Jana Says

Living life from cover to cover

Weekly six-pack, 2017, v26

by Jana 10 Comments

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and comments on Dobie. I miss him so hard and am slowly easing back into normal life or whatever normal looks like now. We do plan to get another dog but it’s off the table until I return from Dallas which is actually better for all of us, Barkley included. And as far as rejoining the blogging world. I’m getting there.

In the meantime, here’s what my life looked like this week when I wasn’t crying.

Reading.American Fire by Monica Hesse. I planned to start Caroline but this one called me instead. Haven’t bothered to look at NetGalley or get anything from the library. Three year anniversary for Show Us Your Books is Tuesday and that means giveaway and prizes!

Watching. American Vandal. It’s a Netflix parody of true crime docs but it’s incredibly hilarious and well done and definitely stands on its own merit. I also started The Disappearance of Maura Murray. Fascinating shit, that case.

Listening. I’m trying to get into some new serial (not Serial) type podcasts and I found Small Town Horror which is okay but not my favorite. I have a couple of others that I’m looking forward to but if you know of any in the vein of Homecoming or Alice Isn’t Dead, send them my way, please.

Eating. Um, well, really nothing beyond basic sustenance. I don’t eat when I’m grieving (although I binge when I’m stressed) so I’ve been on a steady diet of coffee, cheese, and tortilla chips. If you have any recipes that might help bring back my appetite, please also send them my way. If they can be adapted into gluten free, all the better.

Raging. Watching the events in Las Vegas and the horror show of 45’s trip to Puerto Rico and the new abortion ban that passed the House and the lack of vote to reauthorize CHIP and now 9 million kids are uninsured unfold when you’re in a fog makes it hard to really process all that you’re seeing. Where I want to see red, and believe me I do, I just feel helpless instead. I CANNOT handle what the orange menace is doing to this country and to see people like Pitbull and Bethenny Frankel and Mark Cuban and Ricky Martin and others step in overwhelms me to the point of crying even more. And then there’s the Second Amendment. I’ve never really expressed my opinion on this in any forum but here goes. I have absolutely ZERO problem with the amendment itself. I have no problem with people owning guns for their own safety, protection, or simple amusement. You feel that you need a conceal and carry permit, have the fuck at it. There are thousands and thousands of responsible, normal gun owners in this country and it is their right to do so. HOWEVER. We have a serious fucking problem with mass shootings. We have a serious fucking problem with access to assault rifles and unhinged lunatics who procure them and the accessories needed to turn them into even bigger weapons of mass destruction. We have a serious fucking problems with gun control laws and regulations and an even more serious problem with the gun lobby. People are too afraid to lose a donor than to stand up and protect the rights of concert goers, movie goers, club goers, church goers, women attending exercise classes, people going to work, and KIDS WHO DID NOTHING ELSE BUT GO TO SCHOOL. Freedom of assembly is in the First Amendment and we have a raging problem of the power of the Second usurping the freedom guaranteed in the First.  Gun control and regulation is not taking away the right to own guns. It is limiting access to people who shouldn’t have them in the first place and adapting our laws to match the evolution of the weapons and accessories. Assault rifles in their current form weren’t a thing in the 1780s when the Constitution was written and I’m confident the Founding Fathers would be just fine with some modifications. We should all be. THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT WAS IN 1999 BUT NOW WILL DO, TOO. JUST HAVE THE FUCKING DISCUSSION.

Deciding. To run a bunch of 5Ks next year. I hate running but Dobie loved it and because of his heart, he never could do it as much as he wanted so for the next year, my husband and I are going to honor him by running when we can and in races that support causes we believe in.

I try to end these with something funny so

Have a great weekend! Wish me luck as I’m going shopping. I hate shopping.

Weekly six-pack, 2017, v25

by Jana 10 Comments

Not much to report this week. Which I like.

Reading. ARC of Grist Mill Road (why not actually read one before it releases?) and The Locals. Two because one is an ebook and sometimes I need a screen break. Nothing from the library or NetGalley.

Watching. Random shows all over the place and nothing consistently. I think I went 3 days without turning on the TV for me (I watched the American Ninja Warrior finale under duress). I did watch the Emmys. Mixed feelings on the Sean Spicer thing but hooray for all the history making!

