The Weekender

Here’s a collection of my thoughts and findings from the week. Wishing you all a restful and fun-filled weekend!

Stephen Colbert: Any Colbert fans out there? I was a fan already, but now I’m an even bigger one after reading this article. People’s suffering is sacred, he says. Yes!!! Yes it is! We’ve learned this ourselves. And there are so many people who I love that are going through difficult times that I pray and hope one day know, feel and believe this too. It took me seven years after the deaths of Vitaliy’s parents and brother to understand this and, as Colbert puts it, be thankful for the very thing I wish never happened.

The Best Burger in SF: I cannot believe what a big hit our search for the best burger has been. I had two friends send me “Best Burger in SF” lists this week, here and here. We clearly need to hunker down and do our final taste tests. There are way too many options! I think we’re going to need to narrow them down to around 6, test and call it a day. I won’t be able to fit in my clothes if we were to really try all of the options!

Humans of New York: My friend Joanna introduced me to Humans of New York this week. At first I was thankful, but then as I started reading through some of the stories I wasn’t sure I was so thankful. Some are so painful! But this is the reality of the world we live in and I don’t want to turn a blind eye. Go follow! The pictures and, most importantly, the stories are full of life and light and darkness and hope. Enjoy! And you can thank or maybe not thank me later.

Date Night: While an official date night didn’t happen this week, I did surprise Vitaliy with a spontaneous family outing to the city last night. I plan on celebrating one-on-one with him on Monday for his actual birthday, but I wanted us to celebrate as a family too. He loves being outdoors and picnics have become one of our new favorite activities. So we packed up the car, made sure to bring Rose’s pajamas with us since we’d be staying out past her bedtime (she didn’t seem to mind!) and picked up wine + a cheese/meat platter upon arrival at AG Ferrari Italian Foods. It was a very hot day yesterday so a picnic at Yerba Buena Gardens was the perfect way for Vitaliy to relax after an extremely demanding week. He loved it! And so did Rose and I!

Cheerleaders: My mom leaves a comment on every single one of my blog posts even if it’s a topic that may not speak to her directly. This week as I read each comment, it tugged at my heart strings. I know it’s her little way of letting me know that she’s still following along…still supporting my dreams. And this week, I needed some encouragement from my #1 cheerleader. Running your own business is hard. And this is a hard season for our business. Being pregnant and then having Rose, we weren’t able to invest in the business like we normally do. We had just enough time, energy, and drive to take care of our current clients. And the business took a hit for it! On the one hand, I’m thankful for the slower season as it gives me more time with Rose. But as a business owner, it’s always a bit nerve wracking. So, thank you mom for your sweet and subtle nudge this week! I hope I can be the kind of cheerleader for Rose and her dreams the way you have always been for me.

Photo: Selfie shenanigans at the park last night!