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Welcome back to Weekend Update! As you may have noticed, I decided on an overarching blog name and kept this section as “Weekend Update.” Eventually, I want to branch out from only talking about myself (I know, right, like, why?) and write more blog-style posts. So, it made sense to me not to limit myself by naming the entire blog “Weekend Update.” I also plan to get super rich and famous off of this someday, and I don’t want to deal with any litigation from Saturday Night Live.

So, the blog is now “Making it Megan.” Thanks, ChatGPT! And I’m locked into this domain for at least one year, so if you have a better idea, you’re unfortunately a day late and $34 in domain name fees short. (But, if you do have a better name, set a calendar reminder for February 9, 2026, so I can change it.)

Anyway, here are the highlights of this week:

Pilates Review

Monday: Reformer Flow 1 with Eileen

For the past two weeks, I have found myself struggling to get moving on Mondays. To try to counteract my lack of action, I scheduled an 8 a.m. class for Monday morning. Knowing I had a commitment, I was able to hop out of bed, get ready, feed myself and Penny, take her out, and get my ass to class on time.

Eileen tried once again to bamboozle me with some easy opening moves, but I knew her tricks this time and was ready to feel the burn. And feel it I did. The hardest move was facing backwards on the reformer (which I already love because there’s a mirror back there so I can look at myself), sitting on the box with the arm straps held high enough to move the carriage out. Then bending only at the elbows, we brought our hands toward our faces, giving a nice bicep curl. I had to grit my teeth, but dammit, I did it.

But the star of this class was my outfit. I wore my new Lulu Lemon leggings dupes from Amazon, my favorite workout top (also from Amazon), and my new pink quarter zip from Target (on clearance for $15!).

This class also featured… a man. Gasp! Ariana, what are you doing here??

Wednesday: Reformer Flow 1 with Jasmin

This class was at the Kingstowne location which I know how to get to because it’s right next to the only Chick-fil-A drive-thru within a 10-mile radius. I learned my lesson from last time and waited until exactly 10 minutes before class to go in, so as to not disturb the previous class. However, I did get lightly reprimanded for forgetting to check-in before running to claim my reformer. Stupid me!

This class was slow but steady. Jasmin focused on the “mind-body connection,” which basically means paying attention to what your body is doing instead of what I usually do when I work out (day dream and try not to focus on how much everything hurts). I was slightly annoyed with the slow pace, but once we put our legs in the straps, I wiped my brow and was surprised to see that I was actually sweating. Maybe Jasmin is on to something with this mind-body connection.

This was the first class that I broke out my brand new wrist braces and although we didn’t do much with the wrists, I felt much more secure in the exercises we did. And, one hour after class, it doesn’t feel like my bones are made of glass – so, so-far, so good!

Friday: Reformer Flow 1 with Hannah

I spoke too soon about my bones not feeling like they are made of glass. I was in a world of pain before this class even started, and it seemed like we were very focused on the arms in this class. It was a tough class, but I pushed through and survived long enough to order a more supportive wrist brace from Amazon and ask my mother to send her right wrist splint from when she had literal surgery.

Despite being in pain, I enjoyed this class and the instructor. Although at one point she told us to do 10 bridges and then left the room, leaving us to count on our own. I’m sorry, but I do not spend my (my dad’s) hard-earned money to not have someone else count my reps. Kidding. But I did get a little panicky when I got to what I assumed was 10 reps, and she still wasn’t back. It felt a little like my mom left me in the checkout line at the grocery store and I wasn’t sure what to do when I got to the cashier. Luckily she returned and we got on with it.

It is on my to-do list to contact my orthopedic surgeon and demand beg to be fixed.

Sunday: Reformer Flow 1 with Maesy

Maesy is easily my favorite instructor at Club Pilates, so I am always excited for her classes. Because my wrist had been killing me all day leading up to class, I broke out my new extra supportive wrist brace. I let Maesy know that my wrist had been bothering me and she told me that we would be doing bird dogs today on the Bosu but I could try to do it with 8-pound weights to keep the pressure off of my wrist and more on my knuckles.

That was working out great until she had us lift one arm and the opposite leg. If we weren’t on the Bosu, I could’ve dropped the weight but if I had, the weight would’ve rolled right off. So instead, I lifted my arm and the added eight pounds and nearly started an earthquake with my shaking. She came around and told me not to arch my back so much. I was mostly focusing on not dying but I adjusted.

After class, she asked if the weights helped my wrist and I told her they did but it sure made the bird dogs extra tough. She said that she didn’t even notice that I was lifting the weight and was wondering why my form was so off. So basically, the weights helped my wrist but ruined my form. We’ll get ’em next time.

Valentine’s Day

This year, like last year, I spent my Valentine’s Day with Boyfriend Alex. After getting my lashes done (at The-Lash-Salon-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named due to the atrocious spider legs they spent 2.5 hours gluing onto my eyelids), we got all fancy and headed into DC for dinner at Rare Steakhouse. We were seated in a booth overlooking the restaurant that made me feel like we were either a) the King and Queen watching over our peasants, or b) the bride and groom of a wedding attended only by strangers. Either way, it was a vibe.

We started with an appetizer of burrata, then I had the special of lobster risotto (lobster was 10/10 but risotto left something to be desired. I did make the decision to get risotto at a steakhouse so that may be on me).

But the star of the show was the Japanese wagyu steak. Alex talked about wagyu on our first date and has been on the hunt for quality wagyu for me to try ever since. We tried wagyu at a Japanese barbeque spot – not it. We tried wagyu at Fogo De Chao – also not it, although it did come out on a searing hot salt block, which was neat. But finally, I was able to experience the real deal. My description can’t do it justice but I will try: the outside was so crispy yet on the inside, the meat actually melted in my mouth. Amazing.

