I got a haircut this week. It's been nearly year since my last one.

Going so long between snips is not out of the ordinary for me. First, I usually wear my hair up which let's me forget how long it is. Next, I always seem to need to reschedule my appointments for one reason or another. Scheduling around the kiddo makes it even harder. Finally, the place I go to, while awesome, is expensive. I get sticker shock every time.

But I finally managed to get my tush in the salon chair this week. After 5 minutes of washing (with a delightful scalp massage), 7 minutes of cutting, and approximately 345 hours of blow drying, I walked out of the salon really feeling my new look. My usual stylist was on vacation so I saw another and he added a bit of curl to my blow dry. It looked good. Really good. Kate Middleton good. After having him chop of three inches of growth, my new style was bouncier but also sleek. Afterwards, I kept checking myself out in the mirror.

Sadly, one night of sleeping and 70% humidity the following day brought my hair back to reality. It looks way better than it used to, but the professional sheen is gone. I simply don't have the patient (or skill) to recreate that look every day.

​What do you do with your hair?

I’ll be on vacation soon and plan to disconnect for about a week. The Weekly Wrap is taking a break until September 17.

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This week, I started the final book, Girls of Fate and Fury, in Natasha Ngan’s YA series. It’s been a slow start because I keep falling asleep after only three pages. I’m hoping to race through this one while we’re on the beach or chilling on our hotel balcony.

*Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org

• The words people have tattooed on their bodies. [The Atlantic - gift link]

• This seems like something simple to try. [Apartment Therapy]

• The unsettling feelings around the economy aren't just about inflation. [The Deleted Scenes]

• LeVar Burton and Neil deGrasse Tyson in conversation. [StarTalk Radio]

• Getting the most out of networking. [Life Kit]

• Banning phones in schools is more complicated than you may think. [The Daily]

• Wolf drama! [Atlas Obscura]

• Looking at the many causes of the housing crisis. [Good on Paper]

• A deep dive on the history of deli meat. [Gastropod]

• We put on Jack Reacher: Never Go Back since we enjoyed the first one.  This second in the series had the same elevated level of storytelling. It's nice when an action flick has decent writing. The only downside was that, again, the story was way too deep on the conspiracy theories. Also, I don't think the "maybe, maybe not" kid storyline added much. [Netflix]

• Only Murders in Building is back for season four. While there are almost too many cameos, we're enjoying this season. I like how it expands the world a bit. I don't like having to wait for a new episode to drop each week. [Hulu]

• Football season is back! We're watching Notre Dame and all the NFL games we can get our hands on.

• For my lunch meal prep, I put together a "too easy" dish. Black bean fajita skillet is all of five ingredients and comes together in minutes. At the office, I ate it straight out of the Tupperware. At home, I poured the mix into a tortilla and made a delicious burrito. [Eating Well]

• This week, I wanted to make an Asian-inspire dish that was not a stir fry. In the past, I cheated and made sesame slaw with pot stickers by using a premade bag of salad. This time, I followed the recipe (although I did buy coleslaw mix because shredding cabbage is a pain). The dressing was good but a bit sesame forward. I'll dial that back next time. [Budget Bytes]

• You're supposed to make butter parmesan gnocchi with summer vegetables in a skillet. I threw everything on a sheet pan and called it a night. Still good. Also, I skipped the corn since we still had plenty of other vegetables. [Two Peas and Their Pod]

This striking composition was included in a store about extreme fishing. Well worth your perusal. [The Atlantic - gift link]

OATH is a service that lets you donate money without giving up your email address or phone number. If only I had known this before various campaigns started contacting me seven times a day. I do want to note that this is liberal-leaning.

Two days of work and then the hubby and I are off to a getaway to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary a few months early.