Books
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga #2) by Orson Scott Card
My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Quartet #1) by Elena Ferrante
Love Letters by Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf
American Hippo by Sarah Gailey
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga #2) by Orson Scott Card
My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Quartet #1) by Elena Ferrante
Love Letters by Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf
American Hippo by Sarah Gailey
Clothes
BGSU sweatpants
Duluth Trading Company leggings
CYDWOK Mary Janes (not exactly the same, but similar to these) - Friends, I have some bad news. I dropped these off at the shoe repair place months ago. I called to check on them and the guy said he doesn't think he's going to be able to repair them this time. WHAT WILL I DO?
Mephisto slippers
BGSU sweatpants
Duluth Trading Company leggings
CYDWOK Mary Janes (not exactly the same, but similar to these) - Friends, I have some bad news. I dropped these off at the shoe repair place months ago. I called to check on them and the guy said he doesn't think he's going to be able to repair them this time. WHAT WILL I DO?
Mephisto slippers
Ororo heated vest
YouTube videos
Series 1, Episode 1 of Taskmaster - "Melon Buffet" - If you're not watching TM, why not?
Series 1, Episode 1 of Taskmaster - "Melon Buffet" - If you're not watching TM, why not?
True Facts about the Owl - My husband watches this video when he has a bad day. It always cheers him up.
Jen and Daquiri (the dog) freestyle dancing at Crufts 2022 - I love them.
"November Rain" by Guns N' Roses - Look, everything about this video is cool. That wedding dress? Cool. Axl's trucker hat? Cool. Slash leaving the wedding to shred guitar while wearing a leather jacket and no shirt? Cool.
Jen and Daquiri (the dog) freestyle dancing at Crufts 2022 - I love them.
"November Rain" by Guns N' Roses - Look, everything about this video is cool. That wedding dress? Cool. Axl's trucker hat? Cool. Slash leaving the wedding to shred guitar while wearing a leather jacket and no shirt? Cool.
Mr. Blobby vs. Jack Whitehall on The Big Fat Quiz of the '90s - I laugh so very hard when I watch this.
Things I Don't Understand
Wind
Time series analysis
American voters
What the moon has to do with tides
Wind
Time series analysis
American voters
What the moon has to do with tides
How some adults seem to know what they're doing
Ice cream flavors
Butter pecan
Chocolate chip cookie dough
Vanilla
Salted caramel
Butter pecan
Chocolate chip cookie dough
Vanilla
Salted caramel
Coffee
The public library
*****************
What's something you don't understand? Your favorite ice cream flavor?
For New Year’s Eve, my little family is each picking their favorite TM task we watched this year and rewatching those episodes and I’m a little way too excited for it, haha! I don’t understand so many things (so many!!), but one example is drivers who don’t let other drivers merge when the obvious flow seems like every other car. Why get angry? Why not just let it happen? As for ice cream, I’m not the biggest fan - which usually horrifies people, haha. However, when I do have it, I like vanilla soft serve with a chocolate dip or cookie dough hard ice cream. Love these lists!
ReplyDeleteWhat's your favorite TM task? That's such a hard decision!! I'm over here trying to decide and I might go with the first Champion of Champions when they all had to say what was in the briefcase. Every single one of them did it differently and it was so great. But also? The Rosalind songs are both so great. Or get as close to Alex as possible in the railyard? Or just ALL OF SEASON NINE?
DeleteIt’s so difficult, right?! Favorite task can override casts that we love (or series like 9). There may be charts and lists going. I have the Rosalind song as a contender, throw a potato in a hole, find the shoe Alex is thinking of, tie yourself up/siren…. My list is at 15, sigh. I need to start cutting it down.
DeleteI don't think I could narrow it down to a favourite flavour of ice cream? I'm not a HUGE ice cream fan. I like it, but it doesn't tempt me at all. I could have five cartons of it in my favourite flavours in the freezer and wouldn't ever think of touching them unless I had company over. I'm much more tempted by chips or small hand-held sweets (like chocolate covered almonds).
ReplyDeleteI have only watched on episode of TM and I am confused by all the hype. Please explain!
I LOVE ice cream, which is why I probably only have it five or six times a year and we never buy it for the house. LOL. I have no willpower.
DeleteTaskmaster is just hilarious. If it's not your brand of comedy, that's fine, but it really, really is my brand of comedy. Greg Davies is just the right amount of harsh and lenient, Alex is the perfect whipping boy, and I just love seeing what funny, creative people come up with for these tasks. Season one has some issues, but even the first season is pretty funny. The first episode of season two really starts to show the strengths of it, though.
