S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 37
March 21, 2021
Sunday Update – March 21, 2021
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
Only 10 days left in this month! What now? Crazy how time is flying. Spring is here and my oldest daughter turns 14 tomorrow. FOURTEEN. I remember her birth like it was yesterday. Sigh. Also, two years ago today, I was in the hospital and just out of surgery for my broken leg. Remember that? Looking back on the photos, I’m really glad that’s all behind me.
There’s not much to say about this week. I worked every single day from morning till night on edits of THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI. No joke. I was working on them in the morning, then exercising. Shower and back to edits. Eat lunch and back to edits until dinner. Then work again after dinner. But I got them done yesterday and sent them off to my very small ARC team. I’m so glad that task is done!
Other than that I don’t think that I mentioned that our basement fridge/freezer died the week before. We have two fridges with freezers AND a chest freezer. I know it sounds like overkill but we almost never get takeout and we freeze almost everything extra from our summer CSA share and what we grow in the garden. (I don’t can anything.) I wasn’t surprised the fridge died. It was 13 years old. But it was still a bummer. So I ordered us a new one and that arrived on Tuesday. On Thursday, I took an hour off work to purge old food from ALL the freezers in the house. That felt really good and now we have room everywhere. The new fridge is doing great!
I took almost no photos this week!
Some Peloton graphs for you… I took some non-Power Zone classes this week and my lines are ALL OVER THE PLACE. I’m not used to this now! When I take Power Zone rides, they look like this…
Very different in the way of structure.
I love this photo of Lulu sleeping with her paw over her snout. So cute.
And here’s Lulu with her buds at day care. (I feel it’s important for her to go play with other dogs so she’s socialized and not aggressive to other dogs. She loves it! But she hates being in the car. Lol.) She goes to day care 3 times a week and just happened to be there on St. Patrick’s Day.
Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy!
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March 19, 2021
A Week Of Edits And A Freelance Project Complete!
The blog has been quiet as I work through all THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI edits, and I’ve also finished a freelance project I’m excited to show off! Check out the new Pets in Space® Books website! I was asked to build this website by the new anthology owner, Carol Van Natta, and I said yes right away. I love this anthology, and I knew it would be a fun project for me. This website gave me a chance to do some more intricate web development with custom post types and taxonomies in WordPress. I really stretched my PHP skills and made the templates do all the heavy lifting for Carol.
Jump on by and check it out! If you love sci-fi romance (and I’m assuming you do, since you’re here) be sure to sign up for the Pets in Space® newsletter too so you can find out when the next anthology will be available. (Psst, yours truly is writing something for it this year! I’m so excited to have been invited to contribute!)
Check out Pets in Space® Books!
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March 14, 2021
Sunday Update – March 14, 2021
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
We have now been in quarantine for an entire year. Looking back on my FB memories to this time last year, I think I actually believed we were going to do this for a month, maybe two, tops. How wrong we all were, right?
The good news is that both my husband and I are scheduled to get our first covid vaccine on the 24th! Then we’ll have the second one in mid-April. I’m so relieved. I feel like the end of this nightmare for the whole world is in sight.
We have chosen to send the kids back to hybrid school too, starting after spring break. By that time, we’ll have our second shots, and the kids schools have been awesome about distancing and disinfecting. Though there have been cases at the schools, there’s been no transmission THROUGH the school. Most of the kids or staff have gotten sick because of outside community contact. We feel confident the kids will be fine, especially with both adults vaccinated.
In writing news, I have been working on five chapters a day of THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI. I hope to have my first pass of the copy edits done by Wednesday, second pass plus listen should be done by the weekend, and then I can hand it off to my proofreader and ARC readers! I am going to be developing a map for this series, too. Lots of fun stuff ahead!
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There was one day this week where it was 70ºF outside! I had my afternoon decaf coffee on the deck.
Another look at Lulu’s spotted belly.
