Dispatch for September 4, 2022

Howdy. I hope you're doing well this (hopefully) long weekend and you have plans to rest and recuperate. We have nothing planned except for some yoga and some minimalist cleanup activities. And lots of rest! It's been a while since we didn't have anything on the calendar.

Sarah, Megan, and I went to see Imagine Dragons Mercury Tour Thursday night at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. It rained off and on all day, but the evening ended up staying dry and was an absolutely lovely temperature. Kings Elliot and Macklemore were the opening acts, and they were excellent. When Megan was younger, we used to sing Can't Hold Us all the time in the car. We're big Macklemore fans, so seeing him live was a bucket list item for both of us. But Imagine Dragons were incredible and have a great message. I highly recommend going to see them.

What I Learned:

I'm two weeks into graduate school (social work), and loving it. It's challenging, but I've already learned so much and the cohort is diverse and collaborative. I'm applying for an immersive policy internship in the spring working in the Texas legislature. Talk about a challenge! I don't know if I can make it work, logistically, but I'm interested! I need to learn more about policy and its impact on social work and perpetuating systems of oppression, and how to engage with legistlature more effectively.

Speaking of, yesterday I learned that the Texas legislature only meets from January to May on odd years.

"The Texas Constitution limits the regular session to 140 calendar days."

WTF? What do these people do to serve their consituents in the other 19 months?

Ballotpedia informs us, "Forty-six state legislatures hold regular sessions annually. The other four states—Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas—meet in odd-numbered years."

The more you know...

Worth Your Time:

• 🍿 WeCrashed (Apple TV)
  Outstanding and infuriating. Jared Leto is so good.
• 🎧 Tejon Street Corner Thieves
  We saw them open for The Dead South up at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa last month. Start with "Lay Low."
• 📖 Why It's Critical That You Trust Your Children
  "The only person who will always be with them, whom they can always count on is themselves."

New and Interesting:

• Kill Your Lawn, Before it Kills You
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners will be announced October 11th. Here's a sampling of this year's entries. Also check out the full gallery at the Natural History Museum in London.
• 23 of the World's Best Hiking Trails: I can't wait to venture out to some (or all) of these! Have you been on any of these? Have any you would add to the top of this list?
• Non-speaking valedictorian delivers commencement speech: Be The Light
  "Rollins College valedictorian Elizabeth Bonker ’22, who is affected by non-speaking autism and communicates solely by typing, urges her fellow graduates to use their voices, serve others, and see the value in everyone they meet."
• Five Good News Stories About Climate Change

A final note:

I'm selling the Rivian R1T to raise money for grad school and charity. I would appreciate your sharing it far and wide. Thanks!

Get some rest. Stay human. Be kind.

☮️ ❤️