Month in Review: June 2026

June 2026 in Review

June felt like three months squeezed into one. Between ceremonies, concerts, appointments, celebrations, work, and one very crowded calendar, it seemed like every week brought another event, another deadline, or another small ending. It was hectic and sometimes stressful, but it was also full of milestones. This was one of those months where life kept moving fast, and all I could do was try to keep up.

Month by the Numbers

Weight: ↓ 1.2 lbs	|	Migraines: 1
Runs / Walks: 0	|	Books: 1
Blog Posts: 12	|	OMMs: 3
Savings: ↑ $540	|	Debt: ↓ $567.81

OMM = One Minute Memoir

Life was busy this month, but the numbers still moved in the right direction. Savings grew, debt dropped, and migraines stayed surprisingly quiet.

June, As It Happened

A month of appointments: June started with a run of appointments. Holden had a doctor appointment, and I had two dental appointments of my own. The first was with a periodontist to finally look into the gum pain, bleeding, and gum recession I’ve dealt with on and off for a long time. It was informative but also discouraging. He suggested three gum grafts for the recession, likely caused by clenching. I felt relieved to have a possible solution… until they told me it would be around $4,000 because my dental insurance wouldn’t cover it. Two weeks later, I went back for the cleaning he recommended. Grafts are on hold indefinitely.

Birthday parties: Holden had two birthday parties this month. One was swimming at his best friend’s house, and the other was at a Ninja Warrior gym. The second invitation meant a lot. The girl’s mom told me she had been dealing with bullies at school, and Holden had been kind to her, so she wanted to invite him. Definitely a proud mom moment.

A day at Seabreeze: I chaperoned Caleb’s band field trip to Seabreeze, a local amusement park and water park. His band played in a competition first, then the kids got to enjoy the park for the rest of the day. It was hot, I was out of my element, and I was not exactly excited going into it, but he had a great time. I loved watching him laugh, run around, and just be a kid with his friends. No regrets, though I did come home sunburned.

Another musical: My aunt and I saw Suffs. Sadly, it was not a favorite, but I still love having these musical nights with her.

A family wedding: One of my cousins got married this month. The reception was nice, the food was good, and I sat with some of my cousins from out of town. Social events like this always make me feel a bit out of my element, but it was good to see family.

Another civil service exam: I took a court civil service exam this month. Apparently results can take around six months, but it always feels worth it to get on eligible lists when I can. One more possibility out there.

Holden’s Moving Up Ceremony: I left work early one day for Holden’s Moving Up ceremony. He got a certificate, a small gift, and the chance to show us a little binder filled with highlights from his year. Both of my boys went to this K-2 school, so we’ve been part of it for six years now. It felt strange and bittersweet to say goodbye. Afterward, I kept one of our traditions: whenever I sign one of the kids out of school early for something, we go to McDonald’s. Happy Meals were had.

Summer Jam school event: That same night was Summer Jam at Caleb’s school, a little outdoor end-of-year celebration. Both boys went. They served pizza for dinner, but the kids mostly wanted to play on the playground instead of doing the planned activities. Honestly, the playground usually wins. Sadly, this was also Caleb's last school event at his elementary school! 

Juneteenth and baseball: The boys were off school and I was off work for Juneteenth. That evening, Caleb’s band played the National Anthem at the Red Wings game, our local minor league baseball team. They did it last year too. It is an incredible amount of work for a tiny performance out on the field, but he had fun. We watched a little of the game, but both boys were bored and complaining by about the end of the first inning. Holden was mostly there for the food. Between all of us, we had pulled pork mac and cheese, a soft pretzel, Dippin’ Dots, fried dough, popcorn, and a slushie. Yikes. It was Caleb’s last performance with his elementary band, which made it feel sadder than expected.

Caleb’s Moving Up Ceremony: I took a full Monday off for Caleb’s Moving Up ceremony. Because he is heading to middle school, this ceremony felt much bigger than Holden’s. He won a band award and the highest academic honor they gave out, which was awarded to students eligible for both a leadership award and the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence. It was the final award announced, and as he didn’t get called for the earlier, lower-level awards, we all got increasingly anxious. I suspected what was coming, but still. When they finally called his name, I was so proud. He got a medal and was very excited. Afterward, we went to lunch with my parents. Next up: middle school.

