july wrap up: arts fair and a new podcast.

Somehow I blinked and the summer is almost over. It’s been a beautiful summer in the Pacific Northwest, and that’s one of the reasons I like living here. Still, I can’t help but be excited that fall and winter are right around the corner. Stores even have Halloween decorations up already!

Here is my monthly wrap-up of some of the other things I was up to in July:

Watching Netflix:
Squid Game 3 – I watched the third and final season of Squid Game on Netflix. I’ve liked this show from the beginning, and I thought it was an interesting premise that we hadn’t seen before. Did I think it could have ended with season 1? Yes. However, I did enjoy seasons 2 and 3. I thought that seasons 2 and 3 had a lot more characters to keep track of, and there were many that I found annoying, so I was not disappointed when they got their comeuppance. I’m still a little confused about how the pregnant girl went from seeming to be barely pregnant to having a baby in the span of the game. The ending of the season was fine. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. But I did love the random cameo at the very end!

Happy Gilmore 2 – I only watched this movie because my parents were in town visiting and we were looking for a movie to watch. My dad is into golf, so this movie caught his attention. I had never seen the first Happy Gilmore so most of the jokes and callbacks to the first movie went over my head. I still don’t understand why Adam Sandler’s sons kept getting into fights, or who all the golf people were. However, it entertained us for a couple of hours while the laundry was going.

Indulging in hobbies:
Bellevue Arts Fair Weekend – My parents and I also went to the Bellevue Arts Fair while it was going on. I had never been before and it was so much fun. They block off a couple of streets so people can put out their vendor stalls, as well as blocking off a whole section of the parking structure at the Bellevue Square mall. There were so many vendors with so much cool, handmade stuff. There were paintings, pottery, garden accessories, jewelry, clothing, photography, more paintings, food trucks, and live performances. There was just about everything you could imagine. So many talented people out there. I’m definitely going to go back next year.

Wilder on the Prairie podcast – I’ve been listening to a new podcast called Wilder on the Prairie. It’s a podcast that talks about the Little House on the Prairie books and Laura Ingalls Wilder and goes through each book one chapter at a time. The episodes are fairly short, usually around 10 minutes or so. I’m all caught up on the episodes and we are now discussing The Long Winter. The episodes get better as the podcast goes on because the host incorporates feedback, which I really like. For instance, she now gives a synopsis of the chapter at the beginning of the episode so we know what’s happening in the book.

Staying in the same place for another year:
I resigned my lease at my apartment for another year. I was disappointed when I got my lease renewal because my rent is going up, even though there are apartments for rent in my building for less than what I pay now. I wondered if I could just move into a different apartment and get that cheaper rent? It’s such a process to move and I don’t want to move again since it’s only been a year since I last moved. I might change my mind next year though, especially if my rent goes up again.

See you next month!