Regular Times

Happy Opening Day!

A tried and true tradition for us and our Detroit Tigers. If it were regular times, the vast majority of you would be gathered downtown in parking lots and bars, at Comerica Park or hanging out at someone's house. If it were regular times, that ballpark would be PACKED and brimming with excitement and the hope of a good season to come. If it were regular times, I would be looking at a bunch of fun selfies and pictures of all of you in your Detroit Tiger gear. But alas...

If it were regular times...

Man, I am so sick of saying "if it were regular times, we could do this! If it were regular times, we could go here! If it were regular times, we could try this!" We are a full blown year into this thing and I am still (clearly) craving some normalcy. This new year has brought about hope with the vaccines but things are still stagnant, stuck in this awful limbo where the universe is making us feel like we can get a little bit of our old lives back but then throws a curveball at us just to remind us that we are still very much in the middle of a pandemic

It's like trying to force that square peg into a round hole. We are so close to those regular times again that I can almost see a light at the end of the tunnel but every so often, something comes along to block my view. 

Seeing everyone excited for Opening Day brings me a sense of normalcy and hope. Keep stuff like that up.

I've been keeping a running list of things I have watched, read and listened to these last few months... and as I have clearly needed things to get me out of my own head, here are a few of the shows, books and podcasts that have been keeping me afloat.

Bridgerton: I decided to watch this on a whim. I was sick of coming home every night staring at my phone. I was planning on boycotting it because Shonda Rhimes was attached to it and I still (irrationally) hold a grudge for 90% of what she did to Grey's Anatomy but I ended up absolutely falling in love with it. It's olden times and beautiful costumes, great music, witty banter and the most handsome man there ever was; Rege-Jean Page. I cannot wait for season 2. 

Schitt's Creek: I have this stupid thing in my brain where the more popular something gets, the more I don't want to cave to it. It's dumb and I have probably missed out on a lot of great things because of it but hey, I am who I am. Well, I had about 447 people tell me that I needed to start this show and I eventually gave in to it. OH MY GOD it was exactly what I needed. I can't really tell you anything new about it that other people haven't already said but it is charming and delightful and makes me so so happy. I adore it. Mostly, I adore Dan Levy. The inclusivity, the silliness, the heartfelt family storylines mixed in with the absurdity. It is everything I needed to take me out of reality into a world that was pure joy. It is every single thing that every person has ever said about it and more. They deserve all of the awards that they've received and then some. I really love it.  

The Sinner: One hundred percent honesty- I watched this for Matt Bomer. It was completely out of the realm of anything I have ever seen him in and was super impressed and totally disturbed by his performance. The story itself was a little wonky and weak but I certainly enjoyed staring at him for a little bit each night again. Charley liked watching this one with me too so that was fun.

Sweet Magnolias: On Netflix about 3 childhood best friends who grow up and try to make their hometown thrive with fun businesses and a little (a lot) of drama thrown in. I really love the friendship between the 3 girls and their weekly margarita nights that make me long for a girl's night of my own. When I finished the season finale, I literally yelled at my television by myself, "THAT'S IT?! THAT'S HOW IT ENDS?!" I was so sad. They had an excellent cliffhanger and I am anxiously awaiting season 2. Oh! Also, they have one of the best theme songs by one of the greatest bands there ever was:

WandaVision: I loved the show. I loved the cleverness of it. The fun of it. Being immersed in that Marvel world again that I hadn't really realized I was missing. And though I loved the show, I felt depressed and unfulfilled when it ended. It was a brilliant, smart execution for a beautifully written love story, brimming with grief. Charley loved all of the Marvel easter eggs and I have always been appreciative of a show who throws nods and winks to fans to let them know we are all in on the same secret. It reminds me of the good ol' days of Lost. You know what else reminds of Lost? 

SPOILER ALERT (for WandaVision and Lost)

Having to watch Vision go away and Wanda be devastated time and time again. Over and over again. It's like torture. Like when we had to watch Juliet die over and over and over again at the end of Lost. I just can't with the sadness. 

But really, they did an excellent job with it and Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany were magnificent.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is in full swing and the banter between the two is delightful. Also, you know... Bucky Barnes (hubba hubba)

Mighty Ducks Game Changers: I got Charley to watch this one with me and was really happy that he was laughing at all the right places and seemed to enjoy it. I filled him in on some of throwbacks to the original movies and I look forward to seeing some of the old Ducks in future episodes. But let's be honest here, this reboot will mean nothing to me if Joshua Jackson's Charlie Conway doesn't show up. Really though- Lauren Graham is phenomenal in it and it was really fun seeing Emilio Estevez revive Gordon Bombay's snark.

Watching the reboot, lead to me making Charley watch the original Mighty Ducks movie and I think he may have liked it. I haven't forced 2 or 3 on him yet... baby steps. I was sure to let him know that Mike Vitar stars in the 2nd and 3rd movies as Luis Mendoza so I am hoping that makes him a little more intrigued (LOL it doesn't at all)

This Is Us: It's been an okay season. I was initially put off by all the covid stuff (I live it every day. I didn't want to see it in my TV shows) but they've handled the reality of it very very well. I've fast forwarded through a few episodes (Randall's mom?? Now?? No thank you) but I have enjoyed the dynamic this season much more than the last.

The Walking Dead: Honestly, Jeff and I probably would have stopped watching this a long time ago had Charley not gotten into it. Every once in awhile it has these really great moments that remind you how fantastic it used to be but lately... These last few episodes have been BRUTAL. Brutally boring. Like the most boring episodes there ever was. I sure hope the upcoming season finale about Negan and Lucille (Hilarie Burton Morgan !!!) is good and goes out with a bang. I hope next season revives it a bit because it is struggling and at this point, the only thing that will rope me back in is if Rick shows back up. Can you imagine?!

