Spring Into Sunday Snapshot

It's spring! We made it! While spring in the Rockies can be volatile, I'm happy the days are getting longer and I have the occasional opportunity to work outside.

Currently Reading:

Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

After watching the movie, I was curious what the book covers and how. I'm glad I watched the movie first because otherwise I probably wouldn't have made it very far into the book. It is a good book, it's just kind of a bummer.

The Royal Bodyguard by Lindsay Emory

I actually listened to this on audio in February. Then I read the previous book in this series, The Runaway Royal, and enjoyed it so much I decided to reread the sequel immediately afterward. There's a lot going on in this one and not all of it comes together or makes sense, but if royal romances are your jam it's worth checking out.

Movies Recently Watched:

Minari, starring Youn Yuh-jung, Han Ye-ri, and Steven Yeun

I didn't get as emotionally invested in this movie as a lot of other people, but it is really good and worth watching. Gorgeous cinematography and a quiet, heartfelt story about family and perseverance.

Nomadland, starring Frances McDormand

The best movie I've seen in a LONG time. At first you think it's going to be about socio-economics; then it turns into a modern-day western with metaphors about freedom and discovering the landscape of America. Finally, at the very end it touches upon the meaning of life and death. Highly recommended!

WandaVision, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany

Technically not a movie, BUT OMG YOU GUYS THIS SERIES. I'm not usually a fan of the whole Marvel Comic Universe thing (why do I have to watch Winter Soldier to understand what's going on with Agents of SHIELD, huh?), but I am a fan of Paul Bettany, so I decided to give it a try. First they pull you in with the charming romantic comedy and the next thing you know, you're sobbing over an episode of Dick Van Dyke! Soooo so good. I haven't binge watched a series this hard since Scandal.

I Care a Lot, starring Rosamund Pike

The message got pretty muddled there toward the end, but it's Rosamund Pike being a badass, soooo. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Also why does everything have to include gangsters.

The Dig, starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes

My big takeaway from this film? Archaeology is not worth it. So much mud.

These weeks in heidenkindom:

I haven't gotten the vaccine yet; I'm not even on a list to get the vaccine yet. But my parents have their second shot scheduled for this Monday, so there's progress being made.

Despite not having the vaccine yet, in February I decided I needed to take a staycation and get some physical separation from home for my own mental health. As much as being home and not working is nice, when you're home there's always projects and to-dos that need attention. What I really needed was a few days of forced inactivity and some new scenery to get a refresh.

To that end, I spent three nights at a resort less than an hour away from my home. It wasn't really my scene – picture a lot of retirees – but the weather was gorgeous so I could walk around the grounds, go to the zoo, and sit outside and write and read. It was definitely the break I needed.

A few pics:

Hotel entrance

Bedroom

The terrace café

The zoo is famous for its herd of giraffes

Sitting outside in the sun

The only major bummer was that only 2 of their restaurants were open for dinner, there was no live entertainment, and lunch options were basically a take-away café (which actually had pretty good options, but still). But overall it was a nice break.

I'm also still WFH 100%, although we CAN go onto campus if we want to, as long as we keep capacity at 25%. I may go onto campus sometime soon just to remind myself how much I hate the drive.

That's the main things that have been going on here! What's been happening in your neck of the woods?

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First Sunday Snapshot of 2021

Sofie with a bunny

Happy 2021 everyone! Although the start of this year has been pretty rough, to put it mildly. But luckily we still have the blogs.

Currently reading:

The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman: Another book the Invisible Library series. Tbh it's taking me forever to read, but that's not unusual.

Depth of Winter by Craig Johnson: I'll be honest, when Cady was kidnapped by the cartel at the end of The Western Star, I rolled my eyes HARD. But the setting of this book (Mexico) is actually working out pretty well.