We are in sync, my friend, I just did a five-star Friday post! I loved reading this, Engie. I can only tolerate non-dairy ice cream now so my options are limited to what is sold, but I used to love mint chocolate chip. Now I enjoy the So Delicious brand of coconut vanilla and cookie dough, and I love a good fruity sorbet. But I'm not the hugest ice cream person. Ask me about potato chips though! (don't really, but I am a salty girl).
ReplyDeleteRIP your shoes! Noooooo!
Oh, I will ask you about potato chips? You Canadians have SUCH GOOD FLAVORS. I love and all-dressed chip.
DeleteHa... I also don't understand all five of the things on your list- good choices there. And, it's interesting that you picked the second Ender book to be in your top five- that was my son's favorite book in the saga.
ReplyDeleteI live a very sad life where I rarely eat ice cream. I KNOW. There is a dairy-free, sugar-free ice cream that I have every once in a while, but it makes my stomach hurt (occasionally I just have it anyway and suffer the consequences.) The flavor options are limited, but one is butter pecan so I'll go with that!
I don't get ice cream myself very often, either, because I love it too much. If I had it in the house, I'd never stop eating it.
DeleteI cannot imagine diary-free, sugar-free ice cream is very good, to be honest. I think I'd probably pick a different dessert, too.
I like my heated mitts with strings. I can dangle them while I take a picture but put them right back on without dropping them or having to stuff them in my pocket.
ReplyDeleteOh, that does sound like a great option for winter wear!
DeleteI don't understand coincidences. How can so many seemingly random "accidents" keep popping up over and over again in life? Like, seriously: WTF is going on here? (The moon/tide thing boggles my mind, too.)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to vote local on the ice cream flavor. Frostie Freeze has a banana cream pie I discovered over the summer that is SO good, I wish I'd stocked up with a few quarts. Next year I'll know better.
I have never tried one of FF's specialty flavors. They don't usually sound appealing. It's good to know that they have some winners.
DeleteThis was fun to read -- I agree wholeheartedly with your "things I don't understand" list. Other things I don't understand include: people who feel like they are entitled to drive on the shoulder/in the turn lane around everyone else who is calmly and legally waiting for traffic to move, how TV/internet/phones work, and why so many menus omit mention of tomatoes in the descriptions of various food offerings.
ReplyDeleteDo you know how many times I've asked my husband to explain how microwaves work? Almost every time I use it. I don't understand. There's no fire, but it heats up my food? HOW? MAGIC? Same with the internet, particularly wireless. IT'S IN THE AIR?! What is happening?
DeleteThe American population in general has me totally perplexed these days.
ReplyDeleteIce cream flavor? Eh, I'm boring. Generally, I'll just get vanilla (preferably soft serve) with a hot caramel sauce. Occasionally, I'll branch out but rarely.
Yeah, I get vanilla soft serve and butter pecan hard and it's like I never have to really make a decision. Why mess with the best?
DeleteYou know me; I have never met an ice cream that I don't like! However, if I had to only choose one it would probably be chocolate chip, although I do like mint chip and vanilla too. As far as things I don't understand: quantum physics (although I have never tried) and why we haven't yet figured out how to get Scotty to beam us up (wouldn't that be nice?).
ReplyDeleteOOOOHHHH!! Teleportation would be so amazing. Imagine just skipping all those steps of travel!
DeleteVanilla is my favorite ice cream flavor. Tillamook is my favorite brand of vanilla ice cream. I just got an ice cream maker and can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteI don't understand so many things. I've given up trying to understand anything. I don't understand why I'm awake right now, at 12:30 a.m.
I don't understand why you're away at 12:30am either, since you have to get up in like two hours!!!
DeleteLocally, we have an ice cream shop that makes my all time fave, lemon blackberry. Commercially, I'm hooked on Haagen Dazs chocolate peanut butter or creamy mango.
ReplyDeleteI still don't understand why, in the 21st century, we have to do something as primitive as go to the bathroom. It seems like we should have evolved to the point that we can take a pill or something and our bodies will do something else to dispose of waste. Doesn't it all seem a bit too Neanderthalian and animalistic to you to still have to sit and then flush? Very inefficient.
I don't suppose you are a Harry Potter fan, but there's a whole thing about how wizards and witches used to just go to the bathroom ANYWHERE and then use a spell to make it disappear. Can you even imagine?!
DeleteI still need to watch Taskmaster and see what all the hype is about! It feels like something I would enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI *really* do not understand the American voting population, ughhhh. I don't understand why Trump was named Time's Person of the Year either. GTFO with that.
Taskmaster is such a joy. I have to admit that watching Taskmaster is not a solitary activity for me. It's not nearly as much fun for me unless I can hear other people laughing, too.
DeleteThis is a fun list. I am now wondering why I have never questioned wind. And I know there is science, but YEAH, why is the moon related to the tide?
