Wowza, September flew by (and so has October). I apologize for the delay on sharing this post. I ended up staying in Kingsport until the 8th of October and Stephen made it back that previous Monday.
As for all that went on, September was a little more tame than August. We went to Cheekwood, had a couple of corgi meetups, attended the Sasha Alex Sloan concert, and concluded the month by visiting our families! I didn’t get to visit Stephen’s family, but we’ll be visiting for the holidays.
Since you’ll see the outings/fun/food section immediately, here are the other two categories:
Like I said, not much of a variety of things to share this month, but we had a nice time.
Life Updates
I’ll share some quick updates about my dad.
September 6: My dad’s test results came back; he has follicular lymphoma. Thankfully, it hasn’t spread to anywhere else in his body, and everyone is quite optimistic since it’s treatable.
September 21: I won’t say too much, but my dad will start chemo in a couple of weeks and will go through 6 rounds of it every 3 weeks.
September 30: Off to Kingsport for a wedding and to visit family!
Not much else to report with us, just work and watching some TV shows. I’m currently watching The 100 on Netflix and trashy reality TV, Bachelor in Paradise. Stephen and I finally got around to watching Stranger Things as well. I had a lot of thoughts and wanted to think up theories, but Stephen was no fun and didn’t go down rabbit holes with me.
Outings/Fun/Food
September 1: We renewed our membership and went to Cheekwood to see the Colorscapes exhibit! I figured it’d be easier to share the pictures by linking my Instagram because of the amount of storage I have and it takes a bit longer to upload individual photos and videos.
Sorry if you’ll be seeing these photos and videos twice.
The reels are all over the place. I didn’t think about making any at the time, but it was way easier this way to compile everything together and share it.
The Colorscapes exhibit reel:
My hot chicken gyro was so good, but what a mess I made! They really stuffed it full of chicken. I didn’t have a fork, so eating it was a bit rough. It had the perfect amount of heat to where it was hot enough but didn’t overpower the initial flavor.
I normally don’t order drinks, but this was a rare occasion. I ordered some type of honeysuckle vodka cocktail. The flavor was light but good. I’m glad my face didn’t turn bright red like it typically does whenever I drink alcohol.
September 4: Darby and I spent a couple of hours with Spud and his mom, Kylie. We went on a short hike, and the boys were so good! Darby was a little snappy and antsy whenever we tried putting Spud in the car with him on the way. (Later, I realized this is his personal space and boundary being crossed. Working on that currently.) Kylie had to hold Spud in her lap, but they rode in the back together coming home.
We went to the local pet store afterward. I bought more meal toppers and treats (as if he needs more of those) for him since we were out of toppers.
September 10: Stephen and I went to see Sasha Alex Sloan at Marathon Music Works. We’ve been leaving Darby out of his crate whenever we leave and he’s been so good! We don’t have a pet camera yet, but we think he just mopes until we get back. Nothing seems to be damaged when we come home. He’s a good boy.
Stephen drank some beers and I had a yummy house sangria. I felt my face getting so red and hot! Luckily, the venue was dimly lit so it wasn’t obvious.
I’m going to share all the videos I took here so I can delete them off my phone because I am running out of storage. I’m taking up most of it for the family plan.
“I Blame the World”:
“Thoughts”:
“Live Laugh Love”:
“House with No Mirrors”:
For the encore, she sang “Dancing with Your Ghost”:
It’s the only full song that I recorded since it was a favorite of mine.
September 11: Darby attended another corgi meetup! He is cool enough to have been added to a group chat with local corgisβthanks to his girlfriend, Birdy.
It seems like Darby’s playing style is just being on the sidelines and cheering on the ones doing the playing!
The weather was so weird. It rained off and on the whole time at the meetup, which was a bummer, but I’m so glad Darby got to play with some new friends!
As usual, Darby followed Birdy around, but he did widen his radius and greeted other dogs.
