Heat Wave
Does it feel like fall where you are? I know why I said that I am decidedly not ready last Friday. We had a heat wave warning this week and a couple of days where temperatures climbed into the triple digits, but it’s supposed to cool down again in the next few days. September is the new April. I am ok with a little bit more of summer.
A little anecdote I forgot to share
When I went home to spend time with my family at the end of March, I was especially looking forward to spending time with my niece and nephew. They grow up entirely way too fast (they’re 17 and 16 now) and when I tell them so, they laugh in my face.
I mean, I remember being around that age. It doesn’t feel too long ago.
Especially when we were in my parents’ car and my niece started playing music from her iPhone (because of course, the kids would have their phones connected to the car’s sound system and take over as DJs). My niece played Green Day and I screamed.
I told her that I saw them in concert in 1996 for their Insomniac Tour (not their first album, but their first major tour in Europe!) and I was even able to find and show her the actual concert ticket when we arrived at my parents’ house.
Yes, there were still physical concert tickets back in the day and if you look closely, you can see what I paid for the ticket (of this then very popular, and now ICONIC) band. 26 German Marks. That was €13 at the time. Crazy.
I am happy to hear that today’s youth still appreciates the best bands of my youth.
Jackpot
I went to the Farmer’s Market last weekend and hit the jackpot because I found European plums. They’re really hard to find, if you can find them at all, and only available in late August through September, but there is one farm stand that has been reliably selling European plums in the last few years. They don’t come cheap, but $15 for an authentic Plum Streusel Cake are worth it.
Open Bribery
Did you see the news that tR*ump is pleding to pay $5,000 to every U.S. adult if the Republicans win the House and the Senate in November? So, are we just openly bribing people for a vote? I mean, it’s not a surprise in any way, shape or form, but for some reason, however many years into this nightmare, I am somehow still waiting for someone to step in and say “enough with this nonsense”. Anybody??
Goodbye SUMMIIT
I found out this week that “SUMMIIT Challenges” (the website and companion app) is going to shut down in November. In case the name doesn’t ring a bell, SUMMIIT Challenges organized PeloFondo, Climb and Stride Events for the Peloton Community and I’ve been participating for a few years with my Streakers365 team. I am truly heartbroken that there won’t be any more challenges.
The events were first-class, community-centric virtual event experiences free for all participants. The organizer’s motto: people over profit, always. It was a really cool platform and awesome community, but unfortunately, as with most free things, they can become unsustainable over time as the community grows. The organizer couldn’t keep pouring into the platform while operating at a net loss. Apparently they also didn’t want to turn it into a subscription model (which I understand and somewhat appreciate, because what ISN’T subscription-based anymore these days?), but I also know that many people would have gladly chipped in to keep the platform alive. As it goes, all good things must end sometime. Thanks for the awesome memories, SUMMIIT Challenges.
Have a great weekend everyone, and don’t forget to enjoy things while they last!
coco
September 12, 2026 at 12:41 amI heard about his open bribery! it’s so sad. hope more people realizes what he’s doing.
those plums look sooo juicy.
Nicole MacPherson
September 12, 2026 at 6:11 amWe are visiting my parents right now, and there is a frost advisory in place! So it definitely feels like fall out here!
J
September 12, 2026 at 9:07 amMy MIL grows those plums in her yard! I don’t know if she still has any on her tree. Will have to coordinate to get you some next year!
NGS
September 12, 2026 at 1:24 pmIt’s definitely getting a bit cooler here, especially at night. We had lows in the 50s for the last couple of nights, so we can sleep with the windows open. The sleeping has been delightful.
I honestly can’t with the outright bribes coming from the White House. It feels like we’re living in the age of Teapot Dome. I don’t even know how to react anymore.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
September 12, 2026 at 2:56 pmI read about the bribery and had the same thoughts. Is this even a democracy anymore? Seriously?
Yeah for plums. I am hoping I’ll still find some at the tree in the country home early October but it might be more wishful thinking.
SHU
September 13, 2026 at 10:58 amomg i love the green day ticket! my son really likes them and the next time they tour we are def going. he is even playing “basket case” this season at School of Rock (and it sounds good!)
Daria
September 13, 2026 at 11:09 amNJ mornings have been so crisp and lovely but by the afternoon the temps are high! High 80s. I had to turn the air on in my class!
I’m sorry about SUMMIIT sounds it was a good nurturing community.
How amazing to see the GreenDay! In 1996!!
The only concert of the type that I saw was in NYC, in 2001, Sugar Ray band.
Lisa’s Yarns
September 13, 2026 at 1:09 pmI love that Green Day ticket! Gold star to you for keeping it! I think Green Day is having a bit of a resurgence. It seems like lots of youth listen to them and they performed at the World Cup I think? I mean they have always been popular but seem to be extra popular these days? Which I am here for!
It has cooled off here quite a bit. It’s still beautiful during the day but the nights are cool and crisp. I am loving it! But I go to Dallas this week where the high will be 98. Bleh!!
Melissa
September 13, 2026 at 8:17 pmWe have had some lovely, warm weather here over the last few days as we head into Spring. Those plums look yummy! How are they different to normal plums? We have plums and blood plums here.
ernie
September 14, 2026 at 11:53 amI love it when my kids enjoy music that was popular back in my day. I just baked a plum torte last night and I bought plums that were really small. I think they are the same as the ones you are showing here. I also made a cherry struesel cake thing and that seemed to be more popular.
We had such a nice and social weekend. The weather was beautiful. You can read about it on my blog, but the reader thing on my blog isn’t updaing. It’s driving me crazy.
Stephany
September 14, 2026 at 6:20 pmI am SO READY for cooler weather but we’ve got a few months to wait here in Florida. I have Boston and Stowe, VT, saved in my Weather app and I stare at the temps every now and then, and get so excited for COOLER WEATHER. I am READY for it.
Don’t even get me started on the $5,000 bribe. UGH.
Anne
September 17, 2026 at 3:32 amGreen Day – nice. But were the niblings duly impressed? (I won’t reveal my first concert [too embarrassing, seriously], but my second was the Spin Doctors, in a college gym. I was a senior in HS and definitely Not Cool. I felt just a smidgen cooler after that. LOL.)
(And you know how I feel about literally – and I do mean literally – everything that comes out of the current admin. The anger, it knows no bounds.)