1) Summasummasummatime - This is the time of year I survive the rest of the year for. This morning I rolled out of bed and walked the dog in shorts and a t-shirt just wearing sandals. Blue skies! Happy dog! No one has to put on eighty bazillion layers of clothes to walk outside. I dream of these perfect June mornings in February and March and when Hannah stops to sniff the seventh tree in a row, I just stand there and watch her adoringly because I get it, my girl, this is a PERFECT day to sniff seven trees in a row.
2) Chocolate donut, cinnamon scone, banana nut muffin, blueberry muffin - Of this list, which do you choose? My boss stopped at the local bakery (shout out to the Sweet Spot, which I am bound and determined to have survive even though Starbucks has invaded) to provide us with these delicacies before yet another first year orientation. What's your choice?
3) Snail mail! Look at all the fun postcards people have sent me. Friends, I feel like we are starting a postcard revolution.
4) Big girl pants - I have been struggling with my bad leg for a while now.
(Long story short. I had a tib-fib fracture in December 2011. Screws and plates and many opioids. After about six months, I resumed normal activities and moved on with my life.)
Doing any sort of exercise with impact is a challenge. Running is off the table. By the time I'm done with an hour-long Zumba class, I'm limping. Every morning the first few steps I take are dangerous because it's hard to put weight on it. I have pins and needles in it way more than is normal. I honestly don't think there's anything that can be done about it, but with some prodding, I made an appointment with my doctor (just kidding - my doctor is on maternity leave, so this was really a substitute doctor) who took some xrays and sent me a referral to ortho.
My xrays came back with no abnormalities in the hardware, so that's good news, right? Meanwhile, next week I have the follow-up with ortho and I'm pretty sure they're going to tell me to suck it up, but at least I'll have that information, right? I took (some) control of my health and am moving on.
5) Pop culture that takes you by surprise - What's some pop culture that you've engaged in that has changed your mind about something?
Full Swing - Full Swing is a Netflix documentary series that follows golfers around. I literally do not care one iota about golf (terrible for the environment, not action-packed enough for me, etc., etc.), but this show is really about the golfers, not really the sport. I ended up being the sort of person who can vaguely follow golf news! Very vaguely, but that's better than nothing, right?
Lonesome Dove - This book made me think westerns can be on okay read. I still think about it all the time.
Serial - In a pre-Serial podcast world, I listened to radio shows - most NPR shows, to be fair - but I was not addicted to podcasts. This was the podcast that sucked me in.
Lincoln in the Bardo - This book. I think about this book EVERY DAY. I can't stop thinking about it. It made me think that I should expand my horizons and not immediately make a face when someone uses the term "experimental fiction."
6) Saying no - The new director of the community center recently reached out to me to join a committee. I sat on that email for two days before I sent an email declining and giving someone else's name who might be a good fit. I debated it because I do want to be a supporter of the community center, but my life is just not in a good volunteering spot right now. Maybe in another year or two I can reevaluate.
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What is the pop culture that changed your mind? Chocolate donut, cinnamon scone, banana nut muffin, or blueberry muffin for you?
YESSSSS to being able to roll out of the house on a dog walk like it's nothing! Thank you summer!
ReplyDeleteHmmm, can I edit the list to add a blueberry glazed donut? That's my jam! If not I'm going for the blueberry muffin. The scone is definitely last place on the list.
You are the OG for Cool Blogger snail mail!
I know the feeling of skipping the doc because I'm sure that I'll be told to suck it up (hello dry eye syndrome!) so yay for getting the appointment. I've got my fingers crossed for an answer and an easy fix.
I've heard Lincoln in the Bardo come up in conversation a few times recently. Is this a sign that I should pick it up and find out what the fuss is about?
Bravo for saying no! It is a complete sentence!
There was no blueberry glazed donut! That was the selection!
DeleteLincoln in the Bardo is so confusing at first. But if you relax into the gazillion characters, it's super interesting and haunting.
