The Now: July 31, 2019

This week I start my weekly trips to the doctor until The Kid arrives. To say baby stuff is on my mind would be an understatement. We still need to run all those last minute errands for things (diapers, wipes, etc.), prep for the hospital (pack our bags, install the car seat base, etc.), and, oh, finalize all things childcare. Trello has been a lifesaver at helping us to stay on track with this. (Yes, we're one of those families who use work software at home.) I highly (highly!) recommend it Trello as a to do list and project management system.

But baby stuff is not the only thing I have on the brain. Here's what else has my attention:


Now Watching... Chernobyl. From the first time I saw the trailer, I knew I wanted to see this HBO series. Then all of the stellar reviews started rolling in. Some of those reviews even said that this was the best miniseries of all time. Well... I don't know about that, but I do know that this show is phenomenal. The production values are the usual level of HBO awesome, the casting is superb, and the plotting and writing are simply fantastic. I also love how it's only 5 episodes long. You can binge the whole show in a weekend or even a day. If this is not already on your list, add it.

Now Listening... The Chernobly Podcast. Yup. There is a tie-in podcast for the series and it is also fantastic. The podcast goes behind-the-scenes to discuss not only the making of the miniseries but also the actual history of the event. It's a perfect blend of entertainment and education. I binged this after I watched the whole series, but it would also be a great idea to listen to each episode after you watch the corresponding part of the miniseries. I learned a lot and have a couple new books on my TBR list.

Now Indulging... in a pedicure. It's been ages since my feet were pampered. As a part of my birthday present, my friend Beth treated me to a pedicure. It felt soooo relaxing. Also, I decided to go with hot pink polish. Normally, I stick with more muted colors (I love a good bronze or deep red), but summer felt like the perfect time for a pop of brightness. I've been wearing a lot of sandals lately and just seeing my toes makes me happy.

Now Enjoying... Chocolate Marscarpone Cake. For our baby shower, my mom made this decadent bundt cake. Since we had so much food for people to enjoy (some would say too much), we were left with half of it so we decided to freeze it. This week, I've been having a small (or not so small) slice almost every night. Even chilled it's utterly delicious. It's definitely not diet food but I don't care. Right now, my main debate is trying to decide if I should eat it all so we have room in the freezer for post-baby quick dinners.... or save one slice as a "you survived labor" treat.

Now Planning... A course design spa. One of my coworkers came across an idea called a syllabus spa. (You can read about it in this poster and article.) She shared it with our office and we all jumped at the idea. Now we're working to put it together for our faculty. I've been wrangling various academic support departments, making design collateral (like posters and graphics), buying spa goodies (face masks and bath bombs), and helping out wherever else I can. We scheduled this for August and we're hoping to get a decent turnout. If all goes well, we're planning on holding it again. One unexpected upside to this event is that the bath bombs are making my office smell heavenly.