Too much TV

Pic of the Week

Babysitting.  The little tyke INSISTED on pushing the stroller.  So.

What's going on?

Pretty chill week this week.  Not much to report.  A little tutoring, a little babysitting, too many donuts.  I went over to a friend's house yesterday to watch some TV (we have a couple of shows we're watching together) and between the shows we watch and a couple of movies (we got sucked into Avengers: Infinity War AND Avengers: Endgame) we ended up watching, like, 9 hours of content.  It's been a long time since I've done that.  To make up for it, I took my paddle board out this morning and the weather was PERFECT.

What I'm watching

Marvel's at it again.  This series is...fine.

What I'm reading

Book 5!  I started reading The Millionaire Next Door, but just wanted to continue with this series, so here we are.

So. Much. Happening.

Pic of the Week

This is Polly.  She's a giant Story Pirates puppet that now lives in a storage unit because the theater where our office was located shut down (yay Covid!) and so we had to move our stuff into storage this week. Polly, I think, is angry that her horns fell off during the move.  And also angry that she has to live in a storage unit. 

What's going on?

Busy week!  This is probably the busiest week I've had in over a year.  It was nice.  Along with coordinating and executing the Story Pirates move, I did some babysitting, directed a Story Pirates show for a school specializing in students with Cerebral Palsy, hosted a volunteer event with Story Pirates with people from all over the world (we had attendees in India, Japan, Mexico, Australia, and the US), pretended to have a collapsed lung for 2nd year medical students for 3 days, tutored, and let some PA students jiggle my bits for science.  I also managed to get in some jogging, cycling, reading, TV, a hot bath, and sleep! 

It almost feels like life is back to normal.  Except for the part where I can't hang out with my friends in large groups, or go to the grocery store without a mask.  Seems like more and more people are getting vaccinated though, which is encouraging.  Plus Disneyland just announced that they're officially opening back up on April 30.  It'll be at limited capacity, and at least for the moment it's only open to California residents, but being a California resident, that's great for me!  I'm not gonna be one of those ultra-dedicated people who have to have a ticket to opening day, but I'll probably try and go sometime before the summer's over.  

What I'm watching

In honor of St. Patrick's Day we decided to bust out this old chestnut.  What a treat.  It's truly a terrible movie, but still fun to watch.  And it was largely filmed in Utah!  Hooray for tax breaks!

What I'm reading

Book 4!  Let's go!  This series still isn't as compelling as other fantasy series out there, but it's engaging enough to keep going.  There are plenty of fun, likable characters, and the storylines are interesting. Plus I'm invested now.  :)

When you wish upon a star...

Pic of the Week

It's been over a year since I've been down to Disney, and so since I'm vaccinated, a Disney-loving friend of mine (who is also vaccinated) and I decided to head down to enjoy some treats and shopping and magic.  It was a delightful day.  And as you can see, they're keeping the magic alive by making you stand in line!

What's going on?

WAFFLES!

And LIFE!  Work is picking up a bit at the moment, which is fun.  It's keeping me busy.  Along with my standing weekly nanny gig, my old boss at Kidville is having me come watch her kids for a couple of hours a week - which mostly consists of me putting her youngest in a stroller, where she almost immediately falls asleep, walking to the park and reading for a couple of hours, and then going home.  It's chill.  :)

Story Pirates gigs have been picking up a bit too.  I've done a couple of virtual birthday parties recently, which is kind of a new thing for us.  We used to do birthday party shows a few years ago, but we stopped, and now in this virtual landscape, they make more sense, so we're giving them a whirl, and they're going well.  I'm back to directing shows, which is really fun.  It's where I feel most in my element with the company and I'm glad to be back in the saddle that way.

This week has also included plenty of puzzling, reading, TV, movies, and bike rides along the beach. 

What I'm watching

Y'all, this was bananas.  I know a lot of people in Utah are familiar with this story, but I was only 2 when it happened and wouldn't live in Utah for another 4 years, so I had no context and it was fascinating to watch. 

What I'm reading

Book 3.  We're going strong.

What I'm puzzling

The United States 1,000-piece puzzle by Mudpuppy. This one was really fun.  I borrowed it from a friend, but I'm tempted to tell them I lost it and then just keep it.

What I'm cooking

Sweet potato sliders.  As with a regular slider, you can basically put anything on these.  You just use roasted or grilled sweet potato slices as the bun.  Mine included chicken mole, tomato, guacamole, and kale.  They were delicious. 

Triple Deke

Pic of the Week

I'm not 100% sure, but I think a garbage can attacked my mirror.  RIP.

What's going on?

I'm getting older.  I mean, we all are, but the evidence has strengthened this week.  I had my yearly checkup and my cholesterol was a little high.  Not higher than normal (for me), but borderline high for the general population.  That combined with a family history of high cholesterol and blood pressure, and other various heart problems means my doc wants me on cholesterol meds.  So.  Here we are.  I was really proud of the fact that I'm in my late 30's and not taking any medications.  But such is life.  Genetics will out, I suppose.

I've picked up another consistent childcare gig.  My old boss from Kidville is having me watch her young'ns for a couple of hours a week so she can have a moment of sanity.  So far it's been a pretty cushy gig.  Her older one is in school, so I go pick up the younger one in her stroller and by the time we get to the park, she's asleep.  She sleeps basically until it's time to go back home and drop her off and I'm on my merry way.  Good way to get a bunch of reading done. :)

Work is starting to pick up a little in general as well.  Babysitting/nannying, tutoring, Story Pirates, Standardized Patient work, teaching improv to kids.  It's fun.  Keeping me busy, but not so busy that I don't have time to enjoy some TV or the occasional hike.

What I'm watching

Did a movie night with some friends and watched this old gem.  Man, 90's underdog sports movies are a TRIP.  And you really can't go wrong with a dreamy young Emilio Estevez.  Thanks, Disney+!  Now if you'd kindly add North Avenue Irregulars to your offerings, I'd be much obliged.

What I'm reading

Book 2 in this series.  This one gets a bit saucier.  It's not as imaginative or inventive as other fantasy series, but it's still engaging enough to keep me going. 

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.  

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.

*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.