Monday Musings (May 1st, 2023)
Welcome to the second edition of Monday Musings!
Top Of Mind
I’ve been more affected by the sudden change in my life than I expected. I’ve done a lot of planning and thinking about how to structure my days, but I’ve still had a very hard time getting going on anything. There’s so much more to losing your job than losing your routine; you lose daily interactions with coworkers and a sense of purpose. I’m feeling the loss of community and purpose more than anything else right now.
I’m doing my best to get by with little wins and distractions. I’ve been as easy on myself as I can be, but I want to push forward into more urgency and productivity than I have right now. It’s interesting knowing that my depression is under control, because while I am definitely down and not at 100%, I haven’t slipped into anything bad that floors me like it would in the past. Friendly PSA that therapy and medication can help improve your quality of life.
My Thoughts This Week On…
Parenting
Maybe it’s the other difficulties going on, but parenting has been difficult lately. My youngest son has some very strong preferences right now and he has not been afraid to make them clear. Couple that with him waking up very early (5 - 6 am) most mornings, and you have a stubborn 4-year-old who seems to always want to do the opposite of what he’s supposed to.
Turns out having two preteen girls is also difficult. My two oldest girls are neurodiverse in addition to the typical 11-and-12-year-old growing pains, so there is a lot of navigating tricky waters - like anxieties over seemingly innocuous things and repetitive obsessions that take over focus.
I really don’t mind taking kids to activities. We’ve had the two oldest girls in basketball while our youngest girl also did basketball, dance, and then piano. What I do mind is a 6-year-old recreation league for soccer hosting games at 8am. They don’t even get up that early for school! Soccer is just not happening this season.
Liz has handled a lot of the emotional labor with the kids lately. I’m doing my best to read the room and ease up on the kids when they are going through something while also not letting them off the hook for what they are responsible for. Again, parenting is hard and it’s something that you never get a break from. Even when they are asleep or at school, we are always thinking about them.
TV & Movies
After finishing two shows last week, we continued watching the 5th and final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. This show is such a great escape into a fictionalized 1950s, with whip sharp dialogue and excellent wardrobes alongside some really interesting and hilarious characters. I imagine not everyone has hung on with this show as the seasons have gone on, but it’s worth it to tune into this final season as the formula has been shaken up a bit.
I still love Ted Lasso, it gives me laughs and pulls at my heartstrings every week. I read this piece from NPR this week, among others, that continue to find issues with the show. While I agree with a lot of the points, it hasn’t dulled the enjoyment for me.
For one, the actual futbol part of the story is relatively (for a show) realistic. The team is not well coached or flush with talent. They were a bottom team that barely got back into the league last season. I know people want to see them turn it around, but the time it’s taking to do so is very realistic.
The relationships (the main criticism of the NPR piece) are definitely not in the best place right now. I think this is by design. This season is focused on individual journeys and I think it’s leading to a “found family” resolution.
TV lends itself to more scrutiny because we look at it episodically. Yes, an episode on its own should be enjoyable and have a story arc that is satisfying, but in terms of the overall arc of a season, I’m content waiting to see how it all develops and connects. I think it’s hard to see the bigger picture when we get it piece by piece.
Music
Joseph released their album, The Sun, last week. I don’t enjoy it as much as their previous album Good Luck, Kid, but the album has some beautiful vocals (can’t beat that sister blood harmony), dives into some new sounds for the band, and touches on some relatable topics like failing relationships and the benefits of therapy. The more upbeat, pop-inspired songs have caught on with me while the more eclectic songs haven’t quite hit yet. I want to give this album more time before I have a final verdict.
Kesha announced a new album Gag Order alongside two singles, “Eat the Acid” and “Fine Line”. The singles and the apparent direction of the album are much, much different from anything she’s done. I was pretty floored by the lyrics and the musical approach of both songs. There was very little to no percussion, a heavy dose of synth, and a decidedly dark, brooding sound overall. Kesha has been through a ton over the last decade and it doesn’t seem like things have gotten better the way it should have. I hate hearing about what she’s continuing to go through, but this album has potential to be something really special that comes out of a very difficult time for her.
I dove back into Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power the last few days after hearing “Bells of Santa Fe” in an episode of You. I knew I’d love this album when it came out but it finally clicked fully for me. The production by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor is outstanding, as each song is a whole new experience. If you missed out on this album, I highly recommend giving it a spin.
Sports
The NBA Playoffs have been outstanding, particularly the Kings-Warriors series that went 7 games. I grew up in the Bay Area and naturally adopt the Warriors as my team, but I actually didn’t get into basketball until I was in high school. I went to high school in the Sacramento area in 2002, right when the Kings were one of the best teams in the league. That was the team that got me into the NBA and basketball in general. So overall, this series was awesome for me to watch. I love both teams and it was extremely competitive and entertaining. The rest of the series have had all kinds of incredible storylines and performances. After what I felt was a historically bland regular season, these playoffs have been the exact opposite.
The NFL draft was fun to follow again this year. I love seeing videos of guys getting drafted and fulfilling their dreams. I’m a total sucker for that kind of stuff. I can’t believe how big the draft has become - 3 days of intrigue and projections and grades for how teams did. It’s wild how popular the NFL is (and how much I am part of the problem).
My biggest nerd moment of the week? On Friday night I was giddily watching the Kings-Warriors game on the tv while watching the NFL draft on my iPad and following commentary on Twitter on my phone. I said goodnight to Liz and ran back downstairs to be a total nerd about sports. I’m lucky she doesn’t judge me too much.
Health & Wellness
I ended up doing a simple meal prep last week that covered 3 of my lunches during the week. We are starting to expand on some of the recipes and shopped for some better ingredients this week so we can expand some of these healthy meals to our dinners as well. Baby steps.
I also ended up working out 3 times last week which was a huge accomplishment! I lifted weights and cycled between the Peloton and the elliptical. The workouts are not very structured yet, but I’m trying to bias to action and at least I made progress last week.
Playing Music
I started the week off not playing my instruments very much which caused me some disappointment. As the week came to an end I picked things back up and practiced guitar and piano a bunch while also playing some ukulele and fiddling with my lap steel guitar.
I’m hoping to dive into learning some music production this week. I made a list of weekly goals and prioritized that. I have a ton of song ideas and I really want to start getting them recorded.
That’s all for today. Thanks for reading and giving me some of your time.