Tuesday 5: Five Lists

It’s Tuesday, but it’s also two days before Thanksgiving. Since my head is full of to-do lists, I present you a list of five random lists!

1. Costco list for today: 

    -Clorox wipes

    -Black beans

    -Milk

    -Diet Coke x 2

    -Bacon

    -Mac and Cheese

    -Bread

    -Salad

    -Cut up fruit

    -Clementines

2. Books I need to read/finish before the new year

    -Finish “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Henri Nouwen

    -Read “Career of Evil” by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) from the library

    -Read “The Long Loneliness” by Dorothy Day and discuss with Arthur Dent’s Godmother

3. Speaking of books, here are three books I have read multiple times (and I’m not one to repeat read) and a favorite quote from each.

    -To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’”

    -The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy trilogy by Douglas Adams: “What I need…is a strong drink and a peer group.”

    -Confessions by St. Augustine, “You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness.  You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.  You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you.  I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more.  You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”

4. And in the same vein, here are four TV shows I love. I’ve seen every episode at least twice, and if I find them on TV, I’ll stop and watch. They never get old to me. I’ve included a favorite quote from each. It’s not coincidental that all of these quotes make me into a crying mess.

    -M*A*S*H - “There's a woman back in Hannibal, Missouri, who's spent the better part of thirty years waiting for me to come home from one tour of duty or another. She's had to learn to do an awful lot on her own. Now I'm going home to see if she can show me how to do it with her.” Episode 11.16 “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen”

    -The West Wing - “A sailor's wife doesn't live with fear the way a soldier's does. An Admiral’s wife that much less. You don't spend a career preparing for this. It seemed like a blessing, until today.” Episode 5.21 “Gaza”

    -The X-Files- “One day, you'll ask me to speak of a truth - of the miracle of your birth. To explain what is unexplained. And if I falter or fail on this day, know there is an answer, my child, a sacred imperishable truth, but one you may never hope to find alone. Chance meeting your perfect other, your perfect opposite - your protector and endangerer. Chance embarking with this other on the greatest of journeys - a search for truths fugitive and imponderable. If one day this chance may befall you, my son, do not fail or falter to seize it. The truths are out there. And if one day you should behold a miracle, as I have in you, you will learn the truth is not found in science, or on some unseen plane, but by looking into your own heart. And in that moment you will be blessed - and stricken. For the truest truths, are what hold us together, or keep us painfully, desperately apart.” - Episode 9.06 “Trust No 1”

    -BBC’s Sherlock: “The problems of your past are your business. The problems of your future are my privilege.” Episode 3.03 “His Last Vow”

5. Things I’m most looking forward to eating/drinking on Thursday:

    -Mashed potatoes

    -Homemade rolls with butter

    -Mashed potatoes

    -The alcoholic beverage we’re having with cider, ginger ale, and pumpkin vodka.

    -Did I mention mashed potatoes?

What are you most looking forward to eating, Fellow Adventurers? Bonus points if you include a favorite TV show or book quote.

Tuesday 5: In which I momentarily get serious. Just momentarily.

Tuesday again, already? More like second Monday. 

1. I decided I’d try to start listening to audiobooks in the car. I’m there enough, I thought it might be a good way to better myself without trying too hard. Turns out my mini van doesn’t agree. It ate disc three of the book I was listening to and refuses to give it back. It’s just some sci-fi junk novel I checked out of the library to see if I liked the audio book idea, so it’s not fine literature, but I CHECKED IT OUT OF THE LIBRARY. I give up trying to be literate in the car. (And, yes, fellow adventurers, I know about Audible, but I don’t want to pay money. I’m cheap like that.)

2. We watched Aziz Ansari’s new show on Netflix, Master of None. It was surprising and not at all what we expected. While it’s definitely got plenty of laugh out loud moments, the funny has an undercurrent of biting social commentary. Sexism, racism, and a list of other social issues get explored. Good stuff.

3. I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing more than the Tuesday 5. I’ve written a little piece of fiction every week for the past three weeks. Maybe I’ll start my novel someday. 

4. [Insert well thought out discussion of refugee crisis and terror attacks here.] Seriously, though, I know this blog usually remains lighthearted, but the things I’ve seen not only in the news, but in my own facebook feed this week have brought me to my knees. I don’t think people who think letting refugees into this country are cruel and unfeeling, and I think they have valid reasons to be concerned. I also don’t think people who want to let the flood of refugees find safe haven here are wrong, and I admire their human kindness. What I do think is that people who say things like, “Refugees are coming, time to buy a gun,” and “The refugees are terrorists,” are harsh and wrong. The comment I read, “Make up your mind, is it ISIS or ISIL,” displays complete ignorance of basic knowledge of current events. Period. If you don’t know, getting refugee status to come into the USis one of the hardest ways to get into the United States. In Europe, the process is much different and refugees are not vetted the same way they are here. You can look at the State Department website HERE for more information. In any case, I have a hard time with it all. I understand the fear of letting ISIS in the door, and I don’t disagree. I get that lots of people rightly trust the government less than Fox Mulder did. I have an impossible time seeing pictures of children sleeping on the ground, or children drowning trying to escape terror, or children being killed by terrorists, and thinking we should do nothing. Should that include military intervention? Taking in refugees? Both? Neither? I think these are valid questions to explore at far more than face value--really dig deep into the reasons for or against, because there are lots of pros and cons to each. Our country’s foundation and our Christian belief system both tell me that ignoring the plight of innocents being killed and persecuted isn't right. The bottom line is that there aren’t any good answers—it’s a bad situation and one that isn’t easily fixable. I do think that any answer requires compassion and thought and not quick angry rhetoric. If you don't like hearing my opinion or don't want to have a discussion and instead spout opinions you picked up from your side only, feel free to unfriend me on social media and stop following my blog. I won't miss you. Now, back to your regularly scheduled nonsense.