Movies:

Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan

I HIGHLY recommend this movie. It's a revenge tale about woman whose hobby is going to bars and pretending to be falling-down drunk. Inevitably some guy offers to "help get her home" but winds up taking her back to his place and trying to sleep with her instead. The end game isn't what you think. Unlike the typical revenge movie, this one is smart, snarky, with a genuine emotional core. And the more I think about it, the more I consider it reflective of our current times. All Cassie (played by Carey Mulligan who knocks it out of the park, as usual) wants is for people to acknowledge the reality of what happened, something that proves surprisingly–or maybe just depressingly–difficult.

Another Round, starring Mads Mikkelsen

Four high school teachers decide to drink constantly in order to keep their blood alcohol level at .5%, "But only during working hours, like Hemingway." What could go wrong?!

This isn't a movie about drinking so much as about mid-life crises and depression. Mads Mikkelsen's character, Martin, is so checked out at the beginning of the film his students stage an intervention. Then through drinking he rediscovers the energy and carefree fun of youth. Of course, there is a downside to this Jekyll/Hyde transformation, which the movie covers. But more ambiguously than you might expect.

Worth watching.

Mulan, starring Yifei Liu

I normally avoid Disney's live action remakes, because why ruin my childhood with this unnecessary nonsense (actually, that's not true, I've SEEN all of them, I just went into it with a certain attitude that I'm sure you can surmise). But with Mulan I was actually like, "Okay, this might be good," because 1. the cartoon didn't have magic or singing mice; and 2. I wasn't really into the original anyway.

Whelp, I was wrong, Disney continues to ruin my childhood. First of all, removing the music was a terrible choice. Even my brother was like, "The hell." Secondly, why would you make a live action remake that's less historically accurate than the cartoon it was based on? Idk people, it just felt like the heart of the original film was ripped out.

The Prom, starring Meryl Streep and James Corden

"But would it play in Peoria?" Answer: No.

The problem with this musical is you go into it thinking it’s going to be about a high school student, but it winds up being about a bunch of uninteresting Broadway actors nobody cares about. And then Auntie Mame, or whoever Meryl Streep is channeling in this role, gives up her career for a high school principal, which doesn’t make a lick of sense.

And yes, James Corden is as annoying in this film as everyone says. The American accent is not great.

This year in heidenkindom:

Well, 2021 is off to... a start. Only 3 more days. Fingers crossed.

The holidays were actually pretty nice. I was worried with the pandemic Christmas would be a total bummer, but it turned out to be cozy and less stressful than usual. We had our office Christmas party over Zoom and it was a definite improvement because 1. It lasted EXACTLY one hour; 2. I didn't have to pay for a meal at a restaurant I never wanted to go to in the first place; and 3. I didn't have to wrap a stupid white elephant present. Yay!

I also had two whole weeks off from the university, which provided a mental break I definitely needed. Maybe not enough of a mental break, but a break.

As for my 2021 goals, I have an appointment to look at a condo tomorrow. The HOA fees seem pretty high, they don't allow dogs (this could be a deal breaker tbh), and I kinda had my heart set on a house, but I do want to start looking at places to see what my options are.

That's all the news that's fit to print for January so far. How has your New Year been going?

Year-End Round Up for 2020

Top 9 images for 2020

Happy almost-2021, friends! Whelp, it's been a year. It's strange to think the year is ending when most days felt like they lasted a week. But time flies whether you're having fun or not, and it does almost seem like I blinked in March and when I opened my eyes it was December.

Since it's been so quiet around here (by which I mean the blog), I thought I'd give a month-by-month snapshot of what happened in my life in 2020:

January: Went to Portland for a week for work-related training. Fulfilled my 2019 goal of visiting Bisbee, Arizona. It was everything I was hoping and more; however, by the time I came home I was so tired and broke I swore I would spend my next vacation at home. LITTLE DID I KNOW.

February: Saw Josh Gates in Denver, another bucket list item! But again, driving up to Denver was a lot of time and stress, and we didn't even get to have him sign our books, so I questioned whether this was truly worth it.

March: Started shopping for a new mattress. Then everything went into lockdown. Moved to working 100% remote.

April: Had an emotional breakdown during Easter.

May: Bought a mattress; however, it was not in stock and they said it could be up to two weeks until it came in due to COVID-19. 