ReplyDeleteOK, I do not understand how our HS AD still has a job. If a mystery plaguing every parent at our high school (this thought may or may not be inspired by watching Curly’s bball game this morning. New coach has no idea what he is doing and our team went down state last year- with the guidance of a different coach). Deep breaths.
Fav ice cream right now is probably moose tracks with vanilla ice cream as the base. The chocolate moose tracks is TOO much for me.
Ha ha ha. The HS AD has a job because finding people to work in education is near impossible these days. That is hardly a mystery to me!!!
DeleteOh those shoes are gorgeous. Does your dearly departed pair have that little heel? I love the look of it but wonder if it might be slippy.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why we stick with our stupid electoral system, nor with our representation system, it feels like both were put in place to maintain slavery. Slavery is another thing I do not understand. Maya and I were enjoying the thought of going back in time and slapping the hell out of the slave owning presidents (there were quite a few), but especially Thomas Jefferson because he just seems like a real douche to me in many ways.
I don't know that I have a favorite ice cream, but my birthday is coming up and instead of boring cake, I want coffee ice cream with heath bar crumbled in, and either chocolate syrup or caramel syrup swirled in (or perhaps both) and nuts on top. Cold Stone Creamery has this, but their ice cream is meh, we will be making it at home. Which means I will have a ton of leftover syrups, which no one will eat and so likely I will give them away on my local Buy Nothing group.
The heel is just rubber and yes, yes, it is there. I paid an extra $15 to have a rubber sole added to the forefoot and have had that rubber sole replaced a couple of times. With that extra rubber, it is NOT slippery at all. They are honestly the most comfortable shoes I own.
DeleteNow that you've brought it up--I don't understand wind, either. Where does it come from? Where does it go?
ReplyDeleteMy fave ice cream flavors are pistachio and dulce de leche (separately).
Is there a limited amount of wind? Does it get replenished? I could look this up, but isn't it better to just think it's a real mystery.
DeleteA double of pistachio and dulce de leche sounds delicious, actually.
Wind, lol. Love that this is on your list. I minored in Science in University and we had to study the wind, and I think, I get it? Anyway, something I don't understand: no cultural disrespect intended, but why people eat lobster (aka giant bugs), arrogance, and like you, American voters.
ReplyDeletePeople eat lobster because it's a great vehicle for butter. Who doesn't want to eat more butter?
DeleteI love those Duluth leggings - they're on sale right now! But I already have the sale colours.
ReplyDeleteAlso love those shoes - I clicked through to all the shoes - are they supportive? They look gorgeous, but I feel like I would roll and ankle in them if the sides aren't supportive.
So many things I don't understand. My 7 year old. Theatrical lighting. Stock Markets. Physics. Coding.
My favorite ice cream is Lychee. But also peach. Basically fruity.
The sides are not supportive. I have a pair of booties from CYDWOK with supportive sides, but the Mary Janes are just flats without any ankle support. I find them superbly comfortable and don't know what I'm going to do if they can't be fixed!
DeleteThere are a number of things I don't understand. Top of the list:
ReplyDelete- Why Will is so obstinate and difficult in the morning. I want to teleport people into our house so they can see how awful our mornings are! He gets plenty of sleep but is just not built to leave the house at 7 most days of the week and that schedule is NOT changing.
- Also do not understand American voters.
- Black holes. It makes my head hurt to think about them.
- Pokemon cards. Why are they so delightful to Paul? I mean it's great but what do you do with these cards? Nothing besides look at them, it appears. I feel like there should be some sort of game??
My favorite ice cream flavor is moose tracks - so give me all the pb cup mix ins and thick strands of fudge. Runner up is salted caramel but I only get that at an ice cream shop.
Imagine Will as a TEENAGER! Ha ha ha. That's going to be amazing. If you think he doesn't want to get up now, just imagine!!
DeleteWhy do kids like to collect things in general? If it's not Pokeman or baseball cards, it's rocks or beanie babies or whatever. It's a mystery of human nature.
Inconsiderate people.
ReplyDeleteFavorite ice cream... peanut butter / salted carmel / chocolate / coconut / mint – I will NOT choose one
The best part of this world is that you DON'T have to choose one!
DeleteI am agog at all the people who do not love ice cream! It's my nightly dessert. I am a super-moderator who will just eat my little serving, be happy, and then put it away. Favorite flavors? Vanilla with peanut butter ripple - impossible to find in the midwest, sigh. Second? Plain vanilla. Butter Pecan is on my never list, so you and I could comfortably co-exist in the ice cream sphere. ;)
ReplyDeleteI can't keep ice cream in the house or I would eat it all in one day. I only have to exert self-control at the grocery store because you know that once I'm at my house, I'm never leaving it. LOL. I don't know if I've ever had vanilla with peanut butter ripple, but that does sound amazing!
Delete