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Lulu and me out for a walk on a beautiful afternoon!
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Once the weather warms up and the sun is stronger, this is where we can find her during the day.
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Exercising has really become my escape.
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I took my FTP test again (learn more about FTP here), and I just barely made it through alive. I think my problems with the test are mental. I get really anxious beforehand and my heart rate skyrockets. But I finished it. I can only hope the test gets easier for me as I progress through my fitness journey.
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And a final look at how far I’ve come. The photo on the left showed up in my FB memories this week and I just thought WOW. I really have been doing the hard work. Weight loss was important to me because the extra weight I was carrying was not healthy. Just NOT good for me. My hips hurt all the time and it caused even more sleep disruptions than I already deal with. But now that I weigh less I’m able to do more fitness-wise too. I’m happy with my progress and I’m within 10 pounds of my goal weight. I hope to lose that this year.
Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy.
The post Sunday Update – March 14, 2021 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
March 12, 2021
The Expanse, Derry Girls, Ted Lasso, and Nadiya Bakes
There’s been a lot of TV around here, and this doesn’t include our evenings watching This Old House while we eat dinner (yes, we’re old).
The Expanse
Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi | 60min | TV Series (2015– )
8.5
Writer: , , Stars: , , Summary: Two hundred years in the future, in a fully colonized solar system, police detective Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane), who was born in the asteroid belt, is given the assignment to find a missing young woman; Julie Mao (Florence Faivre). Meanwhile, James Holden (Steven Strait), the first officer of an ice freighter, is witness to an unprovoked attack upon the ship, by craft believed to be from Mars (MCRN Federation). As news of the attack spreads throughout the system, the incident's flow-on threatens to destabilize already tenuous relations between Earth, Mars and The Belt. Far away from the struggles in deep space, on Earth, Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), a powerful United Nations executive and diplomat, works to prevent war between Earth and Mars by any means. Soon, the 3 find out the missing woman and the ice freighter's fate are part of a vast covert conspiracy which threatens all humanity. Written bynano_tech
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We finished watching the fifth season of the Expanse (Amazon Video) and really enjoyed it. This season was based on my favorite book of the series, NEMESIS GAMES, so I had high hopes going in, and I feel like they did a great job with the book’s material. The death of one of the main characters near the end was a little unexpected, but I know the show runners needed to do something about that character because of the actor’s alleged activity off the set. They were stuck between a rock and hard place and did their best to deal with it. Naomi’s experience in this season is just heartbreaking and watching Dominique Tipper work through everything was a stab to the chest. She was amazing. This show continues to be one of my favorites. I’m so glad it will get another season!
Derry Girls
Comedy | 1800min | TV Series (2018– )
8.4
Writer: Stars: , , Summary: The personal exploits of a 16-year-old girl and her family and friends during the Troubles in the early 1990s.
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Derry Girls (Netflix) was one of the funniest shows we’ve watched in a long time. There was so much to love about this show! Everything… just every little bit made it come together into something fabulous. The accents. The 90s timeframe. The hating on the English. The father-in-law constantly harassing the father. The fashion. The attitude. And especially the nun who leads the school! I’m sitting here chuckling just thinking about it all. This comes as a highly recommend, especially if you need a pick-me-up.
Ted Lasso
Comedy, Drama, Sport | 1800min | TV Series (2020– )
8.7
Writer: , , Stars: , , Summary: Follows US American Football coach Ted Lasso heading to the UK to manage a struggling London football team in the top flight of English football.
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Speaking of pick-me-ups, we also really loved Ted Lasso (Apple TV+), the story of an American football coach who goes to England to coach a failing football/soccer team in the English Premier League. This had charm, humor, sweet and funny, sassy and sexy moments. This show is a great example of perfect sidekicks and secondary characters that really liven up a story but don’t detract from the main character. They made the whole show rounded and easy to watch. I really want to go back and watch it all again! Don’t think you can’t watch it because you know nothing about this sport, either. It’s totally secondary to the story. The story is the characters and the world they inhabit here. Love, love, loved it.