After dinner we came home and very romantically watched a show about teenage girls who survive a plane crash and then cannibalize each other (read more below).

It was a great Valentine’s Day and I’m very grateful to have spent it with Boyfriend Alex for the second of what will be many more Valentine’s to come.

Entertainment Weekly

This week was all about entertainment, apparently. So much so that I am a little embarrassed at the length of this section. I did leave the house this week and speak to other humans, I promise.

On Tuesday, Boyfriend Alex and I were planning on watching our latest DC-based procedural (The Recruit) but when we opened Netflix, we saw The Menu. Neither of us had seen it so we put it on. Again, quick reminder that my movie reviews are meaningless because I love movies. However, I loved this movie. No spoilers, but it really took me on a ride, choosing which character to hate or feel bad for. Also, pay attention to the text on screen when they introduce the courses – it made me giggle.

Wednesday Date Night at the movies was on theme for the holiday with Heart Eyes: a slasher that follows a serial killer who kills couples on Valentine’s Day. All in all, I liked it, but I have been noticing that these slasher movies are getting very graphic. I don’t know if the movies are more graphic or if I’m losing my nerve in my delicate Old Age, but some of the scenes actually made me feel a little sick. Not to sound like a grandma, but maybe leave some of the slashing to the imagination?

Thursday night we watched the finale of Beast Games (we’re a gameshow family now) and then continued the scary movie theme with Truth or Dare. No, not the 1986, 2012, 2013, or 2018 version, but the 2017 version. What to say about Truth or Dare (2017)? It was indeed a movie.

Friday was Valentine’s Day so you know what that means! The long-awaited, much-needed, Season 3 of Yellowjackets came out! If I had it my way, I would have already binged the entire season. However, the sadists at Showtime decided to release it episodically. They did grace us with two episodes to start, though, so I can’t really complain (but I will anyway). Everyone is going off the rails this season – young Shauna, old Shauna, old Lottie, Callie, and especially old Misty. Lighting a man’s crotch on fire because he complimented your jacket after you had seven shots of whiskey?? Justified, get it girl. For real though, I am so excited for this season and am hoping for lots of Jackie flashbacks.

We spent our lazy, rainy Saturday watching random shit on Netflix. Starting with American Nightmare – a three-episode docuseries on one of the craziest crime stories I’d never heard of. Netflix did a really good job with this series. Every episode, I was ready to vilify a different person. No spoilers, but basically this was an absolute insane crime that just so happened to be perpetrated by the sloppiest of criminals. Leaving the crime scene address in the GPS of your stolen vehicle? Rookie shit.

Then Netflix recommended Aftermath which starred my first celebrity crush: Dylan Sprouse. When I was maybe 10, I wrote a letter to Dylan Sprouse confessing my love for him. I did not, however, have Dylan Sprouse’s address, so instead, I turned my letter into a paper airplane, prayed that it would find it’s way to him, and threw it out the window of my childhood home (which was in Iowa). Shockingly, I never received anything back. After pushing that heartbreaking memory out of my mind, I was able to really enjoy this movie. Good work, Netflix.

I didn’t spend the entire week doing Pilates and watching TV/movies. I also finished The Nightingale. I can see why this book is highly recommended on BookTok – it was amazing. My book reviews are basically as meaningless as my movie reviews. I have almost never met a book I didn’t like, besides Lolita (don’t come for me). But this book had all the things l like in a story: World War II (one of my Roman Empires), France, survival, badass women, badass women murdering Nazis… what’s not to love?

After I finished sobbing over The Nightingale, I returned to the fantasy world – back, once again, to attempt to finish the Throne of Glass series. I genuinely enjoy this series; however, it is taking me literal years to finish it. My delay started when I splurged and got myself a brand-new Kindle and decided that it would be more economical to read the eight book series digitally rather than buying physical copies of each book – SMART. But, instead of buying the individual books, I accidentally bought the entire series as a bundle, which shows up on the Kindle as one book – NOT SMART. One of my favorite features of the Kindle is seeing how much of the book I’ve finished as a percentage. But with the bundle, I had finished the first three books, and my mean Kindle said I was only 15% done. That was discouraging, but I pushed on for two more books before I lost the motivation to finish. I finally caved and bought the last three books in real life. This new tactic got me through Empire of Storms quickly enough, but then my entire existence got derailed when Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm came into my life.

All’s this to say, Tower of Dawn, I’m coming for you.

Rant of the Week

As entertainment has obviously been on my mind a lot this week, I wanted to rant about something that may be controversial. Prepare yourselves…

Listening to audiobooks is not reading. I’m sorry, I said it. If you’re a big fan of audiobooks, I love that for you. I see a bright future on Audible for myself someday, once I finish my aforementioned two IKEA Billy bookshelves full of TBR.

However. I think that people who include their audiobooks in their reading count are liars and CHEATS. Of course, you “read” 200+ books last year if you are able to “read” while driving or cooking or whatever you people are doing. You experienced the book, but you didn’t read it. I’m not saying that reading the book is better than listening to a book, in any way. I’m just saying that by the definition of the word, listening is not “reading”.

Okay, I’m ready to be burned at the stake.

In’s & Out’s

In’s

Carpal Tunnel

Having an open dialogue with the ghosts that live in your house

Bread and butter pickles

Crochet

Out’s

Mocha lattes

Snow

Non-alcoholic wine (aka overpriced grape juice)

Combination washer-dryers