Five Things Friday Vol. 93

June 7, 2024

Five Things Friday: just five things I’m thinking about or things that made my week, or things that I otherwise feel like sharing.

My Asics Novablast 3s came last weekend and I had the pleasure of taking them for a few runs already this week. I am going to out myself here and tell you that I am a runner who keeps it simple. I do not own multiple pairs of shoes for different types of runs. I usually have only one, or sometimes two pairs at a time and I usually go for a moderately cushioned shoe. The Novablast 3s are significantly more cushioned. At first, it felt a little strange to walk around in them but I have to say that I got used it very quickly.

They’re lightweight and I have a little more room in the toebox (which I like) than in my Brooks of the same size. My thought so far: positively impressed. Also, aren’t they pretty?

* * *

Speaking of runs, earlier this week, I saw a chicken wandering around on a side street during my run. At the moment, I just thought “Huh, that’s odd” and continued on my merry way. On second thought, I probably should have investigated because now I am convinced the chicken escaped from somewhere and needed to be captured, right? (Not that *I* would have been the person who would have attempted to do that, but I am saying, I should have probably taken a closer look and maybe, I don’t know, alerted someone. Maybe?)

* * *

Talk to me about the basil plant that you, I am sure, keep on your kitchen window sill like I do (right?). On the packaging it said to water once a week, but you guys, not true in California in the summer. I have to water it daily for it not to wilt in the freaking heat (because it also requires a lot of light). I am also afraid of overwatering it, so my strategy has been to pour the last bit of water from my water glass (when I drink a glass of water in the kitchen) into the basil pot because it is right next to my Berkey (water filter). So far, the frequent, small waterings seem to work well.

* * *

Many people have been talking about the end of the school year and the beginning of summer and all that comes with that, and I am over here thinking ‘What summer? ‘. And I don’t mean that we’re not going to have a summer (aka hot temps) here in the hot-as-hell Central Valley. We surely will. But not much changes in terms of daily routines or rhythms around here. I won’t be planning any summer camps or pool days with kids, work won’t slow down for me either, and I sadly also won’t be “off” for some time. Things will just continue around here as usual. Do other childfree people feel the same or does summer feel different to you? Do you have a summer routine that is different from your regular day-to-day?

* * *

Gold star moment of the week: I fixed a zipper on my favorite pair of black pants. Mr. Google told me the zipper couldn’t be fixed and needed to be replaced (it was missing some teeth right in the middle) but Google was wrong. I figured out that if you can get your slider back on the zipper, you can simply stitch around the area of the missing teeth a few times so that the slider won’t come off again at this particular gap and then zip up your zipper as usual.

Note to self: Mr. Google is often helpful, but not always right.

How was your week? Any gold stars you’d like to share?

Tobia | craftaliciousme
June 8, 2024 at 2:41 am

Those shoes look great. I was caught in a rain storm earlier this week and was wanted to wait it out under a tree. But then decided I may run home. I died after a minuted and walked the rest (about 200 meters) home. It was embarrassing…

I agree with you on summer. It’s the same old same old. Maybe a bit more busy since everyone wants to take time of and I usually have more heavy workload. Same with the husband. And I don’t much care for hot temperatures. So I rarely get the summer excitement everyone is showing off.
1. Lisa’s Yarns
  June 8, 2024 at 5:09 am
  
  Even as a person with kids, summer does not look all that different for us because they are still in full-time care and our jobs are similarly busy. Things can be a little less hectic for me at work because our clients (financial advisors) are taking more vacation time and maybe not as focused on making changing to client’s portfolios but overall it doesn’t feel very different. Our weekends look very different since we have way more options for things to do! And we take a week vacation to my parents lake home but otherwise it’s kind of business as usual!
  
  Love your new shoes! I have always been a basic runner, even during my marathon training days, and only run in one pair of shoes at a time! I am so picky about shoes so can’t imagine multiple pairs working for me. I am picky since I have a foot that can be hard to find shoes that work well for since I have a very narrow foot and super high arches!
  1. San
    June 8, 2024 at 9:23 pm
    
    Oh, a vacation at your parents’ lake house screens summer to me! I am so glad you got to do this every year.
    
    I am also super-relieved to hear that you’ve always been a basic runner (with one pair of shoes, too). I know it’s silly but it seems like every other runner has a buttload of shoes in their closets… and I keep thinking, why or how? LOL I only need one pair.
2. San
  June 8, 2024 at 9:21 pm
  
  I am so sorry you got caught in a rain storm and then felt embarrassed that you couldn’t run home (running takes practice, friend, and you’ve been doing so well putting more exercise back into your life!)
Tierney
June 8, 2024 at 4:25 am

I love Asics so much. They’ve been my go-to brand since high school when I had hideous shin splints with Nike. I do have a pair of Hokas right now, but I feel my heel slides in a potentially injurious way. Please note, I realize everyone has different feet/needs, but I am definitely a fan of Asics.