Pizza Bingo: Our monthly Bingo night had another pizza party theme, which the kids love. Holden was told he could not have seconds. He won his big prize pretty quickly, decided he was done playing, and became kind of a stinker about the whole thing. It was a nice night, though, so the boys played on the playground for a bit afterward.

Joe Gatto: My aunt and I went to see Joe Gatto at the local comedy club. We’ve both loved Impractical Jokers for years, and I’ve always wanted to see him live. It was great. We were close to the stage, had some good food, and laughed a lot. Fun fact: I have now seen three of the four Jokers in person. Sal twice, Murr once, and now Joe. Murr was disappointing, but Joe delivered.

A financial milestone: After a couple of years, I started making payments on my retirement loan again. It isn't the flashiest milestone, but seeing the balance finally move down instead of up feels incredibly satisfying. It's one of those little signs that things really are moving in the right direction.

The little moments: Between the bigger events were plenty of smaller things that made June feel like summer had officially arrived. Dairy Queen dinner with Holden one night. A Byrne Dairy ice cream run on a 90+ degree day. A trip to Woodhull Raceway. The boys’ last day of school. A short-lived fire in the fire pit for s’mores. Lots of swimming. Here's to a fun summer before both boys start at new schools next year!

What I Read

June was my slowest reading month of the year so far, but I still managed to finish one solid thriller.

• Stay by Zoe Cross ★★★★☆
  Ten strangers compete in an underground survival game for a $2 million prize, only to discover escaping may be harder than winning.

Favorite Read: Stay
Yearly Progress: 16 / 100

What I Watched

June was another documentary-heavy month. Most of what I watched explored ethics, crime, and the complicated gray areas of human behavior, with a couple of standout films that stayed with me long after they ended.

TV Shows

Grey's Anatomy
Netflix · 2005 · Rewatch · s:2 e:8-9

Documentaries & Docuseries

Tell Them You Love Me ★★★★★
Netflix · 2024 · Documentary film
Examines the controversial relationship between a nonverbal man with cerebral palsy and the professor accused of abusing him.

The Perfect Neighbor ★★★★☆
Netflix · 2025 · Documentary film
A years-long neighborhood dispute unfolds through police body camera footage before ending in tragedy.

77 Minutes ★★★☆☆
Tubi · 2016 · Documentary film
Revisits the 1984 San Ysidro McDonald's massacre through survivor interviews and original recordings.

Maternal Instinct ★★★★★
Netflix · 2026 · Documentary film
Explores the shocking murder of an expectant Texas mother whose unborn child was stolen after an elaborate pregnancy deception.

Tickled ★★★★☆
HBO Max · 2016 · Documentary film
A journalist investigating competitive endurance tickling uncovers a bizarre world of secrecy, intimidation, and obsession.

Favorite Watch: Tell Them You Love Me

What I Wrote

Despite how busy June was, I still managed to publish twelve posts, including three One Minute Memoirs. Looking back, these are the two pieces that stayed with me the most.

Favorite Essay: Inside Out, Again
Sometimes the stories I write end up being just as much about me as they are about the boys. This one started with them watching their favorite movies on repeat, but became a reflection on the comfort of repetition. They revisit Secret Life of Pets and Inside Out. I revisit Grey's Anatomy. Maybe we're not all that different.

Favorite One Minute Memoir: The Ten Day Plan
Holden confidently announced that he was giving up Crumbl brownie dippers because he wanted to lose ten pounds in ten days. About twenty minutes later, he came back for brownies. It perfectly captured the wonderfully short attention span of seven-year-old determination.

Coming Up in July

Looking at my calendar right now feels oddly peaceful. After June, that's a welcome change. Nothing is officially on the schedule yet, and I'm hoping that means July can be a month to breathe a little.

I'm hoping for:

• More time for reading.
• Catching up on a few shows and documentaries.
• Finally recommitting to family runs... maybe.
• More progress on my financial goals.
• Plenty of swimming, ice cream, and little summer adventures with the boys.
• A slower pace after one of the busiest months of the year.

June wasn't just busy because of the calendar. It was also the busiest stretch of the year at work, and I'm dealing with some insurance headaches. I'm hoping July brings a little more breathing room in every sense of the word.

♥

See you next month.

Read More

The Great Breakfast Draft (One Minute Memoir)

 A Memoir of Steak Claims, Pancake Rights, and One Very Necessary Side of Eggs

Setting: June 2026 

The kids and I were off for Juneteenth, but my day still had one important errand: I needed my daily McDonald’s Diet Coke.

