That’s what I started doing. 2-3 times a year, I will pick up Hulu or Netflix for a month or two and binge everything. I usually keep a list of what I want to watch and go through that when I resubscribe. The key is to unsubscribe as soon as you sign up or very shortly after, so you don’t forget.
AppleTV is one I don’t do this with but only because I get it through a bundle and they have been putting out some good content. If the price goes up again, I may consider changing that.
I haven’t watched it, but I doubt I would enjoy it. I really don’t like reality tv and I wasn’t a fan of Top Gear. I am very happy you enjoy that show though!
I’m a Tolkien fan, but I can definitely agree with that!
Ken Liu, but his family immigrated to the USA when he was 11, so I’m not sure that counts? He does a lot of translations for Chinese scifi authors including Three Body Problem. I do have all of his Dandelion Dynasty books, but I haven’t started them yet.
I am a big fan of his short stories and I would recommend Hidden Girl and other stories. There are a few in that book that are loosely tied together and it was made into a tv show called Pantheon, which was great!
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories is another great collection of short stories. I first listened to the title story on the LeVar Burton Reads podcast, then bought the book. My favorite story was The Literomancer, which was so moving I couldn’t read anything for a few days. Good Hunting from that collection was also an episode of Love, Death, & Robots.
Philip Pullman will always and forever be my favorite author. I first read the His Dark Materials series when I was 11 and I was hooked. Those books made a huge impact on me and how I think about the world.
I would recommend his book The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. It’s a retelling of the Jesus Christ story where Jesus and Christ are 2 brothers, one who is moral and the other who is not at all moral. I am not a religious or even spiritual person, but that book was really good!
I always feel a little sad with shows like Heroes. It had such good potential, but it was a victim of the writers strike at the time, so was Battlestar Galactica (one of my favorites). Quite a few shows just kind of flopped and that’s when we saw more reality TV start showing up and become the monster it is today. I really hate reality shows.
To be clear, I 100% supported the writers during their strike, it just sucks that some really good shows were impacted.
I also disagree with adding The Last of Us to the list. I never played the game, although I know most of the differences between show and game because of friends so I get why folks who played the game were upset with it. As just a show watcher, I thought the second season was just as good as the first. Maybe a little slower paced, but not enough to be on a list like this, especially putting it higher on the list than Westworld S2.
Oh! I forgot about that one, I liked Edge of Tomorrow too
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
I was 11 when the book came out, so I was the perfect demographic for it. That book played such a pivotal role in my life at that age. I remember being excited for the next books and waiting for their releases.
I’m 41 now and I still will pick up any book by Pullman and read it. He is my very first favorite author.
I have two.
I do not like Will Ferrell in his typical roles at all and I’m glad I’m not the only one saying this anymore. Everyone quotes Anchorman and I just did not enjoy that at all, or Elf, Step Brothers, or any of his “everyone loves” movies. Stranger Than Fiction, however, was amazing and I wish he would do more roles like that.
Tom Cruise is my other one. I find his acting very bland and unappealing. Mission Impossible has put me to sleep every time I try to watch it. I am not a big fan of Top Gun, Jerry Maguire, or any of them. My Cruise exceptions are Tropic Thunder which I wish he did more comedic roles like that and Minority Report, not a perfect movie but it was the very first DVD I ever owned so there is a bit of nostalgia tied to it.
Freeze your excess lemon juice!
My friend brings over fresh lemons from her lemon tree pretty often and they are always delicious. Recently, I juiced and froze a bunch that I knew I couldn’t get through before a 10 day vacation. Now, I have lemon juice cubes that taste just as good as fresh. They also melt quicker than regular ice, so they can be used in cocktails too.
Star Wars Pod Racer Halo Reach Word of Warcraft
Pod racer was the first game I was better than my younger sibling and when I bought my very first CD (Green Day). I spent hours playing that game with my CD on repeat.
Halo Reach was the first Halo game I was really into and first console modern game played. I spent so many hours playing online and IRL with friends.
World of Warcraft is the game I’ve played the longest. I’ve been playing since a few months after launch. Even though I initially thought it was “too cartoony”, it has kept me entertained for decades. Some of my favorite books are from Warcraft lore. I’ve played countless hours with friends, but now I play solo more than anything. I chase achievements, transmogs, and pets.
I really enjoyed the first season and I’m looking forward to the second. This is one show where I will watch the opening credits every single time because it’s so much fun.
That makes sense. I wish we had that here, but I’m happy they at least are required by law in my state to tell people about the surcharge.
Oh the hummingbird wars are highly entertaining. I’ve found it much easier to grow plants in the ground vs in pots, although I can grow flowers in pots.
You’re very welcome and I hope you have a wonderful week!
Recently, I’ve actually found the opposite to be true in the US. Smaller places prefer cash because they can avoid the CC fees that they get charged for every single swipe. Many places have a sign at the register that they add an additional ~3% to the bill to cover fees which it can be avoided by paying in cash. I’ve started using cash over the last year to avoid the additional charges, especially for takeout.
Every Saturday and Sunday morning, I do my gardening.
I spend a few hours pruning my tomato plants, adding clips to hold up cucumber vines, check my eggplant and zucchinis, spray everything down because it all has powdery mildew, and I water all of my potted herbs and flowers. I start early, like 6:30-7am because no one is awake and all I can hear are birds chirping*. Eventually, the neighbors wake up and I can smell bacon cooking before I go inside and make my own breakfast.
*the birds chirping are usually from the hummingbird wars that take place on the hill behind my house. They zoom fast overhead and attack each other behind the hibiscus fence.
I once knew a woman who was just under 5 feet and wore women’s size 10 shoes (men’s 8). She called herself a hobbit all the time.
I don’t really get it either. My partner watches it just for the chaos of the kitchen. He typically skips the other parts 🤷♀️
Reboot was the first one I thought of too. Such a fantastic show that didn’t get a real ending.
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