Good for you for saying no -- there will be another time when you can say yes, to the community center or someone else. Good for you for reaching out to the doctor about your leg. That sounds awful, and I hope there is a solution, and if there isn't it will be a relief to know the pain isn't a symptom of something more serious. It is so frustrating when a health issue is Just The Way It Is, though.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to read Lincoln in the Bardo even though I adore Saunders. I am so intimidated by the experimental-ness of it! Maybe I need to suck it up and give it a shot.
Breakfast is not really my jam, but of those goodies you list I would choose blueberry muffin every time. Scones are an abomination, as are bananas. I like a donut on occasion, but never a cake donut, and I am suspicious that a chocolate donut would be a cake one. Ick. Apparently I have very strong feelings about breakfast pastries! Give me a Danish or a croissant any day. Wait, which one did you choose???
I did not love the experience of reading LITB, but I do think about it all the time, so I think the writing is powerful and important.
DeleteScones are not an abomination! They are always so much more satisfying than a donut! (I chose the scone.)
No is a complete sentence, indeed!! I’m torn between the blueberry muffin and the chocolate donut. Is it glazed? That would have to be part of my considerations. I feel as if I’ve lost my pop culture connectedness in the last handful of years, but I’d have to go with American Ninja Warrior and Taskmaster bringing me to reality tv and game shows the last few years.
ReplyDeleteI should have been more clear on the donut. It was a regular donut with chocolate frosting. Does that change things?
DeleteChocolate donut all the way.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoy summer. I'm the opposite- I will be hiding in the house our of the sun until fall comes. Luckily, my cats don't need walks.
Lincoln at the Bardo will go on my library list. I've finished Gone With the Wind - very good- so will try another cool blogger recommended book.
Gone with the Wind! YAS!! I love that book.
DeleteI too exist for summer and am mostly so happy we're here. I think stand-up comedy is the genre that has impacted my world (view) the most.
ReplyDeleteThis heatwave has pushed my love for summer, though. It's a bit too much, too soon, if you know what I mean.
DeleteEach of your items would be a whole blog post for me, but I will answer the second question. By taste, I would choose the donut. If I were being good, it would be the blueberry muffin. I think I could pass on the other two.
ReplyDeleteHere’s to many good walks with Hannah.
Ha. I guess I should have written each of them as a post, but then they would be super short posts.
DeleteI'm not a breakfast pastry person. I prefer Dave's Killer Bread (Power Seed), toasted, with peanut butter and fresh blackberries. But if I had to choose, I guess I'd go with cinnamon scone.
ReplyDeleteSpoon River Anthology is sort of the poem version of Lincoln in the Bardo. I was all excited about reading Lincoln in the Bardo (because yay! another Lincoln book!), but then I found out it wasn't really about Lincoln or all that Lincoln-centered, so I got fussy and refused to read it because I felt the title was a bait-and-switch. Still haven't read it. I know--ridiculous.
I'm really sorry about your leg pain. It's terrible to live with chronic pain and not have any idea if or when you can look forward to relief. I'm glad you're pursuing answers. I feel like sometimes doctors don't take women seriously about pain no matter where it is. Keep insisting.
LOL. Lincoln in the Bardo was a bait-and-switch. Ha ha ha. I always assume titles are misleading, so it didn't bother me at all.
DeleteI don't know if you want to go this route, but here's what my friend did when she had a bad ankle break. She felt like the doctor wasn't taking her seriously enough so she said "No. I need you to treat me like an Olympic athlete. I need to regain FULL USE of this leg and I won't settle for anything less." If you were a young man playing on a sports team, I think the treatment options would suddenly be quite different- don't let them shuffle you aside.
ReplyDeleteYay for summer! Yes, I remember that glorious feeling, when summer is just starting and you realize you've survived another horrible winter. You have all the days of summer stretching ahead of you- enjoy!
I'm torn between the cinnamon scone and the chocolate donut. I mean... scones, yum. But chocolate. Arg! I want both!
You could cut the scone and donut in half and have both! I'll allow it.