Since I was already going, I opened the app and noticed they were running a buy one, get one free deal on breakfast sandwiches. I asked the boys if they wanted some.

“No.”

Caleb wanted a Big Breakfast. With steak  

Before I could point out that he’d somehow turned my free breakfast sandwich coupon into one of the most expensive breakfasts on the menu, Holden chimed in. “I want a Big Breakfast too. Sausage.”

I explained there would be exactly one Big Breakfast coming into this house that morning, and they could split it. To my surprise, they agreed.

Then came the drafting process: Holden claimed all three pancakes. Caleb took the steak and the biscuit. Holden called the hash brown.

Everything was settled until we reached the eggs.

Neither child was willing to surrender them. They negotiated. They argued. They presented evidence. They proposed compromises that somehow still resulted in each of them getting all the eggs.

Finally, I offered to order an extra side of eggs.

From the kitchen, my mom, who had heard the entire debacle, chimed in. “I can just make an extra side of eggs. One of them can eat those when you get back.”

It was a perfectly logical solution. Free eggs. Homemade eggs. Mimi’s fresh-from-the-pan eggs.

The boys looked at her as though she’d suggested we harvest our own wheat and churn our own butter. They weren’t interested. They wanted McDonald’s eggs. Specifically.

I ordered the extra side.

Peace was restored.

It cost one side of eggs. 

This post is part of my One-Minute Memoir series — short reflections on small moments that still manage to say something big.

Read More

The Book Review Backlog (1): 2025

These are books I read in the first half of 2025, during a stretch where I wasn’t back to blogging yet. I was still reading (a lot) and jotting down thoughts on Goodreads, and I didn’t want those to just live there. I started posting reviews here again later in the year, so this is me catching up on what I read before that.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Nonfiction ◦ 2014 ◦ ★★★★☆

A powerful look at the justice system and wrongful convictions from an attorney, this is an eye-opening narrative about incarceration. It goes in depth about the death sentence, wrongful convictions, and the impoverished. Extremely well written. The work that Stevenson does is quite incredible.

Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young
Romance ◦ 2024 ◦ ★★★☆☆

Interesting premise for a romance novel. Two twenty-somethings wind up as roommates while becoming guardians of their younger siblings. Sweet story with a little more depth than your typical romance. I enjoyed it and would read more from this author.

The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Fiction ◦ 2022 ◦ ★★★★★

A speculative story where people receive a box revealing how long they have left to live. This one captivated me with such a unique and fascinating premise. Though this is a largely character-driven novel, it manages to be super engaging all the way through. Very thought-provoking as well as beautifully written. I really enjoyed this one.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Thriller ◦ 2022 ◦ ★★★★★

A fast-paced thriller about a housemaid working in a home with more going on than it seems. I love Freida McFadden, and this is one of her best. I flew through this in just over 24 hours and couldn’t wait to get home from work to keep reading. I even stayed up late to finish it. As usual, you’ll be thrown for a loop more than once, which makes for a really fun, fast reading experience.

The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden
Thriller ◦ 2023 ◦ ★★★★☆

A continuation of the story from The Housemaid, this was a good sequel, but it wasn’t quite as strong as the first.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
Nonfiction ◦ 2016 ◦ ★★★☆☆

A memoir about growing up in Appalachian culture, this was interesting enough but nothing particularly special. It veered into politics a bit more than I would have liked, though I did enjoy the insight into Appalachian culture. Overall, a little dull at times, but it offered some interesting tidbits.

The Gift by Freida McFadden
Thriller ◦ 2022 ◦ ★★★☆☆

A short thriller centered around one of McFadden’s signature twists, this was a fun quick read. I enjoyed it, but of course wish it had been longer. She still managed to fit in one of her trademark twists, so I can’t complain too much. Worth the quick read if you’re a Freida fan.

Next to You by Hannah Bonam-Young
Romance ◦ 2024 ◦ ★★★★☆

Another cute romance from this author. Two friends team up to renovate an old bus into a tiny home while slowly falling for each other and trying to resist. This is the second in a series, and I enjoyed revisiting the characters from the first. Nice, diverse cast, though Matt felt a little too perfect. If you’re a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, you’ll really enjoy this one. It was fun.

Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett
Horror ◦ 2022 ◦ ★★★★☆

This is a slower-moving, character-driven horror story, with the haunted house acting as a character of its own. It follows a group of friends who entered the secluded and “cursed” Octagon House as teens, and what happens both before and after that visit. The house has had a number of inhabitants and visitors over the years, and something in the basement always seems to haunt them and draw them back. The story shifts between narrators and timelines, building a full history of the house and its people, which made it feel really robust. It’s definitely creepy and gave off some strong Stephen King vibes. I enjoyed it quite a bit, though some things felt a little unclear and it started off just a bit slow. I’d recommend it to horror fans.

I didn’t stop reading during that stretch — I just stopped writing about it. Now it feels a little more complete having these here too.

Read More

What Stayed

On time, change, and the parts of ourselves that remain

 

A life can change in ways you never expected.

Plans shift. Circumstances rearrange themselves. Entire chapters close, and before you know it, you’re living a life that would have been difficult to imagine ten years earlier.

Over the past few years, there have been moments when I felt untethered. Moments when so many pieces of my life had changed that I wasn’t entirely sure who I was without them.

Sometimes it’s easy to focus on everything that changed.

Lately, though, I’ve found myself noticing something else.

Not what changed.

What didn’t.

I’ve always had a book nearby. There has been a stack on my nightstand, a library book in my bag, or a Kindle within reach for as long as I can remember.

For years, I never thought much about that. It was simply part of who I was.

But lately, I’ve started noticing those kinds of constants more often. In the middle of so much change, there’s something reassuring about recognizing the same habits, interests, and instincts that have followed me through every chapter of my life.

Reading is one of them.

But books were never the whole story. What stayed wasn’t just the reading. It was the curiosity behind it.

I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to understand things. One question leads to another. A quick search becomes an hour of reading. One article becomes five. Five become twenty.

I’ve lost entire evenings to missing persons cases, unsolved mysteries, random health questions, and topics most people would forget about by morning. I start with one small detail and somehow end up ten tabs deep trying to understand the bigger picture.

That same curiosity shows up in other places too. I’ve always liked systems, progress, and the way small pieces add up over time.

For nearly a decade, I’ve tracked my debt down to the penny. Every payment. Every balance. Every milestone. Long before I paid off my credit cards, I was documenting the process in spreadsheets and blog posts. Even now, I still update the numbers and watch the balances move.

My reading habits get similar treatment. Somewhere along the way, I created a spreadsheet to track what I read, complete with categories for genre, series information, ratings, author demographics, and enough other details that most people would probably wonder why I bother.

The answer is simple: I enjoy watching things take shape. A debt balance shrinking. A reading year unfolding. Small pieces slowly adding up to something bigger.

Somewhere along the way, that instinct blended with writing.

I’ve always had the urge to save things before they disappear.

When Holden says something particularly funny, I’ll often grab my phone and type it into the Notes app before I forget the exact wording. Sometimes those notes become One Minute Memoirs. Sometimes they become blog posts. Sometimes they simply stay in my phone, but I save them all the same.

Over the years, I’ve filled notebooks, documents, blog posts, and phone notes with moments that would have otherwise vanished. Small conversations. Funny stories. Tiny details that seemed ordinary at the time.

Documenting life has become its own kind of habit, a way of paying attention. I’ve noticed that the same thing happens with people.

I’ve always spent a lot of time observing, listening, and turning things over in my head. Some people process life out loud. I tend to process it internally.

Even in a crowded room, part of my attention is usually focused on the dynamics around me. Who is talking. Who isn’t. What people mean versus what they’re saying. For years, I assumed everyone paid attention to those things as much as I did.

I’m not sure they do.

And then there’s the part of me that gets stuck on a goal.

The part that trained for a half marathon. The part that tackled major weight loss more than once. The part that can spend weeks researching job opportunities, salary schedules, retirement systems, and civil service requirements while trying to figure out the next step forward.

Once something matters to me, it’s difficult to let it go.

Looking back, I can trace those same threads through every chapter of my life.

The books. The curiosity. The spreadsheets. The saved notes. The writing. The tendency to observe before speaking. The determination that keeps moving toward whatever comes next.

Tonight, I’ll probably do what I’ve done thousands of times before. Read a few pages of a book. Add something to a spreadsheet. Jot down a thought in my Notes app before I forget it.

The kinds of things that don’t look important until you realize they’ve followed you through every version of your life.

