Loving… how fast my new iPhone got to me! I ordered it on the 15th and it was delivered this Wednesday. It doesn’t feel different from my 6s at all, except that the camera is much better. And it’s nice to not be in danger of running out of space! Wheeeee. I’m still waiting for my Otterbox case to be delivered, so I’m treating the phone like it’s worth a million dollars, but I’m happy that it’s here and it’s fun to play with. 🙂

Loathing… Dutch’s nighttime cry-barks. It’s this weird thing he’s started doing where he walks around my apartment and whines and then, from time to time, lets out this high-pitched part-cry, part-bark. He rarely barks anymore as it is, so it’s really weird to hear it come out of him. I keep wondering if my neighbors think I beat him at night! I think it might be a way for him to say, “I’m ready for bed!” because usually when I pick him up and put him on my bed, he settles down quickly. Ugh, it’s so hard seeing him get old. I feel like I’m forgetting what he used to be like – when he was super active and able to jump up and down off furniture and went to sleep easily and wasn’t bumping into walls or getting stuck in corners. We’re in this weird, new normal now and I’m not sure I like it, but there’s nothing I can do about it. The sad reality is that our dogs get old and all we can do is have compassion for them and help them be as comfortable during this stage.

Reading… Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, still. I’m almost finished! I’m enjoying the book a lot, but it’s not a page-turner (more character-based than plot-based), so it’s easy to set it aside or only read a chapter or two a day. And it’s 416 pages, so it’s not a quick read at all. But I’m positive I’ll finish it either today or tomorrow. Woohoo!

Watching… season four of Parks and Rec. This show is so wonderful and well-written, and I just watched the episode where Leslie’s campaign managers quit and the rest of the Parks department steps up to help her with her campaign, and ugh, my heart. I’m thoroughly enjoying my rewatch of this series.

Anticipating… Asheville in six weeks! We started planning this trip in the spring, so it always felt so far away. But it’s starting to get real and I cannot wait to spend a long weekend with my best girls, exploring this gorgeous city. I’m also looking forward to experiencing cooler weather! Florida doesn’t get any semblance of fall (we’re still in the nineties here), so I’m ready to feel a chill in the air and warm myself by a fire. Yes, please!

Thinking about… my next cruise, which will be #10 for me. Last weekend, my mom and I ended up booking a seven-day cruise for the end of April. We even sprung for a balcony room because, hell, it’s my 10th cruise and I am going all of 2016 without a cruise and I want to live it up. This cruise leaves out of Port Canaveral and sails to the Bahamas, Belize, Honduras, and Mexico. It’s going to be the best week ever and I’m already counting down the days!

Needing… to make a decision about my 30th birthday party. I’m going back and forth on whether I want to have a full-blown traditional 30th birthday party where I invite a ton of friends and reserve a clubhouse and have food brought in… or if I want to just invite a small group of my closest gal pals and either have dinner at a fancy restaurant or meet up at a friend’s for a low-key game night. Honestly, the second option is so much more my speed and will be much cheaper than the traditional route. I guess I have to dig into why I felt the need to have a traditional 30th birthday party in the first place.

What are you currently reading and anticipating?

Loving… that I was able to renew my lease at my apartment and my rent is only increasing by $25 a month! Hooray! I definitely have no plans to move apartments for a good while—I’d like to stay here for another few years and perhaps look for a place to buy after that. (Though I’m not sure how I’d ever come up with the money for a down payment, so who knows if that will ever be a reality for me!) But I am happy with where I live and happy the rent didn’t increase astronomically. And I know my brother will be super excited when I tell him he doesn’t have to help me move this year!

Loathing… how old Dutch has been acting lately. Everything just seems harder for him now and it breaks my heart. Thankfully, he’s on medication to help with his arthritis pain and nighttime restlessness and that really seems to be helping him settle down and sleep through the night. (I’ve only had one late night with him since he started the meds and that was because we were at my mom’s for the night and I think he was just disoriented.) One of his newest mannerisms that he’s been doing for the last few months is just sitting in my room and staring at the wall (usually shaking). He bumps into walls and such. He’s just old and there’s not much I can do about that because he’s healthy in every other respect. He has the energy to go on walks (not long walks, mind you) and he eats and drinks normally and he’ll play with me from time to time. This is just the time in a dog’s life that’s the hardest, to see them slowing down and aging. All I can do is keep loving him and making sure these last few years of his life are comfortable and happy. And, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I’m doing that very well.

