The Chit Chat
what I've learned from my dog
This weekend felt like any minute not spent outside was a waste. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and for SF weather…it was beautiful and HOT. Let’s catch up!
Let’s Catch Up
We did Bay to Breakers this weekend, which feels way more like a city-wide party than a race. Every year I’m blown away by how much SF shows up for BTB (30,000 ppl!) - everyone and their mother (literally) participates. If you don’t wear a group costume, you’re the one sticking out. The whole 7-mile course is lined with 8am parties cheering everyone on as you run from the Bay to the ocean across the entire city.
^Our group costume was dads. Specifically 90s dads. We hit Salvation Army and created a diverse lineup: coach dad, grilling dad, vacation dad(s), and dorky dad. I grabbed Adidas wind pants (which are also back in style?) and a Wawa tee.
We circled back to some of our favorite spots this weekend - B. Patisserie, Devil’s Teeth for breakfast sandwiches (post-run!), and tried some seasonal sandwiches from Delores Deluxe. The Devil’s Teeth breakfast sandwich was just as good as everyone says it is and basically my perfect breakfast sammy combo. Delores Deluxe also completely raised my expectations for egg salad by adding barberries (didn’t even know these existed), dill, and Persian spices!
My friend Elizabeth moved to SF last week - and to our neighborhood, Noe! We also had a Chicago friend in town for work, so we grabbed dinner at Burma Love and drinks at the Marriott rooftop bar with skyline views of the city. Burma Love was good, but still not as good as our favorite, Mandalay. Whenever people visit, we always try to do Burmese food because there’s a solid chance they’ve never had it before!
And now…I’m hitting the two non-continental US states THIS WEEK. I just landed in Hawaii and later this week we’re headed to Alaska for Memorial Day Weekend with Jack’s parents. Being on an airplane always makes me feel extra emotional (is this a universal experience?!) but just feeling so grateful/excited about everything coming up lately!
Here’s all The Chit Chat and the fuel behind my conversations this past week or so:
The Chit Chat
GARDEN: Community Garden Sign-Up
I live in an apartment with zero outdoor space, however I always want to be outside. I also dream of having a little garden someday where I can grow easy things like tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. Enter: community gardens.
In SF, the waitlists are longggg, so I decided to do my future self a favor and get on one now. Who knows when it’ll happen, but I love the idea of being surprised that it’s my turn to have a mini plot of land! You can add yourself to multiple waitlists - I joined two and am hoping one opens up soon!
^My neighborhood had a garden block party this weekend to raise money for community spaces.
LISTEN: Grateful for Grief
I don’t naturally gravitate toward sad things, but grief is such a huge part of the human experience. This past week I unexpectedly lost one of my ballet professors from the University of Michigan who was also a mentor and friend to me.
I was listening to Shameless podcast this week and they recommended a conversation between Anderson Cooper and Stephen Colbert - good timing. Both lost siblings at a young age and talked about heartbreak, loss, and how life can’t really be loved in parts. The conversation reframed grief as something intertwined with love, not separate from it. Even if you aren’t grieving, I thought it was such a thoughtful listen about life, suffering, and love.
WORKOUT: Bala Bangles
Post-triathlon and during this season where I’m not really training for anything specific, I’ve been adding some lower-impact workouts into my week: mat pilates, yoga, long walks, and gentle strength work.
Enter: 2 lb Bala Bangles. These are the best. Adding them to mat pilates gives just enough resistance where I feel perfectly sore the next day. They’re also now FSA/HSA eligible. This is the ultimate hot girl walk accessory or easy way to level up an at-home workout. Are there cheaper options? Definitely. But the Bala ones make me feel cute enough that I’m excited to put them on.
WASH: Touchland Hand Sanitizer
Some products become popular for a reason, and this is one of them. My friend Kaleigh put one in a wedding gift bag and I’ve used it consistently ever since. Between airports and being in and out of hospitals, it’s perfect! It’s a light spritz instead of the usual sticky/goopy sanitizer, and now I notice dupes everywhere from Target to Whole Foods.
WATCH: 4 Movies I stayed awake for
I rarely stay awake through movies, but these all kept my attention in the past few weeks:
The Housemaid — A dark psychological thriller about power, obsession, and secrets inside an ultra-wealthy family. Major drama! Based on the book..
Remarkably Bright Creatures — A heartfelt adaptation of the book about grief, friendship, and healing, centered around an unlikely connection with an octopus.
How to Make a Killing — Glen Powell stars in this chaotic A24 film.. A crime story that feels stressful and entertaining at the same time.
Eternity — Emotional, visually beautiful, and existential in a way that makes you stare at the ceiling after. This one I’m still thinking about what I would have done if I were in the main characters shoes…this one is also A24.
Something I’ve Been Thinking a lot about…
How can I incorporate more walks into my days?
I’m really good at working and I’m really good at working out. But lately I’ve realized I’m not so good at using the “in between” time intentionally. There are so many moments throughout the day that I default to sitting, scrolling, or rushing when I could just…walk.
I’ll sometimes get home from a full work day and realize I’ve only hit 5k steps (or less). Jack and I usually go on an evening walk together, but recently I’ve been challenging myself to add more walking into the normal rhythm of my day instead of treating movement like something that only counts during a workout.
Two small ways I’ve started doing this:
Instead of placing a mobile coffee order and doing my usual “pull over with the flashers on and sprint inside” move on the way to work, I’ve been getting ready about 20 minutes earlier, ordering ahead, and walking the 1-mile round trip to pick it up before leaving for work. It’s become such a nice start to my mornings!
For work, I download a lot of imaging files that can easily take 30 minutes. I used to sit scrolling on my phone while everything loaded. Now I’ll start multiple downloads at once and use that time to take a quick mile walk outside instead.
Just with these 2 quick additional walks I’m at 2 miles for today and 8k steps!
Thank you so much for reading The Chit Chat. I am so thankful for your messages and comments, always!
XO,
Melanie
I need to walk more!!👍🙂👍
fittingly, on a walk as I read this one 😋