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: This season has been much more subdued than last season with Zoey dealing with the death of her dad and trying to figure out how to navigate life after losing her hero. It's such a well acted show. Mo and Max opening their new restaurant has been a good, fun balance to her grief and the latest episode featured a tipsy Simon and let me tell you guys, I am Team Simon all the way.

Books!

I read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and was shocked by how different the book is from the movie. I mean, movies are always different from the books but maybe this was a unique experience because this is one of the few times that I had seen the movie first. Each are very good in their own right but the book is much more moody than the movie was. I can't decide if I liked one more than the other but either way, it was a fun read

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes: A delightful read set in 1930's Kentucky and revolves around Eleanor Roosevelt's travelling pack library. Full disclosure: I will read anything by Jojo Moyes. I LOVE her, but throw in a library and encouraging people to read, a few love stories and shoutouts to Louisville, Lexington and yes, even Booneville and I am sold!

I rewatched Gone Girl yesterday and it got me thinking about how much I loved that book. The movie was decent but let's be honest, they were never ever going to be able to capture the tension, the excitement and the pure shock that reading the book brought. It's one of those instances where I wish I could read the book again for the first time and re-experience how much fun I had while reading it.

What books do you wish you could read again for the first time? I will also throw Harry Potter, The Night Circus and Fangirl in there. Just to experience falling in love with those stories for the first time. SO great. 

Podcast!

When my brother Dennis and I were little he was always trying to get me to make a radio station with him. I usually had a headache or needed to watch Saved by the Bell so I always flaked on him. Well, he has his very own podcast now highlighting buried treasure music. It's so good, you guys. If you are looking for new music to listen to, please check it out and hit that link below. And if you have any suggestions for him to do a deep dive into, hit him up!

Broken Buttons

 Let me know what is on your To Watch, To Read or To Listen To lists. I plan on eventually watching Ted Lasso and Ginny and Georgia and of course, my JG in her Yes Day movie. 

Leave me some of your favorite Tigers, Comerica park, Opening Day memories and pictures in the comments. I would love to see them and pretend like we are all celebrating together just like regular times. 

Tired Potato

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. No gifts, just really great food and all the mashed potatoes and leftovers I could handle. Not to mention the excitement of looking over the ads with my family and listening to Christmas music. I love the atmosphere of a Thanksgiving celebration. I love the joy that comes with it and mostly, I just really love being with my loved ones on Thanksgiving. 

    It has never been lost on me- the amount of effort my parents (or anyone who hosts a holiday) put into organizing and executing a family gathering like Thanksgiving. I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where I was woken up by the smell of turkey cooking on Thanksgiving, never really knowing what time my mom had actually started cooking the dang thing. Never knowing the days of prep leading up to it (defrost it, dry it out, brine it??); the menus, the timing, the decorations. I always thought this knowledge was something a person acquired as they got older. Well, here I am, 40 years old and I just bought my first turkey... after calling my parents last night and asking, "how do I buy a turkey? Do I just walk in and pick one out? How big of a turkey? Am I supposed to stuff the turkey? How many days does it need to defrost??" This phone call came after 3 phone calls that preceded it asking for my mom's stuffing recipe and my dad's gravy recipe and what is a cheesecloth for exactly??

    I guess what I am trying to say is that I have been very lucky and very spoiled over the years to have not just one Thanksgiving dinner cooked for me, but after I met Jeff, TWO Thanksgiving dinners in one day. Double the turkey. Double the mashed potatoes (!!). Double the pie. See? Lucky. No matter the exhaustion that comes along with holidays; the car traveling and rushing and little sleep, how lucky are we that we have so many loved ones to share it with?

    Much like the rest of this year has been, this holiday is going to prove to be different than all others. I implore you to make it special. Do what you can to be SAFE and keep your loved ones safe but also try to make it a happy one. 

    All this to say that I am very grateful for my parents and my in-laws as I embark on my own journey of trying to organize and cook a 16 pound turkey (it's the smallest one they had LOL) for just the 3 of us.

    Feel free to wish me some luck on cooking my first turkey and to drop me some tips, hints and suggestions along the way.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Be safe.

 

Fourty

     My family has always made a big deal out of birthdays. My parents always always made a point to make us feel special on our name days, whether it be parties, cards, or signs, there were always surprises big and small to let us know that we were loved.

    So as I've gotten older, I have always loved celebrating my birthday. Not because of the gifts but because of the reminders that I am loved. And believe me when I say that that means more than any material gift ever could. I say all of this because as we come upon my 40th birthday, I have had a rough go of it. I never ever cared about aging before. It's just a number. I have always been proud to turn whatever age I was turning. Until 2020. I don't know if it's the state of things; COVID, election, COVID, mean people, angry people, mad people, not being able to spend time with my family, not being able to hug the people that I love, seeing people not taking things seriously enough, living in a perpetual state of anxiousness and exhaustion OR if I have just reached a time in my life where I am blah about birthdays.

I don't think I'm blah about birthdays. 

    My mom and dad reminded me that turning 40 is not something to be sad about but a reminder of all the things I should be grateful for. So I decided instead of grumbling about this birthday that I don't get to spend with friends and family due to the dumpster fire that we are currently in, I am going to make a list of the 40 things I am most thankful for.

1. Coffee - Doesn't really need an explanation. I look forward to it every morning and think of it as a treat whenever Jeff and I have some in the evening. I really love coffee.

