There is nothing good about today. 

DC is under a heat advisory today. I just got back from a walk, and it is downright sultry outside. I'm grateful for air conditioning and the refreshing fizzy water I'm drinking. 

Here's what else was good in my week:

• I managed to fit everything from my CostCo run into spaces that work for me.
• I drove to said CostCo by myself without freaking out.
• Ordering dinner from the delicious dim sum place and trying a few new things.
• Watching our kid use a small bouncy house with utter joy
• Work paid for lunch 
• Finally scrubbing the ring out of our bathtub
• Pancakes for dinner
• Knocking some of the needle items off my to do list
• Nabbing a spot in the lot when I needed to most

Every year, our University picks a book to be a common read for incoming students. This year, it's Normal Sucks by Jonathan Mooney. While I do have some issues with the text, I am finding it to be a surprisingly fast read. The author's personal narrative is woven with historical context and that structure is really working for me.

Here's what else was good in my week:

• We got to meet our friends' new baby. (By "new" I mean 8-months old, but this is the first time we got to see her.)
• Rosé wine
• I got a clean bill of health from the dentist
• We enjoyed an after-dinner walk as a family and the weather was ideal
• Kiddo decided to brush her dad's hair as he brushed hers
• Two pieces of cake in one day
• Calling an audible and ordering dinner out one night
• My office plant is looking really good right now
• Bacon
• Seeing one of our recent grads recording an awesome looking music video on campus
• Breezy days with low humidity

I had a doctor's appointment this morning. While I did have to wait 20 minutes to be seen, I at least got to walk there and back in glorious weather. It was a pleasant way to start my Friday.

Here's what else was good in my week:

• When my parents were in town, The Husband and I squeezed in a date night. The weather was perfect as we ate outside. And the food.... oh my goodness... it was so delicious. I want more of that steak sauce on everything.
• Our kiddo behaved beautifully when we ate brunch out.
• Donut holes
• The repair for our robot vacuum was easy. Little guy is working beautifully again!
• Leftovers making for a quick dinner
• Having a colleague at another institution reach out to me for advice
• Sunset pictures on Instagram
• The book I need to read for work is not boring
• Smooth writing pens
• Our downstairs neighbor is a lovely and caring person which makes our lives easier right now.

Some wild weather is headed our way. I just came back from squeezing a walk in. It felt good to stretch my legs while watching the clouds build and the wind blow. Hopefully, I can enjoy the storm from indoors and it will finish before we have to do daycare pick up.

Here's what else was good in my week:

• The kiddo got to try to the new slide at the MLK branch of the DC public library
• Being able to control our own AC while the weather figures itself out
• DC lets you renew your driver's license online - I got to skip the DMV!
• New sheets on the bed
• Donuts
• Tried a new recipe and it turned out great
• Having a wonderful neighbor below us
• Visiting the frog pond and actually seeing frogs
• Deleting a lot of old files and emails
• Eagerly anticipating my parents arriving for a long weekend visit

Our daycare is closed today for parent-teacher conferences. For most daycare closures, I try to push through and work while the kiddo runs around the house. Not today.

Since we are in summer sessions, I opted to take the day off. It was a good decision. I took the kiddo with me as a I ran an errand downtown. Then we walked over to the renovated MLK branch of the DC Public Library. She got to try out the new slide! It was a nice way to spend the morning.

Here's what else was good in my week:

• Getting to work from home following a sleepless night.
• We saw friends in person that we have not seen for 2+ years.
• Eating on the rooftop deck of a neighborhood restaurant.
• Managing to avoid most of the rain on a stormy day.
• Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips
• One day with no questions on the Reference Desk.
• Rereading pages from my 2021 bullet journal.
• Kiddo assigning us different colored dragons to hunt at dinner.
• Mother's Day flowers still hanging on
• Dish City podcast is back!

I didn't sleep last night. I think I finally nodded off around 4:30am. With a kiddo who wakes up (loudly) at 7am, I probably managed three interrupted hours of shut eye. 

Friday is one of my work from home days. I was able to roll out of bed, shuffle bleary-eyed to the coffee pot, and not have to worry about getting ready for work and commuting. For that, I am grateful.

Here's what was good in my week.

• The kiddo was kind to me during my few days of solo parenting.
• Binge watching the entirety of a TV show.
• I blew through a nearly 800 page book.
• On Mother's Day, I got to enjoy a nice long bath.
• Simply gorgeous weather for much of the week.
• Lucking into free parking at work.
• The caramel sea salt mini kind bars
• Dancing around in the kitchen with the kiddo to her current favorite song
• Enjoying mobility because of Apple AirPods
• Making room in my closet and our kiddo's toy bin by weeding a bunch of things for donation
• Dumplings, pork buns, and snow pea leaves

I'm doing my first ever faculty-level research project and we're in the data coding phase for our transcripts.  My brain is fried and I have too many codes but at least one of them is ASSTOP and I find that amusing.

Here's what else was good in my week:

• Family-style sheet pan nachos was a big hit for dinner this week. 
• I got 11 out of 12 questions right on the Alexa Jeopardy game one day this week.
• There was one day that was super quiet on the reference desk and it was a nice break.
• The Caps actually won a playoff game!
• Dessert extravaganza in the building courtyard
• Group work chat helping us all tolerate an awful meeting.
• Finished a major work project
• Getting to organize some digital files
• The book I am reading is excellent and entertaining

Whenever I present at a conference, I like to assess how I think it went afterwards. This week, I thought I nailed it. The chat was lively, there was lots of Q&A, and people were @ing me on Twitter. On top of that, I just felt damn good with the work I presented. I rode that high for a couple of days.

Here's what else was good in my week:
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• I attended a phenomenal online conference
• Frozen garlic bread
• Our kiddo asking me for help identifying the critters in all of her animal crackers
• The outright camp of Leverage: Redemption
• I know they're awful for the environment, but sanitizing cleaning wipes make my life so much easier on a daily basis
• Having a lie down on a weekend afternoon. Not a nap. Just a lie down.
• Amazon's "Wake Up, Chill" playlist
• Seeing our kiddo play host at home to a friend and happily share all her toys
• All the flowers in our neighborhood
• Tasty leftovers

I just nabbed a tiny chocolate duck out of our candy dish. The grandparents sent Easter candy before the holiday, and most of it is still around. I'm glad I have the option to satisfy my sweet tooth without too much trouble.

Here's what else was good in my week:

• Kiddo is home today because her daycare is closed... and she's napping!
• The burgers from the restaurant next door to our building.
• I reveled in my hotel night off from parenting. It was glorious!
• The Hubby made sous vide duck a l'orange.
• Bridgerton being very rewatchable.
• Our neighborhood has erupted with spring flowers.
• Kiddo's current favorite books are D&D themed.
• Two meetings that are usually loooooooong were much shorter than usual.
• Canva