What foods would you like to make?
I made Grilled Chicken Salad for my dear book group friends yesterday. This was the second time I’ve made it and I can confirm that it’s a good and reliable recipe.
Dessert was made by Whole Foods.
Unfortunately, it was too darn hot to eat on the porch, but later we had a lovely, strong thundershower.
Which activities make you lose track of time?
I spend far too much time scrolling. My husband calls it “doom scrolling.”
Periodically, I delete different apps (like Facebook) from my phone or computer, so I won’t spend so much time looking at it, but I always end up reinstalling.
With Twitter, I was pissed at Elon Musk, so I deleted my whole account and can’t figure out how to get it back, so I’m logged into my husband’s account and am forbidden to like or post anything while in it.
Why don’t they show us more cat videos? It’s the “algorithm,” right? They have us pegged as furious Democrats, I guess. Doom scrolling just makes me madder.
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.
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.
As previously mentioned, I have been trying to distract myself from America’s fraught political situation by trying cold chicken salad recipes and moving stuff around in my house.
This salad recipe is a winner. And it’s not even from my usual source (NYT Cooking). I randomly found it on the internet. The dressing/marinade is excellent and the combo of vegetables and bacon/blue cheese/chicken is just right.
Six thumbs up from the current residents of my house 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Oh my god…why do I keep answering these silly prompts? I can’t help myself. It’s like WordPress actually wants to get to know me or something, lol. To my WP/blogging friends who keep reading my answers, THANK YOU! I’m sure you have better things to do.
If you haven’t deduced this by now, I’m a privileged, white, married, American woman, living in a safe and secure home in Greater Boston. I like marijuana. We have a landline and an electric car. We get nearly all of the streaming channels. We subscribe to the NYT, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe and the Atlantic. We worked hard for what we have, but we were also raised with many advantages, including excellent public schools.
Knock on wood, my family and I are all safe and well at the moment. At this point, my biggest medical problem is a persistent ringing (tinnitus) in my right ear. I know this will not always be the case. Disease comes for all of us – eventually.
All this to say, I want to make hay while the sun shines, and seek “adventure” in my sixties. And by adventure, I mean travel. In the past two years, I took a helipcopter tour over the Grand Canyon and a hot air balloon in upstate New York. We also had dinner in the Eiffel Tower! I want to do more stuff like that–see new places and have new experiences.
Related:
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!)
According to WordPress, I’ve already answered today’s daily prompt, so I guess I’ve lapped myself. I’ve been posting regularly for about a year now. Here was my answer from last time this prompt came up:
Regarding Joe Biden, I’m getting more and more fearful that he’s just totally going to F*** us all by not dropping out. This article by Mark Leibovich is pretty harsh, but I tend to agree.
“It is now obvious that Biden has in no way internalized the disaster toward which he is defiantly ambling—or, more to the point, toward which he is leading his party and his country (and, for that matter, NATO, Ukraine, thousands of as-yet-not-deported immigrants, and unprosecuted Trump “enemies”). He seems fully indifferent to any consideration beyond his own withered pride and raging ego.”
I’m trying not to care about politics as much, because it’s just so damn depressing right now. I’m spending a lot of time trying chicken salad recipes and rearranging furniture. I’m trying to take heart in the fact that I (and most everyone I love) live in Massachusetts and perhaps we will be relatively insulated from Trump 2.0, but I know in my heart that nobody will escape it.
Rough estimate, but I sleep from around 10:30 pm to around 6:30 am.
If I wake up and see a 4 or a 5 (or god forbid a 3) as the first number on my watch, I try to go back to sleep.
I’ve been known to Hurkle-Durkle until well past 8, but not that often.
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.
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.
I’m obviously SUPER EXCITED to become a grandma this fall!
I did not make this cake, but it was a big hit. It’s a Whole Foods quarter sheet Strawberry Shortcake. It also comes in smaller (round) sizes. If you need a cake for a party this summer, I highly recommend this one. It’s really good.
Related:
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