School's Out

 Ah, here we are, yet another month has passed me by. But hey, I'm not going to worry about it. I mean, I'm gonna be honest with you- why should I? Who am I doing this but for me? And me was overwhelmed for a while, ok?

See what I did there? A little different tactic. Less apologies, more assertiveness. No long winded excuses. I must be feeling good! It must be..

~~~SUMMER BREAK!!!~~~

source

So hey, yeah, I'm on vacation and feeling marginally better than I was a week or two ago (see angst here), though not as good as I thought I would to be honest. When I finally left school that last day I thought I would be filled with elation. Not since I was 16 have I had this much time off of work. Surely I should be ecstatic! 

Alas, that is apparently not how my brain works and instead of bliss, I was hit with a tidal wave of guilt and panic. I just felt... weird about it. Luckily, I have a friend who also works in a school I can vent to because this is the sort of thing you feel like a complete asshole complaining to any other working stiff about. I don't feel bad about having an issue with this but I'm acutely aware that there are far worse problems to have.

I've spent some time reflecting on it (because what better way to get out of a brain funk than to take a deep dive into all the stuff that could possibly be upsetting you) and I think I was just more burnt out from my job at the psych hospital than I realized. The sluggishness and apathy I've felt have been annoying and troubling to me but while working full time, it's easy to attribute some of that to being tired and preoccupied from working. I'm realizing now that it goes a little deeper than that.

There are lots of things I'd love to do with all my free time this summer but I've spent most of my time so far in something of a daze. I've been doing a lot of cleaning and tidying. I did a puzzle in record time. Basically, I just can't sit still and commit to something. 

At the very least, despite all the introspection and inability to figure out how to spend my time, like I said at the start of this post, I'm still feeling pretty good overall so it's my hope that the fog will clear and I'll get into something soon. In the meantime, I'm attempting- when I can pause my aimless wanderings long enough- to fill up on inspiration as much as possible so when I'm finally in the mood, I'll be bursting with possibilities. 

What do I do when I'm taking a break from having to do things but don't want to not do anything for the entire summer you ask? List time!

• Walk. Obviously exercise makes you feel better so I've been trying to go out for a walk everyday. It's been HOT here though (but not quite as hot as the pacific northwest- ugh, sorry guys!), so I haven't been great at that but today I did make it out. I foolishly failed to bring water so I arrived back at my apartment feeling a little woozy and dripping in sweat with a tomato-red face. Allow me to hit you with some TMI -  I then stripped off my clothes and stood naked while drinking water in my bathroom, waiting for my shower to get to the right temperature. Glamorous.
• Wow, I really hate being hot.

• Listen to podcasts- I've mentioned that I listen to podcasts before and I pretty much listen to the same ones on that list still but instead of listening on my way to work, I've been listening on my walks or while sitting on my porch, possibly cross stitching. My latest favorite and new addition is Levar Burton Reads where my man Levar Burton reads then reflects on a short story. It's FANTASTIC. He's a great reader (which I already knew from my Reading Rainbow days) and they add just enough sound effects to make the storytelling even more immersive without going overboard. Plus, his brief discussion of the story at the end is always interesting and insightful. Today I listened to him read "Vaccine Season" by Hannu Rajaniemi and it was amazing.

source

• Read. My book numbers are going to be horrible this year but I already have a couple more to add to the list!

• Watch crafty YouTube. I haven't really been a huge YouTube watcher but recently I stumbled across a number of crafty channels and I can stop watching them. They make me want to try so many new crafty things!!! Most of them deal with model building but I'm working on putting a list of suggestions together, so stay tuned if you think that might be your thing.

• Continue working on stitching projects in progress. Sure, they're not new and exciting, but I feel good working on something and that just clears out more space for NEW projects.

• Video games. I'm toggling between Animal Crossing and Quest For Glory: So You Want To Be A Hero, an adventure game from 1989 (though I'm playing the 1992 VGA version) at M's suggestion as the Quest For Glory series of games were his favorite growing up.

source

That's basically it to be honest. Throw in a sprinkling of wedding planning related activities and hanging out with friends Friday and Saturday and you've pretty much got my first week down. I think I might tackle organizing my Craft Horde because that always makes me want to make a complete mess of it again by starting like 5 projects at once but we'll see. 

I'm going to sign off for now, but first I'm going to leave you with the song you KNOW I have to include in this post, it's 100% required.

PS:

source

Man, lots of gifs today, huh?

Decisions, Decisions

This week I have a good bit of unexpected downtime at work. I've been super constructive with said free time so far and by constructive I mean I smuggled in my personal laptop and have been using it to try to decide what to do with my birthday on Saturday. Last year's birthday heralded the start of quarantine, so this year I refuse to let covid bring me down again and insist on doing something fun.

