Editor's note: There are certain events that forever change the days that follow, making everything seem less joyful. Last Saturday's brutal attacks in El Paso and Dayton certainly had that effect.

It's easy to feel disconnected while being bombarded with endless news dispatches and blubbering commentary. And it's easy to feel hopeless when those dispatches and commentators continuously say that we're a fractured people living in a divided nation. But stories like those in El Paso and Dayton shake us because they remind us of our humanity, of our mortality, and that we can do something to change the trajectory.

As we prepare for Austin's Pride celebration, I hope you spend this weekend surrounded by people you love and who love you. Queer or an ally, I hope you disconnect from the vitriol and terror and spend your time dancing and laughing and maybe covered in glitter. Here are our most popular stories of the week.

1. Austin comfort food restaurant closes 2 area locations as tastes change. A popular local comfort food restaurant has closed two of its three locations, including one in Round Rock. Though its original South Lamar spot is still open, the shutters have us wondering if this Austin favorite is in the red. If so, the company is staying mum.

2. Owner of North Austin luxury movie theater files for bankruptcy. Fans of a luxe North Austin movie theater will be sad to learn the company is in "reel" trouble. iPic, a dining-and-movie theater with a location in the Domain, filed for bankruptcy on August 5. For now, iPic is keeping all locations open, meaning theater-goers can continue living out their dream of watching a movie in public while lying down.

3. Sleepy San Antonio suburb transformed into Texas' newest dining destination.Over the past two decades, the sleepy town of Cibolo has transformed into a bona fide tourist hot spot, offering everything from cozy coffee shops to sleek wine bars. Learn more about this San Antonio suburb turned dining destination.

4. Austin-area riverfront mansion sells for record-shattering price. During dinner last night, one of my dining companions mentioned having read this story, adding that the house was "an Olive Garden come to life." Well that Olive Garden just shattered Georgetown's record for highest price paid for a private property.

5. Where to eat in Austin right now: 7 world-class Texas Hill Country restaurants. If there are two things Austinites love, it's eating and the Hill Country. These seven picks all offer something deliciously unexpected, but most importantly, they offer an excuse for a proper summer road trip.