Reading… Evicted by Matthew Desmond. It’s a book about poverty and the housing crisis, and just how hard it is for people who live at or below the poverty line to find affordable housing. This is a subject that has particular personal resonance with me because I grew up poor (not poverty poor, but poor nonetheless) and I grew up well familiar with what an eviction notice means. I’ve heard rave reviews of this book and even just 100 pages in, I can see why. Desmond writes in such an engaging way and I got sucked into this book immediately.

Watching… Big Brother! It’s my favorite summertime show. Big Brother is a huge time commitment because it’s on three times a week, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. (I’d watch it seven days a week!) This season is really good and I’m really enjoying all of the houseguests and all of the accompanying drama.

Anticipating… my upcoming social media and blogging break. Honestly, up until last weekend, I wasn’t even planning on taking a break, but something flipped in me and I realized how much I’m desiring to get away. Even so, I keep going back and forth on whether or not I want to really take a break because I do really enjoy social media and writing for this blog. But it’s also good for me to just get away and stop checking Twitter every time I’m in line at the grocery store or scrolling through Instagram when I’m laying in bed at night. And it’s good for my blog overall to step back and reevaluate what I’m writing about and how I’m conveying my message. It’s good for me, even if I do start craving the blog and my social media feeds about halfway through the month.

Thinking about… using my upcoming blogging break to do some sort of NaNoWriMo exercise. I’m way behind on my novel and I just can’t find the time to write aside from the two hours I spend with my writing partner each week. Scratch that. I’m not making the time. I’m only writing around 1,000-2,000 words a week and I’m over 10,000 words behind where I should be at this point in the year. So maybe August will be a good time to charge myself with writing around 1,500 words a day. I’m still rolling the idea around in my head, so we’ll see what happens!

Needing… to start making plans for my 30th birthday party. I have a friend who is helping me and we just keep pinning ideas to our secret board on Pinterest, but we need to sit down to discuss who I’ll be inviting, what kinds of decorations and games to play, what to serve for food and drinks, etc. I’ve never actually planned a party like this, so I have no idea what to do, but luckily, my friend is more than adept at this kind of stuff hence why I recruited her. (And also, she won’t let me call the whole thing off just because I’m feeling insecure that nobody will actually come to my party, ha!)

What are you currently loving, loathing, and reading?

Loving… my new tattoo (pictured above). I love it so much! It honestly feels like it was always meant to be there. It already feels like a part of me. I’ve had this particular tattoo idea pinned to my Pinterest board for at least three years, and I’m so grateful for my friend M. who basically just said, “We’re making this happen finally!” as we’ve been talking about getting book tattoos for a really long time. And maybe, just maybe, I’ve been thinking about what tattoo I’m getting next (uh-oh).

Loathing… oppressive humidity. I know that I live in Florida and it’s what I have to deal with, but it is rough. We’re usually sitting pretty in the low-to-mid 90s around here, but the humidity is usually above 60% (often higher), so it always feels much, much hotter than that. All I can say is that I am grateful for AC in my apartment and in my car. I couldn’t survive this time of year without it!

Reading… When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. The writing feels a little juvenile if I’m being honest, but it’s a good palate cleanser after finishing The Nightingale, which just broke my heart in two. I love a good YA love story, and this one has such a unique premise (involving arranged marriage!) and a delightfully fun cover that I couldn’t help but give it a try!

Watching… the last half of season seven of Gilmore Girls. Woohoo – I’m almost done! I’m super excited to finish the series, so I can finally watch the revival episodes. (And, um, actually move on to other shows I’ve never seen, like Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, and The West Wing.)

Anticipating… an upcoming four-day weekend. My company was generous enough to give us July 3rd and July 4th off for the holiday and it’s basically all I can think about. I don’t have any plans for the holiday, so I’m going to treat it like a little staycation. Four days of no alarms, naps, time by the pool, some Netflix binges, and plenty of reading? Sounds A-OK to me!

