Sweet Shit Round Up
March 2021
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Ding dong the witch is dead! The winter witch that is. While much of this month has been more of the same there have been quite a few mood boosters that came up that we’ll get into in the round up below!
TV
- I purposefully waited to get my free month of Paramount+ until the entirety of The Stand was released. I wouldn’t call The Stand my favorite King work (I’m not even sure it would crack the top 5) but I still like it enough to have read it twice and watched the 90s mini-series. So I came into this really excited and, for the most part, wasn’t disappointed. I don’t like what they did with some of the characters like turning Lloyd into a kind of buffoon or making Nick almost completely useless…while others I think they made a lot better, like I loved Greg Kinnear as Glen and thought Alexander Skarsgard was pretty perfect as Randal Flagg, but that’s the nature of the beast when it comes to adaptations. The Stand is set in the U.S. after a deadly flu kills the majority of citizens (so if you’re over that pandemic life or get stressed by all the talk of illness…you might want to avoid this one) and two forces become embroiled in a battle for those left behind. They told the story non-linearly which I personally think kind of hurt the overall storytelling. Honestly, I could probably do a whole post about The Stand (and very well might in the future) so if you’ve got the time…check it out and let me know what you think!
- HBO Max, coming through on that British competition market I love so much. The Great Pottery Throw Down is the ceramics version of The Great British Bake Off and it’s pretty much just as wholesome…with a smidge more innuendo. On Throw Down, we see 10 home potters take on three weekly challenges: a main make, a spot test, and a throw down. Each creation is judged by two professional potters, one of whom (Keith Brymer Jones) is a soft touch seeing as he gets a good cry out almost every episode. It’s sort of like the Hollywood Handshake on Bake Off…there’s great pride in being the one to make Keith cry. There’s three seasons currently streaming on HBO Max with a fourth coming on April 1st. Sounds like a good weekend to chill out and catch up on the chill world of competitive ceramics!
- From age about 10 to 16…I loved the Real World. And, to be honest, I still love its spin-off show the Challenge and watch every season. There was a time when MTV would show all the old Real World seasons leading up to the new one so all the ones I missed from my childhood I was able to catch up on, including the original 1992 cast from the very first season in New York. So when it was announced that the original cast was coming together for a 30ish year reunion, filmed in the same loft as back in the day, I was pumped. We’re currently four episodes in at this writing and it’s like the drama never ended! We’ve got positive COVID tests ( the show was filmed in January,) discussions and arguments regarding race (a continuation of arguments had in 1992 which are still relevant today,) and one of the roommates storming out in an entitled huff. It’s been cool to see the way the cast has grown but also very much stayed the same in the almost 30 years since their original airing and I look forward to seeing what other past lessons come to the surface. You can catch new episodes each Thursday on Paramount+.
- We’ve been in a show rut this month, mostly going back and forth between the same three shows over and over. But earlier this week, Jonathan threw on Awkwafina is Nora From Queens and it was an awesome mix up! Following a fictionalized version of Awkwafina (real name, Nora Lum) the show chronicles Nora’s classic struggles with trying to figure out her life and what she wants to do with it. Nora lives at home with her Grandma (played by the wonderful Lori Tan Chinn) and Dad, Wally (my dude, BD Wong…perhaps wearing a weird ass wig? It seems like it but I’m not totally sure) and the family dynamic is both hilarious and touching. I found myself literally lol-ing at least once an episode (episode 6, “Vagarina,” in particular tickled me) and think it’s a perfect show for if you’re having a bad day and just need to smile. Plus I really love the huskiness of Awkwafina’s voice…there’s a brief Natasha Lyonne cameo in one episode and the dueling old lady smoker vocal vibes really does it for me. You can watch the first season now on HBO Max!
Movies
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
- I’ve never seen or read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the movies were far too long and I couldn’t get past the opening scene of the first book…thrice. But we randomly threw on the first movie this month and I didn’t hate it. Definitely long but not boring. I will say I don’t give even a slight shit about Frodo’s journey to Mount Doom though, which always seemed like the part you were supposed to care the most about to me as an LOTR outsider. But it’s everyone else’s story that is exciting and causes concern, like worrying about what’ll happen to Pip and Merry or the constant competition and budding friendship between Gimli and Legolas…those are the things that are fun and worth continuing to watch over Frodo’s descent into madness. We’re halfway through the last movie (it’s an extended edition! 4+ hours…my god) and maybe knowing how things go, I’ll finally have the stamina to read past the birthday party.