Nadiya Bakes
Documentary | 1740min | TV Series (2020– )
6.7
Stars: , , Summary: Nadiya Celebrating the joy of creating and sharing her favorite homemade cakes, bakes and delicious pastries alongside exciting new recipes inspired by other passionate bakers.
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I really loved Nadiya Hussain on The Great British Baking show, and then her subsequent show on Netflix, Nadiya’s Time to Eat. This new show Nadiya Bakes (Also, Netflix) is just her showing off some baking. What I love about her is her no-fuss, total deep love for everything she does. She’s such a great presenter with a fun and exciting personality. Watching her bake, even though I hardly eat sweets anymore, is a treat in and of itself. I did see a few things on this show I’d love to try myself. Hopefully, I can make something soon. These shows are good for late night, lying around, don’t need much brain power time. Totally what we need an ENTIRE YEAR into a global pandemic.
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March 7, 2021
Sunday Update – March 7, 2021
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
The sleeplessness continued this week despite cutting out afternoon caffeine, mainly because of how windy it was here. We had several windy nights this past week that kept me awake in the middle of the night. Then last night, Lulu started barking at 1am which she never does. When we let her out, I smelled skunk, but she just barked, peed, and came back in. I have a feeling she heard an animal fight with a skunk right outside and it spooked her. I don’t remember the last time I woke up from a night of sleep and felt good. Does that ever happen anymore? Is that never going to happen to me again?
I spent most of the week working on my freelance project and it’s almost done. I’ll be handing off most of the website this coming week. Once that’s done, I’ll be working on the final edits to THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI since it’s up for pre-order now. Then I’ll return to my novella I’m writing and get that done so I can get started on Skylar’s series!
This week was also the penultimate week of the 8-week Power Zone Challenge. I had three REALLY hard rides this week. Two of them went way into the upper zones and really pushed me to work. The third ride was 90-minutes long. I’m really glad I did this challenge because I can definitely see how much I’ve improved. This coming week is the last week and I will mostly be doing endurance rides and then re-take the FTP test on Saturday.
Not many photos this week. I was just too busy…
Made one of my favorite comfort foods this week. This is teriyaki seitan with onions and kale over multigrain rice. I love this dish.
How is that comfortable?
I tried to knit on the couch every single night this week.
And yesterday morning, I had my cup of tea and then got on the bike for a 90-minute class. It was a good look at how I can handle long rides. This spring I hope to do a 50 mile ride over two days. So it looks like I’ll have to do 2 hours of riding each day to complete that. Good times!
Have a great week everyone! Stay healthy and safe!
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March 5, 2021
THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI Is Available For Pre-Order!
Happy Friday everyone! It’s been a long time coming, but finally, the 4th book of the Hikoboshi Series is going to be winging its way out into the world on April 23, 2021. Yes, I can hardly believe it myself. I took a break from this series for a year so that I could concentrate on the Flyght Series, and I don’t regret that one bit. But it was good to be back in this world! And I feel confident that this series will have 5 books in total. I can picture the ending, and it’s only one more book away after this.
THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI continues the story of Yumi and Rin as they figure out how to handle their new partners, Shiroi Nami, a corporation that’s been genetically engineering people and animals into wholly different beings. We saw them all at the end of FUKUSHA MODEL EIGHT, and we get to know them more in this book. We also get to see what happens when they rise up and come head to head with the current ruling corporation, Aoi Uma.
But nothing is easy for Yumi. She’s suffered multiple concussions and a host of other injuries. She must call on her friends and family now to help. It’s time to muster the troops and all work towards the same goal. Not a simple task when Aoi Uma’s CEO is out to get Yumi and end her, once and for all.
