I’m so proud of us
(And it’s literal music to my ears)
I’m going to launch right into what I’ve been listening to, because it’s not only captured my attention, it’s also captured my Grinch-y heart!
Drum roll, please…
…Introducing…
…The
…Playlist!!!
I love it so much.
SO much.
SO MUCH!
SO MUCH!!!
I’m not sure whether my repeated (3?) requests for input were annoying, but…sorry not sorry. As it stands we’ve got 19 songs of sheer bliss. (Also, it’s *never* too late to get your song added, so hit me up if you have one!) The songs (18 from you and one from me) appear in the order they were received. Every time I listen I will think of the special person associated with each title for said song’s duration, replay mental movies of our connection, and smile. And I will love every second of it. Lord knows I have so far!!!
In fact I wish each of you could know the plot lines that I think of when I hear your song. And maybe someday I’ll tell you.
But for now I can easily summarize for you: it’s all the good things.
When I listen to these songs and think about the people associated with them, I think *all* the good things…and only good things…about you…about living a rich life, full of and touched by awesome humans. It’s reawakened me to some of the small but mighty experiences in my life, and it’s reminded me of some of the big things too. When you stitch and patch it all together into a glorious 19-song playlist, a sublime musical tapestry, well, it looks and feels and sounds pretty f-cking amazing.
You are pretty f-cking amazing.
We are pretty f-cking amazing.
This music and the stories behind it make me really happy.
That’s all.
And that’s everything.
Have a listen if you’re so inclined:
I am so glad I did this “experiment” because thinking of the 18 of you while I listen to our incredible opus, well, my heart overflows. It gives me pause to reflect about the words “hope” and “expectation” and the sameness and different-ness of them, nuanced and otherwise. It gives me a chance to walk down memory lane and connect dots and untie knots and dig up some happy memories long forgotten…all of which point to the importance and strength of dotted lines and through lines and different kinds of friends and friendships…and did I mention how happy this makes my heart???
I can’t even.
I am so proud of us.
I’ve been listening to other stuff too but I’m not going to talk about it. I want the spotlight to shine brightly and exclusively on this featured work, our collaboratively curated playlist…the musical story of us.
Before I move along, though…I’ve got to get one last word in (author’s privilege!), a musical PSA: if you are a SiriusXM subscriber, check out Channel 313, ALT-2K. It’s 🔥. (Def a good soundtrack for some of the aforementioned walks down memory lane!)
Now, onto the other stuff…
What I’ve been watching.
Speaking of 🔥, the WNBA finals were absolute 🔥. As previously discussed here, everyone watches women’s sports. While not literally everyone is watching, lots of people are. The numbers keep going up, and the play does not disappoint. For those who aren’t following/watching (yet), the championship series was between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty, the number 2 seed vs the number 1 seed respectively. First of all, it went all five games, with the Lynx going for a record 5th championship and the Liberty going for their first in 25+ years (they are one of the Original 8 WNBA teams). It was a tight (two games went to OT, a 3rd was decided by 2 points, and in all the games combined only 18 points separated the teams) and somewhat controversial (some questionable officiating at the most inopportune (or opportune, I suppose, if the bad call went in your favor) series, full of excitement. Bad officiating itself is somewhat controversial…on one hand, if you play well enough, the officials shouldn’t matter. But on the other hand, if the opposing team is getting “assistance” at the moment most likely to take the most wind out of your sails, well…that sucks.
A couple of things on this…first, this clip.
Honestly, at this level, a) players shouldn’t have to be told to flop and b) officials should be able to spot it. But the fact that this exchange was caught on camera sickens me a bit. Especially given that it resulted in this seek and find “where’s the foul?” (game changing) outcome:
The phantom foul was made further offensive (pun intended) by what came between the coaching “advice” and the “foul” itself:
I’m a) still trying to find the “foul” and b) still trying to count the number of steps she had to take before “drawing” it. 🤦🏼♀️
All that said, as you can see in the clips above, the Liberty court is very cool. So there’s that.
Enough said.
We recently binged Heartstopper Season 3. After loving (in a visceral, turn-your-heart-inside-out kind of way) seasons 1 and 2, season 3 was a slight let down. I liked it…but didn’t love it. The premise is getting tired…the “kids” are getting old. IMO, it needs to go in a new direction or wrap it up, stat.
