Okay, so I kind of already covered this topic in my sabbatical wrap-up post because I definitely highlighted some fave moments there. However! That stopped with August. So, you know, obviously the last half of my sabbatical was an entire fave moment.

I did leave out some stuff I did–namely going to shows and concerts as well as attending book events.

So, a very brief recap of each:

???? Concerts ????

• Missy Elliott w/Timbaland photo op — phenomenal, so glad I got to see Missy perform in my lifetime. (I had regrets about the photo op, but only because a day or two after I paid for it, I saw that Janet Jackson concert tickets were on sale, and I didn’t have the money because I paid for the add-on. Lesson learned.) Missy explicitly thanks the fans and acknowledges that she understands we don’t have to see her, and that the tickets cost a lot of money. She made sure we got our money’s worth. Also! A friend’s husband surprised her with a ticket, and she sat in the row in front of me, so we got to hang out between sets.
• En Vogue – Amazing. I wish I could have seen the original four (of course), but I have loved Rhona since All New Mickey Mouse Club days, and nothing makes me happier than seeing her belting her heart out with her idols. (She didn’t tell me so, but I know. Because I would die if I got to work with them.)
• Usher – Fantastic. Also glad I got to see him in my lifetime.
• Mariah Carey Christmas – Same. This was also my first show at the Hollywood Bowl, and let me tell you: Mariah made sure we knew her mic was on. Now I want to see her regular show.
• Daughter final exam performance – My daughter took a popular music singing class and for the final exam they put on a concert. She was the middle (and best) act.
  • Her: I don’t agree with where the teacher put me.
  • Me: Where?
  • Her: In the middle.
  • Me: Why? Because–
  • Her: I should be an opener or a closer.
  • Me: Maybe you’re in the middle so you can get everybody hype.
  • Her: ????????‍♀️
  • A parent after the show: She was awesome. She didn’t just sing–she performed. And it’s good they put her in the middle because we were kind of like [puts hand at chest level, makes a line] and then after she went, it went up [accompanied by hand gesture]. We needed that.
  • Me, later: Told you.

???? Book Events (book in parentheses) ????

• Reese’s Book Club Senstory – If you want to know why I love living in LA (besides all of the book and other events), it’s because of events like this. Jasmine Guillory and Tembi Locke did readings of their books (The Proposal and From Scratch) while Emily Bear played original compositions based on the sections read. Not only that but we got to make bouquets of fresh flowers, make candles, and got swag (free books! monogrammed washcloths! free cocktails/mocktails! snacks!). So you know, a time was had.
• Kathy Kottaras & Vanitha Swaminathan (A Rainbow Inside My Body: Finding Peace Through Yoga, Breathing Exercises, and the Chakras)
• Jason Reynolds (24 Seconds from Now)
• M. T. Anderson (Nicked)
• Sherri Smith & Elizabeth Wein (American Wings)
• Gene Luen Yang & LeUyen Pham (Lunar New Year Love Story)
• Damona Hoffman (F the Fairytale: Rewrite the Dating Myths and Live Your Own Love Story)
• Amy Spalding (At Her Service)
• Elise Bryant (w/Tembi Locke) (It’s Elementary)
• Attica Locke (w/Tembi Locke) (Guide Me Home) – And yes hearing about this event is the moment I realized they are sisters.
• Instagram Live w/Kenya (@reviewsmayvary) discussing The Joy Luck Club
• Robin Benway (The Girls of Skylark Lane)

???? TV Tapings ????

• Celebrity Jeopardy! – Very fun, highly recommend. I also suggest bringing snacks.
• The Masked Singer – My friend was in town and wanted to go to a taping, and this was the only one available. It was fun, but it is definitely standing room only, and the taping is long. We wound up leaving before the end because our feet and backs hurt.

???? Movie Screenings ????

• Me, Period – Again, my friend was in town and wanted to do something “LA,” and another friend invited me to a screening of this documentary. Free cupcakes, free makeup (swag!), and Tabitha Brown sat about three rows in front of us.

???? Misc ????

• Disney Channel Nite at Disneyland After Dark
• Participating in (and completing) the Slice of Life challenge
• Unexpected MD & FL detour – This is a very long story, but the short version is that–for unpleasant reasons–I wound up visiting my peeps this summer, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
• Mickalene Thomas: All About Love exhibit at The Broad – If you can see this exhibit, you definitely should. I always forget how ginormous paintings are until I’m in a museum. As a bonus, there was also a Basquiat exhibit, which was especially dope because I had just read his picture book biography. I had never been to The Broad before, so that was a nice first visit.
• Advanced rank to Associate Professor

Oh and most importantly: STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS ????????????????????????