Mind melding.

In an eerie series of pop culture-related events, I have recently had the following experiences.

Experience #1: For the last three weeks, I've been composing a post in my head titled "We didn't start the fire." The gist was a summary of the literal dumpster fire of our current world and country, my admiration for Sarah Marshall committing to learning every word to the Billy Joel song, and some sort of summary of how we all must persevere because what else is there...?

I thought the concept of the post was kinda clever. I was actually pretty excited about writing it. But I went down too many internet rabbit holes looking for a link to prove that I had once heard Sarah Marshall say she had committed to learning every word to "We Didn't Start the Fire." I never actually found internet proof, but by the time I resurfaced, I had given up on persevering because holy shit, y'all looked around lately? So thank you, kind person, for doing my job for me. I only wish I'd seen this three weeks ago - I could've saved myself a lot of time. 

Experience #2: One of my favorite podcasts is NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. Approximately 95% of the time, I have no idea what or who they are talking about (I'm old, we don't have a TV, our local movie theater leans toward Jesus movies, etc., etc.), but this is one of my favorite podcasts for a few reasons:

• The podcasts are short enough that I can listen to an entire episode on one leg of my commute. 
• There is always so much camaraderie, laughter, and casual, friendly banter amongst the hosts. 
• They occasionally introduce me to new pop culture or validate my thoughts on pop culture things I am familiar with and did not really enjoy.
• But really, it's the first bullet that lands them as one of my favorite podcasts. A 33 minute commute isn't a joke, folks. 

My ride home tonight featured a pop culture "Hill You Will Die On" theme. Candice presented a verrrrrry complicated and amusing hill involving Timothée Chalamet, Tom Cruise, and the road to success. Stephen and Glen presented hills about certain songs needing to be retired forever (agree) and boss battles in video games adding nothing (no comment). And then Aisha presented her hill, and dear lord did it speak to me.

For over twenty years, I have theorized that music venues need to section off areas for the following:

• Short people. (They get the front. I'd honestly pay a dollar or two more for this, much like tall people have to pay for extra leg room on airplanes.)
• Tall people. (They get the middle.)
• People who don't care about the band and are just there because their friend/partner/spouse dragged them along. (They get the back.)
• People who want to talk to their friends the whole time. (They get the waaaaay back.)

This is due, in large part, to the PROVEN FACT that 95% of the time I go to a concert, the tallest person in the room makes their way across the floor to stand directly in front of me. It's laughable how predictable it is, at this point. 

So anyway, I'm driving home thinking this would be a cool thing to think about for a blog post to meet my writing goals (ahem don't look at me like that), and all that kept popping into my head as my "hill" was my theory above. And then Aisha nailed. So, thank you Aisha, for doing my job for me.

In solidarity.

You know how you go to a concert of 500, or 5,000, or 50,000 people, and the band plays a song that everyone knows the words to, and everyone sings along, and you get tears in your eyes because it's such a beautiful feeling? 

That's why I wanted to watch the Superbowl yesterday.

Our world is so divided right now, in a really nasty way. My community is divided and it shows. Most recent case in point: Saturday night, we went with friends to see Milk in the same theater that hosted a TPUSA event a few weeks ago. We expected the theater to be full given recent anti-Pride events at a county commission meeting, and the outpouring of community support that ensued. The TPUSA event was packed - sold out, I'm told. There were about 12 people in the theater for Milk. (OK, maybe that's not a fair example seeing as how we did walk out of Milk quite depressed, but... you get the point.)

I spent the weekend catching up on volunteer activities for a few service clubs I'm involved with, writing postcards, and hanging with some good people. That was necessary... But yesterday I wanted more.

So we signed up for a free trial of YouTube TV and watched the television event 125M other people were watching. We rooted for Seattle. We groaned at the AI commercials. We ate nachos. We got bored during the third quarter but got back into it during the fourth (that's normal, right?). We watched some of the Olympics afterward.

And yes, we loved the halftime show. 

It felt nice to be doing something nostalgic, something familiar, something communal.

Today I'll go back to raging against [gestures broadly at everything]. But at least I'll be able to talk about the game with folks at work...

In like a lion.

So much for a less doozy-filled 2026.

I have had to write and re-write this post several times over the last week, because the lion just keeps roaring.

I think that for now, I will just provide a link to this song and wish you all a happy Sunday.

An ode to the Trio.

Every December, our book club gets together to recommend the next year of books. We each bring 1-2 and do a mini "book report," and then get a certain number of playing cards to put on the books we'd most like to read.

January usually gets the short straw because we meet on the first Wednesday, and tend to pick the quickest read as the first book. This year was no different - the group chose Mornings Without Mii by Mayumi Inaba. I am usually all about Japanese books about cats, but I absolutely cannot recommend this book. I disliked it so much that I don't even want to talk about it on Wednesday. 

But I will go, and I will talk about it, and to get my mind off it between now and then I present three tributes to our furballs. 

BABs (bad-ass bernie):

you barrel through the cat door

like cosmo kramer

hank, or hank the tank:

timid but affectionate,

solid as a rock

old man sir simon:

slowing down as the years pass

still such a presence

New year, who dis?

(I cannot tell a lie - I stole that title from Carson Ellis's substack published one year ago yesterday. It still makes me laugh.)

Last year was a doozy and I'm still working on regaining focus, patience, and hope. To help with this process, I've decided to work on creative endeavors, one of which is this long-neglected blog. I'm not sure I will have marvelously interesting things to say most of the time... but that's never stopped me before. 

I've also decided to revive ye olde quarterly goals. So! First quarter 2026, here we go:

• Publish something here 3 times/week.
• Finish every book club book.
• Do something with the backlog of tomatoes in our freezer.
• Anything on The List. (Remember The List?)

