9 Things Making My Life Better So Far This Year (Oct. – Dec. 2019)
Well, not really in December–as you may notice, we’re barely a week in. But I have to make room for my New Year’s blogs, don’t I?
Anyway, here’s an incomplete list of small things–media and otherwise–that have been making my life better this final quarter.
Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!! :D :D :D :D :D
I mean, yes, it’s a JRPG-ish* standalone and wraps up a little too neatly. But? I still love it, even though Steven’s voice changing was a shock.
Unwell (podcast produced by HartLife NFP)
This “gothic mystery/horror” podcast is a slow burn that I first started listening to last spring. The protagonist, Lillian, moves to a small town to a creepy boarding house to help the mother who left the family when Lillian was just a kid. Plenty of eccentric guests and townsfolk round out the cast of characters, and there’s a good mix of gentle humour and drama.
Like I said, this one is a really slow burn, and there are plenty of loose ends that don’t make sense (yet). I like that this is one of the few pieces of fiction I’ve encountered where there’s a main character who uses they/them pronouns and who also ISN’T an alien or other non-human creature. And I love the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it major reveal in the season one finale, especially because they trust the listeners to put it all together ourselves at the same time that Lillian does.
The Two Princes (podcast from Gimlet Media)
This YA fantasy podcast stars some top-notch actors (including Christine Baranski! Yay!). So far, it balances drama and silliness in that great way that makes it fun to listen to but also engrossing with high stakes. Teenaged Prince Rupert (Noah Galvin) runs away from his overprotective mom to save his kingdom from a mystery curse and… um… exciting things happen! The climax of the plot probably won’t surprise you, but it’s fun to see how the characters get there.
Also, if you struggle with the sometimes-less-polished acting on fiction podcasts, this star-studded cast reminds you what a different professional performers at the top of their games can make.
The Strange Case of Starship Iris (podcast created by Jessica Best)
(Sensing a pattern here? It’s amazing how many podcasts you can get through when your commute is an hour each way…)
I got hooked on this by the end of the first episode. It’s the 22nd century, there are ships in space, and… dun dun DUN!!! Mysteries. (Oh no, my not-so-secret Kryptonite!!!)
Among the many things I like about Iris, the story eventually provides a clever, in-universe reason for the narrative to be in this form. The fact that it’s a podcast becomes a major plot point as the characters slowly unravel what’s going on.
Chocolate
In November, the Lindt store in the mall offered 100 Lindor truffles for $30… don’t you judge me.
So, look: I actually like grocery shopping. But we live farther away from grocery stores at our new place than we did at our old place, and there are a few Loblaws/PC products that I can’t get at other stores (hello, cold-brew coffee kits!). And I just… can’t spend hours on grocery shopping every week, sometimes going to multiple stores to get everything we need.
I don’t like ordering pick-up groceries as much as I like actually going to the store and browsing myself. But for now, it’s a huge weight off my shoulders, and it means I don’t have to find an uninterrupted span of two hours to take care of food for the week. If the downside is that sometimes we get a random bag of sweet peppers we didn’t order… well, I can live with that.
Meal prep Sundays
Not making several identical meals for the week. But preparing all the stuff that can be done in advance–mixing sauces and marinades, chopping up vegetables, pressing tofu, cooking stews or other long-slow-heat meals. This makes dinner throughout the week much easier and takes another load off my shoulders, especially considering my busiest nights are also the ones on which I have to pack lunches for the next day.
New orthotics
I’ve had prescription orthotics since before I was old enough to vote. But none has made such an instant difference as the ones I received mid-November from a new podiatrist. Every previous time I got a pair of orthotics, I had to break in my feet by wearing the new orthotics for only an extra hour each day. These ones I could wear all day, every day from the start. And I can feel how different it is to walk with them. My feet don’t hurt as much, my joints seem better, and all my shoes feel comfy and supportive. I had no idea this was how it’s supposed to be.
Naruto Shippuden (anime from Viz Media)
OK, I missed this knucklehead ninja, his band of friends/enemies/frenemies, and their creative battles conducted for ridiculous anime reasons. Sometimes, they’re exactly what I need after a tough day. And the twenty-minute episodes go by so fast when I’ve been watching feature-length movies or learning languages with hourlong subtitled dramas or reading dense nonfiction.
I know, I know: who has time to watch 240 hours of Naruto Shippuden? Well, I guess I’ll find out if it’s me.
Besides, I’m totally going to skip the filler episodes, so that’s cutting down the time right there. Right?