I'm ready; but is the luck ever gonna happen?

(Sigh.)

It’s officially officially summer…like meteorologically, astronomically, and hot as balls-wise summer. And that’s great, because, well…

Anyway, this week has seen very summer-like temperatures here in the Northeast so allow me to wipe the sweat from my eyes, and get right to it.

What I’m reading…

Technically, some of what I am reading might belong in the “listening” section, but I’m including them here because, well, screw technicalities.

So I might as well start with the audiobooks:

I finally got off the very long “holds” list and checked out Ina Garten’s Be Ready When the Luck Happens. What a joy. Listening to her. Listening to her tell her story. All of it. I was ready to quit my job (well, if I had one to quit), open a gourmet food store, camp in Europe, do some catering…all of it. God, she made everything feel possible. And she has such a nice way about her. And her story was so interesting. If you like Ina Garten or cooking or have the slightest bit of wanderlust, have a listen. But make no mistake, there are some deeply moving themes in the books, namely related to one of my obsessions, the “what if-ness” of life. She talks a lot about those critical junctures that may or may not seem critical at the time, those if-then moments that might have gone differently—changing the course of everything that followed. She gives me hope that one can find joy in the professional parts of the day to day, and she makes roadblocks and potholes feel like a key part of the journey. It was just what I didn’t know I needed.

I also got Stanley Tucci’s What I Ate in One Year off my holds list, also after a long wait. I enjoyed reading his book Taste…though I recall thinking he seemed a bit pretentious when I read it, and the audiobook confirms that thought. It’s ok…albeit a bit boring. He’s kind of monotone, dramatic in some of his foreign-word pronunciations, and odd about some American ones—like SHA-lot for SHALL-ut and fill-IT for fill-AY. (Also, since he eats a lot he exercises a lot. He says “pilates” just so too, but I can;t capture it in words. 🤣) Long story short, I would rather cook for Ina Garten. Maybe 99 times out of 100. Once I’d cook for Stanley…just to see how perception stacks up against reality. But I’d dread it. The guy writes and reads in a way that align perfectly with how he looks. 🤷🏼‍♀️ And I’d serve him neither shallot nor fillet. I get that he lives in London, but come on, dude…you’re American. Speak American,

To be fair, though, there are three things (so far) about the book that have caught my attention. 1) Willie Geist bought and now lives in Stanley Tucci’s Westchester, NY house. I love (LOVE) Sunday Today With Willie Geist, so I liked that fact. 2) Stanley used to shop at Caldor as a kid, and loved it. (Bet you wouldn’t catch him dead in a Kohl’s today.) But anyway, as someone who also loved Caldor as a kid, I felt that. 3) There’s a difference between “diced” and “chopped.” (Smaller, uniform pieces v. larger, irregular ones. Who knew? Besides Stanley, obvi.) And what is *really* the difference when it comes to the final dish???

In terms of “real” books (that I had to read, though not a physical book), I got another one I had waited a while for (need to re-stock my Holds list in Libby), The LET THEM Theory by Mel Robbins. There’s been a lot of hubbub about the book and its author, so I had to see what all the fuss was about. To be honest, I didn’t find any breakthrough ideas in it but I give her props for finding an engaging way of presenting things (easy to understand, very accessible), and for the context in which she presented them (everyday “stuff” not in some complex technical capacity). The “problem” I have with the “Let Them” movement it has spawned is this—people are just shrugging offensive/bothersome/etc. stuff that other people do off, dismissively saying “let them,” moving on to the next thing, and believing that this is what the book promotes. That belief misses what I think is the most important part of the theory…what comes next. The “let me” portion of the programming. That’s the part that matters most. That’s the part about personal responsibility…let them do whatever. But what are you going to do? Sit there and watch? Walk away? Bottom line is we need to control what we can control—our response and not other people’s actions. (Also, when a book offers e-resources, avail yourself of them. This book referenced a great companion PDF, Leading with LET THEM. It might have been better than the book, in terms of utility for me anyway.)

