Jake

June Reads!

Light month for me.

The Last Contract of Isako- This book was heavily advertised to me on social media. I'm shocked I didn't enjoy it more but if you read it I hope you like it.

The Wisdom of Crowds- The end to the second trilogy and what a damn good book. If you liked the first law trilogy then jump into the followup.

The Anthropocene reviewed- Green narrated the audio which made the emotion shine through. I enjoyed the smatterings of reviewing.

The Fire Next Time- The first book of Baldwin's that I read and I had to stop and think about what he said many times in this. I enjoyed it and look forward to more of his writing.

Yesterday was long volunteering day. Tabled at a pride event and it was fascinating. Rushed home to wolf down a salad and hosted coworkers for a poker game! Noodle was the star of the show.

Went to a watch party for the USA Australia match. I can’t remember the last time I watched a full one. I did put on sunscreen but the photo speaks for itself. Walked about 2 miles carrying camping chairs so that’s my workout for the day. Heard back from a dnd place I emailed months ago and a new session is starting soon.

Past few days have been sick.

Sampling on the lake yesterday and we saw a few beaver lodges. I completed the new volunteer orientation meeting and I’m good to go. My drive home was a quiet reflecting time to think about how much better my life has been since finding new employment. I’ve been saying I’m blessed out loud.

Today I met with an advisor about school. My degree knocks out one pre-rec and she mentioned I can take a test for the other two. I’m more nervous about the required 3 letters of reference. I’m thinking I’ll do 3 year part time with a GIS cert and maybe a drone license (although I’m not sure how future proof that will be). I think my work will pay for a lil bit per year so my debt won’t increase tooooo much (dear reader, my student loans are already too high).

Picked up a few shirts today and one day I’ll find shorts that I like.

Woke up at 5 hit the gym and just finished a work event.

Pet a lot of dogs, saw even more.

I didn’t track my lift or biking session but I still accomplished it. Seeing Noodle relax and take in the backyard is a top tier happiness moment.

I think I’ve fixed the leaking in my bathroom sinks.

Very strong month for books!

Fifth Seasons. (4/5) Excited to start this highly rated trilogy. First book was decent and I've heard it only gets better.

One day, everyone will have always been against this: (5/5)What an impactful book. I think this should be mandatory reading for those of us lucky enough to live in safety.

Why Fascists Fear Teachers.(4/5) The war on education is something i've witnessed and has baffled me. Teachers work extremely hard and the pay ain't worth it. This book explains who benefits from education standards being lowered. Kids learning how to think for themselves is a good thing and the people that are against education are evil.

Paper Girl-(5/5) A powerful memoir by the author who wrote Dopesick. Macy revisits her hometown and finds how friends and family have changed. From talks and visits with teachers and administration she delves into how school expectations have dropped in Ohio. From socio-economic issues to political polarization this book has it all.

A walk in the Park-(2/5) I struggled to get through this book. Fedarko hikes in the Grand Canyon and shares the history of the site and his personal struggle to survive.

Life After Cars. (5/5)Cars ruin everything, that is what the authors will explain to you with evidence up to your eyeballs. Obviously I loved it.

Walkable City (5/5) If we retool a city for those that live in walk in it what happens? This book explores the rights and wrongs of city design. This one helps me look at cities in a different light and I can’t wait to visit Minneapolis to look at a larger city with fresh eyes.

Besides #4, I recommend all of these books and multiple will be on my end of year list.

I've struggled to get into fiction this month and fear i'm about to abandon another read.

Good lift today. I hadn’t charged my watch in a few days so I did this workout without any tracking. I had a meeting with my nutritionist this morning and it went well. We discussed my frustration with the lack of weight loss and he’s been very supportive. His outlook is to make sure everything else is going well with sleep,stress, nutrition, and dial in macros to see what shakes loose. My goal this week is a daily 60 oz of water and observations on hunger.

I picked up some bok choy a veggie I’ve eaten but hardly prepared and hope to incorporate it into a regular thing. My elbow is finally starting to feel better. I meet and shake so many hands with work and look forward to being done with having to excuse it.

Mowed the front yard, finished another book and worked out. Yeehaw for a productive morning. I’ve stopped wearing my Apple Watch regularly and have decided to only put it on when working out. I’ve noticed I’m pulling my phone out at a lower frequency due to the lack of notifications. This year is on track to be my first year I read more nonfiction than fiction, that’s neat. I need to find more road ecology books because that field is rad.