Tag: writing

Too Late TV Shows

Is it still “normal” to say TV series? With streaming services and the ability to binge watch anything at any time, TV has changed. The anticipation of the next show a week later and those end-of-season cliffhangers, watching TV was fun. Now you can get everything all at once.

Even before streaming became popular, I had some favorites and didn’t start watching some shows until they ended. I caught re-runs on other networks and figured out why they were so popular.

I started watching Cheers during late night treadmill workouts during college. It never appealed to me when it aired. Seemed too grown up. It took place at a bar; I never went to bars. On the treadmill though, it made the time pass faster and it was funny.

Other shows I’ve watched past their prime: Seinfeld, Mad About You, Frasier, 3rd Rock From the Sun, The Office, Stranger Things, and most recently, Gilmore Girls-I actually watched all seven seasons.

I picked up Young Sheldon last summer, and I’m somewhere near the front end of season two. My sister suggested Parenthood and This Is Us. I started Parenthood years ago, lost interest and then it disappeared from wherever I streamed it. I started watching This Is Us this past fall and the writing is incredible. I’m a hot blubbery mess after almost every episode and I’m not an easy crier. Where was I when this show started?

Grad school. I was knee deep in grad school. My TV watching days were numbered once I started teaching, (adios, Friends) became a mom, (Gilmore Girls and adios McDreamy) and got into grad school. Other shows I missed that most people watched: Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, The Big Bang Theory, Downton Abbey, Orange Is the New Black, and Parks and Recreation among others.

Earlier this week while we had some down time, I started watching Yellowstone. Now I’m hooked. I’m not sure how long it will take for me to finish it, but it was saved to my watch list a while back. I’m almost finished with season 6 of the Crown. I roped my mom in on this series so I’m waiting to binge watch again on her next visit. I’ll continue with This Is Us. As far as Yellowstone goes, my husband is also enjoying it. We’ll need to pick up another episode this weekend before we forget where we left off.

March 21, 2025

Late Night Slicing

I’ve discovered I don’t like drafting posts on my phone. Convenient, yes. It seems rushed, for me at least.

There was a time when I didn’t like drafting on my computer for the same reason. Pen on paper first, then transcribe it online.

Will there soon be a way to think a draft into existence without using a phone? Don’t answer that! And don’t let me go down the this -is-not-a-phone rabbit hole (because it’s so much more than a phone).

Okay, device. It’s a device. I don’t like using it for longer pieces of writing, but if that’s the case, then what’s there to say about my social media posts?

March 20, 2025

Travel Type

I like getting enough sleep. An itinerary is good, but if you lesson plan for a living, sometimes it’s nice to go off the plan.

Play it by ear. Make a (short) list of places or things to must-see or must-do and let the rest fall into place.

I’m not the go, go, go type. Doing as much as possible for a day or two is great, but I like to leave room for a low-key day.

Our plans changed yesterday, so we swapped our Zion trip with our chill out day. The plan was to go Monday, better weather. We spent most of the day there today and went from rain, to balmy, to sunny, to cold, to snow, to mostly cloudy and bearable.

Jackets on. Jackets off. Have the sunglasses on you because you may need them in two minutes. We considered canceling because we didn’t have the right gear, but we did have enough.

Experiencing the views was worth it.

March 18, 2025

¿Cómo se dice #firefly?

Algunas veces, no se me ocurre que no sé una palabra en #español. Puedo estar platicando con alguien y tengo que parar y pensar en lo que quiero decir.

Una vez, estaba leyendo un libro a una clase de segundo grado. Era un libro de no ficción sobre animales #bioluminiscentes. Discutimos diferentes tipos de animals y empecé con la pagína con…–vuelan cuando empieza a oscurecer…estos..puedes ver las lucecitas volando. Son #fireflies en inglés–les expliqué

–¡Sí maestra, son fireflies!–

–Pero ¿comó se dice en español?–

Otra maestra, confundida como yo, empezó a buscar la palabra.

–Ahh, luciérnaga!

Todos empezaron decir la palabra.

–Luciérnaga, luciérnaga, luciérnaga!–

Continuamos con el libro. Siempre tengo momentos cuando no sé lo que no sé.

How Do You Say #firefly?

Sometimes it doesn’t occur to me that I don’t know a word in #Spanish. I can be speaking with someone until I have to stop and think about what I want to say.

Once, I was reading aloud to a second grade class. It was a nonfiction book about bioluminescent animals. We discussed different types of animals and I started with a page about “…they fly when it starts to get dark…they…you can see little lights flying. They’re #fireflies in English,” I explained.

“Yes, teacher, they’re fireflies!”

Another teacher, just as confused as me, began looking up the word.