...Ok, yeah, fine, I insist on fun every year. 

Anyhoo, since covid still looms over us, my options remain limited but I have my heart set on a museum. I love museums at the best of times but now that you have to reserve your time and they're limiting capacity, the idea of strolling through one of Boston area's many museums sounds even more amazing. Less crowded! And going to a place where you're not supposed to touch things anyway seems like a pretty safe Covid bet. It's what I call making lemonade out of lemons.

To the surprise of no one who knows me personally, I'm having trouble deciding. There's a lot of good options in the Boston area/Massachusetts in general but I've at least narrowed it down to a top five. In order to 1. decide and 2. waste even more time at work (I'm a model employee!), I've decided to list out the possible choices for your viewing pleasure.

source

My first choice is, as always, the Museum of Fine Arts. I've been quite a few times- when I first moved to Massachusetts, I'd venture into Boston by myself via the T and go to this museum. I felt so brave and worldly. Doing something like that by myself was a big deal at the time, especially navigating public transport. I'm used to it now but the museum still feels extra special to me.

Aside from my personal connection, it's a huge museum with wonderful exhibits and a fantastic collection of art so even aside from that, I'd highly recommend making the trip in to anyone. In fact, my favorite painting lives there. 

Sadly though, the 2 extra-admission Basquiat and Monet exhibitions are sold out which is somewhat of a let down. It's a process to make our way there so it seems a bit of a waste to not experience all the special features and I'm tempted to wait for another exhibit I'm interested in before I make the trip. 

Source

Next up is the ever popular Museum of Science. I've only been once and it's so jam packed with things to do and see that we didn't get to everything, making it a good option. Its fun and interactive in a way that's interesting to both kids and adults and there are plenty of shows to attend also. When we went the first time, M and I watched butterflies emerge from their chrysalis, it was pretty amazing.  

The downside to this would be the limited Planetarium shows (They have a Bowie one! ...but only Friday evenings) because M seems to think we saw the Mars one (I can't remember of course). Also, there's more touching of things involved here so I worry some exhibits will be limited but I'm sure the staff is on top of sanitizing.

source

Next is a museum I've never been to, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. I've heard about this museum plenty of times (mostly because of its notorious unsolved art theft to be honest) but I never made the trip out. A birthday jaunt seems like the perfect time.

The only downside to this one would be that we aren't as comfortable with the logistics, such as the parking situation and whatnot (the other museums have their own exorbitantly priced garages). Parking/navigating in Boston is not for the faint of heart and though M has managed to make his way to many a Boston concert, I don't want to put him through an undue amount of hassle.

source

The last one is another option I haven't been to before, the Lyman Estate and Greenhouses in Waltham, outside Boston. The Lyman Estate apparently has some of the oldest greenhouses in the country. The estate itself can't be toured currently because of covid but the grounds are admission-free and you're welcome to walk around and yes, there are plants for sale (!!!). 

While I definitely want to visit this place for sure, it doesn't seem like a full day trip as much as the other choices. I'll admit, part of the allure of the other museums is a trip into Boston- it's been about a year and change since our last visit to the city, which was for a concert (thinking of all those people crammed together without masks makes me dizzy). I'm wondering if I can convince M to take me here on Sunday as a bonus excursion...

source

As a complete alternative to the last place, this option is the most extreme day trip and completely in the opposite direction from Boston. The MASS MoCa is a bananas-huge museum/art space of contemporary art in North Adams, MA. We've always wanted to go here but it's a 2.5 hour trek for us and it's the kind of place you could spend a weekend at, so it's a pretty intimidating trip.

According to their website, due to covid's capacity caps and the sheer size of the place, you often have whole exhibits to yourself. Sure its a serious drive to middle-of-nowhere western Mass but how tempting does that sound?

***

So there's my top five. Plenty of good options with their own pluses and minuses. I'm not sure if that made it easier for me to decide (the only way to make it easier for me to decide would be to get me a new brain) but it's not a bad thing that I've put more thought into it. At least when M asks me what I want to do for my birthday I have something else for him other than my usual "uhhhh...."

So we made it to 2021

Ah yes. Here we are at the brink of a new year after the freak show that was 2020. Though we'll need more than a turn of the calendar page to put out this dumpster fire, it's hard not to greet this year with a little more hope than usual, embracing change a little bit more. [I wrote that bit before the stuff in the capitol went down but I'm still remaining hopeful nevertheless]

I'm not especially keen on new years resolutions (I procrastinate enough without waiting for a new year to make changes, strike while the iron's hot I say. Or not, as is usually the case for me) but all things considered, it feels like a good year to make some. And, you know, actually stick to them. I've been mulling it over the past few days and I think I've come up with a definitive list but first, I remembered I did, in fact, give a go last year, back when I thought it was going to be a "normal" year, and it seems right to go over it and see well I did (or didn't do).