I also had a series of stressful Zoom job interviews. One would think interviewing over Zoom would be easier than in person; one would be wrong.

June: Still no mattress; now they say it won't be on the truck until the end of July. 

Also, got the job I interviewed for.

July: Returned to working on-campus 2 days a week. Saw a movie in theaters for the first time in 4 months. New CRM we'd been working on since January went live.

August: Went down to the mattress place to demand my money back, since this whole mattress thing clearly wasn't working out. They pulled a mattress out of their asses and swore it was mine. I have my doubts.

September: The mattress is a brick.

October: Turned 40. Had an okay birthday by global pandemic standards.

November: Campus closed down and everyone moved back to 100% remote. They gave us all of Thanksgiving week off, which was good since I was starting to feel like the living embodiment of the Hang In There cat meme. 

Wrote a negative review of the mattress place and they said they would "try" to make it right.

December: Christmas was surprisingly nice. One of my friends took pity on me and gave me enough money to buy a new mattress somewhere else. In sadder news, the store I've been working at since 2014 closed permanently.

It was a very not-normal year, but some good things did happen. I got to see Bisbee, as mentioned previously, and I got another job with more responsibility. And stress, don't get me wrong - but on the plus side I'm not bored anymore.

Overall I feel very grateful this year, for the fact that I can keep my job and work 100% remote, as well as for the support of my family, friends, and colleagues. 2020 brought unexpected blessings, and while I still have the occasional emotional freakout at how weird things are, I think I also learned some important lessons. Like don't complain about how tired I am after a vacation.

The Year in Books

I wish I could say quarantine led to me reading more, but that's simply not the case. I've finished 33 books so far, about the same as last year. But my reading habits did change a bit in response to current circumstances. Here are some of the highlights:

Longmire Series

I listened to 5 Walt Longmire books by Craig Johnson on audio. Some of the books are better than others. So far my favorites are Hell Is Empty and An Obvious Fact.

Twilight

As mentioned in my August Sunday Snapshot, Twilight was my go-to comfort read and watch this year. I re-read all but the first book (and the year isn't over), and then I read Meyer's new release, Midnight Sun. Which was long. Good. But very, very long.

Rom-Coms

Nearly all of my favorite reads of the year were contemporary rom-coms. Red, White, and Royal Blue is a delightful story about a romance between the son of the US president and the prince of England. 

Boyfriend Material is a completely hilarious romp that I bought by accident and then was too lazy to return. It's about the son of an aging rock star who's trying to patch up his public image by dating the most boring person he can think of.

500 Miles from You isn't so much of a haha comedy as a happy ending comedy (the first few chapters are honestly kind of a downer), but it offered total escapism to the Scottish Highlands, which was exactly what I needed when I was reading it.

Reading by the Numbers:

Total books: 33

55% of those books were by women

42% were audiobooks

36% were romances

15% were by POC

Year In Movies

I watched 56 movies this year, about 30% more than in 2019. Obviously only a few of them were new releases and even less were in theaters. Here are some of the favorites 2020 brought us:

Hamilton

DUH. It was everything I wanted and more.

Tenet

Not as layered and thoughtful as some of Nolan's other movies, but definitely cool. Well worth watching, imo.

Palm Springs

A super-duper smart twist on Groundhog Day that's also funny and sweet. Not to mention 100% appropriate for a year where all the days feel like they blend together.

The Invisible Man

This is Elisabeth Moss owning it.

Enola Holmes

The beginning is boring and the ending is rushed, and Henry Cavill as Holmes is pretty hard to buy into. But overall a very enjoyable movie I would watch again. I'm hoping they release more movies in this series!

Looking Forward to 2021

Hopefully 2021 will bring a return to life more normal and more improved for all of us. I believe it will, though I'm not sure how long it will take.

I don't have any reading goals for next year, but I would like to buy a house. I've managed to save up enough for a down payment and have been pre-approved for a mortgage, so now I just need to find a Realtor and start looking!