DeleteDitto about Lonesome Dove. I remember when it first came out I reluctantly read it on the advice of a good friend. I didn't plan to like it but I did. 'Twas a lesson about being open to something different rather like the one Green Eggs and Ham taught me as a child.
ReplyDeleteI really haven't found any other westerns that I have enjoyed as much, so I think Lonesome Dove stands on its own.
DeleteIf it was warm and there was a healthy spread of butter, I'd likely pick the cinnamon scone. Though I have maybe one blueberry muffin every five years and they are always so delicious!
ReplyDeleteChecking my mail has become a near-weekly delight. It is so much fun and Birchie's right that you are the leader of the group. Three cheers for Engie.
Pulling on my Birks to head out the door in seconds flat is perfection. This - THIS - is what I miss all winter.
It was not warm nor was there butter. How does that change the calculation?
DeleteJust being able to walk out the door is also what I miss during the winter. I just want to be free!
The first thing that comes to mind, pop culture wise, is Radiolab. That was my first foray into the world of podcasts, and it sucked me in. I don't listen any more (once Robert Krulwich and Jab Abumrad left, it was never the same), but I have branched out into many more these days.
ReplyDeleteI'm a sucker for a scone, so that's my choice. I have never had one from the Sweet Spot because The Langholf doesn't open until 7 a.m. and I am already nearly to Cambridge by that point. Of course, I could pick one up on a WFH day, I suppose...
Oh, Radiolab. Robert and Jab were a great team. Too bad they weren't able to scale it so that it could be as good when they left.
DeleteHooray for postcards! It made me smile to see the one I sent you. I would 100% choose the chocolate donut. I hope the doctor can find some relief for your leg, and I'm admiring that you took charge and made the appointment. I need to do that for my knee, and I don't want to.
ReplyDeleteThe postcard is now hanging up in my office. I love my postcard collection!
DeleteI was initially wary of Lincoln in the Bardo and am so glad I took the plunge and read it. I found it incredibly moving, especially the historical excerpts the author included that provided background. In doing that, it gave insight to Lincoln and I felt I learned more about him.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how we can be turned off by preconceived notions about certain genres. I've always thought I wouldn't like Westerns and it turns out I really enjoy them! I have not read Lonesome Dove and have put a hold on it. I remember the book and the miniseries being very popular in the late 80s.
I put The Favourites on hold and am picking it up today. I am ready for a fun read!
Good luck with the ortho. Even if nothing can be done about it, it's always much nicer to have a doctor tell you that in a compassionate way and provide you with some helpful tools for managing chronic pain.
It's interesting because I have not really enjoyed a western novel since Lonesome Dove. I think it was probably a mistake for me to start with the very best!
DeleteI guess we'll see what the ortho says. Maybe there's a magic solution. (Ha ha ha. I will live in this world of magical thinking for the next few days, I guess.)
I am usually Team Blueberry Muffin, but I have to say the cinnamon scone is calling me!
ReplyDeleteI was all about that scone. Give it all to me!
DeleteThat is a tough list for me to choose from! I think I'd choose the blueberry muffin but I'd definitely want a taste of the chocolate donut and cinnamon scone!
ReplyDeleteI hope there is something that can be done for your leg. You shouldn't have to be in such pain all the time! I'm proud of you for making the appointment, though!
Even if there is nothing to be done with my leg, I think having that knowledge is better than not having the knowledge.
DeleteIf the banana muffin did not have nuts in it, I would choose that. But since it does, I would choose the blueberry muffin.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for setting boundaries and saying no. That can be hard to do. And I’m also glad you sought medical care for the pain in your leg. I hope the ortho has some suggestions! I was proud of myself for making my colonoscopy appt last week and was delighted I could do it entirely online without talking to anyone. I also booked an IUD placement that I have been putting off. Now I just need to make a skin check appt and I will have all my lingering medical to dos taken care of. Hurrah!
Serial made me into a podcast fan and now that is all I listen to! I rarely listen to music unless I am in the car with my children and we exclusively listen to Taylor Swift albums.