2020

1. Plan my wedding.

Well I didn't plan it but I did postpone it. Does that count? In my defense, there was a whole global pandemic thing going on.

2. Better time management - less phone scrolling, more doing.

This year I discovered Reddit so I don't think I achieved this but on the plus side, it encouraged my plant and cross stitch hobbies.

3. Make more things.

I'm not sure how to really measure this, something I apparently failed to think of when I made this goal. How many "making hours" did I put in the year before? This year? Dunno, but I most definitely didn't lose anything in giving this a shot.

4. Exercise.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha

5. Get a new job.

I completed this one with flying colors! Go me!

6. Keep track of the books I've read.

I did not do this but I most definitely want to this year. Despite more time spent at home, I fell into a pretty serious reading slump so if I did keep track, I know I'd be disappointed. Perhaps keeping track will give me the boost I need.

7. Keep track of this blog.

I... wow I actually did this one. 2/7, not too shabby.

I think overall I did pretty well and clearly a few of those goals are going to roll over to this year, though maybe in a modified form. I've done a great deal of self-reflection over the course of the year (who hasn't?) and I think my new list will reflect that. I realized it's not enough to make sweeping goals, it's important to get to the core of why I want to make those goals and plan accordingly (I still can't seem to not make sweeping goals though). And without further ado, here's this list!

Party on, dudes. (shirt found on teepublic.com)

2021

1. Take better care of myself.

The classic new year, new me goal but instead of just saying 'exercise' or 'eat better,' I've worded it like this because, though I do need to do those 2 things for sure (I have a wedding dress that's dangerously close to being a bit too snug), I also have to address the things that keep me on the couch eating comfort food and confront my current coping methods (will getting a donut make me feel better/less anxious about putting off doing that Important Adult Thing, or will, you know, actually doing the Important Adult Thing make me feel better?). My brain has been a big hinderance in this department and not allowing myself to get on a big downward brain-blah spiral (that's definitely the official psychological term) will vastly improve everything else. I haven't been able to stick to an eating better/exercising routine before but this year, by working harder to get my brain on board, I hope to change that.

More seaside bike trips, less couch moping.

2. Get married.

I don't know if this can technically be on the list as a new years resolution but given the circumstances, this may not be so cut-and-dry this year so on the list it goes. I remain hopeful of course but who knows what August 28th, my round-two wedding date, will look like this year. I need to be more on the ball with my planning, ready to be flexible and make tentative/last minute plans because guys- I postponed my wedding once, I am not postponing it a second time.

3. Read more... and keep track.

I've gotten into the biggest reading slump of my life this year, which is weird given the fact that I've been at home far more than normal. Reading got slotted in my brain as Something Not Productive somehow and I'd pass it by for activities deemed more important by whatever arbitrary rules my brain put there that day (see #1). This is a gross affront to Young Ashley who, since she could read, schlepped a book around with her absolutely everywhere just in case she got a chance to read. Keeping track of the books I've read will hopefully help and it'd be nice to look back on once the year's over.

source

4. Start the projects I want to start... then follow through.

I'm a dreamer, what can I say. I have a lot of grand schemes, but I also have a propensity for couch sitting. For this resolution, I've combined #'s 2 and 3 of 2020's goal and decided to take a good, hard look at how I spend my time each day. I guess I could've put very specific projects on the list but decide that's no good. If it doesn't work out (which happens of course), then I've failed at my resolution. BUT if I just work toward something every day that makes me proud, no matter the end result, I've succeeded.  

I suppose that sounds like I'm ignoring the second part of the resolution but accepting things aren't working is a different animal than not following through, not finishing them. I often don't start things because my negative brain (again, see #1) insists it won't work out. Giving myself some encouragement with a lot of leeway is how I'm trying to get around it. This year is, hopefully, the year of trying things without the fear of them not working out. 

And there we go. That's it. Four goals. Four fairly vague goals. That goes against pretty much all goal setting advice I know, but that's what's going to work for me. I'm not trying to get stuff done like your average to do list, I'm trying to make positive, lasting life changes and I believe that requires a little flexibility. We'll se how that works out. 

Cheers to 2021!

Sort of Snow Day

 Any sort of struggles with my new job aside, can I just say, I am EXCITED to finally have a snow day?!?!

When I worked at the hospital, snow days just filled me with dread as I would have to make it to work somehow regardless of conditions. I absolutely hate driving in the snow and I've always lived just far enough away that it was an extremely long and nerve wracking drive. 