I hope you enjoy the 4th book of the Hikoboshi Series! It’s currently on pre-order on Amazon, Apple Books, Nook, and Kobo for publication on April 23, 2021. It’ll also be available for sale on Google Play, Smashwords, and Eden Books (and available for borrowing on Scribd) once I have the final file ready.
Ruthless corporate tyranny. A traitor out to destroy her. Can she defeat a mighty foe to save a desperate universe?
Yumi Minamoto will never stop fighting for freedom. Far from her homeworld, the crusader’s hope for victory solidifies when she discovers a way to reprogram the oppressive android army. But Yumi and Rin’s plan to infiltrate the enemy’s facility goes up in smoke when their hidden base is suddenly attacked.
Suffering serious injuries, Yumi’s only option to carry out the dangerous mission could be an unpredictable medical procedure. But she risks losing everything when an old adversary and his rabid genetically engineered creatures put everyone’s lives at stake.
Can Yumi stand her ground without sacrificing all she loves?
The Rise of Shiroi Nami is the gripping fourth book in The Hikoboshi Series space opera romance series. If you like heroic characters, high-tech conflict, and unexpected twists and turns, then you’ll thrill to S. J. Pajonas’ intense science fiction saga.
Pre-order The Rise of Shiroi Nami!
Available April 23, 2021!
Thank you to everyone who’s just as excited about this series as I am. I couldn’t have done this without you!
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March 1, 2021
March 2021 Goals
March is here! We are approaching SPRING! Thank goodness.
What happened with February’s GoalsRevise THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI and get the outline off to my blurb writers. Done and done. I have feedback from one of my readers and I have the new blurb from my blurb writers. Yay!
Reveal cover and pre-order for THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI. Didn’t happen because I wanted the blurb first. I will be doing this this week instead!
Brainstorm an idea for an anthology I’ve been invited to write in. I’ve brainstormed this and started writing it.
Build two websites. I only mostly built one website. Pushed the second website to March.
Continue on with SFR Station. I got shit done.
Setup blog posts for my pen name for February. Um, I only set up one of these.
Continue with the Power Zone Pack Challenge and Peloton strength classes. The challenge has been hard but I have stuck with it and I’m seeing huge gains in my overall fitness. I reached 150 strength classes this month!
Continue with fasting. Clean fasting has gone well!
Audiobooks, reading, and knitting. I read every day but I finished an audiobook a few weeks ago and haven’t picked up another one. I don’t know why. Knitting has only been happening sporadically.
March GoalsReveal cover and pre-order for THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI. I’m looking at April 23rd right now for publication of this book.
Finish off final edits of THE RISE OF SHIROI NAMI and prep for publication. This involves making changes to the manuscript to correct some things, then line/copy edits, listen, and then off to my proofreaders.
Setup promos for a free run of CRASH LAND ON KURAI. I plan to offer CRASH LAND ON KURAI free during April in the lead-up to the 4th book publishing. So I need to figure out how much I want to spend on that, which promos to choose, and then start the process of scheduling everything.
Continue to write my anthology novella. I would like to finish this in March. It’s not due until July but I want to have my readers read it and get feedback so I need time for that.
Brainstorm my first Skylar novel, the beginning of the Amagi Series. It’s time to get some real thoughts down in Evernote about this first book and what I want to happen with the 6 book series. I hope to be writing it in April!
Finish my freelance build. This is almost done. I need to import in content from the old site to the new one, fix a few things, and then my client can run with the rest.
Build my anthology website. The anthology I’m running needs a website. It doesn’t have to be much but it needs something.
Continue on with SFR Station. The usual needs doing here.
Figure out what I should do with my pen name. I’m not sure what to do here. I’m thinking about leaving the website as-is for now and not adding anything new, and not doing anything with the name. I don’t see myself writing cozies again for a few years, if ever again. I’m at an impasse.
