The Weekly Wrap #62

06.05.22

Just this cartoon every month.

When I was a kid, summer felt like forever. The days went on and on, and it felt like I had all the time in the world to play and read.  Now, three months go by and it feels like seconds. I was looking at my summer projects list for work and realized that if I got even half of it done, I could consider myself to be highly productive.

Time speeds up as you age. It's a known phenomenon. My sense of time was even more radically altered by becoming a mom. I can actually see time progressing by how tall our toddler gets compared to various objects in our home. (I will be happy when she grows past the "eyes at even level with the corner of the dining room table" stage.)

The pandemic has thrown things even more for a loop. What even is time if every day feels weirdly the same and we can't do big events to break things up?

I know that time is a real thing. But, it feels so much like a construct that I'm beginning to think it's pointless. In some ways, seeing time as something fake is radically freeing. It means we get to live in the moment and just enjoy the present as it happens.

Then again, when my doctor is 25 minutes late for an appointment, you better believe I complain about time. 

How has your view of time changed?

The book I have on old at the library did not come in as I expected. That meant I got to finish Simplicity Parenting. It was fine. I didn’t learn anything radical, but it did give me some parenting techniques to try as our kiddo grows. Now, I’m staring at my bookcase trying to decide what to read next.

For work, I started reading Normal Sucks by Jonathan Mooney. This is the upcoming “common read” for the 2022-2023 academic year. I like to read what our students are reading so that I can compile resources and support the various events we hold related to the book.

• This is a timeline of web design. I've been alive for all of it. I had a Geocities website! [Web Design Museum]

• OMG the Wayback Machine archived my Geocities page. Click the graphic to see some truly awful web design yours truly did back in middle school. [Wayback Machine]

• Consider the ice cream cone. [NYT - may be paywalled]

• Body doubling shows the community power behind productive work. [WaPo - gift link]

• How to have an at home wellness sabbatical. I'm intrigued. [Real Simple]

• The best time to brush your teeth in the morning. [Real Simple]

• When Planet Money gets into a thing, they really get into a thing. [Planet Money]

• How to talk to kids about the hard things happening in the world. [Life Kit]

• To me, the science says ban guns. [Short Wave]

• Madame Tussaud was real and sounds like an interesting person. [Atlas Obscura]

• The power of branding. [Hidden Brain]

• When my parents were in town, we wanted to watch a movie but not something that was new to us. I found that Skyfall was available. I'm not the biggest Bond fan, but I do enjoy Daniel Craig's take on the character. Plus, I adore Dame Judy Dench. Skyfall is representative of how this Bond rendition feels like a good movie beyond just being a stereotypical Bond film. Yes, there is the typical spy stuff, but it's also just a well made film. [Amazon Prime]

• This week, we started watching Space Force. I did not realize that these were only half hour episodes; we're almost done with both seasons. It's an okay show. There are glimpses of greatness but it is trying to do too much. There are way to many plotlines. Plus, so many of the actors are tied to previous characters they've played that they are fighting to be seen as anything else. I will, however, always adore this show for John Malkovich. First, I would hear him read anything - his voice is just melodic. Secondly, his take on his role as Chief Scientist is the right split between serious and zany. [Netflix]

• I wanted to make a dish that was both easy but out of the ordinary. It's been awhile since I made this smoky Spanish-style pan roast. It's a tasty dish (as long as you use smoked paprika) but I should have made it in a sheet pan. I used a casserole dish and it took twice as long as it should have for the potatoes to cook. We also used chicken chorizo sausage. All the flavor, less of the mess. [Cooking Light]

• I had my annual skin check this week. I had one biopsy done. Neither the dermatologist or I are worried about it, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Consider this a reminder to wear sunscreen, stay protected from the sun, and make sure to get your skin checked annually. Skin cancer is more common than you think but can be highly treatable if caught early.  [Skin Cancer Foundation]

I like newsletters that round up new things I can learn. I always say that “Ooo! That’s interesting!” is a good policy in life. deepculture shares a weekly list of interesting things that cover the gamut. It’s a perfect newsletter for generalists who love learning and exploring.

Friday was National Donut Day. We’ve been eating a lot of donut holes. This picture from my Instagram archives immediately came to mind.

Summer is here. Between the heat and my annual skin check, I was reminded to share one of my favorite apps. UV Lens lets you know how best to protect your skin from the sun, how long you are safe in the sun, and tells you when to reapply sunscreen. You make a profile based on your skin type so everything is tailored to your personal needs.

I have dentist appointing this week. Not my favorite thing.