Funny story (well, not that funny), I did find Journal #2 the other day, and in skimming through it looking for the dates I wanted to confirm, I noticed several references to “week in review.” Clearly my entire life has been building up to this blog.

Also, isn’t interesting how your memory can SO fail you? I don’t mean forgetting a name or where you hid your car keys, but like, a significant event in your past that you have remembered one way for the past…like 30 years…only to discover that it didn’t happen that way at all?? I guess that would be replacing one memory with another, not necessarily forgetting something. Still.

MONDAY

Okay, my very exciting news is that this is my last week before vacation!!! Hallelujah! An actual week-long vacation. I haven’t had one of those since February, and I am DUE. I’m going to read All The Books!!!

Plus, I’m drinking a very delicious coffee milkshake. Do you like coffee milkshakes? Wanna hear how I make them?

TUESDAY

Work. Market. Pizza. Home. Supposed to be a big storm. I ran around getting all my electronics and their chargers charging, pulled out the candles, and got a new lighter wand thing. I was ready! Storm blew right by without stopping. Big black clouds then no more big black clouds.

WEDNESDAY

So, one of my niece’s birthdays was a few weeks ago. And I’m the worst aunt ever. I love them, I think of them, we “like” back and forth on Instagram, but when it comes to sending out gifts, I am the worst. I’ve got a milk crate full of gifts for my own child, waiting to be wrapped, packed, and mailed. And it’ll probably never happen. BUT…Recent Birthday Niece posted this on her IG a couple weeks back…the “nature in glass” thing, she’d gotten it for her birthday, love loved it.

Then I saw this lovely naturey piece of resin art by Heather at The Odd Bee – Heather has visited here on occasion, but I mostly see her and her work on her Instagram at @RestingWitchFace. Anyway, I thought Birthday Niece would love it, got it, and have actually already sent it off to her! Look at me, all adulty!

I was off from work today. Split the day between relaxing/reading and productivity. Was a quiet day. Wish I’d stepped outside before going out at like 5pm to water the plants because it was lovely. Not hot, dry, breezy. Oh well.

THURSDAY

Worked. Supposed to be a big storm. Ha. Everything’s ready from the other day. Rescheduled dinner plans with friends to not get caught in the Maybe Big Storm.

FRIDAY

I’M ON VACATION!!! See the big cocktail? That is a First Day of Vacation cocktail. I met friends for dinner after work. The dinner that was rescheduled from last night due to the impending Big Storm. No Big Storm. No little storm. No storm.

I’m hoping they’re as wrong about tomorrow’s forecast because I’m photographing a baptism and it’s supposed to rain heavily all day and be a million percent humidity.

SATURDAY

Ooh, why is my right eye so squinty? Is that really how I look when I take pictures? Ha. Gotta work on that. Anyway, shot a baptism today. Humid, rainy day. Correction – humid, rainy day from the time I turned onto their street…until I pulled into my driveway afterwards.  Of course,  right?? And in a mask, no less.

I realized just yesterday that I really have no photo job outfits anymore since I made the decision to stop shooting events (well, except for work, but that’s my job). I usually try to wear something dark so as to not draw attention to myself…it has to be something I can move around in, squat, climb, etc. Comfortable shoes are paramount. I had to break out the ugly off-roaders cuz they are the best on my feet when I can’t wear sneakers. I’d have been happier in a black top but…whatareyagonnado? I keep the big crossbody on me most of the time in case batteries die, memory card fails, chapstick, etc.

I was exhausted when I got home – photo jobs really drain me – and I spent way too long on the sofa in the ac when I really have to stuff to do to be ready to leave on our little getaway tomorrow! So I’m gonna go do that now…

SUNDAY

Left at crackadawn for the NY Finger Lakes region with a friend. Today we were headed to Ithaca (I do not like that word) for lunch and waterfalls. After Ithaca, continued onto Watkins Glen, not too far. We’re staying in cozy little riverview cabins. We checked out the grounds a bit to find a spot for a photo shoot in the morning. I’d been looking forward to wading in the stream but sadly it is just a dry, dusty stonebed right now. But the girl at the front desk assured us that early in the morning, mist rises up off the ground in the woods and it’s like an Enchanted Forest. Uhm, okay. I’ll get up early and take a look but I am not expecting any enchantment. Hopefully I am wrong.

We had a nice dinner at a marina…

And the highlight of the evening was a cute little brown mink running over my friend’s foot, she screamed, scaring me and said mink and off it scampered before I could get a picture. I never thought of mink/weasels/ermine/ferrets as living near the water. But this for sure was a little brown mink. He was pretty cute.

When we came back from dinner there was a nice little bonfire going out back so we sat there for awhile. And I’m sure there’s more words to say and pictures to share but I am BEAT and falling asleep in this chair. So I will bid you goodnight and say see ya in a couple days.

WHAT I’M READING

This is Where I Leave You by Johnathan Tropper. This was a joy and a pleasure to read. I laughed. I cried. I was entertained. I didn’t want it to end. It’s essentially a light read, I mean, it’s not like Important Fiction or anything, but it’s going high on my list. Maybe #2 for the year! That’s saying something.

The story of a family with four grown children with families of their own who have pretty much gone their separate ways, but when the father dies they come back home to sit shiva for seven days with the Mother, and all the old faces and characters and memories from their past come through during the week to pay respects, see how old they’ve all gotten, etc. Topper does the characters so well…I’d laugh and think “we all know that guy.”

Apparently it was made into a movie in 2014, with actors I love: Jason Bateman, Adam Driver, Dax Shepherd, Tina Faye, Connie Britton, etc. Another fail on Netflix/Hulu/Amazon’s part as they have never showed this in my “we think you’ll like” section. Who gets that job? The CEO’s loser son?? Anyway, I’ll be tracking it down and watching it asap. But read the book! 4.75/5 All The Thumbs Up.

I read another book of his recently, Everything Changes (review here), which I also liked a lot. This one is even better!

TTFN!