2. Chocolate chip cookies - Making them, eating them, I love them. Maybe one day I will get to make them all for you again??

3. Grocery delivery - God bless the people who invented Shipt. I haven't been physically grocery shopping since April and I do not miss it one bit. If YOU are a Shipt shopper or you know someone who is, please thank them for me. I appreciate your service more than you know!

4. Food delivery - Piggy backing off grocery delivery... what an absolute life saver it is to be able to have good food delivered to your door... and not have to talk to anyone. It makes me so damn happy.

5. My coworkers - I spend more time with these girls than I do my own family. We are family. I can't tell you how much better they make my days. ESPECIALLY these days. They are my free therapists and I couldn't love them more

6. My house - It's home. I love it. 

7. My dogs - LOL even Athena. They're funny and annoying and loud and they are A+ snugglers. Everyone should have a dog. They are so good for your mental health.

8. My family - I love them. I miss them. I miss them so much. 

9. Books - They are my escape. My break from this every day world. I am so unbelievably thankful for books.

10. Stress and anxiety relief - see above. These days more than ever we need mental health breaks and days. Whether your stress relief comes in the form of therapy, having a drink with people you love, eating, reading, painting, coloring, writing, exercising... Whatever it is. How lucky are we that we have so many outlets to choose from?

11. Vodka sodas - because they are refreshing and I just really enjoy them and I am happy that after all these years I finally found an alcoholic beverage that I like.

12. Reeses pumpkins and eggs and Christmas trees - Sure, I love myself a regular reeses cup, but the chocolate/peanut butter ratio is exponentially better in the pumpkins etc. It's just a fact.

13. My neighborhood - I cannot tell you how much I love being able to walk around a real neighborhood with my dogs. It is such a special thing.

14. Teachers - Thank you. For adapting to a new way of teaching. For trying so hard to get these kids the knowledge they need to grow up in this world. Thank you for reaching out and making sure the kids with anxiety are okay. That the kids are eating. That the kids who need help have the resources to help them achieve their goals. You are what makes these kid's minds blossom. So, thank you. 

15. People who are kind - It seems a silly thing to be thankful for. Everyone should be kind. But, nowadays, it is far more common to come in contact with someone who is mean and angry than it is someone who is patient and kind. I am so grateful for kind people. We need more. 

16. All essential workers - ESPECIALLY the health screeners at the doors and on the phones of all the doctor's offices, dental offices and eyecare offices. THIS is a job you do not want. THIS is a job where the person performing this duty gets yelled at and sighed at and eyes rolled at. It is the person who is trying to keep YOU healthy and safe inside of the establishment you are visiting. Sure, you may have been asked the standard covid questions a million times by now. Maybe even twice the same day, but you know what? The screener doesn't know that. The screener is just doing what they are told to do and to be honest, it's probably the most important job in the office because it is the first step of keeping that building healthy. So, the next time you go to the doctor and the person at the door or desk asks you a list of questions and checks your temperature and asks you to please put a mask on, be nice and just answer them and more importantly; answer them HONESTLY. It doesn't take much. I promise it doesn't. They are just as tired of having to ask the questions as you are of hearing them.

17. The Governor - Say what you will about Big Gretch, but I could not be more proud to come from a state where the person in charge has my safety as her number one priority. I am not here to argue with you about what your thoughts are about her. I am here to tell you that I am thankful for all she has done (and is still trying to do) to keep us safe. 

18. My friends - I miss my friends. I haven't seen my friends in so long, but just because we haven't seen each other that doesn't mean I don't love and miss each and every one of you. 

19. Jennifer Garner - You guys, I am not a crazy person, I swear. I am completely genuine when I tell you that I love her. She is a bright spot in a dreary social media world. She is truly gifted and kind hearted and so damn funny. I am grateful that our world has someone like her in it.

20. The fact that my kid is so good at math and computers - He's just smart and I don't miss the days of having to help him with his math homework. He just gets it. Math was so difficult for me growing up. OH MY GOD, I had the hardest time with it. So that makes me SO incredibly thankful that he doesn't struggle in that area because it was torture for me.

21. Motrin - I get a lot of headaches. see; the world we live in

22. Jeff - my Fred. The one who puts up with my absolute crankiness. The one who listens when I have a shit day, The one who never judges when I start crying for no reason. The one who always makes me smile. I love him a lot.

23. Charley - What a kid, man. He's smart and funny and so damn creative and sometimes he will say or do something so brilliant that it knocks me off my feet. He's just good and I'm proud to be his mom.

24. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite - You know, it's that app that is kind of like the Pokemon game but not nearly as popular. I just enjoy playing it because it makes me feel like I am back in the universe (a wizard. It makes me feel like a wizard).

25. Harry Potter - Speaking of... I am so grateful to have this world that I can constantly jump back into. Whether it be with a movie marathon or rereading the books or just talking about it. It is so much fun to be part of a universe as elaborate and creative and fun as HP. 

26. People who are willing to stand up for things - whether it's the world or a cause you are passionate about; we need more people like that. People fighting for a common good.

27. Taco Bell - There are few things I get more excited about eating than Taco Bell

28. The Hallmark channel - It calms me and it makes me happy and I know they are cheesy and I always know how they will end, but what's wrong with getting a guaranteed happy ending every time? Not a damn thing, I tell ya.

29. Chocolate creme oreos - They. Are. Delicious.

30. My dishwasher - I had never used a dishwasher until we got this house. I cannot tell you how much time and energy that stupid washing box has saved me.