There were so many dogs and owners that I couldn’t keep up with all of them or their names. Birdy’s sister Lucy was there too, which I think he impressed her and got her approval! I think he confused Lucy for Birdy a few times because he’d sniff Lucy, realize it’s not Birdy, then go off and find Birdy!
It was so cute and funny.
One of the kind ladies brought little doggy doughnuts! About a minute after this photo was taken, it started pouring down rain. I ran to the car. Stephen had Darby, and he was so reluctant to leave everyoneβand he hates the rain! His love for dogs definitely outweighs his disliking of rain. We were drenched and not well prepared. We didn’t have raincoats or a towel to dry us and Darby off.
September 17: Birdy’s pawrents hosted a small corgi meetup at their place. There were 5 dogs there: Pepper (a mini dachshund), Wally, Winston, Birdy, and Darby.
I cannot believe that I forgot to take a photo, but I made a cute little dog cake in the shape of a bone. They all seemed to love it! Birdy’s pawrents had pup cups, so they all got to enjoy some sweet treats!
Darby and Birdy still love playing with each other, and it’s so cute to watch them play together.
Wally’s dad took the first photo, and it’s hilarious!
The bottom photos I jokingly say are the moments when Darby realized that Wally (the oldest corgi) left and now he had to be the adult in charge.
Also, just look at those cute corgi butts!
September 18: We’ve been putting it off, but we finally gave Darby another bath.
Giving him a bath is definitely a two-person job. I don’t know how single dog pawrents do it!
It’s so funny watching him run around to dry off. We tried to towel dry him as much as we could, but we decided to let him run around and do his thing.
The best part about giving him a bath is seeing his cute, clean feet! Love them paw pads.
Him the next day:
He was being super playful and started chewing on pillows. He has never chewed up anything, so we really lucked out with him.
September 22: We went to Sprout’s the previous weekend and I bought some kimchi. For lunch, I decided to make some kimchi fried rice for the first time, and I’m questioning why I didn’t make this sooner because IT IS AMAZING. Absolutely heavenly!
This kimchi has a lot of spice kick to it. I was able to make 2 big batches of fried rice with it. I’ll definitely be buying this again.
September 23: Darby is loving this fall weather! I’m always stopping the videos too early. If it would’ve kept going for 3 more seconds, I would’ve caught his second roll.
September 26: Darby’s been getting super spoiled whenever we go outside because he’s been playing with his friends at the dog park. We’ve been staying out for almost 2 hours each night! He’s been playing with Spud, Pepper, and Britt, along with a new dog that stops by here and there.
September 27: This date was a Tuesday and we had Asihi Hibachi & Buffet for dinner.
I always, always have to get at least one bowl of egg drop soup when I go to a buffet. I try to get a little bit of everything, but noodles are mandatory for each plate. Everything was so good! I looked at the dessert table, but I was too full to get anything. I have been craving some red bean, but I’m not sure where I can get it. The Asian market near us sells the ice cream flavor, but the last time we checked it was freezer burnt, and I wasn’t about to spend $12 for it.
September 30: I packed and left for Kingsport around 10:00 AM, and it was the roughest drive. There was some type of car wreck that caused traffic to stop for at least 10 minutes. In total, my 4-hour trip had an hour and a half added because of it. I moved 5 miles in that amount of time, so I was a wee bit over the drive and day.
Darby did great, at least. He was curious and looked outside but mainly napped. We only stopped once the entire time. It was probably the longest drive to Kingsport that I’ve ever made. I brought some of my rare succulents with me to make sure they’ll be okay and receive enough light.
When I got there, it was going on 6:00 PM. I was so tired and ready for bed. Darby did better than the last time. He didn’t immediately start marking in the houseβthat I know of.
For dinner, my family ordered from Domino’s. I had the Pasta Primavera while everyone else had pizza.
My aunt came over and we all watched Hocus Pocus 2. It was a cute movie. It’s definitely more lighthearted and centered around family.
