Well, March was a real crap sandwich over here. Lots of sadness and snuggles, not much ability to focus, and what little capacity I’ve had has been mostly focused on clients and local political work. I’m grateful the sun is coming out and warming things up so I can spend more time with Cliff in the yard running arond and enjoying the fresh air. Here’s a couple things that helped distract me this month.

Reading

I really couldn’t focus much, but on my flight to DC earlier this month I was able to listen to Lisa Rinna’s new memoir – You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It. I really wasn’t sure I’d like it but I do love RHOBH and behind the scenes gossip, and this one had some of that. What was actually great was the talk about her marriage and career and her ability to hustle to make ends meet when life took unexpected turns. Bonus – she’s an Oregonian which is always a good sign!

Late last month I picked up I’ll Have What He’s Having and had a hard time focusing on it. Luckily this past weekend was warm enough to sit outside and enjoy a change of scenery. I was able to zip through the rest of this very sweet and funny book! The book also has “A Guide to Pairing Muppet Movies and Wines.” I had no idea I needed this in my life, but it happened and I am a happier person for it! I’ll read more from this author.

Listening

Similar vibes with my podcast listening this month, I couldn’t get into it much, even the daily news podcasts have been a slog. I am really liking Adults in the Room which is based on Seattle on a story I completely missed in the last 90’s (college will do that). If you’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest or grew up in the 80/90’s with questionable restrictions around student/teacher relationships – this is a podcast to check out.

I started The Idiot, from Serial productions over the weekend and wow this guy is a piece of work! The interviews are fascinating and his incompetence at a botched murder to hire plot is bonkers.

Besides that I’m listening to the new Harry Styles album, more Gorillaz thanks to their SNL appearance, and as always: Yacht Rock.

Watching

Thankfully we’re in that winter sappy romances you don’t really have to pay close attention to, but also no judgement if you do, along with some reality TV to keep things going.

What I’m really loving is all the drama with the cancellation of The Bachelorette, a show I have successfully never watched, WHILE finishing up the latest season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives which is all about the bachelorette preparing for the show. This story really says a lot about how we treat reality TV stars who are clearly in a mental health crisis and need support not spotlights. Lisa Rinna’s book had some good thoughts on this.

Shows I am loving and can’t wait to watch each week include… Shrinking, The Pitt, and Rooster. Rooster is off to a great start – I am glad it’s arrived since Shrinking wraps up way too soon for me. I’m also loving the new season of Top Chef and SNL UK is off to a great start this season!

Okay, a few bright spots in a rough month. I hope you had better pop culture inspiration than I did, hoping to get back into the swing of things in April!

February was a weird pop culture month for me. I finished a book, couldn’t get motivated to start reading anything else, and mostly just binged the Olympics (everyone watches women’s sports!) and took care of a sick pup. Here’s a few things that kept me going (besides curling) and Crossplay.

Live Theatre

I started off the month seeing The Wiz in Portland with a friend. This is obviously the best version of The Wizard of Oz (well, except for maybe Ted Lasso) with such fantastic music! I haven’t seen the show in ages and it was very fun for all.

The next weekend we had a double date down to Salem to see Nick Offerman on his Big Woodchuck tour. It was VERY fun – in fact his shop manager joined him on tour and built a project from their book during the show. It was VERY fun!

Reading

I finished reading Notes on Infinity this month and it was really good. I feel like maybe I need to have a been a bit closer to college (or in that world) to get a few of the assumed acronyms, but the story was great. It had a very Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow vibe mixed with Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos story.

I can’t get excited to read right now. I know, it’s the dead of winter (or something like that in the PNW) – I am hoping that a flight to DC next month will help me get out of this funk. Clearly I need a vacation or some warm sunny weather to sit outside!

I am excited to attend the Hillsboro Reads event next month where the book this year is Tilt which I really enjoyed! If you’re looking for a fast and thoughtful read, this is it!

Listening

Nothing too exciting this month, Carol Burnett on Good Hang was fantastic, and the Jonathan Groff episode made me laugh more than once! I also really appreciated the Wirecutter episodes about Making coffee (brewing) and how to buy beans. It made me think more about where my beans come from and when and how I grind them. It may need a re-listen to make sure I got it all before I start spending money on expensive equipment I have clearly lived without…

Watching

Like most of the world I started the month with the Olympics, enjoyed a Benito Bowl distraction (hooray Seahawks!) and have spent the last couple of weeks trying to figure out curling, and enjoying way too much bobsled and luge!

But, every once in a while we needed a break, and I am grateful that The Pitt is back, and that this season of Shrinking has started and is PERFECT. I also finally started watching The Burbs, we all know that Keke Palmer is amazing, and the cast on this show is bonkers great. Great actors getting to be funny and awkward and weird is always a good mix for me.

Okay, what pop culture have you enjoyed this month? What gets you out of a pop culture (or seasonal?) funk? What are you getting excited for this spring?

Reading

I don’t have a ton of extra time right now, and I can’t focus on much these days but I did find a bit of time over Labor Day to enjoy some time in the backyard reading a book. Very Bad Company was a perfect end of summer read if you like bad people behaving badly. A corporate retreat in Miami leaves one of the executive team members of a tech startup found dead. Each chapter is from a different employee’s point of view which is a story writing style that I often find I enjoy. It was clever, fun, and a great weekend distraction.

Listening

Leah Sottile, my favorite journalist, has a new podcast out called Hush produced by OPB. It’s about a man in Salem, Oregon who was wrongfully sentenced for a murder in the 90’s and then magically had his sentence over turned and he was released a couple of years ago. It has some great twists and turns so far!

At the end of September Think Out Loud did a series on Hanford. You may remember I read The Cassandra this summer which takes place during the height of the Manhattan Project at Hanford, and with my husband’s family from the area I am always fascinating by this. Each interview is about something different, from the past to the present and the future of the region. Speaking of, my incredible grandfather (in-law, but he was absolutely the best grandpa I ever had!) passed away earlier this month at 100 years old. He worked at Hanford until he retired and then he lead tours of the B Reactor for years. I am sad I never got to take a tour with him.

I’m still loving The Wirecutter Show, and the new host of What A Day, although they’re futzing with the format and I hope the settle on it soon. Also, if you liked the Scamanda podcast I recommended a year or two ago, I didn’t realize it was becoming a show on ABC/Hulu until I saw the trailer on You Tube the other day!

Watching

What’s better than the return of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City? A lot of things, but it’s making me happy to have these good time girls back on my TV. I binged right through The Perfect Couple on Netflix a couple of weeks ago and loved all the twists and turns, it was exactly the kind of weekend “beautiful people behaving bad” story I needed.

Multiple people recommended Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter and holy cow it did NOT disappoint. I don’t always love true crime, but this one goes in so many twists and turns you couldn’t have expected. It’s only 2 episodes (about 90 min each) – it was perfect for a plane ride distraction over the weekend.

I finally started Only Murders in the Building and the abundance of riches in the guest stars is ridiculous, and exactly why this show is so fun. I also started English Teacher and I did not expect it to be as hilarious and raunchy as it is – highly recommend (if that’s your thing.)

What pop culture is keeping you going this month? Anything coming up soon that you’re excited for? I’m hoping to watch Nobody Wants This and Will & Harper in the next couple of weeks, and I’m excited to read the new Rumaan Alam and Lianne Moriarty after November 5th, oh and the 50th season of SNL!