Sunday Smatterings (The Kerr Edition)
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Happy Sunday, one and all! Assistant Amy/The Kerr here (J.T. and the rest of the world call me The Kerr, so that's what I'll go by here).
How'd your week go? I don't know what happened, but mind kind of flew by. All of our Bradford pears are blooming now (!), which means spring isn't too far away! I'm excited. But not for humidity. Though I'm not going to focus on that for now.
If you've been under a rock and wondering Where is J.T.?!?!? don't worry, she's okay! She's just taking her annual social media sabbatical for Lent. And she's finishing up a book, which means she's super in the zone, which means you're stuck with me for the next six weeks. But if you've got an important message, let me know and I'll pass it along!
Alright—you're here for links, and I'm here to give you some. My format's a wee bit different than my boss's, so I hope you'll indulge me as I talk about my favorite things.
What I'm Eating
I am a lazy eater. I don't care. If I like something, I like it, and I don't mind eating the same thing over and over again. It's served me well throughout my life (especially as a broke college student—I miss you, college burritos . . . and college metabolism 🌯).
Since I'm lazy, I usually make a big pot of something at the beginning of the week that becomes my work day lunches. This week, I'm all about this curry from Nom Nom Paleo (but I actually make it with this green curry paste—I like the heat!). I even double the amount of frozen veggies it calls for. It's an easy way to get tons of veggies quickly and easily. And as we know, I do like easy.
What I'm Playing
I love a good quiz. I also love sitcoms. Ergo, I give you the "Can You Name These 25 Leading Ladies in Comedy since 1975?" quiz.
Sidenote: The Golden Girls is streaming on Hulu now, and I'm going back through the series. It's even funnier than I remembered as a kid . . . probably because I understand all the innuendos that whizzed over my head. 😂
What I'm Reading
Right now, I'm in the middle of Mario Puzo's The Godfather (yes—that Godfather).
Confession: I have a thing for mafia stories. I don't know why. Doesn't matter who they're about or where they're set—if there's some sort of "alternative economy" going on, I am all about it. The Sopranos, The Wire, Narcos: I love them all. I'm trying to savor my time between mafia TV shows, actually, so they last longer—I still have Boardwalk Empire and Ray Donovan on my lists.
I think what fascinates me the most about mafia groups is that the rules of engagement in these stories are super clear—there's a black-and-white world filled with loyalty and lines that you don't cross. Because when you cross them, you (or, at least, the viewer/reader) know exactly what's going to happen, and it's not going to end well.
ANYWAY. The book is wonderfully written, shock, shock. I'm enjoying myself immensely.
What I'm Watching
You guys. Can we talk about This Is Us? 😭
This show. I haven't seen anything so wonderful on network television since Friday Night Lights. NBC really knows how to make a wonderfully written, emotionally complex drama, and This Is Us doesn't disappoint. There are so many different stories here, so many journeys represented onscreen. Ultimately, they all show us the importance of connection, how beautiful it is to know someone, how we can never really know another person fully, but what a gift it is to see in side their worlds. It shows what happens when we communicate well—and what happens when we don't.
The details. This show is masterful at evoking emotion from the tiniest details, ones that seem mundane at first, like a split-second shot at cracker-jack-box toys. But in five minutes those toys have a story behind them that'll reduce you to a puddle of tears. Guaranteed.
AND! Perhaps the best thing about the show, perhaps the thing that demonstrates how wonderfully written and moving it is? Everybody is watching this show—and I do mean everybody. College kids. Young moms. PR executives. Hedge fund managers well into their seventies. And these are all people I've met personally. Old, young, male, female—this show resonates with all of them. And right now, I am thankful that there's something that crosses the gulf and unites us. It doesn't matter that it's "just a TV show"—this is the power of art at work, y'all.
Okay, okay, I'll stop. It's clear I'm head over heels for this show. Give it a chance, just the first episode (the whole thing, mind you), and tell me what you think.
Dog of the Week
I am a dog person through and though, and I have an especially soft heart for greyhounds. They're the sweetest, goofiest dogs, and I just think they're the bees knees. So this week I bring you one of my favorite InstaGreys, Leo! Someday, I wish I could be as relaxed as he is. 😂
Alright, kids, that's all I've got for you. Enjoy your week, go great The Devil's Triangle (which, as of this writing, is cheaper than the ebook on Amazon at $14.63!!!!), and I'll see you soon!
Warmly,
Amy/The Kerr