“Ahh, luciérnaga!”

Everyone started chanting the word.

“Luciérnaga, luciérnaga, luciérnaga!”

We continued with the book. I always have moments where I don’t know what I don’t know.

March 14, 2025

Going #Gray(scale)

I struggle with staying off my phone. #everything lives there. I’m not the #techie type, but it has gradually choked out all resistance I once had to keeping up with the times (and #Joneses). Every Sunday, my screen time notification lets me know how much of my life bled into #cyberspace.

This week will be different. It won’t be the ghastly #imnotsaying hours it is every week. Nopity, nope. It will be less. I’m cutting it in half. People say researchers say setting your phone to #grayscale will significantly reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone.

#bluelight #screenaddiction #doomscrolling all of the things will improve. So they say. I had to look up directions, because, you know, the #reel I watched went too fast and there I am, taking another #screenshot to add just one more photo to my 10,000+ collection I carry around every day. How much would that weigh in actual #photos?

Is it the #placeboeffect? I have reduced my time, although not by half. It’s about a third. What I have noticed is I #cantfindanything. My apps are organized just so…by #color. I have slowed my scroll because I have to read my screen. (Funny how I’m always telling the kids “Slow your scroll and #readyourscreen!”)

My bank account is a little happier, but Amazon is not. I’m not clicking on useless items to bulk up my #shoppingcart. I’ve taken less screenshots because I’m not scrolling as much. My messages may be a bit off since I’m struggling to find the right #emoji 😃

I do turn it on for a few minutes, especially if I’m getting (more) photos from family members, but overall, I switch it back. It’s #cumbersome to toggle back and forth and I’m not creating a shortcut. Also, it isn’t hurting my eyes. Well, my eyes don’t necessarily hurt, but it isn’t as jarring.

How long will I maintain this? Who knows. I’m curious to see how much of a difference it makes. I can go on with my life #inlivingcolor.

March 12,2025

Elements of #hashtag Style

This week, I’m writing in #hashtags. A #postitnote I scrawled on last week led to yesterday’s tip of the day which made me think about how we use them.

Are there #grammarrules? What would #strunkandwhite say about them? Is there a space between a hashtag phrase #likethisone or is it only attached to the #word it connects? If you need #punctuation, (like this comma next door) do you attach it or skip it? So, the boldfaced sentence I just wrote would look like this if I skip it:

If you need #punctuation (like this comma next door) do you attach it or skip it?

But now it #doesntmakesense above because I took out the comma.

Oh, hmmm, what do you do with #contractions? Do you use them or skip them as in the previous #singlesentenceparagraph or #singlesentenceparagraph?

#doesntmakesense

#doesn’tmakesense

#doesnt #make #sense

#doesn’t #make #sense

Perhaps this is a great time to understand and observe how #grammarrules are made and why they exist. Are we now the future #old #cranky people who invented these #dumbrules? Don’t even get me started on #citations…

March 11, 2025

#Twofer Tuesday

Way back in my #college days, there was a sub shop, or was it a pizza place? Taco joint? Anyhow, this place advertised #twofer Tuesday and you’d get two for the price of one. I figured since it’s #SOL Tuesday and March SOL #challenge, I’d write two posts. As if this challenge isn’t enough.

Here’s to post #1, my introduction to making myself squirm in my writing seat a little (#alot) more than usual.

More bang for your buck, here’s the #twofer.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

#hashtag #writerly #vibes

#funny how #writing happens. #solchallenge has ideas swirling in the universe. they were bound to #collide with mine. i moved a #postitnote to one side of my desk this afternoon. last week, i #jotted a #sol draft using #hashtags! in full form, i left it at work and #cantremember anything that was on it.

March 10, 2025

She’s Talking

About first loves, her middle school self
"She's so cute but needs a big booty, 
a big booty-licious butt!"
Endless ribbons, all colors and textures
resemble tangled spaghetti 
at one end of the table 
buttons fill a small Mason jar nearby
today was meant for cleaning messes
not making them,
but crafting wins–at least she's off her phone
"The first person you date isn't necessarily the one you love..."
"Umm...hmm.."
I've learned 
to nod in agreement 
Listen  
No need to comment 
No need to disagree  
Just listen, while draft ideas struggle 
to be written
She's quiet now,
concentrating on re-stuffing a critter
she's making from unworn socks
The washing machine whirrs 
through it's Saturday load of laundry
Why must weekends skip through time 
in such a hurry?
She stitches the project closed,
the one with the big, booty-licious butt
"Our school has a confessions page..."
"There's this influncer..."
Laundry needs drying
We save daylight later tonight
but didn't the day just begin?
She sews
I draft
She's talking again
March 8, 2025