What's Up Wednesday, July 2023 Edition

 

Another month of summer come and gone; I won't bore you with yet another iteration of "time goes by so fast" because you know it does. Instead, onward to this month's What's Up Wednesday, brought to you by the fine folks at Mix and Match Mama and Sheaffer Told Me To. Be sure to tip your server on the way out.

What I've Been Eating

I've sort of been having a love affair with street tacos. I tried a smoked pork variety at a local festival this month and, they were almost as good as the Korean pork street tacos that I make at home. Almost. 

Then, while making the drive to the lake for Girls Weekend, Jules and I stopped at a roadside diner and I ordered their brisket street tacos, which were also really, really good. The portion size was more than I could comfortably eat, including the massive amount of fries that came on the side, but I made a stellar effort. The meat of the tacos was wrapped inside a "tortilla" unlike any I have had on a street taco before; it was more of a homemade pancake than a tortilla, and it was delicious. Roadside diners for the win.

 

Just to shake things up a bit, while attending Hugh's 35th High School reunion this past Friday, I ordered an Asian peanut stir-fry with chicken. It was a nice departure from street tacos and a recipe that I would like to try to recreate at home.

What I'm Reminiscing About

I'm already reminiscing about this month's Girls Weekend. Our time on the lake was way too short, and the time between now and when I see them again will be way too long.

What I'm Loving

You know how you know you're getting old? Your new favorite thing in the world is a pair of designer bi-focal sunglasses. I make no apologies; these Maui Jim sunglasses are the freaking bomb-diggity. I purchased them online and they arrived really quickly. I didn't have to use my prescription because, believe it or not, at the appointment I had with my new eye doctor, he informed me that I didn't truly need prescription glasses when I drive, which means; either my old eye doctor was wrong or my eyesight improved in the last ten years, which I find sus.

Anyway, sunglass readers for the win!

What I've Been Up To

July is cherry season here in this neck of the woods, which means Cherry Days; a festival in a neighboring town, just outside of Pixler. Hugh, the Man-Cub, Shanti and I attended the festival for a few hours, just for the food and people-watching.

We also visited the cherry orchard, where we managed to pick over fifty pounds of fruit, which we shared among friends and family, while still having more than enough to snack on at home.

July is also the month for Not So New Job's annual golf fundraiser, which we managed to pull off quite successfully, despite some unforeseen challenges. Some things are simply out of our control and we must roll with the punches; luckily, I have an excellent staff which with to roll. 

Also, Hugh and the Man-Cub participated in the tournament, which made for a fun day for all of us.

  

I also hosted a rose wine tasting at which a most unexpected winner emerged. 19 Crimes, featuring Snoop Dogg on the label. Who would have thought?

What I'm Working On

With the golf tournament behind us, we are looking towards the next fundraiser, which is our annual Barn Dance. This year, the staff will be in costume, so I am working on what, exactly, that will look like for me. Should be interesting.

What I'm Dreading

Mom's house in Mayberry has still not sold. It had a contract on it that fell through, so we are back to the drawing board. I'm encouraging Mom to find a new realtor who can hopefully do a more successful job of marketing the property. I dread having it sit vacant for another winter, considering last year's squatter scare. 

What I'm Excited About

I made an executive decision to institute a four-day work week at Not So New Job. When I presented the plan to my Board, they were enthusiastically supportive, which means that, starting this week, my staff and I are "off"" on Fridays. We'll still be on call for emergencies, but won't have to head into the office unless we have an appointment that can't be scheduled for another day. This new work schedule is a nice benefit for the staff as well as a cost-saving measure for the organization when one factors in burnout, staff turn-over, and the costs associated with recruitment of replacements. For myself, I am looking forward to reclaiming some personal work/life balance.

What I'm Watching

I don't go to the theater very much anymore; a movie has to be really intriguing to lure me off my couch. Sound of Freedom intrigued me for a variety of reasons, not excluding the controversy surrounding its release. 

Unlike the majority of the people in the completely sold-out theater; I wasn't shocked by the movie's content. I work in the field of child sexual abuse and would love to tell you that the movie was not just sensationalized, but, completely fictional. I can't. Was it dramatized to make Jim Ballard look unnecessarily heroic? Yes, it probably was. Does that change the fact that child sex trafficking is epidemic and entrenched in every single country in the world and that these children need-and deserve-rescue? No. No, it does not.

I hope the movie woke up the people who wish to live in a world where they can turn a blind eye to these facts. I hope it will make a difference. I also wish that it had at least touched on the very real fact that, while there have been survivors rescued from trafficking, there are very few effective programs and resources in place to actually help them heal from the trauma caused by their abuse. There is so much work to be done.

But at least more people have been exposed to reality; the pervasiveness of the abuse is stunning. Millions of children, folks. In every country, every city, and, statistically speaking: probably in your community. If you live in a jurisdiction that has a Child Advocacy Center dedicated to providing services to child victims, I urge you to support that organization.

I'll get off my soapbox now. And, I may have lied when I said that a movie had to be really intriguing in order to get me off my couch because I am planning to see Barbie tonight with Erin and Kristi. Although, from what I've heard from folks so far, it actually is intriguing, so, maybe I'm not a liar after all.

What I'm Listening To

One of my staff recommended The Girlfriends Podcast, so I am working my way through it. I'm not a huge podcast listener, so it might take me some time. I'll get back to you on that.

What I'm Reading

It's been a decent month for reading! I finished two books, including Bad Summer People, which was ok...

...and The Southern Book Club's Guide To Slaying Vampires, which was really good.

What I'm Wearing

Honestly, as little as possible. The temperatures here in Petticoat Junction have been in the high 90's and low 100's for the past several days (I'm not complaining, thanks to the PTSD caused by the Neverending Winter of 22/23), so I have been wearing a lot of simple tank dresses which allow for a slight breeze to circulate around my legs. I have them in three colors and a black and white striped number that actually gives the illusion of thinness. Plus, they have pockets!

What I'm Doing This Weekend

This will be the first weekend this month that I don't have any social activity to attend, so I will be utilizing the time to clean my house, organize my life, and prepare for August, when I have an event planned for every single weekend.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month

There is so much to look forward to! We kick off the month (August 5) with a Collin Raye concert party (people listening to the concert from our porch since the park being used as the concert venue is literally less than a block from our house). The concert is the finale of the Sweetcorn Festival, which will also be fun. That same day, I will be attending Kaley's baby shower, so that's going to be a very busy day.

The following weekend, Queen B arrives and we host Mia's shower!

The weekend after that, we are hosting a wine tasting and appetizer party with Mama Jill and her gang. Everyone is bringing their favorite bottle and we are all hoping to discover a new favorite. Or, two.

The weekend after that, I am hosting the Bon Voyage party for Erin and Kristi.

Like I said; it's going to be a busy month.

Favorite Amazon Find This Month

My poor hair has been yet another casualty of this damned Season of Life; it's dry, dry, dry. It also has a weird new texture going on, with waves where waves never existed before, breakage at the hairline, and new cowlicks that appeared seemingly overnight. I researched treatments and K18 sounded like a good bet, despite the ridiculous price. Spoiler: it is worth the price. I've used the treatment three times, and my hair has improved by about 75%. I'm hopeful that it will eventually get to 100%, because, if I'm going to rock natural gray, it damn well needs to look healthy.