31. Sleep - I love sleep. It makes me so happy. Athena doesn't let me get much sleep these days but the days I do get to sneak a nap in here and there make it all the more special. 

32. Everything bagel seasoning - Have you tried it yet? It's amazing. I put it on everything. Natalie made me an everything bagel seasoning cheeseball (see below) and it was DELICIOUS. You should get some because it will make you happy too. 

33. This one step hair dryer/volumizer - It makes my mornings so much faster

34. Face Time/House Party/Zoom - What an unbelievably convenient thing to have when you aren't allowed to be around people. 

35. Twinkle lights - party lights, Christmas lights etc. They are pretty and make me really happy. Jeff is good about indulging my love of twinkle lights

36. Greek salads - Especially from the Leo's in Westland. The are delicious. 

37. Reese's Take5 bars - Yes, it's another reeses product but it's different because of the PRETZELS in it and they are heaven in a wrapper!

38. Comedian Sarah Cooper - Good lord, nothing has made me laugh like Sarah Cooper has made me laugh during this god forsaken pandemic. Thank goodness for the people who are able to make us laugh in these stupid times.

39. Cookie/Cake decorating videos - Sometimes when I am extra anxious or stressed or can't sleep, I go on instagram and search decorating videos and let me tell you, there is nothing like watching a baker flood a cookie with some icing or fancily slap some frosting onto a cake to relieve your brain like this can. I promise you. It is so relaxing. 

40. Vanilla sweet cream cold brew from Starbucks - SO GOOD. I haven't had the patience to obtain as much Starbucks as I would like to these last few months. The lines are SO LONG and their mobile ordering was so insanely chaotic last time I tried it that I've been too afraid to use it since, BUT when I do have the time to wait in the 40 minute drive-thru line, it is SO worth it. 

Anyway, thank you to all of you for always brightening my day with funny memes and videos and pictures of your kids and animals. It always means more than you know. As harsh as social media can be, I am thankful for good parts. 

My family set up a surprise for me for when I got home from work tonight. Decorations all throughout the basement, balloons, streamers, signs, collages, food and gifts. The best is the birthday board put together with kind words from all of you. So, if you contributed to this... I don't have the words to express how eternally grateful I am for all of you. It is a wonderful feeling to know how loved you are and you all made this pretty down in the dumps almost 40 year old sob like a baby.

Thank you. 

Look at this. Just look at it!

This was my dinner.

Decency

Hey hey hey!

I’ll start by saying I got lots of thoughts rolling around up here in Sarah Town, so bear with me as I go all over the place...

Also, there’s a Midnight Sun review in here too, so if you don’t want to sift through my other meanderings, go ahead and scroll on down to the bottom there. 

Since being back at work these last few months not much has changed but also everything has changed? Every day there is a new something to be concerned about. This election is making me insane and I’m going to look 70 by the time my birthday rolls around. Never in all my life did I think I would care about politics as much as I do these days. Don't worry, I am not going to try to sway your vote one way or the other but this is my blog and I'm going blog some thoughts...

I miss decency. I miss kindness. I miss being able to read a story online and not do a deep dive into the comments and come out the other end feeling like absolute garbage. You hear/say it all the time; “don’t read the comments”. It’s horrible that you know without looking how absolutely vile people are going to be. Even on the most simple of posts- a recipe, a dog picture, a picture of a tree. Guaranteed there will be at least one negative comment. What makes people so mean? 

A very open celebrity gives updates on her tough pregnancy and eventual miscarriage and people rip her to shreds. A grieving family. Ripped to shreds because “she just wants attention”, yet these same people are following her on social media with the sole purpose of wanting to know about her life and invade her personal space. They attacked her with disgusting comments and horrendous thoughts about her baby dying. For what? Why? 

A grieving wife posts a plea to the president to have empathy for not only herself but the other families who lost loved ones to covid and the responses to her were atrocious. What gives you the right to speak (or type. gross) to someone this way? What is wrong with people? Does it make them sleep better at night to know that they left this really nasty comment on a widow’s Instagram page? What. The. Hell. I don’t understand it. I will never understand what drives someone to be so cruel, whether on the internet or in person. 

Stop it. Nothing gets better by being mean. We learn this as toddlers; BE NICE. It’s basic human knowledge. When does common decency get lost along the way? I’ll never understand it and it makes me so sad. 

200,000+ people have died. Died. Lost their lives and we say it like it’s the most normal statistic in the world. Well, it is what it is, I guess, right? NO. People’s lives and trust are not to be cast aside. That’s not how the world should work. 

We need more empathy. We need more kindness. We need more DECENCY. It’s really not that hard. 

Whoa whoa whoa. Sorry but not really sorry about that because I am exhausted and my brain cannot take much more negativity. 

Something has got to give. And soon. 

Happy things:

Charley went back to in person learning this week. The first day wasn’t great for his anxiety (or mine— I’ve diagnosed myself after this year, guys; I have anxiety) but he pulled through like a champ and actually had a great couple of days and we are super proud of him. Remember that this whole entire situation is a lot for these kids and try not to get too frustrated with them. Mask wearing and all the new rules are a lot for these smaller humans. C had a moment today where he had to cough but he was trying not to cough because he was terrified someone would think he was sick, and it made him cough more and he was so embarrassed. These kids are dealing with more on a daily basis lately than we ever had to and they are rockstars for adapting. 

The Walking Dead aired their season finale (that was supposed to air in April?) this past Sunday and I can’t believe it but it was actually really great. Made even better by The Talking Heads because the perfect song can take any situation to A++ levels, let me tell you!

