Weekly Journal 6.8.26

Reading

I've passed the halfway point of The Corrections. Last weekend I was in California with my kid, visiting family, and didn't have much time to read because instead of taking an airplane I decided to drive eleven hours each direction. So I've still got a long way to go with that novel. Instead of recreational reading this week, I'll share a couple of recent news articles about alarming stuff being done by the current administration:
"'Fascism'—New Federal Rule Would Require Federal Funding Recipients To Deny Trans People Exist" by Erin Reed
"Feds Waive 31 Environmental and Resource Protection Laws to Blast Barriers and Bulldoze Roads in Big Bend National Park" by Our Public Lands & Waters

Watching

I thought I was over Queer Eye by the time they released Season 10, after too much bingeing on the same makeover formula: resistant subject, assertively empathetic queer joy, life-changing transformation, tears, hugs. Somewhere in there is Karamo, coming across as more disingenuous than the others. But I dipped my toe into the final season recently, looking for something cheerful to watch, and have found it perfectly diverting. Jeremiah, the newest member, seems very sweet and may be surpassing Tan as my favorite. If I pace myself, I may end up watching the whole season.

Cooking

I had a vague plan to take myself out for dinner tonight until my husband told me about the uncooked steelhead filet in the fridge. A lone piece of meat doesn't appeal to me unless I can build a meal around it. I scanned the shelves and decided the fish would go well with the spinach angel hair pasta, lemon, basil olive oil, and hazelnuts. Why not add some Parmesan too? It was plenty tasty and much less expensive than where I had planned to eat.

Doing

Driving, driving, driving through at least five Oregon counties and five California counties to get to my parents' house for a family celebration. My son in the backseat, draining the life from my phone's data plan by tethering his iPad to my mobile hotspot. Construction zones, a scorched California hillside guarded closely by firefighters, majestic forests and mountains, a hundred McDonald's and Starbucks outposts, me bypassing McDonald's for In-N-Out Burger when the opportunity arose. Me finally exiting the car, unloading the suitcases, and still feeling like my body was being propelled forward and leaving my head light. I would avoid driving my car for the next week if I could.

Listening

Lots of opportunity for music in the car. Jack White's Lazaretto was pretty good at keeping me awake. I love the old-timey-sounding piano on tracks like "Alone in my Home."