As the summer grew hotter, I felt the heat mount at work as I prepared 4 new proposals to RPB, FFB, Thome Foundation, and UCOP, all while juggling another NIH R01 submission and study section reviews. World leaders also felt the heat with Boris Johnson’s resignation and Shinzo Abe’s assassination. Meanwhile, our own country took blows in abortion rights, gun control, and climate change as the new conservative majority in the Supreme Court dealt their subversive rulings with impunity. We tried to eat our feelings by trying hot pot at Heat Shabu and smoking char siu with our new Traeger pellet grill we got for Melody for Father’s Day. I also took the lab out for XLB and boba to booster morale. I did manage to make time over the July 4th weekend to welcome the new fellows at my colleague Kareem’s place, enjoy the Davis fireworks in Community Park, and spend time with Westley playing Uno, practicing tennis with our new ballport, and singing with grandparents with a Moukey karaoke machine. This weekend, after dropping off Melody at the airport for her conference on Amelia Island, we stopped by Natomas for Korean corn dogs and bingsoo at Deluna Dessert Cafe, spicy KFC at Bonchon, and travel toys at Daiso for my upcoming trip to NYC. As I will be spending my first few days solo with Westley, I need all the help I can get!