Thinking about… Dutch’s upcoming comprehensive exam and dental cleaning. I’ve basically got an entire page full of notes about his recent health issues (ah, the joys of a senior dog!) I want to talk to the vet about Dutch’s dementia symptoms. I also want to find out if the vet can give me any insight into Dutch’s vision because he seems to be bumping into things more than usual. I also believe he’s developed hip dysplasia, due to the way he walks in the morning and his “bunny hops” in the grass during his walks. Ah, buddy. He’s hanging in there for such an old man, and is still a happy little doggo, but getting old is a painful process.

Needing… a break from the news. I’ve stopped checking Twitter as much as usual because I follow too many people who tweet about politics. Which is good when I want to be informed, not so good when I just want to go to Twitter for some funny tweets. I’ve felt a little overwhelmed by the news, so every now and then, I need a break and I’ve been taking time away. I’m still listening to political podcasts, so I’m keeping informed, just not on a daily basis right now.

What are you currently anticipating and loving?

Hello! It feels like it’s been forever since I checked in on my blog, but in reality, it’s only been 11 days. I was hoping to start recapping my trip to Puerto Rico, but my blog has decided to stop uploading photos for some reason (working with my host to resolve this issue and crossing my fingers it’s fixed soon). So, in lieu of a trip recap, I thought I’d write about what’s going on with me currently. Let’s dive in!

Loving… Crockpot meals. I firmly believe that no kitchen is complete without a Crockpot and I finally have one to use! Mainly, I’m using my Crockpot to make a big meal on Sundays that I portion out for lunches every day during the week. I’m really not a salad or sandwiches girl when it comes to lunch, so I like having a good meal to look forward to. It makes meal prepping so much easier, and nothing tastes better than chicken from a Crockpot. (Okay, okay, chicken from the grill definitely does, but that’s a purchase I won’t be making as long as I’m in an apartment, sigh.)

Loathing… the heat and humidity. And I need to get over it because it’s only May. But it’s already feeling oppressive. I guess this means I just need to make more time to spend at the pool. Because nothing feels as refreshing as a dip in the pool on a hot summer day.

Reading… With Love from the Inside by Angela Pisel. We chose this for my local book club, and boy, is it a heavy read. It follows a woman, Grace, who is on death row for allegedly murdering her infant son (she maintains her innocence). Grace has been given her execution date and she’s trying to reconnect with her daughter before it happens. (Her daughter was around 11 when her brother died.) Two of my friends who have read the book said they just sobbed through the last few pages, so I’m preparing myself for a tearjerker.

Watching… season seven of Gilmore Girls. I’m almost finished with the series! It has taken me forever because I am not a binge-watcher, so I tend to only watch 1-2 episodes a week, if that. I’m really excited to finally watch the revival episodes, so I’m going to power through this last season (which I’ve only heard bad things about…) so I can get on to the real reward.

Anticipating… um, nothing? I mean, that sounds kinda lame, but I don’t really have anything super fun on the immediate horizon. My next trip isn’t until November and I’m trying to save money right now, so it’s not even like I can go to Orlando for the day or anything like that. I am planning on doing a picnic in a local park with a friend on Wednesday evening, and I’m looking forward to that! Nothing like sunshine and girl time to put me in a good mood. 🙂 

Thinking about… my 30th birthday party. After some thinking, I decided that I wanted to throw myself a party! I am actually very much looking forward to turning 30 and I want to celebrate all I have achieved in my first three decades of life! I have corralled a friend to help me plan it (and by “help me plan it,” I mean she will do the planning and I will say yea or nay, haha), we’re going to use my mom’s clubhouse, and it’ll be book-themed, of course. I’m just mostly excited to gather with a bunch of my favorite girls and celebrate this milestone birthday.

Needing… more money. Ha. I honestly think spending five days in Puerto Rico was more expensive than a five-day cruise. (Scratch that. I know it was.) It was a great time and I don’t regret anything, but my bank account looks a little sad these days. It would probably be helpful to pick up a side hustle, but finding good-paying freelance writing jobs is tough these days and it eats into the time I want to spend writing my novel. Decisions, decisions.

