Sunday, February 28, 2021

How do I do this again?

Pic of the Week


Hello, beautiful Morro Bay!  This is the view from a hike I took looking out over the bay.  I stayed just a few blocks inland and went paddle boarding in that bay while I was there.  It was perfect.

What's going on?

It was so nice to get away for a couple of days and have no responsibilities.  I ate too much food, got outdoors, saw some otters, bought a plant, somehow injured my foot just by walking, and discovered a delightful new camping location. 

Back in the real world, things are pretty much the same.  I did have my first in-person audition in almost a year.  I've had a couple of virtual auditions since everything shut down, but this was my first time back in a real, live, casting office. I felt a little rusty, but it was fun to get back out there. 

What I'm watching


All of the awards buzz for this film.  It's got everything - drama, laughs, crazy cooks, foul-mouthed grandmas, fire, heart.  

What I'm cooking


Creamy saffron lemon pasta.  It's rich and delicious.  I was lucky that I had some saffron on hand from a tutoring student who gave it to me as part of a gift when I finished helping him prep for a test. I even made the pasta from scratch! Mostly because Trader Joe's didn't have the kind I needed.  

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Staycation. Kind of.

Vid of the Week


I was driving along the other day and came upon this rather large flock of seagulls circling a parking lot.  No idea why, but it was weird.
What's going on?

Today I'm writing from beautiful Morro Bay.  I decided to get out of town for a couple of days and booked myself a hotel room with a capacious bathtub up the coast.  It's a pretty mediocre hotel, but the bathtub is perfect - low water pressure notwithstanding.  I went for a hike this afternoon then took a nice, long bubble bath and will settle in to some tasty food and a bit of dessert later after a walk along the main drag here.  Tomorrow I'm going paddle boarding in the bay and then I think I'll head into San Luis Obispo for a little sight-seeing and some cake from the Madonna Inn.  I think I'd like to start doing this once or twice a year, just to reset and enjoy some alone time away from home for a bit.  

Other than that, it's been a normal week.  A little work, a lot of TV, and puzzling up a storm.  

What I'm watching


Magic and drama and mediocre writing.  Can't really recommend this one, unless you're looking form something to put on in the background.  Just a heads up that there is a little language, and things get a little graphic from time to time because magic deaths are not normal.

What I'm reading


Fantasy series recommended by a friend.  Pretty standard fare so far.  I'll let you know if it gets exciting. 
 
What I'm listening to


Fascinating podcast about a long-running con in Hollywood.  *language warning*

What I'm puzzling


99 Beautiful Places on Earth by Ravensburger. 4 of the places are in New York City. *eye roll* Still.  Fun puzzle.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

*insert heart emojis*

Pic of the Week


Another beautiful view from a hike.  This is actually the start of this hike.  It winds up into the mountains, crisscrossing a charming little stream, to the opening of an abandoned gold mine.  The city you see in the picture is Altadena, just north of Pasadena.

What's going on?

Happy Valentine's Day!  Whether the love of your life is a person, or a dessert, I hope you find a reason to celebrate love today.  

What an exciting week around these parts.  I finished and framed a puzzle, potted some baby spider plants, bought some produce at the farmer's market, got lectured by my 22-yr-old roommate via text about how and why to be a good roommate (yes, I later let her know that I didn't need to be lectured about such things), and booked myself a few days away in Morro Bay for next weekend.  Just a thrill a minute.  

At the beginning of the year I signed up for a running/walking challenge.  500 miles during 2021.  So far I'm already up to about 150, so I think I'll be reaching that goal this year.  Yesterday's hike alone was nearly 9 miles.

Along those lines, I took a couple of nice long bike rides this week.  I think I've written before about the bike path near my apartment that goes down to the beach.  I did a little reading and learned that while riding my bike like I normally do, I burn about 10 calories a minute.  So a 90-min bike ride burns 900 calories!  I did that twice this week, but the second time happened to be on a windy day.  I didn't realize how windy it was until I turned around to come home.  I was biking directly into the wind for at least a good half hour.  Killed me.  But then I ate a bunch of delicious things because I could.  😂

Another week of pandemic life down, hopefully not too many of these left.

What I'm watching


A sobering look at the history of voting rights in America.  Highly recommended.  It even has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

What I'm reading


This book is great.  It basically shows how the world we're living in - while still beset with plenty of problems to solve - has vastly improved in nearly every measurable way (crime, education, infant mortality, poverty, etc.) since we started paying attention to such things.  The author makes a point of saying that this isn't a reason to stop improving things, but perhaps it is a reason to take a breath and realize that things have been improving and will continue to do so, so we can keep working on those problems with a brighter outlook.  
 
What I'm listening to


A Thoughtful Faith, Episode 354: The Spiritual Practice of Earth Care. A conversation about how taking care of the Earth is something we should care about as Christians, along with a few practical suggestions about how to do that better.  This is something I have long felt, and I am often confused when Christians are not only indifferent about, but sometimes actively against environmentalism/conservation/etc.

Sunday, February 7, 2021

Febrrerarrirriary

Pic of the Week


Beautiful weather for a hike today, so I took advantage.  Always love some nature church.  Another stunning view looking out over the pacific ocean - though it's covered in clouds here. 

What's going on?

Happy first week of February!  This year seems to be flying by already. And every day closer to normalcy.  

I got my second dose of vaccine this week.  I got the Pfizer vaccine, and my second dose was entirely uneventful. I know lots of people who have been knocked out by their second dose, but other than a slightly sore arm, I didn't have any side effects whatsoever.  So I guess if you get a choice, go for Pfizer. 

Other than that, just a regular old regular week. I got to see some friends for park picnics, and it was great to get some social interaction. 

What I'm watching

 
Wasn't necessarily super jazzed about this show, but I heard good things from friends, so I checked it out.  It's pretty clever and lots of fun to watch.

What I'm reading



28 Days of Black History.  "A virtual exhibition of 28 works that celebrate Black legacy in the U.S."  Artwork, plays, literature, poetry, etc. delivered to your inbox daily to give some much-needed perspective to our history. 
 
What I'm cooking



Quick mole sauce. Mole sauce (pronounced mo-lay) is a Oaxacan (wuh-HA-cuh) thing, and it's delicious.  Just put it on everything.  This recipe makes a full quart of sauce, so maybe cut it down.  I adjusted it to have no jalapeno - cuz I don't like spicy food - I added an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder and added in some honey.  So far I've put it on chicken, couscous, meatballs, and potatoes.  Lovely all around.