The World's Common Tater

I’m not at the barn today because I am going to a memorial service for a former coworker’s husband this morning. I’m not enjoying the reason I have time this morning, but I am enjoying having the morning at home. I might need to drop my Friday shift now that I am there on Wednesdays.

I might also consider tweaking this weekly recap. I’m not sure how. I just feel like it needs a fresh look. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Movies

We watched Jurassic World: Dominion this week. Well, I dozed off and on while my wife and daughter watched. I saw most of it. It was fine for what it is. I enjoyed seeing the people from the original movie return. I’m perfectly happy to go the rest of my life without another Jurassic Park movie.

I’ve also started watching random Hallmark Christmas movies in the afternoon. They are nice, light fare to have on in the background while I read and play games. Some of them catch my attention and I watch more than I read. Many of them never distract me from the book.

TV

We watched the House of the Dragon finale Tuesday afternoon. I enjoyed season one. We finally got the big “shocking” death in the finale. I hate that we have to wait so long for the next season.

I’m getting bored with some of the shows I watch:

Blue Bloods has never been that exciting, but it was at least interesting. Now, it’s just boring and tired. It might be time to end it.

Chucky is also getting old. The first two seasons were fun. Now. I find I get distracted easily while it is on.

The Goldbergs has also lived past being good.

I think it is time to consider cutting them from my schedule.

Sad to see a team eliminated from the Amazing Race due to a positive Covid test. I’m glad Survivor is isolated so there is little chance of this happening once they are there and filming.

You can read my ranking of the new TV shows here.

Books

I finished two books this week.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova – Alice is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she is diagnosed with early onset Alzheiners’s at 50. The book follows her struggle to live with the disease.

I would not have read this book if not for book club. I listened to it as I drove to and from work and other places. That helped. It was a very good book, but if I was reading it at home I likely would have taken a lot of breaks because it was not a fun read. I both hated and sympathized with the husband who was not great at dealing with Alice’s change. I’m not sure if I will ever watch the movie even though book club people said it is very good.

The Burn by Kathleen Kent – The second book in the Betty Rhyzyk series. Betty is on desk duty after the events of the first book. This doesn’t stop her from investigating a series of assassinations of drug dealers and the rumor that the killer is a cop.

I have enjoyed both books in the series. Betty is interesting. She is a good cop but has a lot of psychological issues stemming from family stuff and her kidnapping in the first book. Characters are allowed to be flawed. It’s nice when a thriller series allows the characters to be real people. The story is interesting and exciting. I highly recommend it to lovers of mystery/thrillers.

On Deck

I hope to watch Everything Everywhere All At One this week since the DVD is overdue.

We will likely watch the latest Doctor Who episode this week. I’m trying to avoid any spoilers before then.

White Lotus returns on Sunday night.

I am currently reading What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline.

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