(The 50th) Friday Faves 6/12: Atlanta, Labor of Love, Pork Noodles, The Killers, Cold Brew, Stamped,
Best Activity
I went back and counted. This is my 50th Friday Faves post. The first one came on June 28 of last year. I now have nearly a year, week-by-week, recorded on this blog. It’s crazy to think it’s been a year since I left teaching and ventured out into the world of part-time work while trying to write. It has been gratifying work. Less stressful than the life of a teacher, especially this year when a pandemic descended upon us and forced teachers to flex all sorts of new muscles. The doubt that awaits in the fall for teachers has also left me relieved that I stepped away from the profession when I did.
On the other hand, life cannot continue for me this way forever. Stepping away and getting the lay of the land has left me feeling refreshed and looking forward to what is next. With fewer balls to juggle over the last 12 months, I think I have figured out some things that I hope for in my next job. The types of people I’d like to work with. The types of places I’d like to work. The skills I’d like to sharpen and the ones I might be comfortable leaving behind.
Over the year more and more people have found their way to this site, reading one article or a bunch. It’s been gratifying to check the “clicks” every now and then. The little graph that depicts growth over time has gone up each and every month, so thanks to folks for sharing this out. I am looking forward to next summer when the 100th Friday Faves is posted.
Best Watch
Atlanta - I am late to this party, for sure. I was scrolling through Hulu this week and up popped Donald Glover’s face. I had heard great things about the show, it’s award-winning, and I decided it was time to give it a try. It is excellent. It follows the life of Ern, played by Glover, who is a down and out, borderline homeless, man trying to hitch his wagon to his newly famous cousin, the rapper Paper Boi (played by Glover’s brother, Stephen). Ern has a tenuous relationship with his parents and his baby-momma, and can’t catch a break. The show is funny and smart and honest. The episodes are 25 minutes, which is great. There are some moments that resonate with the times, particularly one episode where Ern spends most of the time in a police precinct after being arrested. He’s surrounded by some interesting characters. If you have Hulu or Fx OnDemand, give Atlanta a whirl.
Labor of Love - We found it. A new dating show (based in Atlanta, too! Crazy, right?) ! Last night, Tiff and I finished the third episode of this Fox dating show and we decided record podcast about it. The gist of the show is that 41 year-old Kristy is looking for a man to start a family with. Everyone (well, nearly everyone) is an adult with a job. There’s no crazy drama, but there’s enough to make it interesting. We think you should watch it. Listen to our pod to get a better sense of why we like it.
Best Listen
The Killers “Hot Fuss” - I hopped in the way back machine on Wednesday and popped on “Hot Fuss,” which was a soundtrack of my junior year in college. It’s fun and upbeat and still holds its own 15 years later. Also, don’t sleep on their second album, “Sam’s Town” which was maligned when it came out because it was so different from “Hot Fuss” but outside the vacuum of anticipation, “Sam’s Town” is solid, too.
Stamped From The Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi - Spotify has been kind enough to place this powerful audio book on their platform for free. I started it this week and I am looking forward to continuing it. Kendi was also a guest on Brene Brown’s podcast on June 3. If you have a teenager, Jason Reynolds and Kendi joined forces and wrote a version of Stamped for teenagers.
Best Read
3 White Privilege Blind Spots in Boston That Are Keeping Us Racist - I know, this is a clickbait headline, but it offers some interesting things to think about around race in Boston. Here’s the link.
The Browser - I heard an interview with Robert Cottrell a couples week ago. He’s an interesting man who runs The Browser. Basically, he finds articles each day that are off the beaten trail and shares them. He has a newsletter, but you can also just visit his site to see older selections (the most recent selections are locked unless you subscribe). An article about the Chelsea Hotel in New York was one read I enjoyed this week: Echoes of the Chelsea Hotel.
Best Eat
Pork Noodles - Shoutout to Blue Apron for this delicious dish. There are times when I’m making something from Blue Apron and spend a lot of time wish ill on whoever concocted the recipe. I get stressed when I have to track two or three things cooking at once with the knowledge that there is going to be a pile of pots and pans to tidy up at the end. This dish provided none of that frustration. It was super easy and different than what we typically eat.
Best Drink
Homemade Cold Brew - It snuck up on me, but it’s iced coffee season, baby! I haven’t bought a coffee from a store for months, instead choosing to make a pot of coffee at home each morning. I ordered a 12 pack of coffee bags from Bixby Coffee. They’re basically tea bags stuffed with coffee and I used a five of the them to make some cold brew this week. It was pretty good! I probably need to tweak the ratio a bit, but overall, cold brew made this a good week. Summer is here.
Best Plug
Mailbag - I am trying to collect some questions for a mailbag. If you have a question, anything at all, please send it along to my email StayHomeHusband@gmail.com or just toss it in the comment section below. Don’t make me invent questions and people and the cities they come from. I’m not above doing it for content, but it would be better if they came from actual people in actual places.
The Imperfect Game - Sheffield United is having a quiet renaissance, but in this episode, Both and I look back to the past to discuss the club’s hero and villain. Sheffield United Hero and Villain.