weekly retro #73: frequent stops
this past week was a test for how bad i really want to be off my phone, and the answer is very bad. it's a tough habit to kick though, requiring intentional moves like deleting apps and logging off of web pages, keeping the phone further from me than other things i could fidget with my hands and eyes, and simply going outside. in an algorithmic world, making intentional moves is really hard.
i started reading mona's eyes, a book i've had on my shelf for several months and am glad i found my way back to. i'm only about halfway through but it reminds me of my grandma taking me to coney island all the time and us lying about it because my dad's second wife said she was not allowed to bring me there - to her credit, nyc was very different in the 80s and early 90s, nonetheless my grandma would never let anyone tell her what to do or not to do. i'm very much her granddaughter in that sense. she also taught me how to window shop, people watch, and stop to look at and question things.
it's hydrangea season in jersey city, with many corner properties awash in beautiful lavender blues. i've seen cobalt blue ones online, i would love to see some that rich in person. sometimes when i'm lucky, i catch some bumblebees buzzing around. when i'm luckier, andy is there with me. holding the conversation without missing a beat as i redirect us toward some bush to smell a flower or look at a bug is a great talent of his.
it's been a little over three weeks since pumagreg's hind leg amputation and he's been doing really well. he's definitely spending more time in our bed, but i can only imagine how wiped out the ordeal has made him - not to mention the extra energy it takes to get around with one less leg. he's still playful and very soft, and the large area that was shaved has grown in like a soft long velvet. i'd say he's got about another month and a half until his hair has full grown in.
this week i started a new wheel throwing class. i'm definitely out of practice, having taken a hand-building course and not having much time to practice in the studio while pumagreg was recovering. i'm starting to get all my pieces from that class out of the kiln, with just a couple crystal glaze pieces to go. i'm really happy with how this lidded jar thing came out.
are you one of those freaks who do not eat blue things? i am one of those freaks. i am also one of those freaks who will watch a red hot chili peppers video at .5x speed so i can list all of the scenes in my little art blog.
i had mentioned several weeks ago how i am working on powering through the heat instead of using it as a reason to lock myself indoors, and i'm doing a great job because otherwise my phone wouldn't be full of photos of beautiful flowers or me sweating. i know there are a lot of bad heatwaves going around all over the world, and i hope you all are staying safe and hydrated.
things i enjoyed this week
- pablo torre did a really moving tribute episode for grant wahl. actually now that i'm grabbing links, the other two ptfo episodes that came out this week were also very excellent: sarah jessica parker and john green & daniel alarcón
- nisipisa learns about business from the ai woman in our phones
- i've just started eating celery on purpose again for the first time since my celery soda kick 6 years ago?? i'm dipping them right in the peanut butter jar because it hurts literally no one!!
june was a tough month, but i knew it would be. to come to the end of it with a healthy pumagreg, gorgeous flowers and bugs all over the city and the privilege to make frequent stops throughout my little adventures to share with you all, i am feeling pretty good going into july.
xoxo jenn