Books
I haven’t read this many books in months! Out of all of them, I’d say Twice in a Blue Moon was my favorite.
- Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
- themes: YA, romance, racism, Hollywood life, second-chance romance
- rating: 4.5
- Instagram: book review post.
- Tate and Sam have instant love, and I really liked them as a couple. I’m sad that there isn’t an epilogue to reveal what happens to them or how they’ll settle the latest scandal, so the novel feels kind of unfinished to me. There are two love stories in this book, and I adored Roberta and Luther’s.
- I’d do what Sam did if I was in his situation. As for Tate, I’d act similarly to how she did, and I would relish in it.
- Why isn’t there a prologue?? You can’t end the book in the middle of a scandal. I need more!
- Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
- themes & trigger warnings: health resort, self-help, transformation, death (infant and suicide)
- rating: 3.5
- I liked getting to know the characters and didn’t mind that there were over 10 of them. Moriarty gave each one a unique voice. I found myself liking them and disliking them at times, which also helped with them seeming so human and real.
- A little wacky, but I like how it wrapped up nicely. Didn’t outright love this book, but it wasn’t bad. Very slow pace, but it quickens once Masha goes a little mad.
- Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
- themes: friends to lovers, YA romance
- rating: 3.5
- Why is the word “guide” in the title? It’s not a guide, so a bit confused about that. Didn’t like where the end was headed or the epilogue. Too rushed. Felt like bad timing for them to get together because of something that happened. Cute story overall and read it quickly.
- The authors made Hazel’s quirkiness too over the top to be believable. Reminded me of Jessica Day from New Girl, but Jess feels like a real person. A “quirky” thing Hazel does is leave vases in her oven so her parrot doesn’t fly on them and break them. She has a lot of pets, but they’re more like just devices to add to her odd character but not the actual story.
- Obviously she’s not, but she sounds like a neglectful pet parent. Only her dog is in some chapters, but her presence doesn’t add anything really. They should’ve fleshed out her character more.
- The authors made Hazel’s quirkiness too over the top to be believable. Reminded me of Jessica Day from New Girl, but Jess feels like a real person. A “quirky” thing Hazel does is leave vases in her oven so her parrot doesn’t fly on them and break them. She has a lot of pets, but they’re more like just devices to add to her odd character but not the actual story.
- Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok
- themes: YA, sexual assault, identity, Chinese culture, Eastern versus Western practices
- rating: 4
- Loved this book! Another book about Chinese culture and figuring out where/if/how the Western culture fits. Eyes kind of glazed over the dances and felt like what was going on with Charlie’s sister (Lisa) was not properly addressed. Figured out what was wrong with a few pages remaining and nothing comes of it.
- There’s a bit of romance, but there are a few unanswered questions. Will the people at the studio find out Charlie wanted to date Ryan? Is she still going to be a dancer?
- The Starter Wife by Nina Laurin
- themes: mystery, thriller
- rating: 3
- Felt meh about it. Unlikable main character. Slight spoiler: There is one narrator, but it appears like it’s two. A lot of Goodreads reviewers seem to believe that there are two people: a student stalking Byron Westcott and his wife, then the other is the point of view from Byron’s wife, Claire.
- Lots of unanswered questions. Was Claire hallucinating everything or did someone delete emails and push her into the water?
- The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
- themes: true crime, mystery, thriller
- trigger warnings: rape, murder, assault, stalking
- rating: 4
- It’s a book within a book! Cool premise. We’re in the serial killer’s POV. He’s reading a book about himself and his crimes, written by a survivor.
- Not a lot of mystery, maybe a few twists and new information. Didn’t feel connected with the characters since this book was a “tell me” rather than a “show me” what happens. I guess that’s good, but lots of characters and names introduced.
- Favorite part: Remember the victims’ names, not just the killers’. Remember and know the victims’ names, not the monster’s.
- Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
- themes: YA, identity, Chinese culture, sweatshop work, overcoming
- rating: 4
- Really enjoyed this story. Devoured it in a couple of sittings. Downall was the ending. Matt’s character takes a turn for the worst. He wanted Kimberly to give up going to Yale and following her dreams of becoming a surgeon so he could provide for them. Sounds ish already, but what makes it tougher, he was still working odd jobs and still in the sweatshop.
- The worst part? Spoiler: Kimberly gets pregnant. ClichΓ©. Yawn. The epilogue, set 12 years later, is what makes the story worse, and I didn’t like or condone what transpired when she runs into Matt again.
- It’s like everyone was out to get Kimberly at school. Her teachers treated her terribly, and she was accused of cheating a couple of times because she was so smart and beating everyone in her class. Some of it seemed likely, but then it was a little too over the top.
- Too Late by Colleen Hoover
- themes: dark, romance, contemporary
- trigger warnings: drugs, SA, murder, smut, rape, domestic abuse, mental illness
- rating 1
- My Goodreads rant found here.
- tl;dr: Don’t mind that it’s dark, but felt like there was barely a story. Since first shared on Wattpad, the order is story, epilogue, prologue, then an epilogue to the epilogue. Interesting, but it worked.
- One-dimensional characters, aside from the abusive, rapist, murdering, drug-dealing boyfriend. He had a sad childhood, but he was awful.
- Didn’t like that there were dozens of F-bombs. Seemed unnecessary. Lots of smut.
- Sloan just needs Carter to save her. She’s so naive. Instant love between Sloan and Carter, but they legit don’t know each other or have in-depth conversations. Also, she doesn’t seem traumatized, but she should after all she went through. It was a lot.
- ClichΓ© spoiler: Sloan gets pregnant.
Overall, not a bad month of books! My October books are a little meh right now, but I’ll find some better ones.
Orders
September 9: Javy order!
I haven’t kept track of all my orders this month, and I won’t share super mundane items, but I ordered more Javy coffee concentrate. I have a cup almost daily.
They were having a sale of buy 3, get 1 free, as well as a free milk frother! I bought two caramel flavors, an original, and a mocha. I’m going to give the mocha and milk frother to my friend, Alexis.
September 17: Stephen and I went to get coffee at the Well Coffeehouse. I bought more coffee beans to try, this Burundi, Kibingo, and they’re so good! I can taste more of the sangria sweetness.
I’ve been adding Torani syrups to my coffees, but with this blend it seems unnecessary because it has a bold flavor of its own. This one’s been a hit and miss for me when making it. After letting it settle, it kind of reminds me of a dark chocolate berry.
September 25: I ordered the Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato from Starbucks two days before this photo was taken, and I’m hooked on it. I hadn’t went to Starbucks in months, but I remember enjoying their fall and Christmas drinks. This drink piqued my interest. It tastes exactly like a delicious apple crisp dessert!
It was so good that Stephen and I ordered from Starbucks whenever we picked up groceries on this day (Sunday). He ordered a mocha latte, but he didn’t care for it. He liked the latte from the Well better. The Starbucks drink just tasted like hot chocolate with a smidge of coffee to him.
I don’t want to spend any more money on coffee than I have already, but I know I’ll be going to Starbucks a little more often now that this drink is available.
September 26: I’ve been trying to sell some succulents and a few succulent pots to make room for more that I’ve recently purchased. Yes, I realize that I may have a slight problem. When they arrive, you’ll understand. They’re gorgeous!
I met up with one lady who wanted to buy 3 of my pots. I stopped by the Well and ordered an iced Night Shade with oatmilk and another bag of coffee.
I enjoy oatmilk in general, but I feel like adding it to this drink overpowered the initial taste. I won’t order oatmilk for this drink again, but I still liked it.
I also purchased another bag of coffee, the El Diamante Jinotega blend. I’ll need to make more of it because I’m not sure about its taste. It’s not bad, but I didn’t pick up a unique taste like I have with the others.