I am a big fan of “New Years” and within-the-year milestones so I get the excitement about the end of the school year. But it’s not part of my yearly rhythm changes. I imagine for parents, it’s like, “Yes, we can plan vacation” combined with “Ugh, how can I piecemeal a childcare plan that is fun/exciting/educational/will prevent my kid from going down an irretrievable path of bad life choices?!?!” I really feel for my working parents friends (and strangers) because it is really, really hard and expensive.

But back to me :) June is not a big transition month. 1 July is the medical “New Year” so that is very impactful- new interns and residents, a pay raise (!), and the arrival of new colleagues. So that is very exciting. I am a fan of “New Years,” the real one (1/1) and others throughout the year.

Also, being childfree, my vacation season is Sept-Oct when the weather is beautiful and travel is less crowded. I try to pick a place for a 2-3 week vacation. This year, I may be saving up days and money but hopefully, I will convince my husband to go somewhere fun.
1. San
  June 8, 2024 at 9:25 pm
  
  Exciting to hear that you also love Asics. I have run in Ascis before so I am not a stranger to them, just haven’t run Ascis in a while, but I am glad to be giving them a chance again :)
  
  I can see how July 1 is exciting if it comes with new residents/interns, new colleagues and a pay raise. I would look forward to that too :)
Suzanne
June 8, 2024 at 5:20 am

Okay, I am so impressed that you fixed your zipper. That’s the kind of thing that would make me throw up my hands in despair, especially if Google told me all was lost. Good on you for persevering!

Love your new shoes! I had no idea that some runners have multiple pairs of shoes!!!

So far, I have three basil plants in containers that seem happy and alive. But I am terrible at keeping plants alive, so their time is surely limited.
1. San
  June 8, 2024 at 9:27 pm
  
  Haha, the zipper situation is a kind of situation that puts me into “now more than ever” determination mode :)
  
  I am glad to hear that you didn’t know that some runners have multiple pairs of running shoes for different runs. I think it might be just a marketing gimmick!
Elisabeth
June 8, 2024 at 5:26 am

Those shoes look great; Asics were my go-to brand for YEARS and then I had a few issues with newer models and stopped buying them. BUT I think I’m going to try again the next time I need new shoes.

Great work on the zipper. I’m hopeless with sewing, so am literally in awe of you managing to fix something like this!
1. San
  June 8, 2024 at 9:28 pm
  
  So far, I have only good things to say about Ascis, so I hope they’ll work for you as well again in the future :)
  And thank you, I am not great at sewing, but I am always willing to just try ;)
Nicole MacPherson
June 8, 2024 at 7:12 am

I have basil plants but they are outside in my garden, and they get watered…I guess twice a day right now? The whole garden gets a little blast for two minutes twice a day (we have an irrigation system, this is why I’m a little bit unsure exactly).
I love Asics! They were always the most comfortable shoe for me as well.
I am not childfree but my children are adults, and I do feel a whole SUMMER vibe! With the shift in temperature, I’m definitely feeling Summer Ready – reading on the deck instead of inside, lots of gardening (this is key! kind of my whole life right now) and doing things like biking which I don’t enjoy in cooler weather. Also, margaritas! I usually have red wine on Fridays but now it feels like it’s time for summer-adjacent drinks instead.
1. San
  June 8, 2024 at 9:30 pm
  
  Maybe I should take my basil outside? But I am afraid it will wilt in the terrible heat that we get.
  Oh, don’t get me wrong, I am feeling the summer vibe that you’re describing… I am looking forward to spending more time in the backyard, biking to the Farmers Market, and doing outdoor things… it’s just very different from people who have summers off or have a whole pool routine ;)
Rachel
June 8, 2024 at 11:56 am

Wow – I just got a pair of Novablast 3 shoes! I decided to replace my Pearl Izumi shoes which I bought in 2015. These new ones have so much cushion – shoes have changed a lot in 9 years. I haven’t yet run in them but they feel comfy and I am looking forward to using them soon. Also your color is lovely – I got the ones I could find on sale which are hot pink and navy blue. They’re nice – but not as pretty as yours!

So Summer was never a big deal to me before I had kids but I would always be caught off gaurd about how many people were off work in August and how nothing seemed to get done untill September. Then I had kids and realized it is a big deal for kid/school stuff, although I think it’s different over here becuase school holidays are only 6 weeks. I can’t imagine having a super different flow to your life for 3 months, which is what it seems to sound like in the US? Also, pre-kids my husband and I would always travel in April and so that always has an adventure feel for me. Sometimes it would be over school holidays and sometimes not and we were always surprised. One year we went to the states for a 3 week road trip in late may and did not realise we were there over the start of summer holidays. Things definitely felt busier than they had, and weird as a person who felt it was very un-summer back home.