I would also like to start a new hobby. I need something non-work related to obsess over and get myself out of my own head. I'm just not sure what yet.

Here's wishing all of you a Happy New Year and bright 2021.

What were some of your favorite reads of the year? Do you have any resolutions for 2021?

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Sunday Snapshot: Pre-Thanksgiving Post

Currently reading: 

The Western Star by Craig Johnson: Love the train mystery / Agatha Christie vibe to this one, but listening on audiobook it's hard to tell if we're in the present day or 1972. Also, Martha seems very unreasonable. 

Movies watched: 

Rebecca, starring Lily James and Armie Hammer

This movie is AWFUL. The only reason to watch it is to truly appreciate how good Hitchcock's version is. Otherwise, I almost feel sorry for everyone involved in this film because it's a complete waste of time. Everyone except Armie Hammer, that is: his interpretation of Maxim de Winter was a T R A V E S T Y. How on earth he took moody and mysterious Max and turned him into Generic Boring Rich Bloke I'll never understand, but if I was him I'd get IMDb to strike this from my page asap. It's just an embarrassing performance. Not recommended.

Holidate, starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey


Two people who can't find dates for holidays, because they are awful and unpleasant to be around, make a pact to be each other's "holidates." But then they sleep together and it's just like, "Well. This is probably the best we can do anyway."

When this movie first started, I had the optimistic idea that it would be a clever twist on Holiday Inn. I'm not sure why I thought that but I was wrong. There isn't a single likable character in this sad excuse for a rom-com, except possibly the bunny suit-wearing doctor, Faarooq (and don't even get me started on how he's treated). But by far the least likable character is the romantic lead, Jackson. I wouldn't wish him as a boyfriend on my worst enemy, which Sloane (Emma Roberts' character) could potentially be. Give me A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby over this drech any day.

And, favorite Hallmark Christmas movie so far!

A Timeless Christmas


Megan has been fascinated by early 20th-century inventor and businessman, Charles Whitley, ever since she learned of his mysterious disappearance - and saw his hot, hot portrait in the restored Whitley House and Museum. But when someone who claims to be and looks exactly Charles Whitley suddenly shows up at the house, she wonders if giving up her job as head of the museum is something she really wants to do.

TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE, y'all! This was enjoyable and the lead was not boring, which is honestly about all I ask from Hallmark movies at this point. I also liked that Megan wrote her thesis on him and knew all his inside secrets. The ending kind of left things a bit unresolved, but I would watch this one again.

These weeks in heidenkindom:

Since my last post, cases of COVID-19 have exploded in the state. I've never been so happy to unilaterally make the decision that me and my team were going to work 100% remote. Last week the university reported that 200+ students and faculty were in quarantine, either because they'd tested positive, lived with someone who tested positive, or were known to be in contact with someone who tested positive. In October, it was 30 for the whole month. For most of this pandemic, it seemed like I and most people I knew didn't personally know anyone who'd contracted the virus; now I know several people who've tested positive or are being tested.

So, it's scary out there. And I have to say I'm grateful I can work from home, AND that the university gave everyone the whole week of Thanksgiving off. I was starting to feel like that "Hang in there!" cat meme, tbh, so I need the break. I do plan to work on some administrative stuff this coming week that needs to get done, but otherwise I am going to decorate for Christmas and prep for Thanksgiving and read and listen to records and watch Hallmark movies. And possibly re-read Twilight.

On the book front, I've read 3 paperback books in a row. That I bought on a whim. In an actual bookstore. For years, I've only ever bought physical copies of books after I'd read them in ebook format and decided I need to keep them for posterity. But for some reason - I don't know if it's the whole remote working thing and constantly being on Zoom or what - right now I'm just really digging actual physical books I can hold in my hand.

One of the books I just finished was Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade, and I highly recommend it. It's super twisty and fun and meta fan-fiction-y and I honestly don't know how it works but it does.

Well Met by Jenn DeLuca is another recent paperback read. It's less successful as a romance than it is as a coming of age story, and I was disappointed by the lack of clever banter I was promised, but it's definitely worth picking up.