Youtube
- Sometimes you find a Youtube channel that’s so weird you can’t stop watching it and that’s what the Report of the Week has become for me. Hosted by Reviewbrah, a 20 something guy who bears a striking resemblance to a butler in a haunted mansion or an overworked high school teacher, or a character played by Tilda Swinton, Report of the Week does food reviews, not on fancy things but rather fast food and cheaper restaurants…things people are more likely to get on a regular basis. I actually really enjoy Reviewbrah’s gentle tone and simple premise but do think his videos feel a bit long sometimes due to some of his general ramblings. Check out his channel and let me know what you think of his style in the comments below!
Products
- My skin has been a wreck since last summer. I don’t know if it’s the masks, not going out into the sun enough, or just general stresses but I’m not a fan. We’ve started taking some hair, skin, and nails vitamins and things are slowly looking up on the skin front but I decided to grab this charcoal mask this month just for fun. This mask is thicc, which isn’t a bad thing but you definitely have to figure out the perfect evenness to make sure it dries relatively quickly but doesn’t hurt your skin when it’s time to pull it off. It also comes with a silicone brush to apply to your face so your hands don’t get all gunked up in the process. I probably didn’t get the incredible blackhead removal masks like this tend to promise but my skin felt nice and look decent afterward and that’s really all I can ask for.
New Glasses
- It’s been at least 4 years since I got my last eye exam and 2 years since I got a new pair of glasses so when my mom offered to get me both as an early birthday present I was beyond thrilled (this is 32, ya’ll!) This time around, I also learned how I can bend and adjust my glasses fit on my own at home and that has been a game changer (hot water on the plastic! Works great!)
Covid Vaccine
- Hallelujah, praise the baby Jesus, being fat has finally come through for ya girl! This month, I got my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine (along with Jonathan and my mom) after spending a full month doing my best Charlie Bucket impression on the hunt for that elusive golden ticket appointment. The shot was like nothing…I thought with how big that needle is it would hurt more but I barely felt it at all. My arm was pretty sore by the end of the night but I didn’t have any other side effects the next day. Jonathan got some swollen lymph nodes that took a few days to go down. We’ll see how the second dose goes in a couple of weeks since the rumor is that’s the one that knocks you out, but I’m curious to see if having had COVID will have any impact on how severe the side effects hit. * I found our appointments at Rite Aid and overheard the man in charge while there mentioning they post their new appointments online, Saturdays between midnight-5am*
Miscellaneous
First Day of Spring / Sun Out Longer
- How nice is it that it’s still light out at 7pm? It makes a world of difference to mood and sanity when you’re not stuck in the dark for most of your day. Plus spring has finally graced us with her presence giving us here in Pittsburgh multiple 70+ degree days before we’ve even gotten out of March (bet we’re in for a hot af summer) and I’ll tell ya, living in quarantine is a little easier when you can actually hang outside instead of being stuck in the same room because of weather.
- Okay, so I’ve often joked with friends about buying each other Cameos in the past but never really thought I’d bother with it…until two birthdays presented the perfect opportunities! If you’re unfamiliar, Cameo is a site you can search to find different “celebrities” (some are def more celebrity status than others) willing to make personalized video messages for a fee. We bought one from Tom Savini for my dad’s 60th birthday last month and a friend and I went in on one together from our friend Tara’s favorite Survivor player for her birthday this week. Ya’ll, both were worth every penny. Neither recipient ever would have guessed it was coming and both were super excited with their videos…big smiles, lots of laughs, a few tears. It was great. Now, maybe we just got lucky with good celebrities on good days but either way, if you’ve been on the fence about using the service, take this as your sign to give it a shot!
How’s March been for you? Do anything to commemorate the one year anniversary of the pandemic? Let me know what sweet shit you got into in the comments below!