Category — Friday Blog Roundup

A local vegan restaurant sent out a newsletter featuring vegan colcannon and stew. I am debating throwing all dinner plans out the window so we can partake before it’s gone with St. Patrick’s Day.

Kottke.org is 25 years old. He writes, “Kottke.org is older than Google. 25 years is more than half of my life, spanning four decades (the 90s, 00s, 10s, and 20s) and around 40,000 posts — almost cartoonishly long for a medium optimized for impermanence.” It’s a remarkable feat.

I got myself a paid Zoom account because I wanted one. Just for me. I kind of love it hardcore. It’s silly that I waited this long or used a work one when I wanted to hold a longer chat. Instead of “buy yourself flowers,” I show myself that I care about myself by buying access to digital accounts. It’s kind of like flowers, only not flowers.

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Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

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And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• None… sniff.

Okay, now my choices this week.

No Kidding in NZ  has a post that taught me that Allison Janney is in a television show I didn’t know about. That wasn’t the main takeaway, BUT I really love this message from the show: “Overall, it reinforces that women have worth just because they are here, because they exist, because they are trying to be better. It emphasises that women deserve to be happy and respected. All of us. We are worthy.” We are. Full sentence.

Lastly, I love this story from Scientist on the Roof. I will tempt you with this: “Those secret Matzos – they made their way across the country, from Riga, where Baba Tanya ended up after the war, all the way to the Far East. Because our family mailed a package of Matzos to us. My parents did not do any religious stuff, but those Matzos – they were pretty special.” You need to go over and read the whole thing.

The roundup to the Roundup: A bunch of thoughts. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between March 10 – March 17) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

I’m going to see Kinky Boots for a second time this weekend. I went a few weeks ago — it was my first time seeing the play — and I loved it so much that I’m going back. That show proves why we need art. Because it can change a mood. I went feeling blah. I came out feeling elated. All from two and half hours of drag queens dancing on a conveyor belt in thigh-high boots. It was glorious.

Similarly, I’m just waiting for season 3 of Ted Lasso this week. I want to spend a half hour per night watching nice people do nice things and win.

It’s a hard news cycle. Happy art can make a happy heart.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• None… sniff.

Okay, now my choices this week.

The Next 15000 Days encounters a bizarre growth mindset conversation. Click over to see the most frustrating use of the word “yet.”

Lastly, It’s Inconceivable takes us through some infertility observations. She sarcastically asks: “Did you know that when you get to be a woman of a certain age you become invisible? Not only does your hair fade to grey, so does your personality, attributes, opinions, dress sense – everything apparently.” But really, click over to read the whole thing because she taught me the term: “the most Selfish Fuckstick in living history.”

The roundup to the Roundup: Go watch something fun. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between March 3 – March 10) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

2020 was the last time I sent mishloach manot for Purim. It was right at the start of COVID, and I questioned the intelligence of dropping off baked goods for friends and family. But we had already made the cookies and candies, and everything was ready to go. That was the last time I did a major project like that.

I only made treats for the twins and Josh for the past few years. But this year, we took a baby step back into the mishloach manot game. We didn’t have a theme — for the first time — but we made treats for immediate family, a friend, and Josh’s office. It was weird to open the packaging supplies box, which hadn’t been opened since February 2020. Or pull out ribbon I last saw three years ago.

Happy Purim Monday night to all who celebrate.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “In Limbo Once Again: Long COVID This Time” (Silent Sorority)

Okay, now my choices this week.

A Separate Life talks about the blogger’s dilemma: you have so much to say until it’s time to sit down and write. But I snorted at the last line. Well played.

Lastly, Infertile Phoenix connects emotions to the time of year. I love this opening: “I can tell we are on the other side of winter. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still winter. It’s still cold and there is still snow on the ground. But there is less of it. It is melting. In another month or two, it will feel like spring.” Just capturing that knowledge that you’ve turned a corner. Even if you’re still in the middle of things. Again, I love the last line.

The roundup to the Roundup: Happy Purim. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between February 24 – March 3) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

Pretty much everything is a dumpster fire right now. I don’t know if it needs more brain power or commentary than that, so… onward!

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “Living Inside Stories” (Torthúil)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Infertile Phoenix unpacks some uncomfortable confessions that were dumped on her lap. She writes, “I have been deemed a safe person to whom they confess their most personal thoughts.” Usually about (you guessed it…) children. Some awkward overshares and other touching moments.

Lastly, I really loved Finding A Different Path’s post about self care. I both roll my eyes and feel I need to prioritize self-care. And I adore the self-care items on the to-do list, most of which were actual self-care (sleep-in) vs. fake self-care. Putting this out there in case you need a reminder.

The roundup to the Roundup: Things are just not great. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between February 17 – 24) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

No one is having a good time. It is the theme of my week — not good news followed by not good news — and based on my Facebook feed, it is the theme of everyone else’s week, too.

Our interconnectedness is never more apparent when everything goes wrong—for instance, COVID. One person does X (goes out while they’re sick), which impacts Y (gets sick because of the first person), who now cancels Z (because they’re sick), which throws A – W into chaos. You get it. Because you live it. So when bad news comes, you can usually trace it back through other bits of bad news.

Or sometimes it comes out of nowhere. Just a big bad news drop from left field. But more often than not, especially with little bad news (bad news with a lowercase b), it is connected to other bits of bad news.

Does it work the other way? Do good things lead to more good things for other people? Or is it only problems that spread from person to person?

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

*******

And now the blogs…

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “Does It Make Us Stronger?” (No Kidding in NZ)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Grumpy Rumblings is also swimming through a sea of bad news. They post a long list of rejections, summing it up: “ It’s hard to have so much rejection without a single acceptance in between.” Amen. I include this because the ending gave me hope. Feel what you need to feel, and then take the next step. Onward.

Lastly, A Half-Baked Life has a story of a GrubHub driver that made me cry. Thankful for people in the world who do the small things that make the big differences.

The roundup to the Roundup: Sorry if you’re having a bad week, too. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between February 10 – 17) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.