Monday Update

I read a really good book this weekend, called The Leavers, by Lisa Ko. I can't remember how it was recommended to me -- possibly the e-library recommended it based on something else I read -- but I enjoyed it a lot. It's about a Chinese American boy and his mom, and how he loses her when he's about 12 and gets adopted by a white American family who change his name and help raise him to young adulthood. I've already recommended it to both my mom and my sister so I thought I'd share it here, as well. Two thumbs up, it's well-written prose and sympathetic characters, and a true-to-life American story I've never really considered very deeply.

Last night I chose my next book; I have several on my Wish List, and the choice was between At Home in Mitford, which I read 20 years ago, and loved, and feel like is a calming, soothing setting and non-stressful characters, and Sharp Objects, which is the complete opposite of that (I watched the HBO series but never read the book). It's a murder mystery with some seriously damaged people. Heh. I think Mitford was the wise choice in These Stressful Times. 

Today on my list, besides work, which is ever-present:

AC repair. Our upstairs AC has been broken for 2 weeks. In Georgia. In the heat of still summer. Thankfully the last 3-4 days, temps have been very mild, but we did buy a window unit for our master bedroom to get us through, and the kids have five fans between their bedrooms. We've survived it but I am REALLY glad the repair guys are here this morning early. 

Fill 125 goody bags with candy and then tie them with grosgrain ribbon, for 8th grade night this Friday at the football game. 8th graders who may be interested in band come play in the stands with our high schoolers, and we feed them pizza and give them goodies. I like doing crafty things and am glad I took this particular task on, I just hope I can finish them by Friday! Maybe I'll do 25 at a time, as a work-break, a few times a day.

Sign Kate up for a few club volleyball "train for tryouts" clinics. Her life is about to be all-sports-all-the-time, because she wants to play both basketball for her school, and club volleyball. I wish she didn't want to play basketball -- it's a bit of a hassle to drive all over Atlanta to the various Catholic schools in the league... and I don't love a couple of the parents. But she's done it since 3rd grade so she might as well finish it out. She's not destined for high school basketball, I don't think, so this will likely be her swan song with this particular sport. And club volleyball -- the one reason I'm glad about it is that she may meet some girls who will attend her high school next year, and that will be a help as she moves from little St. Joe's to giant Harrison High. (KT baby!! In High School next year!)

Fall Concert tonight. Aside from all the marching, our band members are also in class, and have to show their progress. So tonight they'll march until 6pm, then have one hour to eat something, change into tuxedos and take their places on stage. Of course, Kate has (school) volleyball practice at the same time, so one of us (Shawn) will miss the concert. Bummer.

But as a result of all that, I barely have to plan dinner for tonight, yippie! The rest of the week we're going to eat these things:

Chili or chili mac -- the family standby! And it feels like fall, sort-of, so yay!

Pork Chops with Shake 'n' Bake (old-school!), field peas and rice -- Kate will complain about this meal but then will eat it and remember it's pretty tasty

Chicken Quesadillas -- because they're fast

Last week Kate mentioned wanting spaghetti Carbonara. I said that I couldn't eat it, being a person with high cholesterol. But I made it last night with whole wheat spaghetti, and then I guess it was so rich (and I'd worried people talking about egg yolks and bacon being fatty) that no one really ate much of it!! I myself had noodles with pesto instead. So now there's a lot of Carbonara left... and who is the person who mostly eats leftovers because she is at home? Me. Seems a shame that most of it will get thrown out. Oh well: at least pasta and eggs aren't expensive.

Hope you all have a good week! 

Oh wait! Edited to add some thoughts on groceries! In my area, we have noticeable shortages of:

• Gatorade and Gatorade Zero! For weeks! I think it has been about 4 weeks, actually -- the shelves are simply bare and we like Gatorade at our house. Can't find it in the 12-oz size anywhere. Google says this: "According to Beverage Digest, an Atlanta-based newsletter that tracks the beverage industry, several factors are behind the shortage: a particularly hot summer for much of the country, an increase in consumption tied to COVID patients, COVID outbreaks or quarantines among Gatorade production workers, and a tight supply...."  
• Mott's Apple Juice in small bottles. This week I found two 6-packs at Publix and bought them both, because they've been out for weeks, as well.
• Eggo Mini-Pancakes! This is my kids' go-to breakfast item because they can eat them with fruit, or syrup, or Nutella -- but NOPE. We are sorry this item is out of stock.