Well done on Zipper fixing! And I have no advice on basil plants, I’ve never kept a herby plant alive. I barely keep my actual house plants alive.
San
June 8, 2024 at 9:32 pm

Shoes from 2015! Girl, it was high time to get some new shoes and I am excited to hear you also went with the Novablasts! I’ve been told to not buy shoes based on the color, but I will say that I always try to find the prettiest pair when I have settled on a model/brand ;)

I think you are right that the whole “summer thing” is very different in Europe vs the US, just because the summer breaks in Europe are so much shorter.
NGS
June 9, 2024 at 11:59 am

Our town allows up to six chickens and, as far as I can, no one can keep their stupid chickens in their own yards. *Sigh* Too many dog walks with me desperately trying to avoid chickens because the dog will kill them has made me cynical about this.

Summer does meaningfully change my life, even as my childfree. My husband is only on a 9-month contract at his academic job, so he is home more. This is awesome because it means he takes over some chores, primarily the afternoon dog walk, which means I have more time for working out. LOL. Also. It is light in both the morning AND the evening when I walk the dog and this is a huge difference from November through March when it’s dark all the time.
1. San
  June 12, 2024 at 9:08 pm
  
  Oh, I can see how working in academics will shift your summer schedule quite a bit. I hope you enjoy the summer months :)
Kim
June 9, 2024 at 1:16 pm

Those are beautiful! I wonder how they compare to the Nimbuses I wear.
I am not help – our basil is outside!
I am the same way regarding summer. We do more outdoor activities and I take a long break in July, but things are the same! I know a few people who put a lot of stock into getting their life together over the summer then never do. Seems like a lot of pressure. ALSO – summer starts June 20 people. Yes, I will die on this hill LOL.
1. San
  June 12, 2024 at 9:09 pm
  
  Yes, you’re right – summer start on June 20 (although California frequently doesn’t get the memo and starts summer shenanigans aka hot temps early LOL)
  
  I haven’t run the Nimbus, but I have run in Cumulus before!
Daria
June 10, 2024 at 7:16 am

I don’t work during the summer at my teaching job but I still work when the kids are around. In fact, I feel like I work harder lol Summer days with two relatively small kids can be hard. I want to have a nice balance or rest and adventure this summer :)
1. San
  June 12, 2024 at 9:09 pm
  
  I can understand that summer can also be stressful with small kids when they are out of school and need to be entertained.
Stephany
June 10, 2024 at 12:14 pm

Ahh… those shoes are SO pretty! I love them. I am so glad I found an Asics outlet store near me so I can keep myself stocked in (reasonably priced) Asics and not wear my shoes for wayyy longer than I should have.
Summer doesn’t change things for me either. The only difference is that we get lots of great afternoon thunderstorms that are a delight to watch through my window while I work! Otherwise, things are same ole, same ole!
1. San
  June 12, 2024 at 9:10 pm
  
  So happy to hear you are loving the Ascis too. They’re a good brand.
  Summer thunderstorms. Sigh, oh how I miss them! We got them in Germany, too. Not in California.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
June 11, 2024 at 6:08 am

Summer is still summer to me, kids or not. This is when I plan a lot of trips, backpacking and camping trips, a get together with my family, running races, weekends friends, vacation etc. So it still has a special place in my heart and feels different than winter, when I cannot swim in lakes in the Sierra.
1. San
  June 12, 2024 at 9:11 pm
  
  Oh, I get that summer is different… I have a slightly different rhythm too what with the longer days and warmer temps! I just wish I could take more time off and just have a staycation LOL
Michelle G.
June 12, 2024 at 12:57 am

Gold stars and high fives on fixing your zipper! I’m very impressed!
1. San
  June 12, 2024 at 9:12 pm
  
  Haha, thank you. I was a bit impressed by myself, too.
Anne
July 3, 2024 at 4:04 pm

I’m in the same boat – nothing is really different, except for “fewer” meetings. I have many more meetings about OTHER things, though. And somehow I ended up with more responsibilities than anticipated… I guess all part of that “promotion” thing I worked so hard for. ;)
Just wanted to let you know, too, that I’m still here, still reading, and still so far behind. I think I’m going to prioritize some blogs to just catch up, for once. (You’re on the list, lol.)
Stay cool and for the love of Pete, BE SAFE. It looks awful there the rest of the week. <3

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Five Things Friday Vol. 93

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