On Repeat

 A few things I keep returning to as of late, and that have done wonders to lift my mood:

1. Andrew Bird's album "My Finest Work Yet"

We saw him play a few weeks ago in Portland, and it was a truly magical experience. I think it made it into my top 5 concerts to date. I appreciate going to see live music even more after its absence for the last couple of years. This isn't his most recent album, which is also great, but due to all the chaos of 2019 (it came out in March of that year), I hadn't delved into this one when it came out the way I would have liked to. My friend Dave recently pointed out that Andrew Bird is the whistling talent in the last Muppet Movie (which my kids are very into lately). He's literally a virtuoso whistler on top of all of his many musical talents. Impressive. 

2. FX's The Bear

I loved this show. One of the best things I've seen in a while. The cast, the script, the story, the pace, the soundtrack, it's all stellar. Episode 7 really blew me away, so much so that we watched it twice. I'm so glad it was renewed for season 2. For anyone who's ever worked in a restaurant, the stress, anxiety, personalities, and humor depicted in the show will immediately hit home. It's a quick watch too, at eight episodes of around 20 minutes each. 

3. Any body of water

I pulled the trigger and finally bought myself a paddle board. No regrets and I plan to take full advantage of it with what little summer weather we get over the next couple of months. A few friends here have boards as well, and we're planning to take them out at Rooster Rock in the Columbia River Gorge next weekend, and Trillium Lake on Mt. Hood after that. So far I've been able to hit Emigrant Lake in Ashland, where we also spent lots of time splashing in Lithia Creek, and this past weekend out to the Oregon Coast. Always left wondering why I don't live directly on the water -- such a boost to the overall quality of life.  

4. The best recipe in the New York Times Cooking collection

These brisket and cheese chimichangas are to die for, and so easy to make. My butcher gave me a tip that instead of brisket, you can use top round -- which not only tastes indistinguishable, it's also a lot cheaper. While I'm not doing a lot of recipe adaptation these days, I did figure out a good one here using the Instant Pot -- add the meat, onion, spices + 1 cup of water, and cook on high pressure for 90 minutes. Then add the cheese and salsa and sauté until it cooks down. Once cooled, assemble. Really easy and it makes a ton of leftovers that you can freeze and reheat easily. Highly recommend you give these a try.

5. A good summer read

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason. I had a hard time putting this down once I'd started. It was humorous, poignant, and bittersweet. The tone reminded me a bit of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's show Fleabag -- a personal favorite. The novel is a clever and very human depiction of what it's like to live with mental illness and maintain relationships with loved ones throughout. Found myself wanting to return to it, again and again, to pay attention to the non-linear structure and foreshadowing the author had so carefully crafted.