Good Stuff
Top moment of the month: A Pride-themed photoshoot. This was such a perfect evening! We dressed up in a rainbow dress/rainbow skirt, with rainbow flower crowns, and the bisexual flag. Bri sweetly took photos of us at our favorite local indie bookstore and then we posted them on Instagram the following day. I was so scared to publish the post, but the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Other good moments:
- Attending the St. Pete Pride Parade – It was hot and humid, but we had such a good time.
- Axe throwing with book club – This was so much fun! June was my month to suggest an activity and this is what I chose. I’ve been axe throwing one other time and remember finding it really fun. Some of my friends were very apprehensive, and I appreciate them facing their fears for me!
- Recording season 5 of the podcast – We dug into the nitty-gritty of traveling in this season and we had a blast reminiscing about our memories.
- Pool days with my mom and the dogs – It’s definitely pool weather, and I am very grateful that my mom has a pool. My mom has a slew of floats, too, and Chip especially loves jumping on a float from the edge of the pool deck.
- Making art with Mom – This was my mom’s belated Mother’s Day gift from me, and we were so pleased with our creations! It was a really fun night.
- Celebrating 9 years of friendship with Bri – I can’t believe she’s been part of my life for so long! We had a Friday night date to a museum where we participated in a scavenger hunt. The museum was amazing and the scavenger hunt made our time there even more fun.
- Coming out to my brother – My brother was the last person I had to come out to (well, the last person whose opinion really matters to me). I was so, so scared because I wasn’t sure how he would react/if this would cause a rift between us. But, thankfully, nothing of the sort happened! He was very happy for me and told me repeatedly that something like this would never cause a rift.
Hard Stuff
- Dad grief – June is always a tough month for me. My dad turned 60 on June 5th and then two weeks later, it was Father’s Day. I felt very sad on June 5th and the days afterward. I don’t know if it’s because my dad celebrated a milestone birthday or I was just really in my feelings this year, but it was hard. I miss him immensely.
- Laziness – I was very, very lazy in June (you’ll see in the goal recap section, oof). The weather is making daily walks very difficult. If I do them early in the morning, I’m dealing with lower temps but very high humidity (90% some mornings!). If I do them later in the day, the humidity is a smidge lower but the heat index is 95º+. I just need to get over myself because high heat and humidity are better than the dangerous air quality other people are dealing with, right?!
Bookish Stuff
- # of books/pages read: 10 books (2,960 pages)
- Favorite book of the month: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
- Favorite romance of the month: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
- Least favorite book of the month: Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham
- Quickest read: Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham (4 days)
- Longest read: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (13 days)
- Books I abandoned: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
- Format breakdown: print books (5), audiobooks (4), e-books (1)
- Genre breakdown: Fiction (3), romance (3), nonfiction (3), YA (1)
- Average star rating: 4.1
Stuff I Recommend
- The Little Mermaid (movie) – My mom and I saw this movie together and it was phenomenal! Man, I loved it so much. Halle Bailey was a complete delight and so talented, Flounder and Sebastian were so much fun, and the scenery was out of this world. Highly recommend!
- Clue (movie) – This movie was amazing! I couldn’t get enough of it, especially the ending. Tim Curry is everything in this movie.
- John Mulaney: Baby J (comedy special) – John Mulaney has been through a lot since his last comedy special: the outing of his drug addiction, a two-month stint in rehab, a divorce, a messy relationship, a new baby… his squeaky-clean image is effectively gone. While I am very displeased at the way he handled some of his issues (namely, the divorce), I wanted to watch this special because it was a Jamie Golden “green light” and I listen to her. I’m really glad I watched this special! It was hilarious in parts but also very poignant and real. He didn’t gloss over his addiction and what came after, but he still made it funny.
- LGBTQIA+ in the Church on The Bible Binge (podcast episode) – This podcast episode was so very good, and I’m recommending it to everyone I know. It’s probably less necessary for anyone who didn’t grow up in a church setting and doesn’t need to hear from people why it’s okay to be affirming of LGBTQIA+ people. But as someone who didn’t come out for a long time because I thought being queer was a sin against God, it gave me a lot of hope.
Goal Stuff
- Go for a walk every day (10/31) – Oh, this isn’t pretty at all. I kept being lazy in the morning and not going on a walk, and then it would get blazing hot and I just didn’t want to go outside and get super sweaty. I must do better in July!
- Drink a bottle of water every day (11/31) – Another pitiful month of water drinking.
- Complete 100 Peloton workouts (44/100) – I was just so damn lazy in June. So lazy! I’m now 6 workouts behind in my goal. Oof.
- Watch 6 movies and 6 standup specials – I watched two movies and two standup specials in June, which puts me ahead of my goal. Woohoo!
What was a highlight of June for you?
I’m definitely going to listen to that episode of the Bible Binge. As you know, I grew up Catholic and the church’s teachings on homosexuality is one of the main reasons I’m at a fork in the road when it comes to my faith and am not sure what to do…
I am so glad the convo with your brother went so well. Phew. I hate that coming out has to be so stressful and has so much uncertainty about how it will be received.
Hmmm, highlight of June (pages through planner) – probably seeing Paul have a blast with his cousin’s at my nephew’s grad party. Another highlight was seeing my former blogger friend Nilsa when I was in Chicago for work! June was kind of a rough month of transitions for the boys so it was not my favorite month…
Let me know what you think of the episode when you listen to it! I thought it was very thoughtfully discussed on a very fraught topic (in religious circles, that is).
