PD are not convinced of her happy marriage. When we meet Ruby, she is in a police interrogation room, being accused of Jason’s murder. Which, ironically, is one murder that she did not commit, though her vicious mother-in-law and a scandal-obsessed public believe differently. As she undergoes questioning, Ruby’s mind races back to all the details of her life that led her to this exact moment, and to the three dead bodies in her wake. Because though she may not have killed her husband, Ruby certainly isn’t innocent.
Alternating between Ruby’s memories of her past crimes and her present-day fight to clear her name, Blood Sugar is a twisty, clever debut with an unforgettable protagonist who you can’t help but root for—an addicting mixture of sour and sweet. - genres: mystery, thriller, crime
- rating: 5
- Not gonna lie, I liked Ruby as a character and kind of wanted to still root for her. She reminded me a little of Alexandra Mallory, a character in a book series written by Cathryn Grant.
- The irony of whose murder she’s being charged for was sad. I loved the way the story unfolded and the writing style of this author.
- I love chapters with titles. They were quick to get through, and I couldn’t put this book down!
- The tone is clinical and kind of lacking emotion, which makes sense given Ruby’s occupation and her personality. She didn’t gush about her love for her husband, but you could tell she loved him.
- This was certainly an unexpected read, and it turned out to be my favorite of the month!
- synopsis: “I could just kill you right now!” It’s something we’ve all thought at one time or another. But Ruby has actually acted on it. Three times, to be exact.
- Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore
- synopsis: Sometimes you have to return to the place where you began, to arrive at the place where you belong.
It’s the early 1970s. The town of Ringgold, Georgia, has a population of 1,923, one traffic light, one Dairy Queen, and one Catherine Grace Cline. The daughter of Ringgold’s third-generation Baptist preacher, Catherine Grace is quick-witted, more than a little stubborn, and dying to escape her small-town life.
Every Saturday afternoon, she sits at the Dairy Queen, eating Dilly Bars and plotting her getaway to Atlanta. And when, with the help of a family friend, the dream becomes a reality, she immediately packs her bags, leaving her family and the boy she loves to claim the life she’s always imagined. But before things have even begun to get off the ground in Atlanta, tragedy brings Catherine Grace back home. As a series of extraordinary events alter her perspective and sweeping changes come to Ringgold itself Catherine Grace begins to wonder if her place in the world may actually be, against all odds, right where she began.
Intelligent, charming, and utterly readable, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen marks the debut of a talented new literary voice. - genres: Southern fiction, young adult
- rating: 3
- This book had a couple of twists and changes that I couldn’t believe they happened.
- I relate with Catherine Grace Cline in some ways because she wanted to leave her small town to get a little taste of the world beyond her small town, and then she ultimately returns to where she’s meant to be.
- I am proud of her for getting out of her hometown, even if it was only for a little while.
- rating: 3
- synopsis: Sometimes you have to return to the place where you began, to arrive at the place where you belong.
- The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
- synopsis: Margot Lee’s mother, Mina, isn’t returning her calls. It’s a mystery to twenty-six-year-old Margot, until she visits her childhood apartment in Koreatown, LA, and finds that her mother has suspiciously died. The discovery sends Margot digging through the past, unraveling the tenuous invisible strings that held together her single mother’s life as a Korean War orphan and an undocumented immigrant, only to realize how little she truly knew about her mother.
Interwoven with Margot’s present-day search is Mina’s story of her first year in Los Angeles as she navigates the promises and perils of the American myth of reinvention. While she’s barely earning a living by stocking shelves at a Korean grocery store, the last thing Mina ever expects is to fall in love. But that love story sets in motion a series of events that have consequences for years to come, leading up to the truth of what happened the night of her death. - genres: mystery, historical fiction, Asian literature
- rating: 3.5
- This book was slower than I anticipated, but it really highlights the strained relationship between Mina and her daughter, Margot. Reading books like these that highlight the struggles and hopes immigrants have when coming to the U.S. breaks my heart. We’re all humans trying to survive in a social construct that we’ve been boxed into.
- Also, I wish there was more emotion in this novel, but I felt like it makes sense that there wasn’t due to how the characters act. Mina clearly loved her daughter, but she wasn’t able to convey it in a way that Margot wanted. Margot rejected Korean culture due to being embarrassed about her mother and her lack of Americanness.
- There’s a quote that I’m going to paraphrase, but it’s written how easy it is to take a life than to live one, and this story really emphasizes the struggle of immigrants.
- synopsis: Margot Lee’s mother, Mina, isn’t returning her calls. It’s a mystery to twenty-six-year-old Margot, until she visits her childhood apartment in Koreatown, LA, and finds that her mother has suspiciously died. The discovery sends Margot digging through the past, unraveling the tenuous invisible strings that held together her single mother’s life as a Korean War orphan and an undocumented immigrant, only to realize how little she truly knew about her mother.
TV Shows/Movies
Extraordinary Attorney Woo — (2022)
synopsis:
Extraordinary Attorney Woo tells the story of Woo Young-woo, an autistic lawyer who is raised by her single father. She grows up with one friend at school, Dong Geu-ra-mi, an oddball girl who protects her from school bullies. She graduates at the top of her law school class at Seoul National University. Because she is autistic, law firms refuse to hire her. However, through a connection of her father’s, she obtains her first job at Hanbada, a large Seoul law firm. Attorney Woo’s intelligence and photographic memory help her to become an excellent lawyer, as she is able to recall laws and everything she reads, sees, or hears perfectly.
…Another theme that runs through the series is Young-woo’s strong interest in whales and other marine mammals. Her tendency to analogize situations she faces in her professional and private life with the lives and characteristics of whales and dolphins often surprises and confounds the people who surround her. Her eureka moments often coincide with fantasizing about marine animals.
Wikipedia
I at first didn’t want to start this series because I don’t like starting shows until they’re finished, but everything in the world is crumbling, so I’ll enjoy this little escape while I can to lighten up my mood.
My goodness, I don’t think I can make it through an episode without tearing up or crying.
I finished this series fast. I was hooked, and I can’t wait for season 2 to premiere!
“The Blue Night of Jeju” episodes may be my favorite ones. I’m so happy that the group did the almost impossible and got Myung-seok his meat noodles!
Resident Alien, season 2 — (2022)
We finally started season 2 and finished it in a couple of weeks!
Season 3 is on Peacock, so we knocked it out within a few days since there are only eight episodes.
It ends on a cliffhanger, so I am impatiently waiting for the next season!
Dark Matter — (2024)
synopsis:
Jason Dessen, a former quantum mechanics physicist, is a college physics professor who lives in Chicago with his wife, Daniela and their son Charlie. One day Jason is kidnapped and drugged. He wakes up in a science laboratory and stumbles out of a metal cube. He discovers that he is in an alternate Chicago where, fifteen years previously, he had decided not to marry Daniela and had pursued his career as a physicist instead. In this world he built the cube that enables the occupants to move between the countless worlds created from every possible outcome of every event.
Wikipedia
I read the books a while back and it was good. Not my favorite out of all the Blake Crouch books, but it was fun reading it!
The show is pretty good so far!
Music
Me Again (2024) — Sasha Alex Sloan
I’ve been looking forward to this album!
If you want to get all up in your feelings, Sasha Alex Sloan is your girl.
Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart (2024) — MacKenzie Porter
This is a pretty good album!
I really enjoy “Sucker Punch” and “Confession.” I’m still familiarizing myself with the album, but those have stood out to me upon writing this!
It’s more country than her previous albums, I think.
Orders
I hope everyone is having a wonderful June so far. It’s my birthday month!