After having it recommend to me a while back and seeing it on the weekly best-seller list in The Boston Globe week after week after week, I finally picked up On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Schneider. In addition to being adorable (cute, compact size), it is timely and relevant reading in today’s polarized world, where we’re teetering on the brink (of nuclear war, maybe, I think…) as I type this. I’m partway through it, as I like the lessons to soak in. It’s not a long or hard read, but I want to take my time with it, all considered. But given my past exhortations to do something if you’re feeling bereft or confused or marginalized or afraid, these words might convince you to act. Because a single voice does in fact matter.

“In the politics of the everyday, our words and gestures, or their absence, count very much.”

On Tyranny, p. 33

After much (and repeated) encouragement from my nephew, his fiancée, and my niece, I finally picked up Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary. They’ve been badgering me to read it since Kerri and I went to San Juan back in November. My first thought was “what kind of shitty English major hasn’t ever read Hunter S. Thompson” but then I was like “not this one…anymore…” and cracked it open over the weekend, poolside. This is a new edition with a moving introduction by Sturgill Simpson, So far I’ve been enjoying it very much—I can’t decide if I would have liked it more if I read it right before the trip or whether I like it better know, because I can kind of picture it. It also makes me want rum, the good kind that we brought back with us…more on that later.

Long story short, I’m getting a little bit better at reading on the regular, something I said I wanted to get back to for the last several months.

What I’m watching…

I finished up the season of Love Hotel on Bravo and all I will say about that is I can’t wait for the “where are they now?” update in a few weeks. 🤣 Classic Bravo trash—I love it!

Started watching another Real Housewives spinoff, Next Gen NYC. This “gem” features kids of featured players across the RH franchise and some other overprivileged no-names. I get the expression about not being able to look away from a train crash…that’s me and the “real” housewives.

I’ve also been watching sports, including:

• The Red Sox… Tough season for the old-town team but watching some emerging talent has been fun. Except when it comes to Roman Anthony. I’m a bit distracted by the fact that his brother is named Anthony. Yep…Anthony Anthony. And his dad is also Anthony Anthony—but he goes by Tony.

• The WNBA. It’s just plain old fun watching this league take hold after such a slog.

• The Stanley Cup Finals. Pretty sure Brad Marchand is either still drunk or still hungover after the Panthers won the series. After he was forced to unceremoniously ship down from Boston, I’m glad he got rewarded. Goddamn Don Sweeney and Cam Neeley.

On my mom’s recommendation (she keeps an accurate pulse of what is going on…maybe it’s the nurse in her), we watched the George Clooney play Good Night and Good Luck, which CNN televised live on its second-to-last night on Broadway. She did not steer us wrong. It was very well done and an excellent commentary on today’s times, looking through an historical lens. I talked a lot about that notion in my EXTRA a few weeks ago. So much to learn, if only we let ourselves.

What I’m listening to…

I’ve been listening to the Hamilton soundtrack, which I talked about in detail in the EXTRA I just mentioned, so I won’t belabor the point. I will, however, mention the Hamildrop (a reinvention of one of the original songs) from Sara Bareilles, “Theodosia Reprise” brings a whole new level of emotion that I didn’t realize I could feel. Life is funny like that sometimes. Only complaint is it’s too short.

When Brian Wilson died, that took me straight to listening to The Beach Boys…and Barenaked Ladies (because…“Brian Wilson”). I had just eaten a piece of cake (more on that below) and needed to walk to offset the sugar spike and as I was getting ready to go out, news of his death broke. So I listened to Endless Summer while I walked…and was flooded with all kinds of happy childhood memories, not to mention thoughts of a fave movie, Love Actually, which features their classic, “God Only Knows.” I’m not sure there is a God, and if there is I am not sure they know why I am where I am. But I’ll take this life of mine just the same, open-heartedly and very happily.