I was so stressed! My brother has made some not-great comments about LGBT+ people in the past, so I was nervous about how he would respond. But hopefully having a queer person in his life will help him better understand this community!
You’re so hard on yourself in your goal evaluation! You had a busy month and did a bunch of fun stuff! You should give yourself credit for that!
Honestly, I walk every day because I have a dog. If I didn’t have the dog, I can’t say I’d be excited to head out when it’s 88 degrees and the dewpoint is 71. It’s hot and humid – no wonder you’re staying indoors and watching movies!
That’s very true! I always think it should be so much easier to get out and go for a walk, but it gets so hard to do in the summer months especially. It’s just so hot! Thanks for the kind reminder. <3
I am so so proud of you for publishing that post and being truly you! You are amazing! And I love reading that your brother was so supportive.
Have you listened to the Cinema Sidepiece on Clue?!?!?!
I started listening to the Bible Binge (even though I am not religious) and really loved that episode too!
I don’t think you were lazy in June. You seemed hella busy to me!
A June highlight for me was feeling so strong on my bike rides.
I don’t think I’ve listened to that Cinema Sidepiece! I’m going to have to dig it from the archives so I can listen to it now that I’ve finally watched it, haha.
I meant to text you to listen to their “new Bible commandments” episode (or whatever it was called) because it wasn’t overtly religious and just very funny. I will take all of the Knox and Jamie (and Erin!) I can get.
I have been wanting to watch Baby J! Maybe this weekend.
Yay, I am so happy for you and so happy your brother was supportive. This just makes my heart so happy.
Everything sounded so lovely for you this month, other than the dad grief. Grief just hits, doesn’t it. I’m sorry he isn’t the person that you deserve and that you don’t have the relationship you want. I know it’s better for you this way, but it still hurts and you can still grieve what you do not have. xoxoxoxo
Grief is a very hard, sticky subject when it comes to estrangement. There’s always that part of me that thinks I don’t *get* to be sad because I chose this path. I know that voice is a liar, but it’s always there. Thanks for your support. <3
Haven’t worked out at all in June…. Ugh. Only read three books and only one of them was good. Tons of quality time with the kids and husband! My favorite moments… Our beach visits: 2-3 times a week!
Visiting the beach with kids seems like a workout all on its own! Haha. I live so close to so many beaches but I just get so overwhelmed by the prospect of gathering up all my things, trying to find parking, getting sand everywhere… ack! Good for you!
So many congrats on coming out to your brother!! That sounds difficult and I am so happy for you that it turned out the way it did! I also love your Pride photo shoot. You two are so cute!
I am so curious about how your girlfriend feels about appearing on your blog! Is it something you discussed in advance? Does she have a blog? Does she read your blog? I am being super nosy, I know! I always love to know the boring behind the scenes stuff, especially when it comes to relationships!
While I disagree somewhat with the term “lazy” — I think you just prioritized other things than exercise this month! — I am with you on feeling a little disappointed in my performance in the exercise realm in June. I definitely want to be better about exercise in July. I got really off track in June, and I have to admit that the heat is a major deterrent in my desire to go outside. I would rather stuff myself into a snowsuit and clomp around in a blizzard than drag myself through the humidity we’re having!
Yes! Elizabeth and I discussed appearing on the blog and she has given me her okay! It’s such a weird thing to bring up to a partner, haha, but I always want to be respectful of how much I talk about the people in my life on my blog. Thanks for asking!
The heat makes everything so terrible. I don’t want to get sweaty. I don’t want to put on sunscreen. I don’t want to feel gross and sticky afterward. Wah, wah, wah.
I am so happy that your brother was so supportive (I didn’t think he wouldn’t be, but I can understand your anxiety about your coming out to him). I love the photos from your photoshoot with Elizabeth – so much pride, so much joy 🙂
A highlight for me in June? My hummingbird feeder (and all the little friends that have since started to visit my backyard) and my running challenge, which has been so fun (I hadn’t done this type of structured workout plan in a while).
A hummingbird feeder! That sounds so cute. It must be so much fun to see new little friends coming by every day.
I agree that the heat down here makes it hard to do anything! I’m impressed that you went to a Pride parade- I don’t know if I could have convinced myself to do an outdoor activity like that.
I think your month sounds really good. You prioritized some hard things and accomplished a lot. Summer in Florida is hard- if you lived in North Dakota you wouldn’t criticize yourself for not walking outside every day in January. I think you have a lot of great things to look back on in June!
It was soooo hot during the Pride parade. I mean, I understand WHY Pride happens in June but I really wish it was in, like, March or something. A month with better weather, ha!
Love all of this so much! You did so many hard things this month – you were fully yourself, with the important people in your life, AND out in public. No wonder you didn’t push yourself on exercise! I’d be exhausted if I did all that. I’m so, so glad that things went well with your brother (I can’t even imagine how nervous I would have been…) and that you had such a wonderful Pride with Elizabeth. And, so glad she is up for being on the blog. It’s been wonderful to get glimpses of her – and of you WITH her – here. Thank you for sharing with all of us – and thank Elizabeth too, please! <3