reading

I just finished the first week of Barrelhouse‘s Summer Writing Workshop with Dave Housely, so I’ve mostly been reading my fellow workshoppers stories & the craft talk message boards. I’m inspired by the quality of writing that I’m seeing, as well as the level of engagement. The humor & humility of the writers in this workshop is just what I needed. I’m also low-key terrified because I signed up for this workshop as a way to force myself to finish drafts of two traditional-length short stories that I’ve been too much of a baby to work on. I’m sincerely afraid that I’m not up to the task.

watching

The great Breaking Bad rewatch has ended & so now Ian & I aren’t really watching anything. I was pretty much down for the count yesterday with a bad sinus headache, so instead of writing or reading or doing anything useful, I started rewatching 30 Rock. I know that most sitcoms do not need to be watched in any kind of order, but that’s how I like to do it. So much of 30 Rock (more specifically Liz Lemon’s character) has seeped into my life that I forget how funny & immersive the world of the show is.

listening

Spotify made me a playlist of summer songs, which I think is made from songs I listened to a bunch last summer plus songs the algorithm thinks I’ll like. I’m not super into the songs that Spotify thinks I’ll like, but I am very into the mix of the songs that I do listen to a lot. It’s a nice mix of newer songs that sound kind of retro, like J. D. McPherson’s “North Side Gal” (which is a bop & a half–really the whole Signs & Signifiers album is *chef kiss*) & Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats’ “I Need Never Get Old”, & actual songs from the 60s, like “Dawn (Go Away)” by The Four Season & Frank Alamo’s version of “Da Do Run Run” (in French!). Plus, “Come on Eileen” is on there because I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t listen to it.