Eating. Cookie butter Oreos. You must eat them, too. It’s a moral imperative.

Raging. Just when it seemed like fucking 45 was going to act like a human, he goes and acts just like himself again. From the golf ball gif to failing to recognize or show any sympathy for Mexico and Puerto Rico (and we all know exactly why, too) to the Rocket Man nonsense (so it’s okay to quote a gay man but not okay to make sure they have rights? Got it) and everything else he continues to do, I don’t even know what to do with myself some days. I can’t even rationally address the health care situation. I have never in my life had less respect for a person or been more afraid for my and my country’s safety.

Loving. Bagels. Not like I can eat them but I wanted to profess my love anyway.

Laughing.

Have a great weekend guys! See you on Tuesday!

Weekly six-pack, 2017, v24

by Jana 15 Comments

My to-do list looks like this: 1. Get my shit together. That’s actually the only item on there. I am a mess lately and the harder I try to fix it, the worse it gets. Not sure why. I think I need a weekend to just get ahead and that’s not happening any time soon. So I’ll just settle for being a shitty, messy adult. It’s pretty much my only option. 

That being said, here’s some snippets from the past few weeks so you know what I have and haven’t been up to:

Reading. Finishing up Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions. Picked up 3 new ones from the library (The Locals, Janesville: An American Story, and Bird Box), got a couple from NetGalley that I probably won’t read until a year passed the pub date like all the other ones I have, and have a couple I need to buy. I think I need a readcation or readathon is in order. 

Watching. After bingeing the shit out of Rectify, I don’t have the emotional bandwith for another show right now but am looking forward to a few new ones, including two on Netflix, one of which stars Regina King who is one of my all-time favorites (it’s called Seven Seconds for those who are curious).

Planning. All the things I’m going to buy. Losing weight is an expensive thing. Not so much in the methods for losing it (calorie tracking and running are mostly free) but the end result means new clothes and bras and ring guards and I hate to shop because there’s a whole bunch of mental problems that going along with it. And I still have more I want to lose so everything right now is interim and I get to do this again in a few months. Awesome. I also have fun things like a Paperwhite and books and makeup I plan to buy, too. Those do not cause me stress or affect my mental health.

Needing. A change of scenery. I admit that the view from my backyard isn’t terrible and I’m not that far from the beach but I’m getting itchy feet and need to see somewhere new and different. I’ll be in Dallas in a few weeks and I hope that satisfies my need but I’m not convinced it will. When you need a change of scenery or your wanderlust kicks in and you don’t have the time or tons of funds available to actually go on a real trip or adventure, what’s your favorite way to scratch the itch?

Drinking. Obsessively consuming the maple pecan cold brew from Dunkin Donuts. You can have your PSLs. I take these any days over that shit.

Winning. Mother of the year. I told my child she is garbage chicken. 

 

This weekend I’ll be heading up to my parents’ house for the final visit to my childhood home. My parents are moving shortly and I need to say goodbye to the place they’ve lived for 32 years. It’s bittersweet but I know it’s necessary for them. Hope your weekend is less emotional than mine and I’ll see you guys back on Tuesday!  

Add It To My List: Escapist edition

by Jana 13 Comments

Remember last week when I ranted about needing to protect my sanity because of the chronic shit 45 puts this country through? I figured that maybe some of you guys are going through something similar and so, for this month’s edition of Add It To My List, I’m giving you my recommendations for when the news is too much and you need an escape. 

Podcasts

Seriously. Listen to these even if you’re not a podcast junkie.

  1. Homecoming. I might have mentioned this before (in fact, I’ve probably mentioned all of these before) but this one is fucking spectacular. It’s got a celebrity cast (no joke. Catherine Keener and David Schwimmer and Amy Sedaris and more), the writing is incredible and, for season 2, there’s even a book to go along with each of the 6 episodes. It’s a dual escape!
  2. Conversations with People Who Hate Me. Hosted by Dylan Marron, these are the civil conversations we need to be having with people who disagree with us. There’s only 4 episodes so far so you’re not too far behind. 
  3. All the Books! Need more books in your life? Want to know all about new releases? Then you need this podcast. Liberty and Rebecca are book enthusiasts to the zillionth degree and they’re entertaining as hell. Also, Liberty has a spinoff podcast called All the Backlist! that’s about older books. It’s a good one, too. 
  4. Alice Isn’t Dead. Listen before it’s a book and a TV show! Seriously. It’s weird and crazy and surreal and satire and hard to follow sometimes but it’s quite excellent. 