Finish the Power Zone Pack Challenge and move onto my own strength calendar. The challenge will be done in two weeks. Then I can start choosing my own rides again and I have a new calendar that includes barre classes and my resistance bands too.
Continue with fasting. Same old stuff here. I hope that if I can continue with my 18:6 fasting through the summer, I can try some longer fasts in the fall.
Audiobooks, reading, and knitting. I need to continue my commitment to read every single day this year. Audiobooks for walks and knitting every weekend.
That’s it! Have a great month everyone!
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February 28, 2021
Sunday Update – February 28, 2021
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
This week I concentrated on reducing afternoon caffeine in an effort to get back to sleeping again. I had been sleepless for about six weeks so it was time to sit down and figure out what had changed to lead to the continued poor sleep.
What had changed, what had changed? I thought and thought about it and realized that six week ago was right around my 45th birthday. And it was around my birthday that I had a cup of full caffeine coffee and it didn’t agree with me. Like, I drank that cup and I was jittery and wired for hours! I felt sick from it. It was so strange because the day before, that same cup of coffee was fine. No issues.
So the detective in me made the connection. I had heard from other people (anecdotally) that sometimes your body can refuse to handle caffeine anymore. I’ve seen it in friends and on reddit, so I know I’m not alone here. Back in January, I decided to switch to half-caf to solve the problem, but it was possible that even this amount of caffeine was too much and then affecting my sleep.
So in order to avoid the inevitable caffeine withdrawal, I started cutting back even more. My coffee maker takes 7 scoops of coffee. I had been doing 3 scoops decaf and 4 scoops regular. I switched to 4 scoops decaf and 3 regular. Then I cut back even more to 5 scoops decaf and 2 scoops regular. And finally my last batch late this week was 6 scoops decaf and 1 scoop regular. Today I am caffeine free in the afternoons!
I’m already seeing a major difference. I’m going to sleep and staying asleep without Benadryl for 5 hours straight. I’m hoping for 6-7 hours going forward, but I’ll be happy with just six. I’m still taking melatonin (5mg extended release) but nothing else. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
And yes, I’m still drinking a cup of black tea every morning. Later this year, I would like to switch that to green tea or green tea with yerba mate (I have a blend from Whole Foods I like) but I’m going to exhaust my current stash of black tea first before I make the switch.
Nothing much else happened this week except working on freelance, which is almost complete and starting my anthology novella, which is slowly coming along.
We’ve had some good food around here. Tuna steak with peanut noodles, masala dosas with coconut chutney, and my oldest daughter made macarons!
I love coffee but I hate the mess!
Yikes. Look how tired I am in that photo! But these were some of my last cups of afternoon caffeine…
Lulu is still a doll. She loves her belly rubs in the sun and bunking down next to me while I work (she’s there right now as I type this).
And I had a great Peloton week! 150 rides done. Hit new Personal Records in a few classes, and 3000 minutes of working out in 2021. And just this morning, I hit 150 Strength classes too! Yay!
Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy!
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February 26, 2021
The Bourne Trilogy, James Bond, Locked Down, and Tenet
There has been a lot of TV and Movies around here as we are still sheltering mostly indoors due to the pandemic and winter. In this post, I’ll cover the movies we’ve watched recently and then I’ll be back next week to cover the TV shows!
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Action, Mystery, Thriller | 1h 59min | 14 June 2002 (USA)
7.9
Director: Writers: , Stars: , , Summary: When a body is recovered at sea still alive, the mystery man (Damon) seems to have forgotten everything in life, including who he was. Eventually he begins to remember smaller details in life and soon finds out that his name was Jason Bourne. What he doesn't like is the gun and fake passports belonging to him. Now Bourne, and his new friend, Marie Helena Kreutz (Potente) travel from country to country in search of his new identity. But someone is not happy to see him alive, and is frantically trying to track him down. Written byPeet
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We recently purchased a HD DVD player and decided to start our collection with The Bourne Trilogy. Jason Bourne is a long-time favorite character around these parts. My husband and I both loved these movies the first time around (though they get a little silly farther on in the series). Still, the first two are definitely solid movies. It was nice seeing them again and really noticing how far technology has come. When we made it to the last movie in the set, The Bourne Ultimatum, I was really impressed with how they wove everything together from the previous movies. We ended our watching marathon with The Bourne Legacy, which does not have Jason Bourne/Matt Damon, but instead has a different agent and a different kind of mission. This one was still likable despite not having the original cast. I’m glad we bought them and re-watched them!