Anyway, now I have to pick another book to read, which will be difficult since all I have left are ebooks and the library's closed. (Or I could re-read Twilight, she thought to herself.)

Anyway! I hope you and your families are keeping healthy and safe, and that the holidays are bringing you peace and joy. I hope to catch up with you in the comments or on social, and if you live in the US have a happy Thanksgiving.

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Sunday Snapshot for Fall 2020

Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope you've all been doing well since I last posted in August. It's snowing like gangbusters here but luckily we were able to get up to the mountains and see some of the aspens turning before they lost their leaves.

Anyway, let's dive right in to the Sunday Snapshot!

Currently Reading:

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory: I bought a paper copy of this book for myself for my birthday. Like all of Guillory's books it's a light, fast-paced, enjoyable read.

An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson: I've been working my way through the Walt Longmire series on audiobook. So far I'm enjoying this one: it's set during the Sturgis biker rally and features Henry's ex, Lola.

Movies:

Tenet, starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and a nearly completely unrecognizable Kenneth Branagh

I am a huge Christopher Nolan fan, so nothing was going to keep me from seeing this movie in theaters. It is very, very cool. Is it as successful as Inception or Interstellar? In my opinion, no, and I think that's because unlike those two movies this one isn't based on mythology. It feels complex but not deep, like an ouroboros. That said, it is a wild ride and I would definitely watch it again.

As a side note, is RPatt trying to pay down his mortgage all of a sudden or what? First Tenet and then Batman? I thought he'd sworn off blockbuster movies.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette, starring Cate Blanchett

A frustrating and depressing movie based on a book that I mostly remember as enjoyable. I loved (/sarcasm) how everything is twisted around so that it's Bernadette's fault, including her completely unsupportive husband sleeping with his secretary! 

Do not recommend, and I plan to avoid any other Richard Linklater movies in the future.

Sorry to Bother You, starring Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson

A super duper weird, surrealistic movie. Broke and without many prospects, Cash Green gets a job at telemarketing firm where he's paid bupkis. But all that changes when he adopts a "white voice" over the phone. Suddenly he goes from zero to hero at the firm and starts earning major bonuses. Ensue hilarious social commentary? Not quite.

I think if you like films like The Cabin and Get Out you'll want to watch this movie. I can guarantee you won't be able to predict where it's going.

Enola Holmes, starring Millie Bobby Brown, Sam Claflin, and Henry Cavill

Who could have predicted I'd want to watch this??? Basically, the beginning was slow and boring, and the ending felt like a million things thrown together at once. But the middle part was fantastic! I really hope they continue these movies as a series so I can see more of this ridiculously attractive Sam Claflin person.

Quarantine Things:

You'll all be happy to know that I've managed to keep myself from either reading or watching anything related to Twilight for the past few weeks. Well, except for that one time I rewatched the first movie again. But minor slip.

In Find Me In Paris news, I made it to season 3 and I'm super annoyed because Max left the show, and the way he left didn't even make sense! So in the final ep of season 2, Lena (the time traveling ballerina) told Max she was a time traveler and she was going back to 1905. And he BEGGED her not to go and even tried to go after her, but the portal closed. Fast forward to season 3: Lena returns to the present to find that Max has left to go to America, even though he's from London and said he was planning to go there. So he begs her to stay, tries to follow her, and then immediately leaves for another continent? What??? Also, they're not even in Paris anymore, they moved to the South of France, which. Not Paris. Just saying.

Anyway, I felt like I needed a break from the time traveling ballerina after that, so I switched to Emily in Paris, which is a fantastic show that only has ten episodes and gives me all the Paris feels. And I could definitely use some glamorous Parisian escapism right now. Recommended!

These months in heidenkindom:

Cabin fever is definitely setting in at chez heidenkind. School started at the university with 50% on-campus staffing limits. On the plus side, we didn't have to go through screenings anymore, which I was happy about because they were a pain. And it was nice to be with my team in person a couple days a week instead of communicating over email or zoom all the time.

