On My Radar

June 27, 2022

It’s hard to believe that June is coming to a close. The last six weeks of my life have been a whirlwind! To recap:

In late May, I spent a long weekend in DC to visit with friends and former coworkers. Seeing my people filled my cup! While I had a blast (and realized I still know my way around Washington far better than in Richmond), I didn’t have the itch to move back.
I then flew from DC to South Carolina–something I hadn’t done since March 2020! The whole experience was a mess. Originally, I was supposed to land in Greenville at 10:45 am on Monday, May 23. After a flight cancellation and many subsequent delays, we finally arrived at 2:30 am on Tuesday, May 24. The silver lining was that my friend happened to be on the same flight, so we got to catch up at the airport bar as we waited.
Shortly after arriving in SC, I got the chills. An at-home COVID test came back negative but I got a PCR test at CVS to be safe. Sure enough, I tested positive for COVID after managing to avoid it for the past two years. I was down for a week. The first few days, chills and sweating profusely were my main symptoms. Then, for four days after, I had cold symptoms and was extremely fatigued.
Getting COVID messed up the timeline of when I was supposed to pick up my golden retriever puppy from a suburb of Charleston, SC. Thankfully, the breeder was able to hang onto my sweet Sunny girl for a couple of extra days until I was no longer contagious.
On June 1, I picked Sunny up and brought her home to Richmond! You can read all about Sunny and my first month of puppy motherhood.

Now that we’ve caught up, let’s dive into everything I read, watched, bought, and loved in June.

Read

I’m long overdue to share a full Recent Reads post, but in June, my primary reading was The Art of Raising a Puppy. Written by monks who fund their monastery by breeding german shepherds (which I found to be such a unique premise), the book provides guidance on play, crate training, raising dogs in an urban environment, and more. So far, everything the book has suggested has worked with Sunny. The feeding schedule was a complete game-changer, allowing us both to consistently sleep through the night!

I also started The Most Fun We Ever Had. I’m only a few chapters in, but the story follows the lives of the four Sorenson daughters as they navigate the unexpected arrival of a child placed for adoption by one of the daughters fifteen years before.

Watched

I started How I Met Your Father, a Hulu spinoff of the early 2000s show How I Met Your Mother. Maybe I’m partial to anything starring Hillary Duff after growing up watching Lizzie McGuire, but I’ve found the show to be quite endearing. If it hasn’t been renewed for a third season, please don’t tell me!

On the movie front, I rented House of Gucci. Before watching the film, I wasn’t familiar with the history of the brand or the Gucci family at all, so I was surprised by how dark the plot turned. However, Lady Gaga and Adam Driver were fantastic. I think it’s worth a watch.

I also watched Senior Year, a Netflix original movie starring Rebel Wilson. Her character, Stephanie, is on track to achieving her dream of being Prom Queen when a cheerleading accident sends her into a coma. Twenty years later, Stephanie wakes up as a 37-year-old and tries to reclaim her high school life. The film is no cinematic masterpiece but it was a cute, lighthearted watch.

Bought

I’ve bought a ton of items for Sunny, but I think that topic warrants its own post. Stay tuned!

After hunting for a centerpiece for my table for ages, I bought this marble and brass taper candle holder (currently on sale for under $30) from Crate & Barrel. Instead of real candle sticks, I opted for this flameless, battery-operated candle set. I feel fancy “lighting” the candles every night for dinner.

Years ago, I bought a ruby red suitcase from Tommy Hilfiger that I’ve been obsessed with ever since. The 28″ spinner has been on countless trips with me, including going to the Middle East and back. So when I found a 25″ version of the suitcase on sale, I had to have it. I’ve also been in need of a duffle bag for shorter weekend trips so I got the matching Logan 21″ Sport Duffel (also on major sale right now).

Loved

The bright spot of June was Sunny, of course. She brings so much joy to my day-to-day life. How can you look at that face and not smile? It’s also been nice to settle into a routine with her and stay put in Richmond for the summer. I’ve craved stability and routine after the gypsy lifestyle I had for the past couple of years.