Burning Down the House

We also watched the spinoff- The Walking Dead: World Beyond, which takes place 10 years after the zombie apocalypse began. It centers on how life has progressed since then and how they’re trying to rebuild the world. At the heart of it is a group of teenagers who venture out on their own, all because they want to see what’s beyond the community they’re apart of and also because they want to find loved ones. I got Hunger Games/Divergent vibes and I’m not angry about that. I’m intrigued to see where it goes. 

You know what’s a good movie(s)? Ghostbusters 1 & 2. I’ve watched both of them twice the last few days because Freeform just replays things over and over and they both just made me really happy and reminded me how much I love the actors. They bring back really great memories of being a kid. 

That’s about the extent of my tv watching lately. This pandemic has done something to my desire to watch television. For the first time in years I am not watching Dancing With the Stars. I just can’t get behind it for some reason. I’m having difficulty jumping into anything new and I can’t figure out why. 

What has happened to me?! 

Cure my TV blues, y’all!

My parents got a new puppy. She is a teacup chihuahua named Lacey and she’s the smallest thing you ever saw. She’s also super duper cute. 

Speaking of puppies, our Athena (Teena Marie we have aptly nicknamed her... no, I don’t know why) is doing very well. She’s still a little asshole but she’s very cute and very smart. She can sit and I’d say she is about 88% potty trained and she is a phenomenal walker. Seriously. So good on a leash. 

                                                 Okay... Now for my Midnight Sun review:

                                         *********** SPOILERS AHEAD ****************

LOL do you still need a spoiler alert for a story that’s been out for 15yrs and is just told from a different character’s perspective? Sure ya do! 

Midnight Sun, as you (should) already know is Twilight told from Edward’s perspective. 

A little backstory/full disclosure:

I have read the Twilight series several, several times. At least 10. At least. It holds a very dear and special place in my heart and I will always adore it. 

After I read the series for the first time and I realized that Stephenie Meyer had written a few chapters from Edward’s point of view, I was ECSTATIC. I felt like I was being let in on this secret not everyone knew about (everyone knew about it). To take Bella’s chapters and compare them with his, was so much fun. I absolutely loved it. But after a few chapters it stopped. Stephenie always said she wanted to release MS in its entirety so it would bookend Twilight. She said she had all the chapters mapped out and ready to go. And then internet trolls did their internet troll thing and leaked what she had written to the entire internet. 

SM was pisssseeedddd. 

She said she was refusing to finish the book for a true publication release and instead put the pdf file for what was leaked, on her website for people to enjoy at their leisure. It was the first 12 chapters. Almost everything leading up to their first “date” in the meadow. And boy howdy did I READ IT. I read it over and over and over again, only to be so sad every time it abruptly stopped. I would get angry every time SM would do an interview and refuse to talk about it. I gave up on her ever releasing it and figured she had too. But then the pandemic hit and she decided to surprise us with it.

Hooray! 

Rather than dive right in, myself and the Beutner sisters (Dawn and Ashley) decided to start our own Twilight book club. Dawn and I restarted from the beginning, while Ashley immediately read MS. Over those few weeks we had many a laugh, usually at Bella’s expense (but always in good fun) until Dawn and I got to MS. I blew through the first part (the part I had already read several times. A lot of times) and then came to an absolute standstill when I got to the new parts. Why? I couldn’t put my finger on it. Here, I’ll put my finger on it now... Edward Cullen is whiny, guys. Maybe it’s because I’m almost 40? Maybe it’s because I have read these books so many times (seriously, the binding is broken on all of my books), maybe SM just isn’t a good writer? Maybe it’s too little too late? I don’t know but it made me sad. 

It has moments of greatness. Moments that make me remember why I love it so much but mostly it’s Edward saying he wants to leave Bella for her own good for 700 pages. It’s very cool to read the baseball game from his perspective. You find out about abilities Jasper has that are never mentioned in the earlier books. Rosalie is truly just not nice at all and you get an even greater sense of that in this book. It’s cool to read what actually happened when The Cullens flew from Seattle to Phoenix and how they were able to beat James. But in between all of that is a whole slew of anxious whining. Also, knowing how Edward leaves Bella in New Moon, you really really get to see that he was never going to not leave her. It was always the plan, he was just waiting for the right moment. He wouldn’t leave her while she was still healing from all of her insane injuries, so he waited for her to heal and then get a paper cut and for his brother to try to attack her. I don’t know. It was a lot and I think mostly I finished feeling very underwhelmed. Not what I expected at all. But then again, maybe that’s my own fault. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy to have it and I enjoyed lots of parts of it. I just wanted a little less whining, I guess? A little less anxiety from Edward?  He’s a vampire, for crying out loud! 

But you know, still read it because if you’re a Twilight fan you deserve to. And now it looks pretty on my shelf, but I think I’m done with my reread of that series for awhile. 

That’s all I got, guys. What is making you happy these days?

This is an old AFV video from last year that makes Jeff and I laugh... Enjoy!

It's a Killer

And remember... Please, please, please be decent people.

Bookend

I've got some things to say but instead of starting this post off on a rant fest, I'll start it off with some fun stuff...

