One of the best feelings is successfully packing lunch. It’s so hard to be disciplined to pack lunch for work, and the alternative of buying lunch regularly isn’t so great. Gotta remember to pack lunch in the evening for the next day. Today I had some streamed broccoli and baked chicken that I made last night. I keep a real plate and real utensils at my desk to give lunch a real feel. Packing lunch makes me feel like I have a grip on life. 

Countless distractions, pointless meetings, random breaks. It’s easy to accomplish quite literally nothing in a given day at work. I feel I’m most productive and focused at work after 5pm. Everyone is gone, no distractions, shirt gradually gets untucked, sometimes even playing music aloud too. I had one of those evenings tonight, going hard from 5pm to 7pm. Afterward I meet up with the fam at a great burger spot. I had a double stack with roasted mushrooms and grilled onions, topped with a fried egg. That runny yolk takes it to another level. 

After trying (and still trying) to write a short story of my own, I have a newfound appreciation for writers. In my youth, I didn’t take reading and writing seriously – I’d rather just watch tv or play video games. Looking back, I’m shocked that I even made it this far in life. Better late than never I suppose. I’m still working through Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth, very weighty themes that deserve to be digested slowly and consciously. But I’ve also started Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray,  and it’s excellent thus far! 

Monday night. Kickin’ it with the homies, having dope Mexicanfood at Tacos Veloz on Buford highway, and bringing out the basic high school girls inside us to try 8 Degrees Fahrenheit – a new, trendy ice cream bar that freezes cream into a sheet and scrapes it up into rolled strips. Definitely should have passed on that ice cream, not at all living up to the hype. But the Mexican food is lit as always. Major key to life: make the weeknights a little more exciting. 

I stayed in most of the day, doing things around the house. Sweeping floors, rearranging furniture, doing laundry, and even some cooking. That’s a bit too productive for a Sunday, so I went on a little solo adventure this evening. Butter & Cream at Decatur Square. Super dope ice cream shop in Decatur, a town just a few miles east of Atlanta. I treated myself to the “OG Goodness” flavor – brown sugar ice cream base mixed with bits of butter cake. Not totally positive what is meant by butter cake, but I’m down with butter and cannot refuse cake, so this is the way to go. I slowly enjoyed a cup of OG Goodness while walking through Decatur Square, 92 degrees outside, countless folks catching Pokemon. 

So glad that I made a stop in Cincinnati to visit Collective Espresso. They rotate beans from various roasters, and during my brief visit over Memorial Day weekend, they featured this gesha from Sweet Bloom based out of Denver. This is hands down the best bean I’ve brewed at home. Ever. I finished off the beans yesterday, but I’m keeping this bag as a token – a reminder to go out of my way to explore and try new things. 

I’ve finally made some headway into Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth. It’s a collection of short stories all focusing on Indian American immigrant families and their experiences. I read the title story over the past few days. Oh Lord, just wow. So many emotions, far more internal than the stories in Interpreter of Maladies.I think a lot of American-born children of immigrant parents have conflicted feelings toward their parents. Eternally grateful for their sacrifices and giving us a better life, yet we’re often critical of their shortcomings and resentful of their inability to understand us. The title story gave me some insight into both perspectives, so I’m gonna try my very best to better understand my parents. I’m amazed that her writing so accurately encapsulates these real emotions, and better yet, enlightens me with real wisdom.

Habits easily compound, both good and bad. Ramadan left me with a few bad habits that fed off each other – eating late at night, often eating out, not exercising, and spending a lot of time watching Netflix. I’m trying my best to sustain one good habit, and hopefully it’ll snowball into more good habits. The key is consistent exercise. Yesterday I ran a mile and lifted after work, and it felt really great. More energetic, more awake, more focused. I even had the energy to read before bedtime, and Netflix didn’t happen! Consistency is key, so after work today, no excuses. Running that mile and getting swole in the weight room.