Things on a Monday: A Fun Psychological Thriller, Breonna Taylor, Coffee + A Road Trip!

Monday is here again. I'm back from a quick trip to Vermont for the weekend and I am feeling refreshed and very cold. The temperature in New England has dropped at least 30 degrees in the last week, and I AM HERE FOR IT. 

Changing this to "THINGS" rather than "THINGS TO LOVE" because well, sometimes things are terrible. #2020

PODCAST: Even The Rich podcast. I love this podcast!!! The two hosts (Aricia Skidmore-Williams and Brooke Siffrinn) are hilarious and have the best chemistry. It’s produced by Wondery, which is basically the best of the best so the quality is topnotch. And it covers scandals and crimes of the rich! Think like The Kennedy’s (murderer), the Versace family (murdered), and even Beyonce and Jay-Z (elevatored). Each story has four episodes and a Q+A episode so it’s super binge-worthy and fun. It’s also relatively new so it’s easy to catch up!

BOOK: One by One by Ruth Ware. A super fun, twisty thriller from Ruth Ware. It’s actually my favorite of hers! I basically read every psychological thriller released in a year, and dislike most of them because the main women are always “crazy” or alcoholics or addicts. (I mean, I still enjoy them for what they are… and will continue to read every single one.) This didn’t have any of that and felt like a nice, classic mystery.

ARTICLE: The Life Breonna Taylor Lived, In The Words of Her Mother (Vanity Fair) 

This story is devastating all around, but hearing it from her mother was the hardest hit yet. It makes me sick to my stomach. I saw a meme that said, “Breonna Taylor has gotten a law, a magazine cover, a tv special, a family wrongful death settlement… everything but the arrests and charges she deserves.” 

I understand the police lawfully applied for a warrant and were shooting back in self defense… and I’m glad no-knock warrants are now banned in Louisville and that ONE (of SEVERAL) police officers was fired. However, for me, it all comes back to the words that my leader recently shared with the larger team at work: In times like this, don’t be dismissive. 

Listen. Take accountability. Don’t dismiss the feelings of others. Don’t get defensive. Try to understand where people are coming from. Put yourself in the shoes of others. That is an easy way to create trust, where right now it does not exist. 

In Breonna’s case, we’re all asking for justice. But it’d also be nice to hear a little bit of accountability. To be told, “You’re not crazy. This was wrong.” Especially when the police are funded by taxpayers... 

To quote Mugatu, “I FEEL LIKE I’M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!” 

ROAD TRIP: Stowe, Vermont! I took a last-minute road trip to Vermont this past weekend because I was craving mountains and autumn. It was GORGEOUS and lovely and autumnal and EUROPEAN! I might write a full post on it because I don’t know… I have nothing else to do? And I loved it that much.

SUBSCRIBE: I subscribed to this coffee club called Grounds & Hounds and it was a really great way to enhance my coffee game. The coffee is great, but 20% of the proceeds go to no-kill shelters and foster care!!!! Both of my pets are adopted and sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky with them?!?!?!?! Billie is actually the best dog in the world, and Ruthie is the best cat in the world. How did I end up with the best pets from shelters and foster care?!?! Anyways, coffee is good, and supporting dogs is even better!

DONATE: 2020 is a ridiculous year and there’s devastation everywhere we turn. Aside from the pandemic, anti-racism work, climate change, getting Mitch… a few of my friends are also dealing with personal tragedies.  

It can feel weird to ask for help during these times, especially when funds aren’t easily accessible these days. But we can only do so much on our own. When there’s nothing else I can do to help, the least I can do is share.

My friend Scotty’s sister was in a near-death car accident and is recovering from her injuries (thankfully) but they’re severe. See below from the GoFundMe:

     For those of you who know and love Keira, she was involved in a near death situation near     Tabiona Utah.  She was a passenger in Jeep that ran off the road. She was found alone in     the bottom of a revine by EMS, who was notified by a nearby cabin owner that could see a     disturbance in the area. She was transported by lifeflight to a trauma center in SLC.

    She has suffered a C2 neck fracture that is known as a high quad. She is paralyzed from         the neck down. If you remember the actor in Superman, Christopher Reeve, her injury is         just like his after being thrown from a horse.

If you can spare anything, it’d be appreciated. If you could share it, it’d be appreciated. Even some well wishes, good thoughts and prayers (if that’s your thing) would be appreciated!

If you can donate, you can do so here. 

Thank you for being you!