Much like the rest of the world, Jeff and I watched Hamilton last weekend. Full disclosure: I was not already a huge fan like most people were and to be honest, Jeff wanted to watch it more than I did. I was not against it, per say, nor did I dislike it, I just wasn't interested in it. I knew it was hugely popular and even though I didn't know a ton about it (other than you know... Alexander Hamilton), I have always thought Lin-Manuel Miranda to be positively delightful. That, combined with my love for musicals, encouraged me to watch it. Well, guess what? I LOVED IT. Especially Phillipa Soo. I think I'm pretty much in love with her at this point and "Helpless" is running through my head 24/7. It's a 3 hour production that did not feel like 3 hours by any means. The acting is phenomenal and the singing is extraordinary. The writing is outstanding and that pretty much sums it up. Watch it if you enjoy listening to absurdly talented people sing/rap/act, or if you just really love musicals. It is truly exquisite and if you're at all like me, you will then listen to the soundtrack on repeat and take all the Buzzfeed quizzes about which character you are because they pop up on our Facebook feed out of nowhere (creepy).

This is me sweating while in my happy place, listening to Hamilton and wearing a Harry Potter shirt

I'm Eliza by the way.

You're damn right I am.



Over quarantine I read 4 books:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, who is also responsible for one of my all time most favorite books in the whole universe, The Night Circus. It was good and if you enjoy a deep, descriptive magical journey, you will enjoy both of those books.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald, which was a cute little book about starting a new life and breaking out of your comfort zone.

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson. This one was an excellent twisty story about family and books and scavenger hunts and I read it in a day. I loved it.

And last but most certainly not least, I read Little Women by Louis May Alcott. Boy oh boy, I adored this book. It just made me happy and made me want to hang out with the March sisters and "their boy," Teddy. I couldn't stop thinking about it after I finished it. I watched the movie from 2019, starring Jeff's number one crush, Saoirse Ronan (pronounced "sertia" like "inertia" !) and enjoyed it quite a lot and did my damndest not to get upset that they changed lots of things and left out some fun things.

Quarantine made me excited about gardening and growing herbs and vegetables and watching birds eat from our bird feeders. There is something so satisfying about planting this tiny thing and watching it grow and grow and grow. I'm about to have a TON of tomatoes, you guys! and zucchini! It's very exciting. We also had hummingbirds visit our feeder for the very first time this week.

Quarantine gave us the time we needed to get all of our books in order and it is absolutely glorious and everything I have ever wanted.

What can I say? I already loved my home, but covid has made me truly enjoy every aspect of it.
A silver lining in an otherwise traumatic time, I suppose.

Speaking of covid, let me get some things off my chest...

We are in the middle? The thick of? The midst? of a pandemic. A PANDEMIC.

Pandemic: (of a disease) Prevalent over a whole country or world. A WHOLE COUNTRY OR WORLD.

This is not something that is happening to only one person or thing. This is literally taking over the world. But even so, even if it was just happening to one person, wouldn't it STILL be awful? Wouldn't you want to reach out and do everything you could to help that one person? What if that one person was you? Or your mom or dad? Your grandmother? Your best friend? A friend of a friend of a friend? Wouldn't you, as a decent and respectable human being, WANT to protect that person? Isn't empathy embedded somewhere in all of our human psyches?

There is the most simple of solutions to slowing down the spread of this virus. Literally, SO SIMPLE.
Shut up, Sarah! I am so sick of hearing about this.
I will not.
I will not shut up about it because all of our lives are at risk. Mine. Yours. Your family and friends. Wear a damn mask. It is SO SIMPLE. It is not taking away your rights. It is not taking away your freedom. It is quite simply, a respectable thing to do. Like wearing shoes inside of a store so that your gross and stinky feet don't get the floors dirty, you need to wear a mask so that your breath and particles and GERMS don't KILL other people.
Why is that a bad thing? Why are we arguing about it? Your mask will protect my mother who is a cancer survivor. Your mask will protect my 95 year old grandfather (his birthday is tomorrow! Happy birthday, grandpa!)
Why does that make you angry? Why does protecting others make someone so angry?
It's about treating others with respect. I respect you, so I will do my best to protect you.

And listen. Fine. If being selfish is your thing, then cool. Don't wear a mask, but you are NOT allowed to go into a place of business that requires one (it's the law now, by the way. Go Whitmer!) and be rude to their staff. Or roll your eyes. Or heave a big sigh. And if you have done this, how dare you. Shame on you. We are all trying to do our jobs. We are doing our best to scrape out of this damn thing alive and to have a select few undo everything we have worked for is so goddamn discouraging and HEARTBREAKING. This thing is real. You want your lives back? You want to go to the gym? Or the movies? The solution is so simple...
Wear an f'ing mask.

See? This is why I started with happy things. I am exhausted and cannot believe that it is almost mid July and we are still arguing about this.

It all comes down to kindness. JUST BE NICE. I do not enjoy wearing a mask anymore than you do, but you know what? They are here to stay. They are going nowhere anytime soon. So, make it fun. Buy a cute one, buy a cool one, buy a funny one. Just like shoes, they are part of your wardrobe now, friends. 

I bought this one for my sister and I.
I am probably going to get this one too
Make it your own. Make it work. Make it SAFE

One more thing about pandemic etiquette... Don't go door to door. I don't want to deal with door to door sales people in regular times. I most certainly do not want to deal with door to door people in the middle of a pandemic. It's a terrible idea. Don't do that. Just don't do it.

I will bookend this post with a few happy things, okay?

The O'Scottahan Library

Show me your masks. Is it homemade? Is it fun? Is it a medical one? I want to see what they look like.

Here is Bryn showing how her favorite toy monkey is wearing her mask:

May the 4th!

Hi.

Happy Star Wars Day, all!

I'm sitting on my couch, watching a Star Wars marathon on TBS, while wearing a Star Wars shirt and typing on Charley's old busted laptop that I have taken over since he acquired his precious gaming computer and doing my best not to fall asleep. Because now that I'm not at work, all I want to do is sleep. All day long. I don't. But I totally could.

