On summer weekends.

Salut! I was going to begin this post with a grumpy screed about how much I hate summer and heat and sweating without the validation of having done anything (like, exercise or whatever), but ultimately I decided to keep things positive. For now.

Today was a good day. This summer has been a rainy one in Atlanta, and I am not complaining. I’ll take the daily rain over oppressive, humid heat any day. So I made some coffee, sat on my new porch, and read my new-to-me book (The 42nd Parallel) in 81-degree sun. Later, on my way to the store, Rhye and Jessie Ware played on the radio back-to-back, both of whom are on Emily’s Ultimate Summer 2013 Jamz list, so with my windows down and the incredible late summer light streaming in and the music, everything paired in that really incredible, ineffable way that makes a body hate Georgia summers a little less. Allows the choice for giddy optimism over the staid sweaty sulk. Maybe summer’s almost over.

Tonight I am poaching some salmon and streaming the VMAs with the windows open. Caps off a well-spent week alone, complete with an impromptu BFF sleepover on Wednesday. You’re never too old for anything, maybe.

Some other things:

• Bummer Bullet: my grandmother’s historic house in South Tampa (pictured above, in all its Grey Gardens glory) is being razed this week to make room for yet another nouveau riche McMansion. So reading about this beautiful 1917 home in Douglasville, GA (“The Rock House”) brings up a lot of feels, few of them generous toward the new property owner of my grandmother’s lot.
• “The End of Saks as We Knew It” on the gradual decline of department store Saks Fifth Avenue. An interesting takeaway: both Saks and Nordstrom now have more outlet stores than regular retail locations.
• Inside Prince’s fridge with Heavy Table. No seriously why so much mustard
• Speaking of food: henceforth, I only want to read about food if it’s written by Deadspin’s Albert Burneko. Definitely snort-laughed several times while reading his piece on cooking bivalves. Read it. You will not be disappointed.

Later, gators. I got salmon to poach!