Kimberly Hirsh

Sod shared 7 links people shared with him. I really liked the idea that we can learn something about ourselves by looking at that, so here are 7 people shared with me.

1. Before the first days checklist - My friend Casey sent this to me. Teacher Chanea Bond created it. It’s hugely helpful, especially as I’m launching into a very intense time starting my new job tomorrow.
2. My husband Will sent me a news piece from Playbill about Keanu Reaves and Alex Winter starring in Waiting for Godot. This is a sweet spot for our 90s theater nerd hearts.
3. The mother of one of my son’s friends shared this summer camp with me, because my son wants to try a Minecraft summer camp next year.
4. My friend Sean wanted our group chat that’s him, me, and our friend Kit to know about the Haunted Mansion Bar on the Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Treasure.
5. Speaking of Kit, he sent me this video about having hobbies. It validated both of our large hobby supply collections.
6. Will let me know that he pre-ordered this special Hyrule Edition of the Switch Lite for me. He likes special editions and I don’t tend to play with the Switch docked, so he’s going to give me this and I’m going to give him my Switch so he can stop having to share one with our kid. Will is the best, by the way.
7. Kit sent me this xkcd comic. I don’t know if that says more about his headspace or what he thinks mine is, but either one works.

Mostly what I learned hunting these down was that I send way more links than I receive, and that’s probably as it should be, because information is my love language.

So here’s a link I sent Will today: Harris campaign launches GOP outreach effort, led by former NC Justice Bob Orr. Will worked as an intern for Justice Orr when Will was in law school 18 years ago. Justice Orr’s politics often are not my fave, but I find this very heartening.

I don’t want my 7-year-old to really understand Interview with the Vampire, obviously, but I did tell him that Taylor Swift is in a feud with an imaginary vampire.

🔖🍔🥤 Read The Enduring Mystery of Cook Out.

A Cook Out Junior Tray with a cheeseburger (mayo only), double fries, and Coke was the first meal I had after giving birth, and it was the best meal I’ve ever eaten. (I can’t remember if I also got a shake.)

Finished reading: The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler 📚

Read this to prepare for collaborating with teachers at work who want support finding books to work into our literacy curriculum. It’s especially interesting as someone who started her teaching career in the era of No Child Left Behind.

💀🪦 I wish I could have gone to Funeral Services Education Camp.

It’s me, hi, I’m the one watching the Olympic opening ceremonies 5 days late. It’s me.

Finished reading: Tender Rebel by Johanna Lindsey 📚

Hey friends, I am starting a new half-time job as a school librarian in August, so I’ll be taking a break from curating Micro.blog while I get settled in there. I’ll still be using Micro.blog for my personal site like always.

Finished reading: Love Only Once by Johanna Lindsey 📚

I’ve been reading the staff handbook for my new school library job and my dress is supposed to meet or exceed the standards expected of students. Based on what I saw last year as a parent, I should be fine wearing glittery poofy dresses or cosplaying as Taylor Swift.

San Diego Comic-Con starts tomorrow. Here are a couple resources that help me feel like I’m part of it.

• this video of Loki interrupting the Thor: The Dark World panel at SDCC 2013.
• this archived Geek & Sundry article: How to Have a Great, Geeky Weekend When You’re Not Going to SDCC.

Updated my bio:

Middle-aged magical girl. Mom. Once and future school librarian. Contract curator for Micro.blog. Citizen of Romancelandia. I manage multiple chronic illnesses. I love books and games. 🌈♿

🔖📚 Read Sherlock Holmes self-insert fanfic written by a 7th grader in 1903.

I love this so much.

Finished reading: Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean 📚

If you want to see Sarah MacLean do a magic trick and turn the villain of two books into the hero of the third, read the Bareknuckle Bastards series.

🔖🗺️ Read How Paris Hopes the Summer Olympics Will Transform the City—for Good by Lindsey Tramuta (Condé Nast Traveler).

This is a fascinating article. Paris’s commitment to hosting the most sustainable Olympics ever and transforming an underresourced area for the long-term is inspiring.

🔖 Read Welcome to Your Cronehood by Catherine Newman (Cup of Jo).

I am not psyched about menopause. I’ve already lived a lot of my life for me rather than other people, so I feel ahead of the curve there.

I was reading Austin Kleon’s newsletter and feeling jealous of how he seems to do so much and see so much. I realized that I spend so much of my time in physical pain; if I didn’t, I’d do more other stuff. So now I want to figure out how to modify other stuff so I can do it with the body I have.

🔖 Read Frida Kahlo’s life of chronic pain by Carol A. Courtney (OUPblog).

Looking for examples of chronically ill and disabled creatives to be models for myself. Frida Kahlo is such a great one.

🔖📚 100 of the Greatest Posters of Celebrities Urging You to Read by James Folta (Lit Hub)

This is the kind of content carefully calibrated to please me, specifically.

🎮 I got Metroid: Samus Returns. I’m really enjoying it. I know there will be parts that are super difficult, but I am happy to use walkthroughs or whatever. I’m also finding that I don’t mind having to repeatedly try a fight in this game as much as I sometimes do, so that’s nice.

Hey y’all! The Connected Learning Lab published the work from my postdoc today! Two new reports for library staff and leaders compiling valuable insights and recommendations to foster teen engagement through Connected Learning. Learn more about the project and find reports and checklists here.

Finished reading: Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean 📚

Sarah MacLean is just the best.

🎮 Finished Metroid: Zero Mission.

This is a remake of the original NES Metroid with a lengthy epilogue. I mostly enjoy Metroidvanias for the exploration.

I think my thumbs need a rest after this. It might be time to play an RPG or puzzle game. But eventually, I’ll move on to Super Metroid.

Some years on my birthday, I share who I want to be in the following year.

This year, in addition to the stuff from earlier years, I want to add:

I want to be someone who gives the same attention to writing that she has to other creative hobbies.

It’s my birthday on Sunday! As my birthday is Bastille Day and this is the second birthday I’ve had since going to France and confirming that I do love it as much as I thought I would, I’m celebrating with French stuff, like crêpes. If you want to party in my honor, here are some options:

• wear a marinière
• have a French breakfast
• listen to a musical based on a French novel, such as The Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables
• form a leftist coalition and save your national government

Thanks for celebrating with me!