The kinds of things that help you find your way back to yourself.

Read More

The Waterfalls Were There Too

On family hiking, questionable priorities, and Mother Nature's toughest competition

The weather forecast for Memorial Day looked terrible.

We had planned a family trip to Letchworth State Park, and most of the drive there was long, gray, and rainy. I spent much of it convinced we'd end up viewing the waterfalls through wet car windows instead of actually exploring them.

The boys weren't concerned. Somewhere along the drive, Holden noticed the many POSTED signs that seem to appear on every tree, fence post, and roadside corner in rural New York. He immediately appointed himself their official announcer.

For much of the trip, every sign was greeted with the same declaration.

"POSTED!"

Then:

"POSTED!"

Then, inevitably:

"POSTED!"

Between property updates, he requested exactly two songs: "American Girl" and "Smooth Criminal." By the time we reached Letchworth, we'd heard both on repeat.

That morning, we'd packed carefully. Water bottles. Chips. Brownies. More snacks than any reasonable family should need for a single day. We were preparing for a long day of hiking.

By the time we arrived, the rain had cleared. The sky was blue. The waterfalls were roaring. It turned out to be a perfect day.

We parked at our first trailhead. Before we even got out of the car, the boys opened the chips.

A few minutes after we started hiking, Holden already wanted the brownies. About ten minutes into the hike, Caleb announced he needed a bathroom.

We took a quick look at the first waterfall in the distance, then turned around and headed back.

During those ten minutes, Holden had already collected several rocks he was convinced were gemstones, despite my repeated insistence that I didn't think Letchworth was known for its gemstone deposits. We'd also somehow managed to make noticeable progress through the snack supply we'd packed for an entire day outdoors.

While Caleb was in the bathroom, Holden noticed a woman filming grass and daisies with her phone. He immediately decided this was an excellent idea and began filming grass too. We had driven all the way to Letchworth State Park, home to some of the most famous waterfalls in New York.

Holden spent part of the trip filming grass.

By then, both boys had already finished their water bottles and moved on to mine, despite the fact that we'd barely hiked far enough to justify such levels of thirst.

After the bathroom stop, we got back in the car and drove to another waterfall and trail. We walked to the next waterfall, admired it for a few minutes, then headed back toward the car where the snacks made another appearance. Nerd Clusters were opened. More chips disappeared.

Refueled after what could generously be described as a short walk, we headed toward the third waterfall. By then, Holden wanted brownies. Then he wanted more brownies.

Eventually I got tired of saying no and handed him the entire container.

For the next stretch of trail, while other hikers carried backpacks, cameras, and water bottles, Holden carried a Tupperware container full of brownies.

At one overlook with a beautiful waterfall backdrop, I asked the boys to pose for a picture. Caleb refused to look at the camera at all, leaving me with a lovely photograph of the back of his head. Holden, meanwhile, set aside his brownies, rested his elbow on the railing, put his head in his hand, and popped a knee like he was posing for a magazine shoot.

After that final waterfall, the boys decided they wanted to go on the swings.

Not hike.

Not explore.

Not spend a little more time admiring one of the most beautiful places in New York.

Swings.

A little while later, they decided they were hungry and it was time for lunch at McDonald's. We'd been at Letchworth for less than two hours.

Later, Mimi asked Caleb how the hike had gone.

"There were places on the trail that didn't have fences," he said. "And Holden almost fell down and died."

The boys spent Memorial Day eating snacks, hunting for gemstones, filming grass, carrying brownies through the woods, and looking forward to McDonald's.

Honestly, the brownies may have seen more of the park than we did.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, we saw the waterfalls too.

Read More

Tiny Wins, Petty Woes (3)

This is my little corner for the things that don’t quite fit anywhere else: small victories, petty annoyances, unexpected favorites, funny moments, and the random pieces of everyday life that felt worth remembering.

No major life updates. No deep essays. Just life lately, in smaller pieces.

──── ❤️ Tiny Wins ────

❤️ Kindle Unlimited blinked first.

My two-month promotional Kindle Unlimited subscription was about to expire, so I went to cancel it like the financially responsible adult I occasionally pretend to be.

Then Amazon immediately offered me three more months for a total of $9.99.

Not per month. Total.

Considering the regular price is $11.99 a month, I accepted immediately.

