This weekend I experienced some serious deja vu / Groundhog Day syndrome. Though the circumstances are different. This time last year I was also preparing for a move. But then it was hastened by black mold blooming in our rental and a shitty landlord who refused to remediate it. We quickly moved to the first good spot we could find, for my health. Now I’ve had the past year to consider what we need and, most importantly, where. Hence the impending purchase of the perfect condo. But we need to kick our purging and packing into high gear. This morning I made some progress. Loaded up three grocery bags of clothes that definitely do not spark joy. We’d gotten rid of so much before the last move but more stuff has accumulated somehow. Oh yeah, late stage capitalism - that’s how.
Five items to fascinate and delight:
- I’m late to the party, but recently I discovered and then binge-listened to every episode of Tell Them, I Am - a podcast miniseries hosted by the ineffable Misha Euceph. I found it relatable as an Arab-American, of course, but the stories are universal. Each episode features Misha talking to an interesting guest who shares the defining moments in their lives. It made Time’s list of “The 10 Best New Podcasts of the Year So Far.”
- And, a little too topical, she also produced The Big One: Your Survival Guide:
There’s a 50 percent chance that some time in the next 30 years, Southern California will be crippled by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. It’ll take less than two minutes for more than 10 million people to lose water, power, internet. Host Jacob Margolis and Producer Misha Euceph go on a journey to understand what the disaster means for Los Angeles, the U.S. and the world.
- Also, thanks to Tell Them, I Am I am now a fan of Ramy Youssef. I started watching/enjoying his self-titled show on Hulu:
Ramy Youssef On Making Ramy A Nuanced Portrait Of His Muslim-American Experience & How He Opposed The Tone-Deaf Concept Of An “Average Muslim Family” and am hoping to watch his HBO comedy special soon. - Heck yeah. I love this SO much: Stadium Erupts In ‘Equal Pay’ Chants As U.S. Wins 2019 World Cup - The chants began when FIFA President Gianni Infantino walked on the field for the postgame ceremonies.
- Since life is so very full these days I am taking on fewer photography clients. But I couldn’t turn down Jenny and Kevin’s wedding! I knew it would be a delightful one, and not just because of the incredible catering by Muddy Paws Cheesecake (though that didn’t hurt).
While packing and fretting over my finances I slipped into hypothetical travel planning mode. Recently I received my school schedules for Fall/Winter and Spring. I’ll be teaching without a break from mid-January to late May. Looks like the second week of January would be the perfect time for me to take off. I plugged in a variety of locations to see what would be the most affordable. Somehow packages to Paris or Berlin beat out everything else, including Mexico and domestic locales. There’s a deal for a direct flight to Paris plus five nights at a decent hotel for $775. Dangerous knowledge. And yeah, it’s Paris (or Berlin) in January but that would still be milder than Minnesota. The more you know?
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