5. Now that it’s almost my kids’ bedtime, I’m going to sign out and pour a Captain Morgan and Diet Coke and do some cross stitching. There’s nothing better for relieving frustration than stabbing something 20,000 times. 

Tuesday 5: Grilled Cheese and Other Musings

1. Last week, I was making grilled cheese sandwiches for the family and started daydreaming. Miraculously, I realized what was happening before the sandwiches burned. I just had to share, Fellow Adventurers, because, as anyone who’s ever made grilled cheese knows, it’s a pretty amazing event. 

2. I’d like to make a public apology to our mail carrier. I know sometimes our flag is up and there is no mail in the box. Arthur Dent does it when he checks the mail. When I asked him about it, he said, “There’s a letter in there.” I told him he’s supposed to take the letters out and bring them in the house. His response? “No, I putted a letter in there that I wrote to Spaceship. I have to put the flag up so it gets mailed to him.” So, long suffering mail lady, there are imaginary letters to Arthur Dent’s imaginary brother, Spaceship, in there. Thanks for taking care of our real and imaginary mail.

3. History nerd stuff: Did you know that Martha Washington said that the second most painful occurrence of her life was when Thomas Jefferson visited Mount Vernon? The first was the death of George Washington, of course. Now, think about this for a minute. She hated Jefferson so much that him visiting her was the second worst thing in her life—and she was a widow before she married George Washington. So seeing Thomas Jefferson was even worse than losing her first husband. Ouch. That’s some serious animosity. (My source is the Mount Vernon website, if you are wondering.)

4. This morning, I was carrying Laura Ingalls Wilder to the house. My shoes were wet and I slipped and fell in the garage. Lucky for Laura Ingalls Wilder, my mom instinct kicked in and I protected her at all costs. Not so lucky for me. I’m a bit banged up. The International Man of Intrigue has after work stuff, so I’m settled in on the couch with an adult beverage and the remote control. I was going to watch some BBC adaptation of some Charles Dickens story, but that seems a little more bleak than I need now that I”m a bit stiff and sore. Perhaps Gilmore Girls instead? 

5. Speaking of the remote control, I've mentioned before, but if you have Netflix and haven't watched the BBC drama, The Fall, go do it. The first season has quite a bit of violence, but it is really more of a psychological thriller. I think it's one of the most well done shows I've watched in a long time. The cinematography is sparse and striking. It’s more than a serial killer and cop show, though. It’s a show with a strong female lead and lines that are almost daring in calling out the undercurrent in society that still sees women as “less than.” Watch it. You won’t be sorry. 

Tuesday Random 5: I Can't Even Edition

Behold, a brief list of things I Can't Even right now. 

1. The heat. Seriously, it’s November and it was 90 degrees with a real feel of 97 today.  I will never get to wear that new lightweight cardigan I bought in September. Know that when I rub it in when you’re in 10 feet of snow during the winter that it’s just the leftover anger of being hot for so much of the year.

2. The Royals. My name is Dorothy Gale. I grew up in Kansas. I lived in Kansas City until I married The International Man of Intrigue. I went to Royals and Chiefs games. It’s hard work being an every day Kansas City sports fan. Now they’ve gone and won the World Series. I had a feeling when Game 5 was tied up in the 9th and going to extra innings that the Royals would win. Extra innings are what that team was made for. Today, Kansas City basically shut down for a huge parade and pep rally. Seeing all the pictures from my friends and even reading status updates from the ones who were watching it on TV in Kansas City really got me misty eyed. 

3. Daylight Savings Time. I hate it. I hate when it ends because that magical extra hour of sleep isn’t real, people. It’s the one that was ripped away from you back in the spring, remember? Also, it makes my kids get up insanely early and have meltdowns at bedtime every day for a week. As one of my friends said, let’s just stop lying about time, mmmkay?

4. All the movies and shows that are coming back around. The new Star Wars movie is out in a couple of months. A new Star Trek is coming out in 2017. The X-Files Revival starts in January. It’s like a Generation X-ers nerd dream. Now if only Scully’s shoes will come back in style.

5. My new glasses. I got the call today that my new glasses and sunglasses are ready. I had to get new ones after Laura Ingalls Wilder broke mine, if you recall. Usually, it takes at least two weeks for mine to be ready, because, well, I’m practically blind. I was expecting them to take another week and they’re here! I’m picking them up tomorrow!