I genuinely love KU for psychological thrillers, lesser-known authors, and random books I probably wouldn’t discover through the library. When I don’t have it, I just rotate back to library books for a while. A tiny little reading ecosystem.

❤️ The 3D printer accessory finally appeared.

Caleb had been waiting for months for a specific 3D printer accessory to come back in stock. It’s the attachment that will let him print in multiple colors at once, which in his world is basically revolutionary technology.

It finally came back in stock.

For approximately one day.

Luckily, we jumped on it before it disappeared again. Victory by speed-clicking.

❤️ Kindness counts.

Holden was invited to another birthday party recently, but what made this one feel special was something the birthday girl’s mom told me.

Only a handful of kids from the class were invited, and she made a point to tell me she was glad Holden could come because her daughter has been dealing with some bullying at school.

Apparently Holden has been kind to her.

As parents, we spend a lot of time worrying about behavior, school, manners, screen time, and whether our kids are listening to literally anything we say. Sometimes it’s nice to get a reminder that the character stuff matters too.

❤️ The civil service test wasn’t as terrible as expected.

I had been dreading taking a civil service test. Not because I was especially nervous about it, but because I simply did not want to sit there and take a test for three hours.

A test I had willingly signed up for, mind you.

But once I got there, I got in the zone. I finished in a little over two hours and actually felt pretty good about how I did.

Tiny win: the thing I was dreading turned out to be completely manageable.

❤️ Holden’s moving-up ceremony.

Holden had his moving-up ceremony at school, which means he’s officially starting third grade next year and moving on to a new school.

Afterward, we went to McDonald’s, just the two of us.

A small little ending to one chapter before the next one begins.

❤️ Three weeks without a migraine.

I realized recently that I went nearly three entire weeks without a migraine.

That may not sound exciting, but after dealing with migraines for nearly two decades, it’s a pretty big deal.

A few months ago, my neurologist and OB both worked to make some medication adjustments. At the time, it was hard to know whether the changes were actually helping or if I was just having a good stretch.

Now I’m starting to wonder if the plan actually worked and everything has finally had time to fully kick in. I’m trying not to jinx it, but I’m cautiously optimistic.

❤️ The Voortman wafer quest.

I used to eat Voortman wafer cookies years ago and was recently reminded that they exist. Since they’re sugar-free, they felt like the perfect excuse to revisit a favorite snack from the past.

Unfortunately, finding them turned into a scavenger hunt.

I checked Walmart. Nothing. Target. Nothing. Amazon had them, but only at absurd prices and multi-packs.

Then I finally discovered they had them at Family Dollar.

Are they mostly marketed toward old people? Perhaps. Do I care? Not even a little.

❤️ Walmart+ came through.

Last week was packed. Between chaperoning Caleb's field trip, a dentist appointment, a musical with my aunt, and a wedding, I was not interested in adding yet another trip to the store for gift bags and cards.

Instead, I ordered everything online using Walmart+'s free shipping.

I wasn't entirely convinced it would work. There are approximately one million greeting cards in existence, and I had specifically picked out the ones I wanted.

Somehow, they found what I wanted and shipped them in time.

A very small victory, but one that saved me an errand during a week when I absolutely did not want another errand. And it became a double win a few days later when I also discovered that they ship gift cards. This really came in handy with needing to buy Father’s Day and end-of-year teacher gifts.

❤️ The $9 wedding dress gamble paid off.

My cousin requested that guests wear all black to her aforementioned wedding, which sent me scrambling because I didn't really have anything appropriate.

With time running out, I found a black dress on Amazon for $9 and had my aunt order it for me with her Prime shipping. It was very much a shot in the dark because if it didn't work, I wasn't going to have much time to come up with Plan B.

I ordered it in a large, and when I started putting it on, it initially felt tight. Then I got it on completely, looked in the mirror, and realized it actually worked. I'm just used to wearing baggier clothes.

Cheap, reasonably flattering, and wedding-appropriate. For nine dollars, that's practically a miracle.

──── 👎 Petty Woes ────

👎 The convenience fee was not convenient.

I recently shopped around for new auto insurance, switched companies, and thought I had found a better deal. Naturally, my new policy has already gone up several dollars, because apparently savings are a temporary emotional experience.

When digging into the price increase, I also discovered they had been charging me a $5 "convenience" fee every month because my autopay was linked to my debit card instead of directly to my checking account.

The debit card that is connected to the same damn checking account.

