yeah I totally agree with you — the weather has been so unpredictable lately. I finally decided to start carrying a light jacket everywhere even when the forecast says sunny. Last week I got caught in that sudden downpour and was completely soaked by the time I got home. It reminded me of that spring we had a few years back when it rained every single afternoon for like two weeks straight. I swear the plants in my garden have never looked better though. My tomatoes are going crazy and the basil is practically taking over the whole raised bed. I need to figure out a good pest control method because something keeps nibbling on the leaves. My neighbor suggested neem oil so I might give that a try this weekend. Anyway let me know if you want to grab lunch sometime next week. I am free most afternoons and I have been craving that little Thai place near the park.
oh and I finally finished organizing my bookshelf by color instead of by author and honestly it looks way better than I expected. My spouse thinks I am crazy but I love how cohesive everything feels now. It is like a rainbow on the wall. I might need to add some small plants or little objects to break up the taller sections but overall I am really happy with the result. I snapped a photo of it yesterday and I will send it to you later if you want to see the full effect. It is kind of satisfying in a very nerdy way.

hey I was just thinking about that conversation we had last week about local bookstores. I finally stopped by the one you recommended on Elm Street and it was exactly what I was hoping for. The owner was super friendly and spent like twenty minutes just chatting with me about different authors and what I had been reading lately. I ended up picking up two novels I had never heard of before and a collection of short stories that she said was one of her all time favorites. I started the first one last night and I am already hooked. The atmosphere in there was so cozy too with all the warm lighting and mismatched chairs scattered around. They even had a little corner with a vintage record player and stacks of old vinyls that customers could browse while they read. I could have stayed for hours honestly. It reminded me of that place we used to visit in college except way less pretentious and with much better coffee. You should come with me next time you are free. I think you would really like the selection they have in the nature writing section. There was this whole shelf dedicated to essays about desert landscapes that had your name written all over it.
also I finally got around to trying that fermentation project I told you about. I started a small batch of hot sauce using habaneros and garlic from the farmer market and it is already starting to bubble nicely. I am a little nervous about mold but I think I followed the ratios correctly so fingers crossed. I will let you know how it turns out in a few weeks. Worst case scenario I just end up with a very science experiment and a funny story.