Your Weekly Dose of EEE #19: More of This, Please

One of my favorite stops on my five-hour tour of Western Massachusetts, from Benedict Pond at Beartown State Forest. Photo by author.

Hello!

I hope your week has been a good one. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get back on schedule this week, but here I am with a weekly dose of EEE on schedule and maybe even under (word) budget. And my succulents are here next to me, soaking in the sun.

Thanks to all who sent healing vibes to the kiddo, btw. He’s doing great now. Honestly I feel blessed he made it to the age when he could point to the bowl in advance of throwing up before getting a stomach bug, and thrilled that (as of now) no one else has gotten it. My oldest is away at camp, and I was terrified she was going to come down with it while away from home with a bunch of strangers. From the photos they’re sending, she seems okay for now (*Knocks wood*).

What’s Exciting Me?

Well, a few days ago I would have said I was excited to have 5 working days this week for the first time in over a year. That didn’t happen, but I have been able to get in front of the computer for several hours and do some good writing. So I’m going to call that a win. I’ve also been covering some pretty contentious stuff in my town news publication, and I’m happy with my coverage. Oh—and I applied (is that the right word?) for some journalism awards and a grant or two, which is also exciting because reading the description and seeing myself and my little one-person news operation as competitive felt really nice.

What’s Entertaining Me?

📺 Well, I’m really sad that there are only 8 episodes of Unstable. We have watched 6 of them, and the show is pretty hilarious and relatable. The setup: Rob Lowe is Ellis Dragon, the owner and scientific genius behind a science company doing big breakthroughs in science. (Details don’t matter!) His wife died a few months ago and he’s been acting a little unstable ever since. His assistant, Anna, calls his son, Jackson, to come in from the other side of the country and try to get his dad to tone down the eccentricity a little bit so the Board doesn’t vote to replace him.

The cast is a realistic and diverse mix, the plot is funny if ridiculous, and the episodes come in at about 25 minutes, making this an easy show to watch in small, bite-sized chunks. All in all, I recommend, though I wish I’d heard about this a few seasons in so there was more to enjoy.

Aside #1: A friend of mine wrote this very interesting comparison of Ted Lasso to (No, not Dorothy!) Mary Poppins, and I really enjoyed and agreed with it! Since many of you read and remarked upon my Ted Lasso redux, I thought you’d enjoy this one, too.

Aside #2: Another of my favorite shows that didn’t have enough episodes was Living With Yourself, in which Paul Rudd plays two different versions of himself trying to coexist (and not be found out). I loved watching the two different characters Rudd was playing—especially when they argued—and I’m bummed I don’t get to see them anymore. I assumed it was put on hold because of the pandemic, but it seems he signed a one-year deal and nothing has happened since then. I doubt there’s hope of return, but it was a good one that I recommend watching!

📖 I’m not doing great with meeting my reading goals. I did just start No Adults Allowed by friend and Substacker Simon K Jones, and I’m interested to see where this story goes. It’s about a village of children living together, seemingly years after some sort of apocalyptic event. So many questions!

🎶 I took a trip the other day to drop my oldest at camp, and on the way home I had five hours to myself. During this time, I listened to a good portion of Lin Manuel Miranda’s catalog, including Hamilton (I cried twice), Encanto (I cried once), and Vivo (Okay, Lin, stop making me cry, mmmkay?!). After that, I shifted to Olly Murs, who has done some fun songs like “Up” with Demi Lovato and “Dance With Me Tonight.” The last one I listened to was “Wrapped Up” featuring Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, which brought me to “Stereo Hearts” with Adam Levine from Maroon 5 and “Ass Back Home,” featuring Neon Hitch. After that I turned to “Lighters” with Bruno Mars and Eminem before pulling into my garage bay.

So there’s a look into my free association of music during a drive when I’d intended to listen to an audiobook or think in silence. Guess I just needed something to sing along to. If I’d stayed in the car I would have moved on to “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy with Bruno Mars, then “The Monster” by Eminem featuring Rihanna and on to “Mi primer millón” by Bacilos and probably listened to Spanish-language rock for the rest of the day. Which is where I just might pick up when I finish writing this.

What’s Enlightening Me?

The seasonal nature of the battle between me and myself illuminated itself for me this week as I wrote Wednesday’s essay. There are some times I feel pretty good as both a parent and a non-parent, and those times are when my kids are away at school during the time I am supposed to be working. Summer time means big shifts in availability and kids-being-around-ness. Throwing sickness and vacation into the mix skews it even more.

Last summer, there were weeks when I wrote thousands and thousands of words. But there were also weeks where no writing got done. I hope keeping these seasonal considerations in mind will reduce the angst I get when things aren’t getting done. I also hope my scheduled 7 hour workday today will generate some useful work on my novel!

Have a lovely weekend, friend, and I’ll see you on Wednesday.