Wishing you a less doozy-filled 2026!

The winter of our discontent, week nine.

Two weeks to go in this goal. Doing things is easy. Remembering to write them down is not so easy.

SUNDAY: sent the weekly round-up of activism-related activities to our local Dems group.

MONDAY: looooong work day. My jobs count as "something active" but I'm sure I squeezed something else in, too.

TUESDAY: city council meeting - as usual, part informative, part Parks and Recreation.

WEDNESDAY: attended a meeting to brainstorm ideas on homeless solutions around the county. It was an interesting group who had lots of energy, especially around a planned city effort to clean out various camps around town. I'm frustrated with the city's reactive approach but not sure what to do about it at this point. This group can help.

THURSDAY: attended a Women in Politics panel discussion where questions ranged from "how do you start a campaign?" to "what gender issues have you faced in local office?" OK, honestly I was co-host of the event, and I was petrified that turnout would be dismal like the last event, but we had a packed house and six amazing speakers. And? I got to put a Buffy quote on the whiteboard. Can't beat that with a stick.

pretty sure none of the panelists knew what this was about...

thanks, notorious RBG

FRIDAY: rested up for a very busy Saturday. Self-care totally counts, people.

SATURDAY: along with a handful of others, handed out trash bags to homeless folks who were being forced to relocate so that they could move their things easily and keep them dry in the process. Also helped salvage 26 bags of clothing and sleeping bags that would otherwise be tossed into the landfill during the city cleanup the following week. Later, attended a celebration of Cesar Chavez's birthday where my 80-year old friend and mentor spoke about her time helping Chavez on the picket line. Very inspiring! Ended the day with a private screening of Iron Jawed Angels at a local theater.

I continue to be impressed with the progressive actions that take place on a daily basis here in Coos County. Can't say I expected this at all.

Onward...

The winter of our discontent, week eight.

This time, only a week-late weekly wrap-up of "something actives"... Really need to start documenting this daily! My brain ain't what it used to be.

SUNDAY: coordinated a poster for an upcoming Dems event and other Dems-related stuff.

MONDAY: probably got mad several times throughout the day. Staying enraged counts, right? Also put in a full day on my second job which definitely counts as "something active."

TUESDAY: did some Dems stuff, then decorated postcards for the Ides of Trump.

best part: writing "SOB"

on Mitch McConnell's address

WEDNESDAY: attended an early-morning teleforum with local legislators, did some outreach for my non-profit organization on my day off, then mailed Ides of Trump postcards and went to Science Pub night at the local brewery. BECAUSE SCIENCE.

THURSDAY: attended my first "Huddle" meeting. "Huddles" come from the Women's March - they've suggested 10 actions in 100 days through local "huddles." Learned about some cool, thought-provoking articles and movies at this meeting.

FRIDAY: self-care night! Wine, homemade pizza, cats, and HBOGO with my partner in crime. A very necessary "something active" in these trying times.

SATURDAY: Donated to Kids Helping Kids, where three rock bands with members aged 5-16 played a benefit show to help homeless kids around Coos County. How awesome are they?!

I mean, seriously - 

what were YOU doing when you were 11?

Onward...

The winter of our discontent, week seven.

Here's a verrrrrrrry belated weekly wrap-up of "something actives"... Man, am I glad this is only a three-month goal.

SUNDAY: did some work for the Dems including emailing a list of upcoming activities to our mailing list. Small effort, but it counts.

MONDAY: I have no idea. I probably got really mad about all the weekend hubbub, signed some online petitions (for whatever that's worth), and then took a break. I really need a break right now.

TUESDAY: caught up on Daily Show episodes during my gym run. That totally counts. Also, attended a local non-profit roundup to see what other folks in the area are doing. These are really helpful because even though I'm not particularly interested in volunteering with, for example, the South Coast Preppers or the Bandon bus line (which, yes, is a nonprofit!), I can refer other people who may be interested.

WEDNESDAY: did not participate in the Day Without a Woman rally. I decided that it was geared toward the privileged and the unintended consequences were too great. (And also, I had to work. Oh, the irony.) But I did make a conscious effort to put my rallying efforts into tangible activities with actual goals. Time is too precious and standing on a corner every day/week/month loses its impact after a while. I think deciding how to focus your activism actions counts as activism. Don't you?

THURSDAY: attended our local seed community meeting (no big ag!) where the founders of Adaptive Seeds gave a presentation. So cool to hear their travel stories as well as their vision for bringing seed saving back!

FRIDAY: called my senators to remind them that amidst everything else they are fighting for, Planned Parenthood is a critical resource for women all across the country, particularly women of color. I shared my experience last year (it was the most comfortable, empathetic exam I've had in 20+ years of exams). I had to leave messages for both but at least I left my voice.

SATURDAY: attended a local Indivisible meeting and signed up to help with voter registration drives. Then, went to a tree-grafting workshop sponsored by our local seed community (no big ag!). And, ended the day supporting the arts at our local non-profit movie theater who hosted a Grease sing-a-long prefaced by a 40-minute live re-enactment from our local drag queens.

cleft graft technique - who knew?

"Beauty School Dropout" -
best Frenchie EVER

(Actually, to be honest, I ended *my* day deciding that I would never, ever watch that movie again because it's such a misogynistic horror show... Catchy songs, but totally shitty terrible message at the end. I am sure others would argue that she takes the power. But must she take the power in high heels, tight pants, and fuzzy hair? Why can't she take the power in her comfy poodle skirt? There were so many young girls in the audience that night who may have gotten the wrong impression. I've known this forever, and still I have gone to sing-a-longs, but this will be my last Grease sing-a-long.)

Onward...