I’ve left off all my true crime podcasts (there’s a lot. A LOT) because maybe you’re not in a good place to listen to murder and stuff like that but if you want some recommendations for that genre, let me know 

Instagram

Who doesn’t like to look at pictures? These accounts provide some of my favorites.

  1. Happy Tails Resort. It’s a boarding facility in Norfolk and they have a pool and watching all the dogs swim is basically the highlight of my days
  2. Introvert Doodles. Marzi is smart and funny and she really really gets me and the introvert life (even if I am more of an ambivert). I want her coloring book!
  3.  Quincy. He’s a dog. A Bichon, specifically, and he used to be insanely popular when Vine was a thing. Now I follow them on IG. You should, too.
  4. Katie Ryan. Well, it’s more for her kid (Ava) but the kid is fucking hilarious. Please, please watch some of the videos. This kid is a like a next-generation Kate McKinnon, I swear. 

I also follow lots of publishing houses and authors so let me know if you’d like some of those. It’s how I learn about many of the books I read. 

TV Shows 

Going with some old friends this time around. 

  1. Roseanne. My favorite sitcom of all-time and I can watch every episode forever and ever. 
  2. The Golden Girls. If you don’t love them, you have no soul.
  3. The Wonder Years. Fundamental viewing for this 80s kid
  4. That 70s Show. It’s so stupidly funny but I can’t not laugh all the time. 

Songs

This was the most difficult to narrow down because of the playlists that Erin and I have but I tried to pick songs that have never been represented and aren’t exclusively from the hard rock category. 

  1. The Anthem by Good Charlotte
  2. Cry Tough by Poison
  3. Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard
  4. Ain’t It Heavy by Melissa Etheridge

What would you add to my list? 

Linking up with Lauren and Bre

Eat, Drink, and Be Lauren

Weekly six pack, 2017, v23

by Jana 10 Comments

Trying to get back into the swing of things. It’s not going well but at least I get an A for effort. Hell, I’d settle for a C at this point. And average is good. 

Reading. Definitely not blogs but most certainly books. Plowing through The Good Daughter, picked up The Cleaner, and have only two more before I start to tackle the NetGalley queue. 

Watching. Um…nothing? I have this habit of bingeing on a few shows at once and then barely turning on the TV for weeks.  I have a few shows I DVR and then watch all on one day (currently: Ray Donovan, Snowfall, John Oliver) but that’s it. I couldn’t even tell you when a few of the shows I like to watch are starting and I know there’s one new one but if you gave me money I couldn’t name it. 

Eating. Now that I’ve finally detoxed from Twizzlers and Sour Patch Kids, I’m on the cheese and tomato train. And cashews. 

Raging. At the Mets. I have accepted that this year, they suck balls. Big time suck balls. It’s fine because it comes with the territory of being a Mets fan. It’s heartache and rage wrapped in a awesomeness and delight. HOWEVER. WHY ARE THEY TRADING AWAY EVERYONE WHO HELPS THEM BE BETTER ? They’ve majorly unloaded and it’s a horror show and I’m having a really hard time liking them right now. 

Running. No, that’s it. I’ve been running. I hate every single step and every single minute but my weight loss has stalled a bit and my boxing instructor said that running is a good way to kick it back in the ass (my words, not hers. She was more polite) and it seems to be working for the most part. We’ll see what happens. 

Wanting. All the things. I have a list of like 46 items I plan to buy as money allows because I am a girl whose wants are currently bigger than her budget. Why couldn’t this have happened back in June, when it was my birthday? Oh, well. Hanukkah and Christmas are soon.  

Quick admin note: in a few short weeks, they’ll be some aesthetic changes around these parts. I’m excited for them. Tanya fucking rocks!

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