Fri-Yay #9

This week has been crazy. Not for any particular reasons...just between work and getting all my chores/errands done. Plus whatever tropical storm/hurricane has been occasionally putting me down. I'm doing okay today, so I'm trying to get things done at a record pace to make up for all last week. Which means multiple loads of laundry and cleaning the kitchen. 

I also don't know what marketing asshole told brands that I needed to hear from the every day. I do not. My email is a disaster if I don't nuke it on the daily. I'm rage deleting in between writing. 

I actually gave up on this series (the Janet Evanovich one). It took the MIA giraffe that was set loose in Trenton to do me in. Granted, I still read a few beyond but that was my "jump the shark" moment. And yes, you did read that right. One of her books has a giraffe that goes missing as a sub-plot. It was just too ludicrous for me and I couldn't get into the story. 
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​The TikTok/Trump back and forth is mind-numbing. I'm not going to ever be on Tik-Tok for a few reasons. Mostly it's because I have no desire to give the Chinese government any information about me. They can get it the old fashioned way and follow me on Twitter like my FBI guy does (I'm kidding). Also, Facebook was really fun...until everyone else got on it. If Gen Z wants TikTok they can have it without my boring ass on there.

Anyways, Instagram (also owned by EvilCorp...I mean, Facebook) is starting a TikTok rival. This isn't surprising as Zuckerberg's best ideas come from other people. I said what I said.

It's called Reels and I can only hope it replaces the videos that stop and ask if I want to watch IGTV (I do not). My luck probably won't hold. 

Watching:

Rewatching Derry Girls, Psych, and The Windsors as they're all comedies and I need something that's funny and that I've seen before. No anxiety in that. I also have the Real Housewives of Potomac on. They're the best Real Housewives. The Housewives shows are my only "trashy" reality TV I watch, and I only watch Beverly Hills, NYC, NJ, and Potamac. Beverly Hills and NYC are both on right now and they're not doing much for me. I don't care if Denise had an open orgy (she did not), it's not anyone's business. It's the dumbest story line. And NYC is kinda hard to watch on it's own. I'm not sure why it's not working for me...but I'm over Ramona for a lot of (Covid) reasons. None of this is really important. I've been out of Atlanta too long and Orange County is not my jam. I'm not sure about the newest one (Salt Lake) but I don't think I can add anymore brain rot. 

Potamac is the best though. 

I finished the last episode of I'll Be Gone In The Dark by HBO. I think going in after seeing some people express disappointment that this isn't a EAR/ONS/GSK (aka Joseph DeAngelo) focus was nice because I knew it was going to be a mix of McNamara's trajectory into true-crime blogging, article writing, and eventually her book with a focus of victims, investigators, and others. Knowing that, I really enjoyed the series and thought it was so well shot. The last episode really affected me as so many of the victims were willing to come forward as well as some of DeAngelo's family. That was brave of all of them. I also really love the opening song ("Avalanche" covered by Aimee Mann, original by Leonard Cohen) but it doesn't seem available anywhere. 

I've been putting off reading the book. At first because they hadn't caught this guy and he was terrifying. Now, because I'm doing battle with my TBR stack. It's kinda a lot. I don't know if she (McNamara) talks about her time in Northern Ireland or not in the book (they do in series) but I have quite a few books on the Troubles. That I haven't read. 

The first episode is free on HBO's website while the rest of the series is available after subscription. NPR talks about the true-crime obsession element in her life (as well as in others). I think if you want a documentary that focuses more on DeAngelo's crimes and follows that path, than HLN called "Unmasking A Killer."

The video on the left is the Aimee Mann song that's in the title. The second video is the preview for the documentary series. It has crime scene photos and talks about the crimes, so if you're squeamish--there's your warning. 

I also started watching Helter Skepter: An American Myth, which is about the Manson family. I've only seen two episodes so far and it's talked about the first murder and Manson's childhood. I don't actually know a ton about the Manson family other than the Tate-LaBianca crimes. I guess I'm just in a murder show mood. 

I have a friend that is a spitting image of Sharon Tate, and when someone told her she went and Googled 'Sharon Tate' and the crime scene photos showed up. That wasn't great (I got a freaked out friend phone call from that)

This might be my first EPIX documentary. So far I do think they're doing a good job although they can't cover everything (all the other "maybe" murders the Manson family is connected to for instance. It's darker than the two mentioned above. 

