FEELING | a little overwhelmed lately (aren’t we all?). The fires, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes, the situation in Afghanistan, the Delta variant. It’s all a bit much right now. Don’t worry, I am okay, generally speaking, but does this year feel even harder than 2020, or is it just me?
EATING | oat crunch with strawberries (and soy milk). It tastes like a strawberry shortcake for breakfast. You should try it.
DRINKING | Kefir. Have you tried it? It’s basically “drinkable yogurt”, but healthier. It’s good for your gut and it tastes so refreshing.
READING | A Promised Land by Barack Obama and I finally finished it. Full review forthcoming, but guys, read this book. It’s long and information-dense and hard to get through, but such good writing and a worthwhile behind-the-scenes look at the presidency. I don’t know how Trump made it through.
(absolutely) LOVING | my new “toy”, aka the Peloton. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that after more than a year of using the app (with a non-Peloton bike), I finally pulled the trigger and invested in the real thing. It’s a nice distraction from all the madness in the world.
ENJOYED | my ‘staycation’ last week quite a bit, even though we didn’t really do anything or go anywhere. I wish we could have traveled, but it was definitely nice to wake up without an alarm and not think about work for a bit.
WEARING | workout clothes. All-day, every day. I basically work out, take a shower and get into the next set of workout clothes until the next workout. Haha. I’m exaggerating, maybe.
HOPING | for more “good air”-days. We had our fair share of bad air from the California fires already and every day where the sky is blue is a good day. Unfortunately, the fires are still not under control and one of the big ones here in Northern California, the Caldor Fire east of Sacramento, is heading towards Lake Tahoe and air quality there is hazardous right now.
FRUSTRATED BY | the conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, and all the misinformation that is spread (mostly on social media) about the vaccines and their efficacy. We could be much further along if people would just trust the science. Freedom of speech does not mean you can dismiss science as a difference of opinion.
What is currently going on with you?
Divya
August 26, 2021 at 10:14 amOof. My poor California :(
We eventually want to move back because that’s where our family is, but it breaks my heart that fires have become an annual thing there.
San
August 26, 2021 at 2:47 pmIt’s gotten progressively worse these last few years. It’s scary.
Kristen Woolsey
August 26, 2021 at 2:37 pmSometimes there is nothing better than a staycation! Going on an actual trip is sometimes more stressful than rejuvenating.
I’d love to see a post on your favorite workout clothes! Especially for cycling! Sorry if you’ve already done one and I missed it.
San
August 26, 2021 at 2:49 pmYou’re so right. I’ve come to appreciate “staycations” for what they are – a time to “relax”.
Thanks for the post-inspo: I haven’t posted about my favorite workout clothes before and I might just have to do that now :)
Nicole MacPherson
August 27, 2021 at 4:15 amLOOK AT YOUR NEW PELOTON, IT’S BEAUTIFUL!!! I’m so happy for you!
I am in Western Canada and we have also been suffering from terrible wildfires, some very close to my friends and family in BC. The smoke from those fires has been at times just suffocating. The weather has turned now and things are under control, but it has been a dreadful fire season for us as well. I feel you. As my MIL said, “We never had fires at all when I was a child” and well, that tells you everything about climate change, I think.
I am also frustrated by the people who seem to think that science is an opinion that can be discounted.
San
August 30, 2021 at 8:26 pmThanks so much, Nicole. It sure was a treat.
I am so sorry to hear that you’ve also been dealing with wildfires… the whole world is going to hell right now :(
Sara
August 28, 2021 at 12:49 pmOh man, I’m hoping for some good air days for you, too. I remember how tough fire season was in CA. It’s particularly tough in the summer when it feels like it can just sit on top of you. I’m glad that you enjoyed your staycation and had the opportunity to disconnect from work and rest. It’s so very important, especially with all the work from home stuff. Excited that you were able to get your Peleton!! That will be nice (especially when running outside may not be the best option). I know you’ll enjoy it!
Looking forward to the full book review!
San
August 30, 2021 at 8:27 pmThanks so much, Sara. The Peloton was a treat for sure but will keep me sane going forward through this awful times.
Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
August 30, 2021 at 12:17 pmYay for your peloton! It seems like money well-spent! You already know that you will use it a ton since you used your non-peloton bike so religiously! That was a good way to test whether it was worth the investment!
We got Promised Land from Phil’s mom for christmas but neither of us has read it yet. I need to be in the right mind set for a big, heavy book like that! I would actually prefer to read it on my kindle due to how big/heavy the book is, but it made sense to get the physical copy so we could both read it (Phil will not read ebooks – physical books only for that guy!).
I’m feeling pretty fatigued by everything lately, too. I think we all thought that 2021 was going to be so different, but it’s feeling less different w/ Delta surging in some areas of the country. I just hope and pray that doesn’t happen here, but this seems to be a repeat of 2020 which means we can expect bad numbers in Nov/Dec here in the Midwest. :(
San
August 30, 2021 at 8:29 pmThank you, Lisa. I sure didn’t make the decision to buy a Peloton lightly, but I think I really took enough time to test and evaluate the investment ;)
I got Promised Land for Christmas as well, ended up reading the second half on my Amazon Fire (when the ebook was available at my libary). It is a pretty heavy book.
I totally understand that you have to be in the mindset to read it. It took me 8 months (with a long break in between) to finish it. It is worth it though.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
September 4, 2021 at 2:33 amI know how you are feeling. I really think its a lot that 2021 is throwing at us. I distinctly remember though, that I had a similar feeling around this time in 2020. I guess it is just all a lot and mankind is not on it’s best behavior currently. Lets hope better years ar coming. Until then I hope you find ways to cope with it all.
anne
September 6, 2021 at 10:36 amMy usual late comment, but I couldn’t let this one go by. The world is so heavy right now, and since you wrote, we have the mess that is Texas restricting women’s rights on top of everything else. I want to donate to something, to help, but there are so many needs that it’s hard to know where to start.
I have not yet read A Promised Land but it is on my (long, long) list. That you took your time reading and digesting means that I will probably do the same! It does seem like a must-read, though.
Yay for the Peloton bike, and a bad-air / bad-weather alternative to running. I still love my cheapo folding bike and don’t have room for anything else. Maybe someday… :) Until then I’ll just admire yours!
I can’t even comment on the conspiracy theorists / anti-vaxxers / the worst Senator ever (seriously, it’s embarrassing to be “represented” by Ron Johnson…) because it will send me into an anger spiral. ;)
Last but NOT least – what is oat crunch???????? It sounds wonderful! :D
Kate BK
September 16, 2021 at 1:12 pmI’m so excited that you’ve gotten a Peloton, and even more excited that you’re loving it!