I *had* to listen to some Sturgill Simpson because of the aforementioned foreword the wrote for The Rum Diary. His music was fine. Not bad, not a love connection. Maybe it’s an acquired taste. I mean, I never thought I liked rum…until now…I may or may not have another go at it. We’ll see.

After reading The LET THEM Theory I subscribed to Mel Robbins’ free newsletter. In one of the issues, she mentioned listening to an artist named Mon Rovia. Always on the hunt for new music, I headed over to Spotify and had a listen. I didn’t get too deep into his music, but I will—the vibe is one that works for me in general, but it was a little low for what I needed at the time. I’ll revisit at another time—I’m sure such a low time is in my future. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

What I’m eating and drinking…

I baked two cakes recently, a pre-birthday cake for Kerri and then her actual birthday cake. The first one was a new recipe, for this Chocolate Almond Cake. I had never heard of almond paste before seeing this recipe, but once I found it (at Shaw’s, next to the marzipan, which it is similar to), I was on my way. It was delicious.

For her actual birthday she got her favorite, Chocolate Guinness Cake with Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting (I sub Bailey’s for the cream in the original recipe, which is found in the cake recipe itself). That cake is so good—and is the one that I mentioned earlier, the one that requires an immediate walk after eating it for blood sugar regulation purposes.

I freestyled on a few other meals, namely Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Bang Bang Sauce and Grilled Flank Steak with Whipped Feta. Both were excellent if I do say so myself. If either of those is in your wheelhouse, LMK and I can describe what I did. Maybe.

I also recently found myself wondering whether Pineapple Crisp is a thing, so I did a little research. And guess what? It is a thing. I used this recipe as a guide (heavenly!) and the Häagen-Dazs Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream put it over the top.

Also, thanks to my college-aged nieces, I know there are plenty of TikTok food crazes out there and I recently tried two, TikTok Bagels and Viral “Fried” Pickle Dip. The bagels were a little sticky and messy to make but they were quite tasty. The Fried Pickle Dip was fantastic—and also much more photogenic than the bagels, so you’re only getting a pic of that.

Every now and then I see a recipe and *have* to make it, and that was the case with this Hot Honey Feta Chicken. It was excellent, and a nice change of pace. There’s enough sauce to flavor up any rice you might make as a side, and while it wasn’t too spicy, if heat is a problem for you I suppose you could control that by using regular old honey. We’ll be making it again, for sure.

I got a very thoughtful belated birthday gift, which included my first-ever cocktail recipe book, and fixings for one of the drinks, Dubious Honor. The drink itself was exceptional, but the thoughtfulness of the gift made it taste that much better. Bonus points for any drink I sip out back, and this one I thoroughly enjoyed outside. Perfection.

Of course I have enjoyed a few Rum Old Fashioneds too, you know, to go with The Rum Diary. (And because I love them so much since that dinner we had at Casita Miramar last Fall…)

The book pairs just as well with a drink as it did with the pool.

And the other night when I wanted a smoked nightcap, I went with And to all a Good Night which I smoked with cherry wood chips. Heaven in a glass.

Before I go, I want to mention one other thing…and while I don’t like to mix business with pleasure, I did take a big step this week toward possibly maybe potentially doing some consulting work, and it is something that has been taking up a fair amount of my time. Check out the full announcement here if you are so inclined. I’m proud of myself for doing this, mainly because I have a vicious case of impostor syndrome…but at the same time I really believe that these ideas are good. It gives me something to focus on, work toward, and talk about…even if it never moves, let alone gets off the ground.

Thanks for your time and your presence here with me. I realize there is a lot going on right now, in many ways and on many levels. There’s lots of noise. Lots of distractions. And lots of choices about what to do. So I especially appreciate you choosing to be here with me, so much.

Love you too.

And, from the horse’s mouth (keep in mind I freestyle and don’t know how to edit so there’s one place I said “heat” where I meant “cool.” I’m sure I muffed in a few other spots too. I’ll try to learn to edit soon so you don’t have to suffer needlessly):