Speaking of streaming series, I can’t wait for Somebody Somewhere to return on Max (10/27, but who’s counting the days?) Said excitement was since learning this will be its last season and after the Heartstopper S3 experience I’m a touch worried that it might jump the shark. (Do not let me down Bridget Everett!)
I’ve been watching some of the old reliable shows, notably The Golden Bachelorette and Survivor, but am a bit behind on both so don’t have much to say. I’m also still loyal to Grey’s Anatomy (despite the recycled plot lines and the lack of lovable characters) and The Voice is still my go-to filler show—it’s always on and always entertaining so if I don’t feel like focusing on a whole thing, this is great background TV. Probably because I love music. And of course the “real” “housewives” (namely of NY and SLC) never let me down, always entertaining. I mean, what’s not to enjoy about an irrational screaming fight in public between two grown women? (Or five or six? 🤦🏼♀️)
I’ve talked about the adjacency effect here before (see Item 14 here). Chip and Joanna Gaines started building a brand fixing up homes in Waco, TX. Now they have their own network…and some pet project shows. One is a roller-dancing competition show (Roller Jam) and another is a competition/challenge show (Human vs Hamster). What will they think of next? (And this is precisely why I am not a fan of “otherism” (“adjacentism”). These people with presence and power are in many cases taking attention and opportunity away from people perhaps more “deserving.” (Like some of the singers on The Voice.) But what do I know? Probably just sour grapes as I toil in obscurity trying to make ends meet. (That was a complete mischaracterization/over-dramatization. I need a job. But it’s more to make emotional ends meet rather than financial ones. Still…I could use a break.) In any case I do think the status-/wealth-/attention-/power-seeking types are greedily siphoning money and opportunity from others. Which is unfortunate.
Next up: I am not a pet person but when I saw this on the Today show recently, it made me smile.
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I was tempted to post it to social straightaway to share that smile. But then I found out the video is from 2021. And I felt duped. Like if you have to go back three years to find a morning boost, maybe Hoda needs a new segment. Or maybe that’s why she’s leaving—life is just too heavy to keep fake smiling through it on camera. Anyhow, the video is cute. If you have a dog, introduce yourself, and see what happens. I can enjoy the content and still feel annoyed at being manipulated. (So annoyed.)
But even worse than this BS on the Today show is local news. That has got to be the absolute worst programming representing the worst of America. I know they try, but I also know it’s all about ratings. And what they are doing for ratings these days is scary…made scarier by the fact that after every (non)story there’s a political commercial. I may need to step away from the TV for a few weeks. (Also I am not talking about the election here this week because I am not exactly sure what to think or to say right now. I do know I am petrified, but beyond that I don’t really want to get into it. Maybe next week. But I want to address it so you know it’s a deliberate choice and not avoidance.)
Speaking of bad commercials (and manipulation), Moderna has a (relatively) new commercial for a (relatively) new COVID vaccine. It talks gravely about protecting loved ones then ends with a woman greeting a man by a table in a restaurant, with this voiceover: “Do it for you and your dinner date.” Do it for you and your dinner date? If I’m getting a vaccine it’s for someone I love, not someone I just matched with on Hinge (or Bumble or Match or whatever).
And lastly, what I’m not watching is one of my (formerly) favorite news shows, CBS Saturday Morning. I’m boycotting since learning they let Jeff Glor go. Blasphemy. I’m sure my protest alone isn’t going to bring him back but I am making a statement nonetheless. Jeff, if you are reading this: should we co-host a podcast? (I have some ideas.)
What I’ve been reading.
I started and finished Kirstin Hannah’s The Women, which I liked (a lot) but didn’t (and couldn’t) love. I was told that I’d love the first half of it by one person. Then someone else said “Oh, you’ll the the first three quarters of it…no maybe the first two thirds.” Distracted by the fractions, I went into it fully not expecting to love the whole thing. But I didn’t know when exactly the story was gonna go off the rails or how hard the landing would be. It definitely declined in the second half of the story, which may or may not have been literally the second half of the book…which may be the issues my reviewers had getting the number quite right. Good, not great, but worth the time.