Casino Royale (2006)
Action, Adventure, Thriller | 2h 24min | 17 November 2006 (USA)
8.0
Director: Writers: , Stars: , , Summary: James Bond (Daniel Craig) goes on his first mission as a 00. Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) is a banker to the world's terrorists. He is participating in a poker game at Montenegro, where he must win back his money, in order to stay safe amongst the terrorist market. The boss of MI6, known simply as "M" (Dame Judi Dench) sends Bond, along with Vesper Lynd Eva Green) to attend this game and prevent Le Chiffre from winning. Bond, using help from Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini), and having Vesper pose as his partner, enters the most important poker game in his already dangerous career. But if Bond defeats Le Chiffre, will he and Vesper Lynd remain safe? Written bysimon
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We also purchased a box set of the Daniel Craig 007 James Bond films. We had originally seen all of the films in the theater, years apart between each, so watching them all in a row was a nice treat. This time I could actually see and understand the links between all the films that I had forgotten the first time around. They are still pretty silly but they’re comforting in that nostalgic way. That scene in Casino Royale when James goes to his car to stop a poison and restarts his heart is both terrifying and laughable… I mean, COME ON. But hey, it’s James Bond. Gotta suspend some disbelief here, am I right? Of all the movies, Casino Royale is still my favorite, followed by Skyfall. The only thing that bothers me about Casino Royale is the two endings. It always feels like it goes on too long. Quantum of Solace is the weakest of them all, and Spectre has a dumb villain I just rolled my eyes at. Can’t win them all!
Locked Down (2021)
Comedy, Crime, Romance | 1h 58min | 14 January 2021 (USA)
5.1
Director: Writers: Stars: , , Summary: Paxton and Linda, a couple at the end of their relationship who are only still living together because of lock-down orders in the U.K. The two attempt to navigate their new situations as COVID-19 spreads around the globe; Paxton is furloughed from his job, while Linda is forced to fire employees from her company as they look to cut costs. Through his boss Malcolm, Paxton "using a fake identity" accepts work transporting goods and materials from places that are closing during the lock-down. One of his stops is a department store that's part of Linda's corporation. Dissatisfied with their current state of life, Paxton and Linda design a plan to steal an expensive diamond from the department store so they can become rich. Written byCanon y mus
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One night we were looking for something to watch when my husband said someone had recommended Locked Down, with Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor. I love both of these actors so I said yes, and I’m glad we watched it. It was funny and charming, and VERY about the times we’re living in, locked down during the pandemic. Things I loved about this movie — Anne in her business-up-top and pajamas-down-below outfits, Chiwetel’s boss (Ben Kingsley) who opens every zoom call with a prayer, the angst of being cooped up, the 7pm banging on pots and pans outside, the empty streets. The whole story was fun too about a jewel heist from Harrods, and their declining (and reigniting) marriage. One of the interesting tidbits of trivia from IMDB is that “because of the hectic pace of completing principal photography in just 18 days, the stars didn’t have the time to properly prepare, and for some scenes, Hathaway’s and Ejiofor’s lines had to be taped to their eyeline.” Not surprising in the least! This one made me laugh and smile, and some parts were bittersweet, but overall, I loved it.
