TV

Reviews

~ MaryG ~ 5 Comments

I did a bunch of GenX things last weekend:

1) Went to see a cover band. The band was called Tusk and they are a Fleetwood Mac Tribute band. They were really great musicians and played all the songs really well. It was a beautiful, warm night. I danced and had fun. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album came out in 1977 and it was my junior high jam. I loved that album so much. I did my majorettes try-out to “Second Hand News.” Hearing it all again, 47 years later, I have to admit, it’s yacht rock.

Tusk playing “Go Your Own Way” – don’t they sound just like Fleetwood Mac?

2) Went to see Fly Me To The Moon in a movie theater. All the movies out this summer seem like they’re for twenty-somethings. This one looked like it was geared for my age group and it was. If you ever drank Tang or Tab, this movie is for you. I thought it was very entertaining. ScarJo’s luminous beauty, the US space program of the 1960s, and a couple of very solid jabs at the Nixon administration were highlights for me. On the downside, the portrayal of the creative, gay movie director seemed like an over-the-top caricature, complete with ascots and limp wrists. Also, the whole plot seemed to feed into the whacko, conspiracy-theory, alt-reality culture we’re now living in.

When we came out of the movie, I had texts from both of my kids telling me Trump had almost been iced. A quick social media search revealed that Trump had stood up after the shooting and dramatically urged the crowd to “fight” and Republicans were blaming Democrats for the entire thing. Conspiracy theories were already in full bloom.

3) On Sunday night, with a growing sense of despair about the inevitability of the United States’ descent into right-wing madness, I happened to watch a Netflix comedy special and it was SO FUNNY. I laughed and laughed. Leanne Morgan was the only female comedian who appeared in the lineup of Netflix specials, so I took a chance on her and I’m so glad I did. She’s exactly my age (born in 1965) and I just loved her references to the 80s and all things wife/mother/grandmother-related. She avoids politics entirely. This bit about Dexatrim being speed had me in tears.

Highly recommend

Fantasy Dinner Party

~ MaryG ~ 5 Comments
Daily writing prompt
If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?
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I can’t deal with a group larger than eight for dinner. I’d probably invite a bunch of creative types, especially funny ones. They might be hard to cook for, but the conversation would be entertaining.

Maybe…

Bowen Yang

Barbara Kingsolver (She’s the only guest that concerns me. A Pulitzer Prize-winning writer would be an amazing guest and I’ve read most of her books, but does she watch TV? Could she deal with all these funny people?)

Kate McKinnon

Greta Gerwig

Wanda Sykes

Quinta Brunson

Matthew Gilbert (retiring TV critic for The Boston Globe—I’m going to miss him so much!)

Image from Pexels

Two-piece bathing suits after 50

~ MaryG ~ 3 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?
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In the past five years or so, I’ve gone back to wearing two-piece bathing suits. I’m not talking French bikinis here, but legit, midriff-exposing, two-piece swim suits—without skirts or ruffles (but with some strategic ruching). Two-piece suits are just more comfortable than one-piece suits and so much easier when using the restroom. I even wear one to swim laps these days.

No, I will not be posting a picture of myself in my two-piece, but here’s Paulina in hers, with both hip-replacement scars showing.

GenX supermodel Paulina Porizkova is two months older than me. We’re both going to be 60 next year. I follow her on IG. I like her honest commentary on sexism, aging, and happiness. Maybe I’ll read her book “No Filter” soon.

Another thought: If you get HBO Max, be sure to watch Jessica Lange in “The Great Lillian Hall.” It’s such a beautiful performance. At age 75, Lange is better than ever.

Weird food combos

~ MaryG ~ 4 Comments

What could you let go of, for the sake of harmony?

Sometimes you should let go of preconceived ideas of which foods go together and try things that sound weird.

For example, my husband makes (and claims to have invented) peanut butter and salsa sandwiches. I won’t eat those, but I do love cheddar cheese in apple pie. And have you seen Episode 1 of Season 3 of The Bear on Hulu yet? Was that a blood orange reduction and a large potato chip on a seared scallop?!? It looked pretty darn good.

You don’t think of peanut butter and pasta as being a good combo, but this recipe from NYT Cooking is a winner. It’s called “Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce, Chicken and Cucumbers.” I didn’t have sesame paste (tahini) so I substituted natural peanut butter (as the recipe suggests) and it was good! I will try it again with tahini at some point.

I used a whole package (16 ounces) of linguine, rather than 12 oz like the recipe says, and it was fine.

Recipe attached as a PDF:

Cold Noodles With Sesame Sauce, Chicken And Cucumbers RecipeDownload

Unplugged

~ MaryG ~ 10 Comments
Daily writing prompt
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?
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What does “unplugged” even mean anymore?

I read library books on Libby or Kindle, I swim with my Apple Watch, I meet with faraway friends on Zoom, I go for walks with my phone and AirPods. People even meditate online now.

If the power (and therefore the WiFi) gets knocked out by a storm, I just switch to cell phone data and charge my phone in the car.

If I’m truly unplugged (without electricity and cell coverage), something bad has happened. I’m scrambling for D batteries to put in my boombox, which also gets AM/FM radio. We’re bringing in firewood from the garage and heating water on a camp stove.

In the olden days, “unplugged” simply meant that a band did a set with acoustic instruments, instead of electric. The results were mixed. This one was cool: The Cure’s unplugged “Just Like Heaven” from 1991.

Friends

~ MaryG ~ 9 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What quality do you value most in a friend?
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Now that I’m 55+ and have lost several friends my own age to cancer and addiction, I am not picky. I like all my old friends. If I’m in touch with them at all at this point in my life, it means there was/is a real connection there.

In making new friends, I gravitate to people who both listen and talk. And obviously, no MAGA. That’s a deal-breaker.

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda in “Grace & Frankie” on Netflix. No surprise that I was a big fan of all seven seasons of this show.

Alka-Seltzer

~ MaryG ~ 11 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What does “having it all” mean to you? Is it attainable?
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This prompt took me straight to FOOD. Maybe it’s because I just listened to “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy—the bestselling memoir about a child star with an abusive mother and a really major eating disorder.

Having it all can mean the entire pint of ice cream, the whole row of Oreos, the full bag of chips. And yes, sadly, it is attainable.

Not to make light of eating disorders, but do my fellow GenXers remember those ubiquitous Alka-Seltzer ads? Before the famous “plop, plop, fizz, fizz” jingle, there was this guy (and his long-suffering wife) saying “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

To this day, I don’t think I’ve ever taken an Alka-Seltzer. They say it’s for “upset stomach and headache,” which sounds like code for a hangover. Did Madison Avenue intend for adults to read between the lines? Have you ever taken an Alka-Seltzer? And if so, was it because you were hung?

Jennette McCurdy (right) and her iCarly co-stars. Her award-winning memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Died” has sold over 2 million copies and been translated into ten foreign languages.

Zeitgeist

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What topics do you like to discuss?
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I like talking about the zeitgeist—current events and popular culture (especially movies and TV). I also love talking about books with my book group and music with my choir peeps. I enjoy hearing about people’s travels (to a point). I’m not a big sports fan, but if a Boston team is in the playoffs, I like to know what’s happening with that. Go Celtics ☘️! (and Bruins, I guess)

And as anyone who follows my blog knows, I despise Trump with a deep, burning, crimson hatred I’ve never felt for any other public figure in my lifetime, so I’m always up for any conversation which involves trashing him.

Am I the only one with a sign like this on display in my kitchen for the past 8 years?