Saying no is SO HARD. I was so careful in my wording of that email because I didn't want to burn any bridges, but I also just don't have the bandwidth. Oh, well. Maybe someday.
DeleteGood job dealing with all your lingering medical issues! It will be a weight off your mind for sure.
I'll go with the blueberry muffin, but I usually don't get those because of gluten - so I'd only be eating it if it was gf and that would probably not be the case. I'm with you on SUMMER - my fav time of year. I love summer. I had no idea about your leg. That sounds miserable. I know the feeling of I'll see the doc, and then I'll at least know. I hope they can find a way to give you some relief. Not sure if anything pop culture has changed me, but now I will be pondering that.
ReplyDeleteThere were no GF options, but if someone here needed it, my boss WOULD PROVIDE. She's really amazing about getting specific treats everyone likes and can eat.
DeleteSo weird that you mentioned Lonesome Dove, because my son Jake asked me to request it at the library for him! He's still in the queue.
ReplyDeleteSummer is the best! I love it too! Rex can take all day to sniff for all I care, because SUMMER!
Engie Engie Engie, have you listened to the latest "60 songs" podcast? I have never watched General Hospital BUT NOW I WANT TO.
I'm sorry your leg is so sore! That sucks, but yay for taking control of your health.
Good for you for setting boundaries! Maybe at a later time, you will have bandwidth to volunteer but not now.
I am going to choose none of the above, when it comes to the baked goods, so just ignore me!
I haven't listened to the newest 60 Songs episode because I'm listening to an audiobook, but it's next on my queue! My father watched General Hospital until the day he died, so I am now excited that it has something to do with that.
DeleteNONE OF THE ABOVE?! NONE OF THE ABOVE?! Nicole, how dare you?!
Ugh - I'm sorry about your leg. That sounds kind of miserable...
ReplyDeleteIf the scone is well made and not dry, I would pick a scone every time - the crispy exterior, the soft fluffy interior. Unless the donut is a yeast donut. I'm not a fan of cake donuts. Muffins are fine, but they're just cake to me too. But let's be real, I'll eat any of that.
I'm going to be honest with you, I don't know if it was a cake donut or not. I almost always feel like donuts are not worth it, so I don't eat them. I mean, if someone puts a donut on my desk, I'll definitely eat it, but I rarely CHOOSE a donut.
DeleteSnail Mail is the best. The end. I am due to send out some postcards after receiving so many lately.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would definitely choose the cinnamon scone (because I love cinnamon!).
That was me :)
DeleteI chose the scone! I feel like it's the obvious answer.
DeleteIn order: Blueberry muffin, cinnamon scone, chocolate doughnut, banana nut muffin (only last because my mom's are so good).
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the leg stuff. I've been struggling with knee stuff and it lends an ever-present suckage level of varying degrees.
Glad the postcard survived! I love them, but they don't feel as robust as I would like a postcard to feel.
Pop culture: Ted Lasso. I automatically tune out anything with sports at the center. Someone told me to give it a try and *rapturous sigh*.
YES!! Ted Lasso! I, too, turned up my nose at it saying that I didn't want to watch a soccer show. My husband told me to just watch one episode, so I did! And it was so fun!
DeleteI enjoyed Lonesome Dove also. I only read it because I was traveling in Argentina (when I still read REAL books) and it was the only book in English! I am glad it was! As for pop culture, I also listened to Serial, but the podcast that sucked me in was This American Life and at the beginning I actually had to listen to it on the web, then finally the iPhone and iTunes started having it and you could download it (not stream!) and that was like heaven! We are so spoiled now.
ReplyDeleteI am not a huge sweets person, so out of the options, I would likely pick the least sweet, so...the scone? But if I had my choice I would pick an almond croissant every time.
I listened to This American Life and Bryant Park Project when they were on the radio and then online and then finally when they became podcasts. But the podcast telling just one story was a revelation for me with Serial. What a smart use of the format.
Delete