I'm still an adult though and after the plow guy comes, I'll be shoveling out that walkway so M can come in safely (poor guy is at work- no snow day for him! New Englanders take a perverse pride in going to work in shitty weather which I find outrageous as a former long time resident of NC). Also, from 8:30 to 12:30 I had to chill on a 4th grade class's Zoom to "provide support" if needed.

...I was not really needed. But I sat there, listening to them learn how to code (which made me feel ancient somehow), watching them forget they were on camera and pick their nose (which made me feel nauseous) while sewing just under the screen (note the elevated laptop for ease of craft hiding). And hey, I still got to sleep in, drink outrageous amounts of coffee, and lounge around in my comfy pants, all snow day staples.

So far, we've got about 9 inches and it still coming down pretty steadily. 12-16 inches is our projected accumulation and we have a quite brisk high of 21 degrees (F) to look forward to on top of that. When M opened the door to try and make it to his car, we were greeted by this lovely sight. 

When you start your shoveling from inside, you know it's bad out there. Look how thrilled M looks! At least our large supply of various face masks are really coming in handy.

My original plan for today after class was over was to do all my wrapping but last night I decided to wrap M's gifts before he got home (I wasn't sure if he was going into work today or not), got carried away and ended up wrapping all of them- even M's gifts to other people! Man, that guy is lucky. The wrapped presents under the tree really ups the Christmas atmosphere though so I'm glad I did it.

Aside from getting my keyboard covered in Jelly Baby dust while typing this, my new plan is to do whatever I want. Perfect, right? I thought so. Usually I think of all these big, grand plans that I don't end up accomplishing which makes me grumpy so I think I'm going to aim for lowkey and anything above that is gravy. Work smarter, not harder, amiright?

If you were wondering what exactly "do whatever I want" will proabably look for me over the next few hours before I face the music and finally go out to shovel, I've graciously included the following list of Ashley's Snow Day Essentials for you.

~Tea. If you know me at all you might have expected that first word to be coffee. There comes a point in a snow day however, when you realize if you have another cup of coffee you'll start to vibrate (and not in a good way...) but since it's cold, you need to ingest warm things. That and it's a time of day when you think twice about that bourbon and apple cider or eggnog and amaretto (pin that for later though we're just pacing ourselves here). This is where tea comes in. I like tea but it is definitely something I drink when I want coffee but know better. Yogi brand tea is usually a good option and this particular variety is extra good. Spicy, just a little sweet, and good with a splash of almond milk. Bonus points for large novelty mug.

~Sweatpants. Obviously. I'm not going to subject you to a picture of my sweatpants but I prefer a thick French terry, 100% cotton. Pretty warm, still breathable, minimal static. If you like sweaty crevasses feel free to wear some fleece though, it is your warmest option, I'll give you that.

~Books. I got into a reading slump and the very best way to get out of that is to read something from someone like Terry Pratchett. Hilarious, well written, light but smart. I just created a wizard character on Diablo III and named her after the character in this book so this is the one I decided to jump into. Soooo good, you can absolutely not go wrong with Discworld.

~Crafts. The possibilities are endless of course but preferably something you can do from the couch (save your mural painting/demon summoning/canoe building/whatever for another day).

~Sweet jams, preferably Christmas. Because the tree is up and it's snowing out, I mean c'mon. Don't worry, you can still get pretty weird with it. I mean...

(I really encourage you to listen to that but I will warn you that I want you to listen not because it's good but because it's hilarious and shouldn't exist and is exactly as terribly as you'd think it would be)

~TV. Now's a good time to watch a movie. Nothing to exhilarating, maybe a Christmas movie? Also acceptable are mysteries from the 70s because I'm kind of thinking about watching Columbo.

That about sums it up. Guess I better get to it!

Etsy Window Shopping and Down With The Man

Unless you've been living under a rock (it's ok if you have actually, I've been trying my best to do so), you may have heard about the May Day mass strike of Amazon, Whole Foods, Instacart and other workers protesting the companies failure to provide enough basic protection and compensation for putting their lives on the line. I'm not someone who gets particularly political normally, but considering my current employer is in the process of battling with our union to stop additional hazard compensation and take back our most recent raise, threatening to lay off workers if we don't allow it, I've been paying a little more attention. [note: I will more than likely be safe if the layoffs occur, don't worry. Still sucks though.]

I have to admit, I'm one of many who, if they need something, will automatically find my way to Amazon. It's easy one-stop-shopping. Also, as someone with a more limited budget, I know how hard it is to make the decision to switch to solely small-business buying when it often means shelling out more of my hard earned cash. Environmentally sustainable, small business shopping is often a privilege of the more well-off- there's a reason Walmart, Amazon, etc are so massive- so I wouldn't fault someone for shopping at those stores. For me, personally, I've just been making more of an effort to look for other ways to get what I need at the prices I can afford before heading to those places, easier now that I have more free time.