Now I’m reading Erik Larson’s latest, The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War. Maybe the length of the title should have given me pause…as a rule I really enjoy Larson’s books and find them well-written, reading like a gripping piece of fiction, always illuminating on some previously unknown or underknown piece of history. So that was the expectation here. But so far I am finding it quite…uh…boring. No hook. Little hope. The only thing I am holding onto is the noted parallel between then and now, and I’m waiting for some bombshell revelation or eye-popping connection. The little hope I have left is waning after getting a reports from my bro-in-law that it’s not keeping his attention and “the woman at book chat” via my mom who reports that she adored all of Larson’s other works but she found this one too boring to recommend because the pace never picked up.
What to do? Fish or cut bait?
Time will tell.
I read this piece in the Boston Sunday Globe and it got me thinking about thinking—specifically thinking (and reading and listening) with more attention, focus, and depth.
A few pages later, the paper included a letter to the editor about the paper’s use of the words “disinformation” re: misinformation. It’s not semantics. Words matter. Meaning matters. Intent matters. Bottom line: don’t believe everything you read, and don’t believe everything you think. Read, listen, think, speak, write, and live more deeply.
What I’ve been eating and drinking.
It’s time for the once-a-year seasonal treat known as caramel apples from Hilliards. No pic this year, but trust me on this. If you have a Hilliards near you, go and pick up one of these decadent treats. From the apple itself to the caramel to the chocolate to the add ons (one sea salt and one coconut for us this year), these things are off the chain. Bonus: an apple a day keeps the doctor away, right?
My sis and bro-in-law were in town from MI for BU’s family weekend, so dinner at Monica’s in the North End with the crew was in order. 11 of us at two adjacent tables (they won’t take a big party on weekends) with delicious food, great wine, and lots of laughs, capped off by a trip to Mike’s for cannoli/pastries. Perfection.
I was having company recently on one of the few days that actually felt like fall so this Easy-as-Pie Apple Cake seemed to fit the bill. And it did not let me down. (My mom and I had some mixed signals about who was making dessert and she actually made the exact same cake (frozen for later consumption).)
I’ve made and written about these Migas before, and decided to make them on Sunday. Usually a Patriots game involves nachos, but since they were playing at 9:30AM nachos somehow felt out of place. So I went with a deconstructed breakfast version and they did not disappoint. Even better than I remember. But can someone explain why flour tortillas are $3.29 for a bag of 20 while corn tortillas are $3.79 for a bag…of 80? (Yes. 80 (!). You read that right.) And does anyone have any ideas about what I can do with the remaining 72 corn tortillas between now and the 11/11 “best by” date? (I used six in the Migas and two in the crispy feta eggs I had for dinner last night. Now what?)
We recently went to Fall Fest at Trillium Brewery, which we knew was a family-friendly event (and were fine with that) but it was way more family and way less friendly than I’d have liked. But just the same it was a gorgeous day with great friends, and the beer did not disappoint (other than the Apple Cider Daily Serving, which was kind of what we went for). I brought these three home in 4-packs, but so far have been too busy to enjoy them beyond two of the 12 cans. Better get after it.
As mentioned earlier, we went out to dinner in the North End on Saturday and the Pats were playing Sunday. It was warm, so I was watching out back. I can’t drink coffee drinks at night. (Not if I want to sleep anyway.) Monica’s advertises having The Best Espresso Martini in the North End, so I had that on the brain. But it wasn’t that simple (never is with me). Espresso Martini? With tequila or vodka? Carajillo? Maybe…it’s so easy, what with it’s two ingredients. I Googled recipes in parallel with thinking about it and came across Long Island Iced…Coffee??? First thought was “ding, ding, ding we have a winner” followed by “do I have rum???” I only had Bacardi Gold so rather than research whether that was ok I thought better of it and ultimately decided that I didn’t need to decide between an espresso martini and a carajillo—essentially I could have both, namely the reliable and tasty Spanish Espresso Martina aka Carajillo with Tequila.
One and done. Delicious. And I slept like a baby at night because I was not over-caffeinated.
Win-win.
That catches you up on my goings on, for the most part. I hope that life is stimulating all five of your senses and that listening, watching, reading, eating, drinking, and whatever else you're doing is bringing you joy. I know this time here brings it to me, and I thank you so much for sharing your song titles, time, attention, and this space with me. It means the world.
Love you too.
Love the play list! Songs I haven’t heard in a long time and songs that are new and soon to be faves… great job!!!