Deepest Summer

The heat is not my favorite thing.  I tend to wilt and grumble once it gets warmer than mid-80s and retreat entirely into a/c-and-a-book once it hits 90.

But even I have to admit there's something about a (short) run of hot days in the middle of August to make it feel like it's finally *really* summer.  Our summer so far has been largely reactive -- dealing with plumbing issues, dealing with the yard, dealing with the basement demolition, dealing with the move (the school I work at is moving locations this summer).  Starting on Monday, though, we have 2 and a half solid weeks of *summer vacation* carved out -- going to the beach, going on a boat, playing mini golf, going on a picnic, finding some outdoor music -- and we can't wait!

What I'm doing this week:

Reading: 

Still working my way through _The Science Class You Wish You something something_.  I take issue with some of their generalizations, but it's interesting and quick reading (and, yes, I do realize that's a strange thing to say about something I'm still reading a month later -- I haven't been making as much time for it as I might).  Also, the first paperback collection of the current Captain Marvel -- *highly recommended* -- and various other comics here and there.  

Listening to: 

Classical background-music.  :)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc7UzQB8gtI&index=1&list=LLgooXBa4ENnfwaEdW-AqsFg

Watching: 
We finally got around to watching Red.  It was so much fun.  The fact that it's not available to stream on Netflix kept it hovering around the middle of our To Watch list, until finally the other night we couldn't come up with anything else we all wanted to watch and went to all the trouble ;) of renting it on Amazon -- and I'm so glad we finally did!  Bruce Willis plays one of his usual charming, grumpy, tough guy who's a goofy marshmallow inside sorta characters, Mary Louise Parker does a great job as the everyday woman who finds herself embroiled in this ridiculous adventure against her will (she is really satisfyingly competent and level headed while also being realistically freaked out and charmingly dorky -- and she's only 9 years younger than her leading man, which is so refreshing as to be almost shocking), and the cast includes Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Karl Urban in thoroughly entertaining and delightful roles that I'm going to say no more about, for fear of spoiling the movie.

Doing: 
Getting the Back to School letters ready to send out.  Hosting Sarah's friends for a series of Board Game afternoons.  Playing the banjo.

Eating/Cooking:  

Experimenting with the pizza dough recipe in _Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in 5 Minutes A Day_.   I'll let you know how it goes!

Something that went particularly well this week:  
Putting together the first snazzy publicity newsletter for school.

Something that went less well:  
Ugh.  Why do I have this section?  Hmm...  It was a stressful week in a lot of ways, and I think the thing that is most frustrating is how I could have done a better job maintaining my boundaries and compartmentalizing.  I don't need to get stressed just because the people around me are stressed.

Something I'm grateful for: 
Friends who are willing to listen.  I spent the afternoon today with a friend who didn't just let me dominate the conversation when she saw that I really needed to talk, she invited me to keep talking, and asked gentle, illuminating and supportive questions every time I paused.  Such a truly generous, compassionate listener is a rare thing.

Something I'm thinking about:  

How to combine the approach that serves me so well in this journal, with the broader connection that places like FB allow.  Where I want to be next year, in four years, in ten years, in twenty.  What to do with my summer vacation.

Something I'm looking forward to:
The rain.