The week before last we moved into a space where I actually had my own office instead of sharing one or using the closet. Just in time for them to tell us they're rolling back the staffing limit to 25% and we'll all be 100% remote again after Thanksgiving break. At least they gave us a few days' notice this time instead of 12 hours like they did in March. But the sum of it is, since our team is so small and only one of us really needs to be on campus to do their job, I'm going back to 100% remote. I wouldn't say I'm broken up about it, especially on days like today when it's snowing and I know the roads will be awful the next morning, but still.

Meanwhile, I've accumulated so many hours of annual leave that I HAVE to take at least 16 hours a month or I'll start losing hours. I don't know about you all, but I am going to take a looooooong vacation once this is all over.

In other news, it was my birthday this month. I turned 40 (!). Yikes. I am officially old. Olllld old old. For a birthday during quarantine it was okay. I bought some champagne for myself, some books, and I got Japanese gin and a backup camera as presents.

I've also been reading some pretty good books lately. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall has to be my favorite read of the year so far: awesome characters, super fun story, a ton of Britishisms I immediately started throwing into casual conversation, and just an overall excellent romantic comedy. A few other recent reads I highly recommend:

• 500 Miles from You by Jenny Colgan: Colgan never disappoints in the escapism department. This book started off pretty depressing, but once the characters switched places it became a heartwarming tale of healing in a tiny Scottish village.
• The Order by Daniel Silva: Another author who rarely disappoints. I could see the "twist" at the end coming from a mile off, but otherwise this is another fast-paced suspense novel set right before a Vatican conclave. Father Joshua lives!
• Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino: Some serious Agatha Christie vibes with this one. As with all Higashino's novels, it's not so much a question of who did it but how. A very clever and twisty novel

That's all that's been going on in my world! Do you have any books, movies, or television to recommend as we slide into the holiday season?

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Sunday Snapshot: Quarantine Edition

Hello again friends! Long time no post, although it weirdly doesn't feel like it's been six months since I last checked in. Time has no meaning anymore! Anyway, on with the post. 

Currently reading: 

The Order by Daniel Silva - Just started this one. It's giving me major Angels and Demons vibes.

Warlock Holmes: The Finality Problem by GS Denning - Another fun volume in this highly recommendable series. 

Movies:

Most of the movies I've seen during quarantine are re-watches, but there were a couple of new (or new to me) movies that I've caught on Netflix or Hulu. Here are some of the more memorable.

A Dash of Love, starring Jen Lilley and Brendan Penny

Okay, this is a Hallmark movie, I admit it. I started watching it when I woke up on the couch at 1 AM and it totally sucked me in. It's about two chefs who struggle for recognition against an evil celebrichef who steals their ideas. Way better than your average Hallmark movie.

Hamilton, starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, et. al. 

THANK YOU DISNEY FOR THIS GIFT. Of course I knew Hamilton was going to be good, and I knew I would like it, but I didn't know just how good and how much I would love it until I actually saw it performed. 

As an aside, there is a Hamilton song for every situation in life.

Palm Springs, starring Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg 

If you enjoy the movie Groundhog Day (full disclosure: I've never actually seen it), you will LOVE Palm Springs. It's a super clever and funny twist on a very familiar plot. Nyles and Sarah are trapped in a time loop that spans the day of Sarah's sister's wedding. Luckily, they have each other to make the never-ending day different and fun. At least until Sarah decides to make a break for it. Watch it on Hulu!

A Simple Favor, starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively 

A lighter, brighter Gone Girl. Anna Kendrick is great in this movie and I loved the dynamic between her and Lively. Very much worth watching.

Booksmart, starring Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein 

TBH I was kind of disappointed in this one. I've seen movies before with literally the exact same plot (two teenagers try to find an epic party to prove they're cool/make a move on their crush and in the process find themselves and discover their true friends) that were way funnier. I did appreciate the feminism, however. 

New segment! Quarantine things 

These are things that have taken over my life during the QT. What's been your quarantine thing the past few months?