Tenet (2020)
Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 2h 30min | 3 September 2020 (USA)
7.5
Director: Writers: Stars: , , Summary: In a twilight world of international espionage, an unnamed CIA operative, known as The Protagonist, is recruited by a mysterious organization called Tenet to participate in a global assignment that unfolds beyond real time. The mission: prevent Andrei Sator, a renegade Russian oligarch with precognition abilities, from starting World War III. The Protagonist will soon master the art of "time inversion" as a way of countering the threat that is to come. Written byjesusblack-91294
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Another HD DVD that we picked up, sight unseen, was Tenet. I had heard a lot about this movie and I wanted to see it because I really love Christopher Nolan (Interstellar is one of my favorite movies). We watched this in two sessions because we’re old and cannot make it through a 2+ hour movie in one evening, so my thoughts are broken up a bit. The first half of the movie didn’t impress me. All the characters were extremely competent and they figured things out quickly enough. I didn’t develop any kind of attachment to them and I wasn’t invested. But the second night of watching included the portion of the film where they all started traveling back in time, and then suddenly, it got really interesting. I’m still not sure I completely understand it, and I’m not sure I’m SUPPOSED to, you know? By the end, I was finally invested and looking at the first half of the movie in an entirely different light. I want to watch it again someday for sure! If you’re thinking about checking out this film, I highly recommend sticking it out to the end.
(I’m trying out a IMDB plugin here. If this ever breaks or looks horrible on your mobile device, please just contact me and I’ll switch back to static images. No big deal, but wanted to try something new!)
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February 21, 2021
Sunday Update – February 21, 2021
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
I hate to start out this update on a depressing note but I’m back to suffering from insomnia again. Sigh. I thought I had it kicked there for a little while but that doesn’t appear to be the case. I haven’t slept more than 4-5 hours a night in about six weeks now. I know, I know. I didn’t say anything here because I didn’t want to sound like broken record. But it has finally worn me down.
Each day this past week went by in a blur. I don’t even remember what I did. I was going to update the blog with a post on what I’ve been watching and I even forgot that! My regular email went out this past Friday with only one post in it and that makes me sad.
I’m doing what I can to get by. I’m still working out hard every day because that still feels good. I’m still reading every day and watching something every day. I’m still working on freelance and SFR station. And I did start writing something new! But that’s the extent of things. I suppose that has to be enough because I can’t do any more on so little sleep. Even knitting is tough for me right now. I only knit a little bit each week.
I thought y’all may like to see my list of things I’ve done to try to get more sleep. Here it is. I’ve tried all of these things over the last 10 years to get better sleep. Some of them worked for a little bit. Others didn’t work at all.
Pot gummies
Melatonin (both rapid and timed)
Benadryl
Ambien
Valium
Pain killers
CBD
Magnesium
B12/B6
Chamomile tea and pills
Not eating before bed
Not drinking
No sugar
No caffeine
No water before bed
New mattress
New bedding
Weighted blanket
Fan
New pillows
Extra pillows
Aromatherapy
Sleep meditations
No phone before or in bed
Night shift and warm filters on my computer and phone
Massage
Compression socks during the day
Night guard for my teeth
More exercise
Staying up late
Going to bed early
Sleep restriction therapy
Different sleeping positions
Eye mask
Ear plugs
Delta wave music
Oof! That’s a lot. And at this point, there’s not much left for me to try. I saw a sleep specialist about 5-6 years ago and he didn’t feel I was a candidate for a sleep study, but perhaps I am now. I’ll have to try again, whenever I get to see a doctor again.
Please cross your fingers for me that I can get back to 6-7 hours a night. Even that is not a lot, but it’s better than what I’ve been dealing with lately.
There’s been a lot of good food around here, which is the only bright spot in this pandemic + winter.
Lulu, my hip warmer.
She also loves being in the sun.
On the lawn, up the street.
And I PRed on my 60-min Saturday ride, even on 4 hours of sleep!
Have a great week everyone! I’ll try to update more here this coming week. I promise. Stay safe and healthy!
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