One area where it's super easy to avoid large companies is definitely gift-giving and for that, I often head on over to the well-loved Etsy. As a fellow Maker myself, I like the idea of supporting fellow creative people and I feel like sending your loved ones something handmade just makes it that much more special. There are a ton of ways to support creative individuals trying to make it through this tough time and I encourage you to seek them out if that's something you're able to do but since I've been enjoying a leisurely window-shop on Etsy as I sit on my porch on this gorgeous spring day, I thought I'd mention Etsy specifically and share some cool stuff I've had my eye on recently.

Without further ado/depressing news:

found HERE

Guys, I love a weird stud earring. I find it better to wear studs to work and I just like them in general. The shop Obsessories has a TON of crazy options but I've been thinking extra hard about the ones pictured above (though these moon ones are a close second). *

found HERE

More earrings. I wear some everyday so it's totally reasonable to have a ton, right? This Enterprise pair is too cute and the shop Geek Me A Break has a ton of other super nice nerd jewelry- Star Trek, Star Wars, Zelda, Doctor Who... all classily rendered in precious metals. *

found HERE

I bought these yesterday in "light aqua" but the shop OnceAgainSam has a lot of other fantastic items, from wood laser cut things, to fiber art. They already shipped too, which is impressive. 

found HERE

Alright, last pair of earrings. I couldn't help add these obviously because BOWIE CATS. The shop Danielle V Designs, has these adorable Bowie cats in dangly earring and pin form, but also an adorable assortment of prints and other accessories. *

found HERE

Since we're on cats, LOOK AT THIS CAT EGG BROOCH. I have a deep love of breakfast foods and cats and pins so this really speaks to me. The shop, I Like Cats, has a ton of different items with, you guessed it, cat-related themes. I love the art style behind all the pieces. *

found HERE

This shop sweetandlovely has a ton of super cute and feminist-leaning bits and bobs but I am definitely in love with this pale blue dot/Carl Sagan pin (though this pin with my boy Goldblum is a close second). Definitely a worthy addition to my ever-growing pin collection.* 

found HERE

On a completely different note, here's a cross stitch pattern! If I don't draw them up myself, I get a lot of my patterns from Etsy and this one from the shop KentimaByKonna has been on list for a long time (if only I could finish the million other projects I currently have going...). She has a lot of other geeky and book related patterns but I think this one would look perfect on that blank piece of wall near our door...*

found HERE

Another cross stitch pattern! The shop Stem Stitch only has this solar system bundle and individual planets/sun/moon prints in their shop but I've had this pattern in my favorites for a long time. I think it'd be a really cool art installation to have them all in individual frames arranged on the wall.

found HERE

Do you like brains and also uteruses? Well have I got an Etsy shop for you! BirdBearStudio offers a wide range of ceramic brain items like bowls, trinket dishes and planters like the one above. And just to mix it up they also have the odd uterus knick knack as well. I don't have a logical explanation as to why I really want at brain planter but we all know the mind is not always logical.*

found HERE

Last but not least, this teardrop abstract landscape stained glass piece from CedarAndSpruceStudio. I had a hard time choosing one thing to showcase, all of their designs are unique and beautiful. How pretty would this be hanging in front of a window on a sunny day?!*

*** *** ***

I guess we can leave this at a top 10, otherwise I'll be here all day. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

*I've never bought from these shops but they all have a lot of sales and great ratings!

Top 5(ish) Podcasts

I've been in a bit of a depressive funk this weekend, one of those joyous periods where I just can't force myself to do anything other than sit around and be grumpy about not doing anything. I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this way given the current world situation so I'll tell you what I am now telling myself:

GO. FOR. A. FREAKING. WALK.

When I'm feeling this down, that's about the only thing that can snap me out of it and if I don't feel better after a walk, I'll just give up and cocoon myself in a quilt on the couch and watch some Star Trek: TNG (aside from just being a good show in general, it's like a warm balm of nostalgia for me). Sometimes you just gotta let the feels happen, but don't go down without at least a little bit of a fight.

Anyway, one of the things that motivates me on the walk itself is listening to a podcast. It sets a specific time for my walk- I can't stop early, I gotta finish the show!- and fully takes my mind off whatever it is that's getting me down (assuming I actually know what that is). Sometimes music just feeds my feelings; either that or it leaves room for my mind to wander.
If you're interested in trying out some podcasts for the first time, I've made a list of my top 5 most listened to podcasts, with an extra bonus at the end.