Last night was the season one finale of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist and it was a beautiful hour of entertainment, family, love and heartbreak. I cannot say enough good things about this show. When I first saw the preview for it, I was worried it would be too Glee-like. Not because I disliked Glee, I didn't. It's just, we've already had a Glee. But this show. This show is so clever and so creative and goodness, it just makes me so damn happy. Jury is still out on whether or not it will be renewed for a season 2. I was trying so hard not to get attached to it, but as the episodes went on, I couldn't help myself. I need this show to be renewed. In a world where everything is falling apart, it is truly one of the few bright spots keeping me afloat right now. Every actor on this show is exploding with talent and deserves to be seen and heard again. The episode last night ended with one of the most perfect sequences/scenes/performances I have ever seen on television. And no, that's not me exaggerating. Take a look and see for yourself... but you know, have some tissues with you because. Tears.

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist-- American Pie

Jeff and I started watching WACO on Netflix. I don't know why. We were just chatting about it and what we remembered from that time. My most vivid memory from that whole event was being in 7th grade and my mom letting me stay home so we could have a shopping day. I remember hearing on the radio while we were out, that the compound was on fire but didn't really understand a whole lot about it at the time. It's kind of eye opening to watch the show. Dude was absolutely, one hundred percent crazy but the entire operation was so insane. And sad. And seemed super unnecessary? It freaks me out a little bit. It's probably one of the reasons why I have been having crazy dreams lately.

Last week Josh Gad reunited THE ENTIRE CAST of The Goonies, including Steven Spielberg. It was so cool to watch. He has been teasing all week that episode 2 (which comes out Monday, May 11th at noon) will be Back to the Future !!

Here's the Goonies reunion in case you missed it: Reunited Apart

Have any of you been to Starbucks since the whole stay at home order started? Starbucks is HOPPING, let me tell you. My last day of work I stopped there because I wanted something to cheer me up after the absolutely surreal and sad feeling of walking out of the building, not knowing when I would see my coworkers again. I went to the one on Middlebelt, across from Meijer. The line was wrapped around the building and overflowed out onto the drive way leading up to Menards, L O L. I had pre-ordered/prepaid in the mobile app but still had to wait in line because the lobby was closed. Which, was fine, but I was cracking up at all the cars. For coffee. I mean, I GET IT, people. I do. If I hadn't prepaid would I have waited in that line? Probably not, but to be honest, WHAT ELSE DID I HAVE TO DO?? So, I totally understand it. If there isn't much that is brightening your day right now and a delicious coffee from Starbucks will do the trick, you go wait 45 minutes to an hour in that line. I SUPPORT YOU. COMPLETELY.

When Jeff showed me the Devin Scillian video of him singing The Rainbow Connection (and making me cry) it got me thinking about my most favorite songs of all time. I asked him if he could name 5 songs that he thinks are the best songs ever and he couldn't do it. It's a difficult thing, I know, but I would put The Rainbow Connection on that list. Along with The Tragically Hip's Ahead By a Century and Howie Day's Collide. Maybe Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles? That's about as far as I got. I don't even know what puts those songs on my list, other than they resonate with me and hit me in a way that most songs don't.

Here is the Devin Scillian video with a bonus Kermit video to go along with it because two is better than one and if you're already crying watching the one, why not keep it going?!

Devin Scillian- The Rainbow Connection
Kermit the Frog- The Rainbow Connection

Last week while scrolling facebook, I saw Stephenie Meyer's name pop up in regards to a virtual cast reunion for a movie she produced back in 2013, called Austenland. The movie was based on the book by the same name, written by Shannon Hale, about a girl who goes on vacation to a Jane Austen inspired retreat. It was a lovely book and a very enjoyable movie, starring Keri Russell (whom I adore), and I must have liked the fansite back in the day for it to be popping back up onto my newsfeed. Anyway when I saw Stephenie Meyer's name, I thought to myself, "there's a name I haven't heard in awhile" and didn't really think much of it. Then a few days later, a Twilight fansite that I used to follow showed up on my feed with a countdown clock from Meyer's website, saying they had no idea what it was, only that it was legit. I, being the Twilight nerd that I am, scoped it out for myself and immediately texted my soulmate Dawn. We decided that it was probably just going to be some dumb new book about mermaids and told each other that we were NOT going to put anymore thought into it... until the countdown clock ran out and then, you know, whoever found out first had to tell the other right away. Completely normal and sane things for two thirtysomethings to discuss. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about it. I didn't really give it a second thought until Entertainment Weekly posted what it was that she was about to promote. You guys, she's releasing Midnight Sun-- The story of Twilight told from Edward's perspective. After all this time. After all these years. After she was so pissed that someone leaked the first few chapters online without her consent and basically vowed to never release it, she's releasing it. I couldn't help it, I got excited... and of course, immediately texted Dawn, which lead to a phone call where we pretty much just kept laughing and saying "why?? why now?? WHY?". It's just odd and at such a weird, random time. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT. Forget about the silly novellas that she released instead and the dumb retelling of the story where all the characters genders were switched (YES. That really was a thing). Forget about how the idea of Twilight and Midnight Sun is the reason why Fifty Shades of Grey exists (that's true, by the way. I'm not just making that up. I promise). I'm going to read it because as a devoted Twilight fan, who has spent many an hour reading/thinking/watching those stories, I deserve some closure and when it comes down to it, why the hell not?! WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE GOING ON?! Oh, and it comes out August 4th, by the way.