I switched it over to routing/checking, and now the fee should only be $1. So technically I fixed it, but I will still be retroactively annoyed about every unnecessary $5 they already took from me and refused to refund.

👎 My ongoing feud with Amazon customer service.

A few months ago, I returned two Amazon items and received the usual advance refund after dropping them off.

Then Amazon decided they never received the items and charged me for both of them again. Even though the tracking (which they could see and acknowledged) showed the date, time, and place that I dropped it off when it was scanned in.

Since then, I chatted with multiple customer service representatives. Every single one assured me the refund had been processed and everything was taken care of.

And every single time, the refund somehow failed to materialize.

Finally, after talking to the sixth person (yes, really!) and threatening to file a chargeback, the refund magically appeared.

At this point, I’m less annoyed about the money and more annoyed that I apparently had to unlock the final boss level of customer service to get it back.

👎 The field trip sunburn.

I went on an outdoor field trip with Caleb and came home with a sunburn, because apparently I needed a physical souvenir from the day.

I understand that this is technically my fault, but I still reserve the right to be annoyed by it. Especially because it physically hurt to brush the hair on the top of my head for at least three days.

👎 The dentist disappointment.

I've dealt with gum sensitivity and on-and-off pain for several years now. It wasn't constant, but it was frequent enough that I finally decided it was time to see a specialist.

After the exam, he determined that I need gum grafts on three teeth.

And honestly? I was relieved.

After years of wondering what was causing the problem, it felt good to finally have an explanation and a plan to fix it.

Then the receptionist came in and informed me that my dental insurance wouldn't cover the procedure.

The estimated cost: nearly $4,000.

So I went from "Great! We have a solution!" to "Absolutely not" in about thirty seconds.

👎 Nobody thought to mention there was a problem.

I've spent a surprising amount of time lately acting as the middleman between systems that apparently refuse to talk to each other.

First came my medication renewal prior authorization. Once again (this happened last time too!), a key piece of information was left out, which means I've been bouncing back and forth between my doctor's office, the insurance company, and the prior authorization team trying to get everyone on the same page.

Then there was my retirement loan. Months ago, I signed up to have automatic payments deducted from my paycheck. Nothing happened.

When I finally called to ask why, I was informed that the request hadn't gone through because my employer wasn't listed correctly as my primary employer.

Apparently everyone knew there was a problem except me.

A quick email, letter, phone call, carrier pigeon, smoke signal... literally anything would have been appreciated.

👎 The ongoing pants situation.

I’ve spent my entire adult life being annoyed by pants. At 5'3", they’re almost always too long, too bunchy, or otherwise determined to remind me that the fashion industry apparently designs everything for women built like gazelles.

Lately, though, the situation has somehow become even stranger. Several pairs have developed an aggressively saggy crotch situation that I can no longer ignore.

After some investigation, I think the problem is a combination of weight loss and the fact that I should probably have been buying petite sizes all along.

The good news is that I may have finally identified the problem. The bad news is that I’m now questioning every pair of pants I own.

👎 The mystery of the missing Disappeared seasons.

One of my favorite true crime shows is Disappeared, and lately I’ve been on a mission to find the early seasons. Namely, seasons 1 – 4. 

This turned out to be much harder than locating some of the missing people featured on the show.

One service had some seasons but not others. Another had random episodes scattered throughout. Discovery+ wasn’t helpful. HBO Max wasn’t helpful. Amazon wasn’t helpful. I seriously checked about ten different services, and every time I thought I’d found the answer, I’d discover another chunk of episodes had vanished into the void.

For a show called Disappeared, the streaming situation is admittedly on brand, but I would still like to file a complaint.

👎 The Walmart dessert cup disappointment.

I kept seeing Walmart’s new dessert cups all over Facebook and eventually gave in. The Biscoff and Dubai Chocolate varieties were the first ones to make it into my cart.

I had high hopes, especially for the Biscoff one because I love anything Biscoff flavored.

Unfortunately, both were kind of underwhelming. They looked much more exciting than they tasted.

Mostly they just tasted like plain cake wearing a fancy costume. Thankfully they were inexpensive, so the financial damage was limited.

──── ✦ Until Next Time ✦ ────

Some weeks feel bigger than others. Some are mostly small victories, minor inconveniences, parenting plot twists, questionable snacks, and stories I’d forget if I didn’t write them down. Either way, this felt worth keeping.

Read More