And without further ado:

website HERE

Stuff You Missed in History Class is probably heaviest in my rotation at the moment. I love hearing random fun historical stories because I am endlessly curious (nosey?) about other people's lives and this is a good, more respectable and less brain melting way to get my fix than watching the Kardashians or something. Seriously though, I always find their topics interesting and the delivery is pretty concise and to the point but friendly, if you know what I mean.

website HERE

Stuff You Should Know is a pretty popular choice. If you haven't heard about it, it is probably exactly what you think it is- a podcast where each episode is about a random thing you, you know, should know. The topics are all over the place (the last two I listened to were about sloths and barefoot running) and I find myself cherry picking which ones I listen to (as opposed to just listening to them all as they come out) but they're all pretty good, I just only have so much time. There's more banter between the two hosts in this one than Stuff You Missed in History Class but I like it and you can tell the dudes get along well.

website: HERE

Sawbones features a medical doctor and her husband who talk about medical history and some... misguided, shall we say, current and past medical practices. It's super interesting and the banter between the doctor and her husband is pretty funny and entertaining. If you're into interesting medical info but don't want to listen to a boring, dry podcast, give this a listen.

website HERE

Another popular choice (they have a whole fan cult!), this one is good if you're a fan of true crime and also laughing. An odd combo maybe but I feel like it totally works, mostly because they do so while still being respectful to the victims. They put out two episodes a week; one is about 1.5 hours long and in it, each host (there are two) talk about a different murder/crime. The second one is about a half hour long and features the hosts reading "hometown murders" as sent in by their listeners. 

There's a lot of banter and side bars and whatnot in this podcast-which, to be honest, I found off-putting at first- but I've come to enjoy it. That being said, it may not be for everyone.

website HERE

I tried to find a good way to say what this one was about but couldn't do any better than the website (link below picture) itself so here goes: "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships." I can only listen to this one when I'm feeling more serious and able to focus but every episode I've listened to has been super interesting. I also really like the hosts voice which is weird to say now that I type it out but an important consideration when choosing podcasts. 

website HERE

Flash Forward is an incredibly interesting podcast and I highly recommend it for anyone that likes science fiction.  In this podcast, the hosts examines a potential future scenario. For instance, the last couple I listened to was about pregnancy in space and teleportation. Its a good mix of interesting science mixed with educated speculation, all supported by knowledgable guest experts.

Bonus:

website HERE

Ok so this is a bonus podcast I like that I didn't want to put in my top 5 because 1. then it'd be a top 6 which isn't the same now is it? and 2. it's only a 10-part series.

Finding Fred is about, you guessed it, Fred Rogers who is a personal hero of mine. The host examines the impact of Mr. Rogers work and discusses it, and relates it to current day issues, with various guest experts. Very good, very well done, and I may or may not have cried a little bit at some points.

All podcasts, with the exception of Finding Fred of course, have a ton of backlogged episodes and continue to regularly put out new episodes (at least one a week) so you've got a pretty big pool to dive into. I didn't think I'd be able to pay attention to someone talking without seeing them but that hasn't proved to be the case so don't let that stop you from trying it out.

Well, I'm off to listen to a Stuff You Missed in History episode about poison control. If that doesn't get me out of this funk, I don't know what will.

I Gotta Say it Was a Good Day

What can I say, it was another great day.

Another random weekday day off, another day full of potential... sort of. Of course, Covid-19 is forcing everyone to change up their routines a bit and though my options were a lot more limited as far as potential activities goes, today that did not hinder me one bit. The weather played a big part in my positive mood and for the first time in ages I was able to do one of my most favorite warmer weather activities: [late] morning coffee on the porch.

"I'm staying. Finishing my coffee."

When the weather is warmer more consistently (didn't we have snow a few days ago??) that bush to the right of the rhododendron is a massive hydrangea that explodes with blossoms all spring/summer long. Aside from being pretty to look at, it gives me a little semblance of privacy as I sip my morning coffee(s) and enjoy the sunshine. Even though it's not at that point yet, it was still a pretty pleasant way to spend some time this morning. 

Also noteworthy is the fact that I made a little more effort to dress up today, for no other reason than to make myself feel better. That green bicycle button-down is one of my favorites. It's super cheeriness made it perfect for a bright sunny spring day. I also wore one of my favorite watches (check it here, though I have the smaller white-faced ladies version)- it's a little too nice to wear to work regularly (my job can often be physically demanding in a way that is... potentially dangerous for watches) so I broke it out today. 

I filled the rest of my morning with a little relaxing putzing around and sewing but in the afternoon, I absolutely had to take a walk. For about an hour and a half I walked along one of the rail trails in the area and by the end I was tired but definitely not disappointed. 

Such blue skies! This trail runs along the Assabet River and some other random ponds and things making for solid scenery. It's not a boring walk.

