Wow, October really ran away from me!
I can’t believe my last post was on the 5th and somehow it’s already the 24th. I love this month—cozy colors, all the fall vibes—but this particular October? It’s been… a lot. Work has been a lot. Home life has had its fun moments, but also its fair share of “a lot.” And the month isn’t done yet—it’s definitely going out with a bang!
But for now, let’s take a breath and focus on the good stuff—my favorites from this past week! There is one big favorite…
Trip to Berkeley for Lorde
No, I didn’t actually see Lorde last weekend—but my daughter and her friends did! Another mom and I tagged along for the trip so the girls could enjoy the concert (and the long wait to get into “the pit”). It turned into a long day—and a very late night—but everyone had a great time.
The show was at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, right on the UC campus. We dropped the girls off across from a dorm near the venue and promised to pick them up in the same spot after the concert. While they waited in line, the other mom and I went exploring and ended up at Tilden Park’s Botanic Garden. I’d been there once before, back in May, and it’s absolutely worth a visit if you get the chance. It’s free, beautifully organized by California regions, and full of native plants. I should have taken more photos, but the only one I managed was of this little cutie:
We also stopped along the ridge near the garden to snap a photo of the Bay. I always forget how breathtaking San Francisco looks from a distance—especially when it’s wrapped in fog—until I see it again through a photo like this:
After our garden adventure, we headed back to Berkeley and parked downtown. The other mom had never seen the campus, so we wandered around for a bit—there’s just something so fun about exploring a college town on a Saturday night.
Eventually, we made our way back downtown for dinner and ended up at Noodle Dynasty. We knew we’d picked a winner when we saw the line out the door and found ourselves waiting on the sidewalk to get in! And wow, it did not disappoint.
I had my heart set on their chow mein, but it sold out just before we got seated (we’d even spotted someone eating it through the window—we were thankful when we weren’t seated there, because everyone in line was basically drooling over their food!). So instead, I ordered the Beef Brisket Noodle Soup, and oh. my. gosh. It was incredible—tender brisket, perfectly chewy noodles, and a rich, flavorful broth. Just looking at the photo again is making my mouth water. Here’s my bowl in all its beauty:
After dinner, we wandered into Moe’s Books for a bit. That place holds so much nostalgia for me. I spent a lot of time in Berkeley during high school and my early college years, back when I was still living at home. I loved everything about Telegraph Avenue—the cheap slices at Blondie’s, the used bookstores and record shops, the street vendors, the poster stores, and all the quirky, hippie spots that gave it so much character.
Moe’s was one of my favorite haunts back then, so it made me genuinely happy to see it still thriving—just as big, eclectic, and full of life as ever.
We headed back to the dorm where we’d dropped the girls off, figuring traffic might get hectic once the concert ended. We found a parking spot easily, and it seemed pretty quiet—until a wave of cheers suddenly broke out right in front of us. Then we heard it: Lorde had taken the stage!
By pure luck, we’d arrived right between the opening act and her set, and we ended up listening to the entire concert echoing beautifully off the dorm building across the way. It was such a fun, unexpected bonus to the night.
When the girls came out afterward, they were absolutely over the moon—calling it “life-changing”—and we managed to get out of the area without much traffic at all. All in all, it was a fantastic trip for everyone. I’m so grateful I get to share these experiences with my daughter—and to have another mom friend to enjoy the adventure with!
And a few other favorites made the cut this week!
Finishing one book and starting another
I finally finished Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter. I will do a review on it later this week, but I can definitely say that I enjoyed this one!
I started another book this week – Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. I’m not very far in to this one yet, but hopefully this quotation before the title page is a good indication of what is in store for me:
A Night Out on the Town
On Thursday, we headed to my University campus for a concert that was happening on the lawn outside of our Administration building that included a student band with a member who works in our First-Year Experience program! They had a beer garden, lawn games, and a food truck to go along with the concert and it was fun to see my student employee in another context! The only downside was the mosquitos!
We then dropped my daughter off at her Girl Scout Teens Take Over planning group and headed to dinner at a local place nearby. We had a good dinner under this beautiful lighted tree and I enjoyed a cheesecake slice before we left. It was a great night and much needed after what was a bit of a rough and tumble couple of weeks!
So, that’s it. My favorites from the past week. We’re heading into a weekend at home, but we have a Girl Scout Hal”low”een event on Monday where my troop is hosting 80 little girls to celebrate Juliette Low’s birthday! I have some shopping to do tomorrow and then set up on Sunday and the event on Monday night! Whew. Wish me luck!
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