You're Doing It Wrong

I don’t really do any of the year lists anymore or even take the time to think of my favorite [blank] from the year before. But I was thinking of episodes of TV shows that I really enjoyed recently — more than just in the last year.

1. The Bear, Season 2, Episode 4 “Honeydew”

This is the one where Marcus goes to Copenhagen even though he’s concerned about his sick mother. It is so quiet and lovely in the midst of a show with a lot of chaotic episodes. I already loved this character and this made me love him more.

2. The Bear, Season 3, Episode 6 “Napkins”

Like my favorite above, this episode focuses on a more side character Tina. And this is a flashback episode that tells her story and how she ended up part of the Original Beef. Tina starts off, pre-beef, in a really great place and as the episode develops she goes through some terrible disappointment and humiliation and she manages it with so much dignity until she can’t. So much heart in this story.

3. Only Murders in the Building, Season 4, Episode 7 “Valley of the Dolls”

In a series with tons of terrific characters and performances, nothing comes close Charles’ sister Doreen played by Melissa McCarthy. Doreen develops a crush on Oliver and every scene is a hilarious surprise. Even if you don’t watch this show I think you should watch this episode.

4. Severance, Season 1, Episode 9 “The We We Are”

This aired in 2022 but it is a favorite TV episode. Every story thread has a super high stakes thing happening — all at the same time. It is an exhilarating hour of TV.

We need to re-up Apple TV because we cancelled it when we realized how much we were spending on TV. Meanwhile, we also somehow cancelled all the channels I use to watch NCAA gymnastics and now we have to add that stuff back, too. They don’t make it easy for you to save money on TV, do they?

5. I don’t have a fifth episode.

I thought I would think of another one as I worked on my list but no. I have a lot of shows I enjoyed last year but can’t think of a particular episode that is sticking out for me right this second.

These are from my Atlanta trip at the beginning of the month.

I can’t remember the last time I was flying cross country and sitting in a window seat and it was daytime and it was clear.

It was glorious. It was an ass-crack of dawn flight and we were flying into the sunrise. It was so beautiful flying over the mountains. And being able to look out of the texture of the landscape. It was magical.

When we deboarded the Captain was standing there and without context I told him: THAT WAS AMAZING!

This picture doesn’t capture it. I had some reason I took this and I don’t remember what it was — something familiar?

(Aside: also during this trip I saw 2 planes passing by what seemed like really, really close for having the whole giant sky available.)

I do remember this. All across the country there were big spreads of these huge white buildings. This is nearing the Atlanta airport. The land of fulfillment centers.

When I was going through security I needed 2 bins but my hands were full and I was juggling electronic devices and a coat and I broke my rule about only taking 1 pair of shoes because we were going to a party and I wanted to look pretty. So I had big shoes.

(Also aside: but the set up was stupid because it was like an assembly line — to the person at the front of the line got to fit their bins in. Then that person left, a new person went, and that person filled their bin and pushed it into the line. Those of us further down were at the mercy of some slow person who left some open space for our bins.)

I threw my laptop in the lower conveyor and thought it would be fine while I got the other stuff settled and of course security is made of people who can’t stop telling you that you’re doing something wrong. Then he starts bugging me about my laptop and I go to grab it but it’s moved down the conveyor belt line.

And the next person in line is some sort of Bhuddist nun. Everyone is completely deferential. Good costume for travel.

I grabbed my laptop bin. Made Mr. Nitpicky happy. Waltzed through and was able to return home.

This is the imp, Arky, crawling on his favorite dog, Clover. Arky is an adorable monster.

(I misspelled the plural of tomatoes on my photo and it took me forever to figure out what the problem was. It pains me to leave it but too many steps to fix it. Oh well! See the manager for a refund. xo )

If everything goes as planned I have scheduled this to post while I am in Atlanta on my trip rescheduled after my last trip was postponed due to hurricane.

These are the last of my measly summer tomato crop. I need to clean this out since some of those are hopeless. The skins are thick and chewy and the tomatoes are tart. But it’s still a little special bite of summer.

Since we ripped out the bedroom carpet to expose the hardwood floors I am amazed at how much and how quickly fluff collects under the bed and in the corners. I suspect it has to do with the flannel sheets. I have hardwood in my office room and there aren’t nearly that many dust bunnies.

I am going to take the last few minutes of daylight to do some quick garden chores.

I made it. 30 days. I am completely out of juice, though.

This photo is from 1971 and is from a series my dad was doing for the annual Christmas card.

I love everything about this. My bangs in my face. My asymetrical ponytails. My giant ear.

The striped matching outfits!! My coat is buttoned but my sister’s is opened, revealing a dress that matches the coats. White tights and black patent leather shoes.

Adorable!

This is on Highway 96 in Orleans

Did I ever write about that time the alarm was going off at Little Tree?

There was a restaurant nearby that we really liked called Little Tree. We were really bummed when they closed. They seemed so conscientious and had a great menu. They probably went out of business because they didn’t cut corners.

One night we went in there and the alarm for the building was somehow going off. It was a terrible sound. You couldn’t have a conversation.

There were people having dinner in there. One guy had rolled up paper napkins and stuck one end in his ear and the rest just hung down like wilted ears.

It was strange — almost like a candid camera or something to see how we would react.

At first we were going to stick with it but we told them we’d come back another time.