This is where I turned around and headed back to where I came from. The bike trail technically ends here but across the way is a dirt road you can continue your walk on, though it's not a good idea if you're trying to zone out and listen to podcasts because it's an actual road that cars occasionally drive on. I've never taken the left and gone into the Wildlife Refuge, but it's on our list for someday!

I shared the trail with a ton of bikers, walkers, skateboarders, and even rollerbladers.

Some other things that made today a great day:

-During my early evening porch session, the neighbor's cat came to either ignore me or stare at me, depending on, I assume, whether or not he (she?) thought I was paying attention.

-I somehow cobbled together a pretty good quarantine dinner with stuff I had hanging around: a shallot, jalapeño, half a jar of salsa, tomato paste, a chipotle in adobo, frozen roasted corn, garlic, and crumbled up extra firm tofu over rice, topped with cheddar, and served with tortilla chips. Highly recommended. You can call it a burrito bowl and pretend you did it on purpose. Also, if you're one of those people that get nervous about tofu, my fiancé didn't immediately know it was, in fact, tofu. There are no... texture issues here if that's what freaks you out.

-This porter from Founders Brewing Co., one of my all time favorites that I am enjoying as I type:

source

-THIS African black soap face mask, because I am fancy. And also because I have what they call "problem skin" sometimes but I prefer to focus on the fanciness.

Now, I'm about get some couch time with my fiancé and Doctor Who, a pretty good end to a pretty good day.

*Yeah, yeah I did take the blog title from Ice Cube.

Vacation, all I ever wanted

I've been on vacation! I went home to North Carolina to visit my brand new baby nephew (and, I guess, the rest of my family ;) ). It was a fantastic time, per usual, but now it's back to the grind.

We got home yesterday,  roughly 6 hours later than originally intended due to some flight delays, so I decided to take today off from work. I'm glad because now, in the cold light of day as I sit on my couch at noon in my pajamas watching baking shows on Netflix, I'm feeling that tidal wave of everyday life racing toward me as a lengthy "to do" list forms in my head.

^This basically sums up my feels right now.

I'll process how awesome my vacation was and how much it made me happy later but now it's hard to do that as I stress about all the things I have to do (or think I have to do). It's not just the simple everyday tasks that I have to get back on track now, but upon reentry into normality I'm reminded of all the grand plan things I've been meaning to do but keep putting off, like job hunting for instance.

Instead of spiraling into an angry unproductive black hole and ending up even more unprepared to go back to work than I was yesterday, I figured I'd share my routine I sometimes use to get back on track post-vacation in the hopes that I actually, you know, do it.

"Sagittarius A* is the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy." (source) Perhaps this is the black hole where all my energy and productivity goes.

1. GET READY. I'm not one to scoff at a good couch day, but if you're stressing, it's not going to make you feel any better, trust me. Getting up and going really resets your brain into a more productive mode. I personally like to use this time to get ready as if I have a hot date or big event later because lets be honest- you're doing all that extra work to make yourself feel more confident and ready, not just to impress anyone, so it'll make you feel better.  For me, this means:

• Absolutely boiling hot shower. Straight up poach yourself. Especially after a day of airports and planes, just fry those germs off of you.
• Take your time. Shave if that's a thing you do. I recommend a hair mask- they're cheap and do wonders for my dry, fine hair. 
• Post shower body oil! I get dry as hell in the winter and nothing feels more luxurious than putting on body oil. Seriously, you'll feel like a new person. I use Dr. Teal's Relax & Relief body oil- it's pretty cheap, the bottle lasts forever, and it's my favorite smell. I use Trader Joe's Rose Facial Oil for my face because using anything rose scented makes me feel like a Lady.
• While you absorb all your glorious scented oils, do all the little extras you don't always do. For me, this can include finally taking off that super chipped nail polish and sprucing up my cuticles, rogue eyebrow hair plucking, other hair removal we don't talk about, whatever. Put makeup on even if you're not planning on going anywhere.
• Take care in getting dressed. That doesn't have to mean get fancy, but take a minute to choose things that specifically make you happy. Take your time, look through all your things. 

2. MAKE A LIST. Sit down at your desk or a table, get your fancy notebook (everyone has a thousand fancy notebooks, right?) and make a list of all the things you're panicking about doing. Just dump your anxious brain onto the paper. After making this list, most of the time I'm surprised to find that its not so daunting written down, and much easier to face. 

3. DO A THING. Start small. I usually start with a cleaning task because having a clean and organized apartment makes me feel like a Good Adult, thus bolstering me for further tasks.

4. DO NOT DO ALL THE THINGS. You probably won't finish your list. That is ok. Don't forget to prioritize doing something for pure enjoyment's sake- you just got back from vacation but it's not going to make you feel any better to immediately cut all joy out of your life. 