September 29: It was National Coffee Day and I decided to order from Dunkin’ since they had the deal where you’d get a free medium coffee with a purchase. It was a huge letdown. The coffee was not great on this day.
It tasted burnt and something was off about it. I really tried drinking them, but they were super bad. I probably won’t be going there for a while.
That’s How September Went!
October has been a bit busier, and I’ll share how the rest of my Kingsport visit went in the next post I’ll share in a few weeks. There will be lots of food, as usual.
How was your September?
I’m glad to hear that your dad’s diagnosis is treatable! Chemo is rough on the body so I hope that goes well for him! Sending lots of love to you and your family xx
I remember seeing the colorescapes exhibit on your insta shortly after you went, it looks so much fun! π
Very cool you went to a concert, I went to so many this season and they’re all now over π LOL
Love that Darby loves to play with other dogs, I like to think Tsuki would too, but it’s always very hard to judge whether she’d be fine off leash, and considering the parks around here are open and not fenced, I’m too hesitant to allow it lol. Also, how funny he hates rain too! Tsuki hates it and refuses to go out when she sees/hears rain. We literally have to force her down the stairs to go potty LOL
OOooohhh that buffet looks good, I feel like buffets are almost non-existent here, they’re so hard to come by, a lot of them ended up closing shortly before the pandemic and THEN again during the pandemic.
I definitely added some of your books to my list, I am hoping I can start reading again in the new year and finally read 52 books in one year for my bucket list LOL
So far, things have been really good for him! π It’s amazing to see how well he’s reacting to the treatments.
The Colorscapes exhibit was super fun and peaceful!
I don’t go to many, but I was super excited to get to see Sasha Alex Sloan! Stephen would go a couple of times a week to a concert. I don’t know how he does it, haha.
That’s fair, dog parks are dicey as well since I’m not as trusting of other people and how they handle their dogs. Hopefully she’s able to make friends when she sees other dogs out! It’s been raining here and it sucks since our apartment’s window leaks when it rains super hard. It was a slight mess the other night. Dogs can be so stubborn, haha. It takes a lot of effort to find a somewhat dry place for Darby to go when it’s raining, but I’ll take it! I don’t want to be out in the rain, either. Haha.
How interesting that you don’t have a lot of buffets in your area! They were everywhere when I was growing up. In my hometown there are still a few. I know some Indian restaurants will have buffets for lunch.
Have fun reading; you can do it! I’ve been busy and haven’t had the time to read, but it’s been so fun getting back into reading this year! November books were a let down for me, but I’m hoping December books will be better.
Sorry I’m replying so late. I fell behind this month.
I’m glad he’s responding to treatments well, that’s always a good sign.
And girl concerts are so much fun!! Alex and I personally love music wr are willing to go see several bands if they come. In fact, I think we had like four shows in two weeks back in October this year lol.
Its been raining heavily here too and so windy and cold. We just had a mini ice storm but the rain has washed it all away now we have an atmospheric river and wind storm ππ
Yes! I remember them everywhere as well. Now we have to drive quite a bit to find one. And I also feel like the quality of the food is no longer the same or perhaps my taste buds have changed lol.
I haven’t started reading but I really want to create a list for next year once I’ve settled down completely.
Have I asked you for your goodreads yet? Maybe I already have you as a friend, I need to check.
No worry at all about the delay! I’ve been randomly popping up and still need to share Nov. & Dec. recaps, haha, along with read other people’s posts.
Concert seasons hit in March and October it seems, and they’ve been back-to-back. I wish they were more spaced out, haha. The concerts will be fun and something to look forward to this year for you all!
It was such a crazy week during Christmas. It was so cold, and now two weeks later it’s hot and muggy out. I haven’t gotten sick, thankfully, but a lot of people have due to the inconsistency.
I’d love to know what you want to read this year!
I thought I left my Goodreads link somewhere, but here it is again:
https://www.goodreads.com/stephanieying
I don’t make many reviews, but I’m trying to leave at least a few sentences for each book.