Reading:

Tsitsi Dangarembga was arrested in Zimbabwe, her book (This Mournable Body) Booker prize is a nominee. She's been released on bail. She has a lovely writing style but I've only been able to read one of her books. The Zimbabwe government threatened to expel the US ambassador recently and called them a thug. I mean, it's 50/50 true depending as to who appointed them. That was an aside of course, I'm not sure the laws in Zimbabwe for free speech/protesting, so I won't use America's in the stead. I will say that if you want to read any of Dangarembga's works I would try her newest The Mournable Body or Nervous Conditions. 

I keep picking up books to start and then I don't finish them. I have about ten going about now. I'm just in a weird pandemic mood where nothing is catching my attention. So I thought maybe I should do some re-reads because my brain can focus but at the same time...not. That has actually been going pretty well. So, nothing new to report but hopefully the tide will turn soon. 

I have a big ass pile of books in my office (slash library) that I've got to read. 
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Wanting:

A tray of some kind for the top of my washer. I don't know if I want industrial (like, plastic/metal big tray) or something more decorative. Basically I want to corral my laundry soap to one area and keep the top clean. Much harder with this many people in my house but I'm hoping it might help. I don't actually want to spend a lot of money so I'm thinking I might see if I have a unloved tea tray/food tray that could work here. If not, I guess I'll get the industrial one. Basically, I'd love for an easy clean. 

Source: Gucci

I love the new Gucci Beauty packaging. I have one of the lipsticks (the one in a gold case) but I hate their ad campaign for it. The first time I saw it I blocked the brand from my mind. I haven't seen it recently so maybe they're going to try something else? I can only pray. It's like edgy 80s retro...but not? To be fair, I still bought from them and so did lots of other people, so what do I know? 

They've come out with new bronzers, but I don't want that. I want the packaging but with powder or highlighter. It's because I don't wear bronzer that much. So I'm waiting impatiently for their new releases, even though the bronzer was a new release. 

Liz at Pretty Is My Profession has lots of pictures, swatches, and reviews. She's my second beauty website after Temptalia. 

​Oh my god, this bookcover! I went out and bought one book recently because of it's fantastic art deco cover and I have a feelign this is going to happen with this one as well. NPR reviewed it. 
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Synopsis: 

The dangerous magic of The Night Circus meets the powerful historical exploration of The Underground Railroad in Alaya Dawn Johnson's timely and unsettling novel, set against the darkly glamorous backdrop of New York City, where an assassin falls in love and tries to change her fate at the dawn of World War II:
Amid the whir of city life, a young woman from Harlem is drawn into the glittering underworld of Manhattan, where she's hired to use her knives to strike fear among its most dangerous denizens.

Ten years later, Phyllis LeBlanc has given up everything--not just her own past, and Dev, the man she loved, but even her own dreams.

Still, the ghosts from her past are always by her side--and history has appeared on her doorstep to threaten the people she keeps in her heart. And so Phyllis will have to make a harrowing choice, before it's too late--is there ever enough blood in the world to wash clean generations of injustice?

Trouble the Saints is a dazzling, daring novel--a magical love story, a compelling exposure of racial fault lines--and an altogether brilliant and deeply American saga.

Cooking:

Trader Joe's is/isn't changing the names of their food because it is/isn't racist and they do/do not listen to petitions/customer complaints/customer behavior. People are of course celebrating/mad. So I summed that up. I think the issue I have with Trader Joe's is that the pictures they use on their food packaging all have a yellow tint and it's 70's recipe book off-putting. Do they have good food? Maybe...but it's a struggle for me to leave their produce section because the packaging design is...not great. It's not all the packaging..mostly the frozen food. I like the non-70s design. 

This might be a first world problem...


I want to try the Hibiscus Martini. I don't like Martinis and I'm not sure I like Hibiscus. It's a conundrum. I've only been drinking these past few years very sporadically and usually only when I make a fancy as fudge cocktail at home. With the migraines I can't really have a daily indulge, which isn't too rough on me as I don't love beer or wine enough to cry about it. Like, if I'm going to risk horrible pain than it's going to be a damn fine whiskey or bourbon. Or a fancy cocktail. Whatever.

I still kinda want to give this martini a go. Odds are not in my favor though. ​