• Cough drops

    The Adventures of Ms. Coughs-A-Lot

    December 7, 2021 / No Comments

    Ever have one of those moments when you feel a coughing fit coming on so you pop a cough drop? But your vagus nerve is like, “Fuck you, Menthol-Lyptus. I’m doubling down on the scheduled coughing, starting right… now!”

    And then you cough so hard your back muscles hurt and your throat aches and your eyes water yet the entire time you’re trying to breathe through the fit, your brain is laser-focused on keeping the cough drop inside your mouth and not ejecting it like a cannonball.

    What’s worse, even if you succeed in keeping the drop from going airborne, the coughing fit still leaves you breathless with the stale taste of ineffective cherry medicine and regret on your tongue.

    Yeah, not a fan.

  • 2021

    My top 10 favs of 2021: A year spent reading, watching and listening to stories

    December 5, 2021 / No Comments

    During 2021, I consumed 61 books, 48 TV programs, 60 movies and many podcasts. These were my favorites:

    (Note: Not all were released during the past 365 days.)

     

    MY FAVORITE BOOKS – FICTION
     

    Blacktop Wasteland1. “Blacktop Wasteland” by S.A. Cosby

    2. “Bella Bella” by Harvey Fierstein

    3. “The Last Flight” by Julie Clark

    4. “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab

    5. “Bottle Demon” by Stephen Blackmoore

    6. “Fire Season” by Stephen Blackmoore

    7. “Later” by Stephen King

    8. “Billy Summers” by Stephen King

    9. “The Last Bookshop in London” by Madeline Martin

    10. “Unclean Spirits” by Chuck Wendig

    (Honorable mentions: “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir, “Falling” by T.J. Newman, “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig and “Marigolds, Myrtle and Moles: A Gardener’s Bedside Book” by Alan Titchmarsh.)

     

    MY FAVORITE BOOKS – NONFICTION
     

    1. Fuzz“Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law” by Mary Roach

    2. “The Detective in the Dooryard: Reflections of a Maine Cop” by Timothy A. Cotton

    3. “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President” by Candice Millard

    4. “The Hotel: A Week In The Life Of The Plaza” by Sonny Kleinfield

    5. “Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt” by Todd Harra and Ken McKenzie

    6. “You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom” by Phil Rosenthal

    7. “The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm” by Hilarie Burton Morgan

    8. “When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today” by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

    9. “Books” by Larry McMurtry

    10. “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot

    (Honorable mentions: “Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures” by Nick Pyenson, “Part of Our Lives: A People’s History of the American Public Library” by Wayne A. Wiegand, “Haunted Hillsborough County” by Eric Stanway, “What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You” by Heather Corinna, “The Experts’ Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do” by Samantha Ettus, “American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI” by Kate Winkler Dawson and “The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements” by Sam Kean)

    Overall reading ratio: I read 18,452 pages — 65% fiction, 35% nonfiction; 53% male authors, 47% female authors.

     

     

    MY FAVORITE TV SHOWS
    GBBO

    1. The Great British Baking Show

    2. Gardeners’ World

    3. Love Your Garden

    4. Ted Lasso

    5. The Repair Shop

    6. Escape to the Country

    7. America’s Test Kitchen — At Home

    8. The Morning Show

    9. Evil

    10. Grow Your Own At Home With Alan Titchmarsh

    (Honorable mentions: I’ll Be Gone In The Dark, Staged, Grand Designs, Active Shooter: America Under Fire, For All Mankind, Lovecraft Country, WandaVision, Travelers, Nadiya Bakes, Bridgerton, The Hot Zone, Punisher, Ghosts, Ghosts (UK version), Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Outsider, The Witcher, Altered Carbon, Chicago Med and Alpha Dogs.)

     

    MY FAVORITE MOVIES
     

    1. Nomadland

    2. One Night In Miami

    3. Love, Gilda

    4. Gunpowder Milkshake

    5. Four Hours at the Capitol

    6. Studs Terkel: Listening to America

    7. The Last Cruise

    8. The Phone Call

    9. The Aeronauts

    10. Soul

    (Honorable mentions: Dune, A Quiet Place Part II, Red Notice, Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, 76 Days, Shang Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings, Fear Street Part 3: 1666, Greenland, Luca, Fear Street: Part 2 – 1978, Fear Street: Part 1 – 1994, Verify Road Trip: Climate Skeptic Examines What Scientists Know And How They Know It.)

     

    MY FAVORITE PODCASTS
     

    Vinyl Cafe1. The Vinyl Cafe

    2. Small Town Dicks

    3. Against the Rules

    4. BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast

    5. Lost At the Smithsonian with Aasif Mandvi

    6. Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

    7. Backstory

    8. Awards Chatter

    9. Sidedoor

    10. The Anthropocene Reviewed

    (Honorable mentions: 99% Invisible, Radiolab, Christmas Past, Sue Perkins: An Hour Or So With…., David Tennant Does a Podcast With…, The Christmas Stocking, Fresh Air, Clear + Vivid With Alan Alda, The Daily, Beautiful/Anonymous, Dear Hank & John and Mobituaries With Mo Rocca.)

  • Coronavirus

    Careful about coronavirus but still it continues

    November 18, 2021 / No Comments

    Since the start of the pandemic, I’ve been very careful to avoid contracting COVID-19.

    I am high-risk so I haven’t traveled or attended any parties or concerts. My book club meets via Zoom. I received the Pfizer vaccine as soon as it became available for my age group. I haven’t been inside a grocery store or visited a book shop in nearly two years. In general, the majority of my time has been spent either at home or in dentist offices. Due to the latter — and the negative/painful reinforcement I’ve suffered there — I’m starting to think becoming a full-time homebody is the way to go.

    There was a brief period over the summer when M and I could enter the library and browse for books. We ate out for breakfast twice. I even rented an entire movie theatre for us and one other couple to celebrate his birthday because we’d all been vaccinated and cases in our area were low.

    Sadly, that didn’t last.

    coronavirus cases nov 2021

    Yesterday, state health officials announced more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases. We had more than 1,000 cases statewide the day before. Over 800 cases were reported the day before that. Hospitals in New Hampshire are now reaching capacity and pleading with the public to get vaccinated and avoid coming to the emergency room unless people are suffering from a trauma, a heart attack or breathing issues. There are just too many patients and not enough staff to go around.

    Sadly, it’s only going to get worse with everyone gathering for the holidays and staying inside during the upcoming winter months.

    It doesn’t have to be this way forever, though. We all just need to take care of ourselves and others. Wash your hands and get enough sleep. Obtain the vaccine, if you’re able, and the booster when it’s time. While you’re at it, get the flu vaccine as well. For those of us who are needle-adverse, there’s a nasal spray version available this year (Yay!). Utilize reputable delivery services and tip generously. If you know someone who’s elderly or immunocompromised, ask if they need any assistance; that way they won’t have to put themselves in danger in order to obtain basic goods and services. And avoid spending time in groups, but if you must, wear a mask and remain socially distanced.

    Basically, be careful and safe, my friends. If we all do our parts, someday this damn pandemic will just be a bad memory.

  • Trifle

    Rules of the Walker-Weir household

    October 8, 2021 / No Comments

    As written by our cats (Georgina, Treacle, Trifle, Choux, Chai and Pepper):

    1. Woobies must be thrown on demand. They must also be customized to each cat’s desires.

    2. Food must be served in a timely fashion, twice a day, on specific bowls or plates. Each meal must be catered to each individual cat’s needs/wishes.

    3. Snacks must be served at least once a day.

    4. If you lock the door, we will open it. Don’t try us.

    5. There must be at least two or three condos in every room. Move them at least twice a year to maintain our interest.

    6. All litter boxes must be frequently scooped. You shouldn’t grow upset if we use them as soon as you’re done cleaning them.

    7. If a mouse enters our domain, we claim the right to kill it. Torturing it first is also our prerogative.

    8. In warmer seasons, all windows must be open so that we can watch Bird and Squirrel TV and enjoy sunshine commercials.

    9. In cooler seasons, people must wear a blanket upon request. We will sleep on it (and you) when it suits our needs. You may not remove us from a lap until we decide it is time to wake. (Bathroom breaks may be allowed — keyword being “may.”) Also, use the fireplace more.

    10. All your boxes are belong to us.