What I love about these “What I am_________________ Wednesday” pieces is that they require me to inventory, roughly once a month, what’s going on with my time. And given the continued unfathomable dynamic of feeling like time is flying by while some days feel like they’re encased in concrete, it’s more important than ever to step back and reflect on the valuable ways I’m using the precious resources of time and energy and brainpower—and this focus helps. It’s so easy to lose sight of the big picture and to mistakenly define our entire selves relative to to a single condition, incident, or moment in time. And we do ourselves a great disservice when we measure ourselves in this way. That’s not to say that I think taking an inventory of what I’m doing is a great proxy for reflecting on and increasing the value of my life, though I do think it shows the value of taking steps back to get a broader view and to see things in different ways, to answer important questions from as micro as “How much time am I wasting?” to as uber-macro as “Am I living my best life?” This week, the answers are “not much I don’t think” and “I’m trying.”
What I’m Reading.
I finished Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and loved it in a way I never could have predicted when I first started reading it. It was so different from Beartown (a favorite book) and it had a funny construct that I needed to get used to…plus it’s translated into English (from Swedish) so sometimes the word choice and phrasing seemed a bit off…needless to say, for a few short (literally) chapters I was skeptical..until I wasn’t. I really don’t want to say more. For me it was such a unique reading experience and story…probably best experienced than described.
I started It’s the Manager. It was recommended by a trusted advisor so I bought it and am digging in. The cover makes me twitch, using “manager” and “leader” seemingly interchangeably, but the book is solid so far. Lots of practical interpersonal stuff that’s so important in leading by example. Managing is administrative. Leading is a way of life. This book offers new ways of looking at and thinking about common experiences, and anything that helps me to think again is welcome. Not exactly a beach read, which is fine since summer is over, but probably useful to anyone looking to find a happier home in the workplace. I’ll keep you posted as I plow through it.
I also read a great YA book called Little & Lion which provided a perfect opportunity for me to relive and reprocess my own teen angst in a positive way. A great story…if angsty sweet YA stories are your jam.
And yes, I still read my dailies (Your True Home and The Daily Stoic) to keep me focused and grounded. Some of us need to work harder to appreciate our respective places in The Universe, and if you’re one of them, I highly recommend these or any other daily that speaks to your head and heart.
What I’m Watching.
I’ve mentioned before that we have enough tv shows saved up to get us through several pandemics. I deplete my iPhone battery scrolling to the bottom of my ridiculously lengthy “To Watch” list when I need to add something new (or for the third time)…this list, if printed, would rival the “best” of CVS receipts…so to say we’re backed up on shows would be an understatement. We go to the gym at 6 so by the time we’re home and showered and eating dinner it’s 8…so we watch a recording of Jeopardy! then typically get sucked into whatever’s on, like The Voice or American Ninja Warrior.
Speaking of Jeopardy! I think Mayim is doing a good job…she was perplexing me for a bit with her wardrobe…nothing ever matched. It drove me crazy but I thought, “Well, maybe that’s a thing among the Hollywood set or anyone who eschews coordinating hoodies and joggers…not matching.” And wouldn’t you know on Friday she matched‽ I thought she looked smart, in all her navy blue splendor. While I think she’s doing a nice job, I don’t think she likes Matt’s unorthodox answering style. He’ll say, for example, “What is Lincoln?” and even though he’s right, she’ll school him and say “Yes! Who is Abraham Lincoln?” Anyway, I know the plan is to alternate with her and Ken for a while but the powers that be need to take a page out of another game show’s playbook and give us a final answer.
Speaking of The Voice, when someone sings and sees no chairs turn, it is so sad for me as a viewer. For real. But it’s doubly sad when it comes following the telling of someone’s heart-wrenching against-all-odds backstory. The world is full of talented people who live in obscurity and anonymity…what makes the difference between someone who makes it or breaks it? Certainly not just harder work and bigger dreams…
Speaking of reality TV those crazy housewives of SLC are back at it for Season 2. What. A. Shitshow. Yep, I have a “To Watch” list a mile long yet this is how I choose to spend my time watching TV, particularly on those occasions when I’m home alone.
Not quite reality TV, but definitely real live action programming, I’m watching plenty of football. Yeah the Pats are off to a rough start and yeah, Mac Jones is a young QB, maybe not ready for prime time…but he’s not their biggest problem right now. This is one process you just gotta be patient with, developing young talent. Next week is The Game, which I’m very excited for even though it starts right around my bedtime. And this new commercial hyping Tom Brady’s return to Foxboro is brilliant. If you haven’t seen it yet, just watch it. My words can’t do it justice…but did I ever laugh when I saw it.
And speaking of sports, I’m channeling my inner Papa, drinking whiskey and whisky and watching baseball as the Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays fight for a Wild Card spot.
For new shows, I’ve recorded but need to watch The Big Leap, which looks good and got good reviews from both my mom and real TV critics. So I’ll give it a try.
Also for new shows, I’ve watched the first two episodes of Ordinary Joe, one recorded and one while it was actually broadcast. That’s huge for me, watching a show when it airs, commercials and all…(but that’s what exposed me to the commercial I just shared above, so…) I recorded it after I read an article in the Globe that previewed the new shows because I was a) intrigued by the premise and b) love me a good drama. I’ve often said that if I could have a superpower it would be the ability to control the hands of time…I loved the movie Sliding Doors because it’s the same basic premise and I often marvel over and appreciate (in hindsight) the life-changing impact of seemingly small/insignificant choices. Ordinary Joe seems like the perfect show for me, and so far I’m watching with interest and intrigue. And I’ve had one important realization this far: once a choice is made, I’m much better off forgetting about “what if?” and focusing on “what’s next?” I think it’s natural to wonder “what if?” but absent my time-control superpower, it’s best not to waste time on that which I can’t change and focus my energy on all that I can.
Similar subject, kind of a weird obsession, but I can’t get enough of this video from the 15th Anniversary Special of one of my fave musicals, Wicked. It’s one of my fave songs, probably because it’s about things in life that change you for good…”like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood”…sigh…
Oh, and for old shows I just watched the series finale of Younger. It was such a great show, and I’m really gonna miss it. Catch it if you can.
What I’m cooking/eating/drinking.
The Instant Pot is getting a real workout lately. My college-aged niece is living in her first apartment and just got her first IP, so I am doing some text-message “coaching” and sporadically sharing recipes and tips so as to be encouraging and not overwhelming—very gratifying to get last nights report that the shredded chicken came out “AMAZING.” So for this reason the IP has been even more top of mind for me lately, last week I was reminded just how delicious this mushroom and spinach risotto is. So good.
Instant Shawarma’s gonna get you. Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma, that is, and it’s gonna get you set up for a great dinner. Our fave shawarma place is temporarily closed and when I saw this recipe, we happened to have chicken and tzatziki in the fridge and all of the long list of spices in the cabinet so I made it Monday night. Holy crap, it was so good…even better than what we get at Shawarma & Shakes. Definitely one of my fave meals to come out of the Pot in a long time, and maybe even one of the best ever.
Oat milk has been thrust into my routine by a shortage/lack of availability of my long-preferred cashew milk. Almond milk has a taste that I can tolerate, but morning coffee is for enjoying, not for tolerating. And Planet Oat’s unsweetened original is doing a mighty fine job…especially when I can get it at BJ’s for $2.99 vs Shaw’s for $3.99…downside is it’s only like a 52 oz. container not 64. Robbery.
Other random stuff I’m _____________________.
I’m breathing. Bear with me. I’m not talking about the involuntary/automatic kind of life-sustaining breathing but rather the conscious kind of life-enhancing breathing. Breathe in the good, breathe out the bad. Breathe in light, breathe out darkness. Whatever. I read this article about breathing and I take a bit of issue with it. Mainly because like anything good/healthy, achieving whatever outcome is not easy. There’s no breathing hack. That said, there definitely is benefit that comes from certain breathing exercises…at least for me. They help me relax, focus, and in some cases, fall asleep. There’s no magic bullet, but with some practice, I’ve found it useful. Do a little research and experiment to find what works for you. Look up “box breathing” and “4-7-8 “ breathing and “4:8” breathing for starters. For me what works great is box breathing to calm down and a variation of 4:8 breathing to fall asleep. Counting in my head helps me keep other stray thoughts from creeping in—total bonus. I’m always looking for new things to try…if it can help, great, and it definitely can’t hurt. This helps sometimes.
I’m trying to fight early onset (and self-diagnosed) seasonal affective disorder as it gets darker and darker when I leave the gym at 7pm. But I think it’s a losing battle, definitely triggered by the closing of the pool, which happened Monday. So sad!
A recent Facebook post by Frank Bruni (#swoonyforBruni) mentioned the song Fade Into You by Mazzy Star, and described it accurately and brilliantly as “the aural equivalent of a morphine drip.” When I read that perfect description I immediately tuned in and tuned out, and thoroughly enjoyed the tranquilizing tranquility of it all, over and over and over.
Thank you so much for being here…have a great rest of the week and enjoy this “aural morphine drip,” courtesy of me and Frank Bruni and Mazzy Star.
As you know, we do a lot of coffee experimenting in my house. Oatly's Barista Edition is our milk of choice for coffee drinks! But too pricey and precious for cereal or cooking, so we have two milks in the fridge for their respective purposes :)
Love the reading recs! I'm adding Anxious People to my list