How is everyone doing these days? My days are all blending together. I miss my co-workers and I miss working up patients. I miss my mom and dad and want more than anything to get a good Tom and Carol hug. I miss not feeling so freaked out and exhausted all the time. I miss going to bookstores and going to get ice cream on a spur of the moment thought. I miss seeing my family. I miss not feeling so panicked when we start to run out of something at the house. I miss eating greek salads from Leo's on our lunch break at work. I just miss life, I guess. But I know this is all for a good reason and so, I will continue to hole up in my house with my dog and these dudes that I love with all my heart.

I guess, I just really wish this never happened.

What are you guys watching these days?
Can you name your top 5 best songs of all time?
Do you want to make fun of me over the Twilight stuff? It's okay. You totally can. I make fun of myself.

Wear your masks. Read some books. Bake some stuff. Listen to some music. Create some fun things.

Stay safe.

Stress Awareness Month

While doing my daily ritual of perusing social media, I noticed a post that mentioned National Stress Awareness Month (it was a Crayola ad LOL). I did a google to see if this was a thing and turns out, it is. Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992. During the month, healthcare professionals and experts across the country do their part to raise awareness about the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.

How fascinating that it coincides with this pandemic.

Now, as of last Friday, I am officially furloughed until further notice. As stressed as I was at work, I just feel this deep deep sadness. Sadness for the state of the world. Sadness for our country (oh good God, don't get me started on what has been taking place across our country recently). Sadness for all the sick people and their families. Sadness for all the people hurting right now. Sadness over the absolute uncertainty of everything. Just sad. I know this is all temporary, and as a very wise and very good friend of mine keeps reminding me, we can do anything temporarily. THIS is temporary. THIS will not last forever. I don't know what the new normal will be like when everything gets back up and running, but I do know that every single one of us HAS to do our part right now to keep us safe to get to that new version of normal in the future. Stay home. Temporarily. Keep you and your loved ones safe. Your hair will only be wonky temporarily. Our lawns will only be overgrown temporarily. Your boats will still be there when this is done. This is a horrible situation that is no one person's fault. No one wanted this. Not one single person. As another very wise and very good friend of mine keeps saying, we are all victims of corona.

Hang in there a little longer. Please. It's so hard to disregard these rules and regulations if you aren't seeing how bad things are first hand and if you aren't personally affected by the virus. Believe me, it's bad. It's excruciating and heartbreaking and I have had more than one person I know experience tragedy from it. So please, sit tight a little longer. Stay home and bake bread a little longer. Enjoy the time with your families a little longer. Consider yourselves lucky if you haven't experienced any heartache from this and remind yourself this is temporary.

Other things!

- Jeff suggested we have a movie night with Charley last weekend and hang out on our new pull-out couch in the living room for the evening. Charley chose the movies and we had popcorn (courtesy of me and my trusty Whirly-Pop) and soft pretzels (courtesy of Eastern Standard Provisions) and Coca Cola. We had a lovely time watching Onward with Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, as well as Ferris Bueller's Day Off (C's pick. No kidding). So fun to watch an old timey movie with Chuck and see him truly enjoying it and belly laughing at it. Made me happy.

- You guys, the cast of Chuck got together last Friday and did a live virtual table read of one of their episodes (Chuck Vs. The Beard) and it was DELIGHTFUL. I cannot even express how fantastic it was. I smiled so much that it made my face hurt. They raised money for a good cause but also threw a ton of happiness out there to a lot of people who haven't experienced any in a long time. Here's the link if you have an hour to kill and miss that show as much as I do: Chuck Vs. The Beard

- Confession: I am more comfortable in jeans than I am in leggings. I keep seeing a lot of memes about people quarantining in jeans and that there must be something wrong with us. Truth is, I feel real weird in leggings. They make me feel like I am naked. So, I stick with my jeans. After all, I am truly a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal.

- We painted our living room and hallway. We wanted to do this before we even moved in but there was a huge catastrophe with the moving company (they cancelled on us while we were waiting for them to arrive) and it just never happened. We ran out of time and motivation. Well, we have had lots of time, so we got it done and I love it so much. We will start on Charley's room sometime this week.

- While Charley and I were taking Bryn for a walk yesterday, we saw a drive by birthday parade for one of our neighbors. It was about 10 cars long and they were all honking and had signs and bullhorns and it was just the coolest thing. A few of them shouted to us how much they loved Bryn and that made me smile so much, which eventually lead to me tearing up and starting to cry because you guys, I am just an emotional wreck these days, but mostly it made me cry because it makes my heart so happy to see people go out of their way to make other people happy. Charley promptly rolled his eyes and told me to knock it off, while laughing at me, of course.

- Does anyone else find it strange when you have to do normal, every day life things these days? Like doing laundry, or paying bills or studying for a test? Life is so not normal right now, so it is so bizarre to me when I have to do something that used to be so mundane before. Now it seems odd.

- Circling back around to National Stress Awareness Month, there is an account on instagram called The Quarantine Coloring Book that different artists from all over contribute to and you can print the pages out and do what you want with them. I printed a few out for Chuck and myself.

Anyone have any good recipes for peanut butter that they want to throw my way?
Anyone have any good book suggestions that they want to throw my way?

I hope you are all managing okay and staying safe and taking care of yourselves. No matter how dark your days get and how sad you get about our current situation, please remember that this is only temporary and that by staying home, we are preventing things from getting worse in the future. Cook something great, bake something fantastic, color, write, read, exercise, play a game, facetime or house party your friends and family. Do whatever you need to do to keep yourselves entertained and keep the stress at bay. I'm the first to admit that I am all over the place with this-- and that is okay too. Have a good cry (it's so therapeutic!), be sad, be mad.

Just stay home.