The high of my week was starting NaBloPoMo! I basically started this on a whim, after reading a post from San two days before the challenge was set to begin. It just felt like the right time, since I’m not doing NaNoWriMo this year (writing 50,000 words in one month) and since I was away from blogging for most of October. It’s been fun so far and I have my whole month planned out. It feels really good to get back to writing and my blog.
The low of my week was dealing with this minor skin rash beneath my nose. It’s been bothering me for a few weeks now, and I know I should see my doctor about it but at first, I wanted to see if it would go away on its own and then I got sick and didn’t have the energy to worry about it. But it’s still bugging me. Right now, I’m putting Neosporin on it at night and it seems to be helping. I’m going to keep applying it for the next few days to see if it cures the rash. Otherwise, to the doctor I go!
An internet resource I’d like to share is Anne Helen Peterson’s newsletter. I subscribed to this newsletter a few months ago, and I really enjoy it. I don’t read every email that comes my way (I typically skip anything involving an interview) but I do love the way she writes about being a woman in today’s society (especially a childless woman) and work. She’s also been doing a deep dive into the weird subculture of Peloton, which I am loving. That was actually the reason I subscribed! As much as I love Peloton and have a special fondness for some of the instructors (Cody Rigsby 4Ever), it is a weird, wacky world and I’ve loved her pieces on the subject.
A podcast episode I enjoyed was an episode of Over My Dead Body. This season has been truly fascinating with lots of interesting twists and turns. I’ve enjoyed it! I don’t listen to a ton of true crime podcasts because I’m too much of a scaredy-cat, but this one is really, really good. This season, they’re following the investigation of a police officer who was murdered.
I’m currently reading four different books at one time! What the what. My “slow but steady” read right now is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes du Mez. I’m reading about a chapter a day. In between that, I’m reading Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig, which I am loving, and Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis. On audio, I’m listening to the 15th book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series, A Better Man. Whew!
The best money I spent was $4 on a package of SUPERPRETZEL Soft Pretzel Bites. You don’t even know how excited I got when I saw these bad boys in the freezer aisle the last time I was in Publix. They haven’t been stocked for over a year at this point, and it’s made me really sad. (They had the regular big pretzels, but not the bites.) I love popping a few bites in the oven for a mid-afternoon snack, and I had to restrain myself from buying out all of the packages.
My plans this weekend include possibly test-driving some cars (my friend who just bought a car said that most dealerships have barely anything to test-drive these days, which is WILD, so we’ll see if I can make this happen). I’m doing it solely for research purposes, as I am not yet ready to buy. I also have Olive’s 2nd birthday party to attend (what a joyous party that will be!) On Sunday, I have a writing date with Mikaela and football with the fam. It should be a good weekend—and it’s going to be a CHILLY one for Florida! (Saturday’s high is 64!)
What was the high of your week?
Are you using steroid nasal sprays? I would get a similar rash (perioral dermatitis) when I used them so now I don’t.
Also, good luck test driving cars. I am sure you know this but never, ever “go inside and have a seat at my desk” with these crackerjacks. That’s where they try and pressure you to sign today! Aghh. I screamed at a car salesmen once when I said upfront I. AM. NOT. BUYING. ANYTHING. TODAY. Still makes me mad because when I repeated that he pulled out the “ma’am, there’s no need to get upset.” OOOH.
It was a rough week for me (there are things happening professionally that are unsettling) and as I tried to think of what was good this week, all I could think was that this week was a slog. But then I remembered that on Monday afternoon, I took the dog out for her lunchtime walk and it was a gorgeous fall day – the sky was blue with puffy clouds, the temperature was just perfect in the mid-50s, the park was empty except for me and the dog – and both the dog and I were just so excited to be out there. I chased her around, she rolled around in the grass (I don’t really want to know what this was about), and it was just a really perfect moment in a time of uncertainty for me. It was a really nice moment. Thank you for the incentive to think about it.
YES, the high of your week was starting NaBloPoMo… now, if that isn’t what San likes to hear <3 I am so excited to follow along.
I am glad to hear you're having a great weekend ahead of you. Yay, happy birthday, Olive! That's a great milestone to reach for her!
I love that you wrap up your week like that. Very inspiring I might need to borrow that post idea. Also happy NaBloPoMo is your high. Its been mine too. As well as a few hours of flow during my day job. My low probably that I can’t get rid of my cough. So annoying. Hope that birthday party was a blast.
Ah yes, test driving a car is hard. We are going to buy a new Rav4 Prime. Finding a car is tough. Being able to test drive a car is tough. We are actually working with a car broker to find a car. He is contacting dealerships in multiple states to find a car for us and does the negotiating. It’s such a weird market so historically, you’d work with a car broker to get a better price. But right now, the benefit is finding inventory and not paying too much over sticker price.
Hope you figure out what is causing that rash!
Yay for NaBloPoMo! (I ALWAYS type that wrong … ALWAYS.) I can’t wait to read more from you. 🙂 That will just make my November! And probably half of my December, given how far behind I am on blogs… Ha.
Also, man, unknown skin rashes just stink. 😛 I always try steroid cream and if that doesn’t help, antibiotic. I figure one of those two should help and if not, well, then I need help!
Good luck with the car thing. I am hoping that my car just plugs along for another 10 years. I can’t stomach the idea of buying another one (money, primarily, but also, ergh, the process….)