What are you currently loving, loathing, and reading?

Loving… Instagram stories. Guys, I’m addicted. At first, I didn’t understand the point of Stories, but then I decided to use it to take videos of Dutch because who doesn’t want to see videos of him?? And now I use it all the time. I’m trying to only use it a few times a week, in a “document my day” sort of way because I think it gives people a different look inside my world, which is always fun. I also love watching everyone else’s Stories and seeing what they’re up to. It’s a less filtered look into everyone’s world.

Loathing… my social anxiety. I signed up to participate in a team-building event called Sportsfest and I’ve been dreading the event ever since. There’s only a handful of people from my work participating (maybe 20?), but I signed up because a good friend is the organizer and I wanted to show my support for her. It takes place the weekend before I leave for Puerto Rico so the timing isn’t great, and I’m nervous about getting to the event and parking and how crowded it will be. Thankfully, two of my very good friends will be there and both have offered to pick me up, which eases some of my worries. And also, I don’t want to turn down events just because I have social anxiety. I did that a lot in my late teens/early twenties and it led to a lot of loneliness. It may be awful, but that’s okay. I don’t want my social anxiety to be an excuse for not trying new things. And, truthfully, I will probably really enjoy myself! A few hours at the beach, spending time with my awesome coworkers? I think I’ll end up having a ton of fun.

Reading… The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. I’m moving through the book slowly because it’s a book that you can’t simply speed-read. But it’s phenomenal so far and the writing is exquisite. I actually suggested this book for my work book club and a coworker rolled her eyes at me and made a comment about how she didn’t want to read any more books about slavery “because it’s over. Let’s move on.” Of course, I made sure to let her know that, as a white woman, she has the privilege to say that, but this is an area of history that we do not need to move on from. We need these stories, both fictional and real, to never forget what happened and how we treated black people in our country. It’s despicable and horrific, and The Underground Railroad is such an incredible exploration of this time period and how black people were looked upon as no better than animals. It’s a hard read, yes, but it’s an important one. (And one my coworker should really, really read to better understand why “moving on” is not the answer.)

Watching… The Amazing Race. This season is unique because instead of the teams being couples or families, they are total strangers. Can you imagine trying to race around the world and do high-stress challenges with someone you’ve never even met?? Some of the teams work together perfectly and others are really struggling, but that’s what makes it so fun. I already have a favorite team and I hope they can make it to the end!

Anticipating… my trip to Puerto Rico! My mom and I have started making plans for some of the things we want to do (we definitely want to do a walking tour of Old San Juan and explore the El Yunque Rainforest), but we also plan on spending a lot of time by the pool and at the beach, sipping fruity drinks and reading. And since we’re not foodies in the least, I haven’t planned out any restaurants to visit, so if you have any recommendations, let me know! I’m all ears. Every time I try to do research about where to eat in San Juan, I get overwhelmed and close my browser, ha.

Thinking about… how to be more budget conscious. I’ve always struggled with sticking to a budget for some reason, but I’m really trying to get better at it. It’s not that I’m not paying my bills… it’s more that I tend to spend more than I save. But I started implementing a cash budget system for discretionary spending – trips to Target, meals out, coffee, etc. – which has been working out great. Once my cash is depleted, that’s it! If it means turning down plans, so be it. I must get better at how I spend my money. (But, nope, not going to feel ashamed that this is harder for me than it seems to be for others. It’s just the way it is. I know I have more on my plate, bills-wise, than other people as I live alone and am paying on my school loans, and while I make a good-enough salary, it’s definitely on the lower end of what’s comfortable. I know there can be so much shame tied to how we spend our money, but can we just stop that? You can only do the best you can do, and strive every day to get better. You don’t have to save half your income, you don’t have to be completely debt-free, you don’t have to give up coffee or trips to Target. You just have to do the best you can!)

Needing… to get back to eating healthy! I’ve been eating junk for the past two weeks and not really exercising. It started with being displaced for three-and-a-half days for fumigation and then I got sick and then I had a really busy week… and when stuff like that happens, healthy eating always falls to the wayside. I’d really like to lose weight this year, but I’m not really putting in the effort to make it happen.

What are you currently loathing, reading, and anticipating?