5. REMEMBER THAT YOU'RE JUST AN ANGSTY HOUSE PLANT. Take in nutrients. Drink lots of water. Get some sun if possible. 

6. TAKE A WALK. If weather permits, some movement and fresh air will do wonders for your mental state. Also, if you over indulged like I did on vacation, you will be feelings sluggish and require exercise. Feel free to move this step up a few notches on the list if you need more help getting your brain in gear after getting ready.

7. HAVE A SOUNDTRACK. Do all these things to music that gets you going and makes you happy. I recommend searching for "Star-Lord's Zune" on Spotify which is a pretty epic and lengthy playlist based on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtracks. 

After all this, hopefully I'll be in a better mindset and then the bigger things I have to tackle won't seem so daunting. Well, time to get on it I guess!

Had to do it because: 

1. Who doesn't think of this song when someone says vacation?!

2. Who doesn't love a good 80's music video?!

You're welcome.

Did Everybody Say What A Good Day That It Was

I had a great day today.

I work in a hospital which of course needs to be staffed 24/7. This means I'm expected to work every other weekend which also means I have the odd day off in the middle of the week to make up for it. Especially as of late, I've had issues filling these midweek days in ways that leave me satisfied when it's all over. I've been getting up later than I intend, not being productive enough, not doing enough things I enjoy, overall just feeling as if I'm wasting my valuable days off.

Despite having a clear idea of my issue (even I'm rolling my eyes at myself for this "issue"), I've had such a hard time fixing it. I've been spending so much of my days beating myself up for not enjoying myself and trying to force myself to do things that I end up, you know, not doing any of that. As they say, worrying about wasted time is more wasted time (my next cross stitch sampler??). It's a strange cycle of self-created problems I've gotten myself into but today... today was perfect. I don't know how I managed it but it was the ideal blend of relaxing, productive, and fun.

Since this blogs original purpose was to remind me of all the good things, I've decided to make a list of a couple of the things that made it so good. Hopefully I can shake off ridiculous this day-off funk I've gotten myself into.

First up is a fine beer, which I'm enjoying as I type. We're super into trying all kinds of good craft beer (heavy dark beers being my favorite) and New England has it's fair share. I stepped a little out of the area for this one (Mast Landing is out of Westbrook Maine) because it's recently turned into one of my go-to favorites. Beer Advocate rates it pretty highly too, if you're into that sort of thing. A good, super-smooth stout with it's own unique (but not overpowering) peanut-y flavor.

Plants! This past year, much to my delight, I realized the apartment I was currently in actually had enough light and room for plants and that I was ready to become a plant mom. My former apartment was a small studio and super dark so I was pretty excited to run out and buy some plants.  I have a Rubber plant named Rubbert Plant that's thriving and a Purple Wandering Jew that I have somehow kept alive (they're kinda tricky) but sadly, I had a Purple Waffle that didn't make it (RIP). Today I decided his pot needed a tenant so I went to a local nursery and for something to replace PW... and of course I couldn't leave with just one plan. On the left is an Oyster plant and on the right is a Rattlesnake plant. They've already been repotted and have settled in their new homes.

I've actually made progress on my embroidery journal! Yes, I'm super behind still but once I get the fabric cut and ready to go, usually it's smooth sailing from there. I like that I can just sit and stitch without much further thought. And, as a bonus, I think I'll actually work down that great big ball of random thread scraps.

source

The Repair Shop is a BBC show which is currently on Netflix. The premise is that people bring in their broken family heirlooms of all types to be restored by master craftsmen. It's pretty much the perfect thing to watch while you have your coffee and bagel in the morning- you get your heartwarming stories but you also get a really interesting look at how things are repaired. I also love the idea that people are working against the idea of this throwaway culture we currently live in. It makes me want to like, I dunno, go out and fix things or something.

source

I'm pretty into watches- I love learning about the different types and movements and history. Recently I've been on a pretty intense eBay hunt for a good vintage one and today, I found an old Waltham that was in decent shape, especially considering the price. I went for it and can't wait to get it in the mail next week! I've been wanting a Waltham- it's a company with a solid history of making good watches... and I happen to live relatively close to Waltham!

***
Other things that made this day great:

-Laundry! Yes I hate changing the sheets but it needed to be done and going to sleep in a bed with fresh sheets is pretty much the best.

-It was an absolutely beautiful day. Clear, bright blue skies, and mild temps (especially for a New England February). I was able to repot my new plants on our screened-in porch without freezing!

-I went for a walk. It was short but it still felt nice to spend more time outside and move a little.

I have a bonus day off this week- hopefully this coming Wednesday is as magical as today was. In the mean time, enjoy a bonus song from which I sniped the blog title!