Twilight 

Okay, I'm not going to say I'm proud of this, but I've watched Twilight three times since April. A movie has to be truly remarkably bad to be endlessly entertaining in its badness. And that's just the first movie! I also re-watched the other three movies. 

Then I thought I should re-read Eclipse since I hadn't done that yet (and trust me, I never will again. The only reason to read that book is the scene in the tent). I WAS going to regroup and try to read something adultish afterwards, but then I was like, "But what will the wedding look like??" as if I didn't already know. So I reread Breaking Dawn and admittedly it was worse than I remembered. But babies chewing their way out of the womb FTW. 

AND THEN Midnight Sun was released and, well, what's person to do? It's like Stephanie Meyer is reading my mind or something. So I read that. It only took 3 weeks and by the end I was so read out I never wanted to look at another book again. Don't get me wrong, it was good, and so much of Edward's actions make more sense now. It was just sooooooooooooooo loooooooong. Like so long. When I first started it I thought it was going to cover the entire series, but no, it's just the first book. 

 Anyway. I MAY have to re-read the first Twilight now but I'm trying to control myself.

Find Me In Paris 

 TIME TRAVELING BALLERINA, Y'ALL. This is a series on Hulu. It's about teenagers. One of them is a ballerina from 1905 who's being pursued by bad guys who look like escapees from a steampunk convention. Her 1905 boyfriend is trying to stop them and get her back. Meanwhile, in 2018, there's a cute ballet dancer named Max who's obviously into her. 

 This show is completely silly and cheesy and I can't stop watching it and I won't stop. 

  These months in heidenkindom: 

 Well, where to start. Things could be worse. The university moved to 100% remote work in late February, and I've been sheltering in place with my parents since then. You'd think if anyone was born to social distance it would be myself, but I've been surprised by how stressful and upsetting true quarantine has been. Yes, I've worked from home before, but I could also do things I enjoyed outside of home, like go to movies, or eat out, or go to a museum. Now, nothing. I had a major breakdown on Easter Sunday and that's not even a big holiday in our house. 

But, on the plus side, my friends and family are healthy so far and I was able to keep my job. 

 In related job news, work was super stressful the past few months. My supervisor retired just as we started migrating to a new CRM. But that's a cakewalk compared to the new position I started in mid-June: first I was stressed out over whether or not to apply (I didn't meet all of the minimum qualifications). Then I applied and was stressed out over whether to withdraw my application or not. 

 And then came the interviews. I NEVER WANT TO DO ANOTHER JOB INTERVIEW OVER ZOOM FOR AS LONG AS I LIVE. You'd think it'd be easier, but it's not. In fact, the interview with my current supervisor was cut off and had to be rescheduled because her baby woke up. Ahh that WFH life. 

Anyway, so the hiring committee recommended me but since I didn't meet the minimum qualifications they had to fail the search. Luckily, the job description was rewritten to exclude the one qual I didn't meet, but that meant I had to reapply. Oy vey. But all's well that ends well I guess since I got the job. (just not the pay increase with it for 3 months and there's another long story). 

 As for events, I was able to meet up with Colleen from back in the #hitchfest days as she was traveling through my area! We had a lovely chat and socially distanced lunch on the grass. Definitely the highlight of the last few months! 

 Now things are starting to reopen, which in some ways is a blessing and other ways not so much. I went to see Inception, one of my favorite movies, in theaters for the first time, and it was actually better than it usually is. I like that I don't have to sit next to people in the theater and it's not as crowded. I also went to an exhibit of Venetian art glass at our local art museum. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was nice to get out and see something beautiful. 

 I'm still nervous about eating in restaurants, though, and going onto campus with the mask and the screening is a pain. Not that I want us to go backwards back to 100% remote - hopefully we don't. But I think we all know that's a possibility and quite frankly I don't want to be the one who infects the entire admissions office with COVID-19.

 So, how have you all been? Is there anyone still out there? If so thanks for visiting and keeping up with this wildly quiet blog. Hope you're all doing well!! 

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