Weekly Journal 7.7.26
Reading
I'm in the middle of a short story collection called Lake Effect by Hillary Behrman. The cover art grabbed me when I saw it at the library. So did the apparent drift of the stories within, many of which take place in the Pacific Northwest. The author seems deliberate about how the specific settings affect the characters. Her stories are about various forms of grief and trauma, with nature as either a healing or contributing factor. It's not the easiest or most compelling read, but I will probably finish it because I have no other books clamoring for my attention right now.
On Substack, I found this piece, called "The Pass," by Laurie Stone fiery and interesting.
Watching
I casually watched the latest season (reboot?) of The Comeback. I never got far in the original series because it made me too uncomfortable, but now I'm curious about what I missed, so I'm starting again at the beginning. We will see if I can withstand the cringe of poor Valerie trying to regain relevance in a 2005 world of young, beautiful, skinny television stars. By the way, I finally looked up the name of the actor who plays her husband, whom I feel like I've seen in a hundred different shows. It's Damian Young.
We almost never go to the movies as a family, but we took our kiddo to see Minions and Monsters in 3-D at our nearby theater. The whole experience overwhelmed my senses: shock at the price for three tickets, drinks, and snacks. Annoyance and dismay at the number of commercials before and after the previews. Dystopian horror at the Minions branding that saturated the theater, from merchandise in the concessions line to the character outfits worn by every employee, contrasting with the total attendance of approximately seven people at the actual showing of the movie. Aversion to the extremely loud volume of the movie. Disappointment in the movie's lame plot, for which the cuteness of the Minions didn't quite compensate. But my son sat through and enjoyed the whole thing!
Cooking
The triumphal berry dishes of the week were a blueberry compote, spooned over pancakes on Friday morning, and a galette made with blueberries, raspberries, and peaches. (Peaches came from the farmers market, but the berries came from my yard.)
Doing
My NEW new glasses arrived. They don't slide down my nose as much as the OLD old glasses, so that's a big improvement. I've never had clear frames before. I think they look nice.
Listening
My husband and I listened to two of Patton Oswalt's classic albums on a road trip to and from Portland. I will never not love Werewolves and Lollipops. Most of it is utterly raunchy, but this track not so much: