Six on Saturday
- I went out yesterday to buy a DVD of Hamnet, which came out this week. Guess what? There are no local places to buy a new release DVD. There’s a place that sells used albums / dvds / books / CDs, but not much new. I tried there, I tried Best Buy, I tried Target. Nada. I had to order from Amazon, which made me grumpy. I didn’t want to just own a digital download. I don’t trust those, since I bought an album on Apple Music years ago, and my favorite song is no longer on the album (removed from my phone and computer). What? I BOUGHT IT. Turns out you think you’re buying them, but you’re renting long term, and if their contract changes, you’re out of luck. Annoying.
- First I read The Age of Innocence for Engie’s CBBC, and I loved it. I’ve read two other Edith Wharton books, and I loved them too (Ethan Frome and The House of Mirth). Then I watched the movie, which I got on DVD from the library. I had a very slow day at work on Thursday, so I watched it again. Now? I’m listening to it on Audible. Free! I mean, Audible = Amazon, which sucks, but Free! means they are not getting my money (aside from the Hamnet DVD). So far I am loving it. Why am I this way? I did the same thing with Joy Luck Club and My Brilliant Friend, and I loved it. I feel like I get more from it every time.
- Weather – It’s really pretty out, but that’s not good this time of year. This is supposed to be our rainy season.
After a wet end to 2025 and beginning of 2026, it’s pretty dry around here. I had to water the outdoor plants the other day, which makes me grumpy this time of year. There’s no rain in sight, which means no snow in the mountains.
A quick google search tells me that our snowpack is low, but our reservoirs are in decent shape, which is a good thing. I had to laugh at the ‘Crucial Period’ bullet point. ‘the state is left rushing to catch up to average levels’. What? I mean, we don’t have any control over the weather, and looking at the 10 day forecast above, clearly Mother Nature is not ‘rushing’ to catch us up at all.
4. WordPress is having trouble with the whole numbering thing, since inserting an image threw off the blocks, so formatting has gone to hell. Oh well. I had a slow afternoon at work the other day (that’s two slow afternoons this week…but Monday looks like it will be busy, so that’s a good thing), and got a good start on our taxes. Remember those checking account bonuses I’ve been getting for vacation money? Turns out that money is taxable, they sent me 1099s and everything. Credit card bonuses are not taxable (at least I haven’t gotten a 1099 for it), which is strange. Maybe because they give you points? I don’t know. Anyway, I’ve been putting off this stupid task for a while, and it felt good to have some idea of what we’re looking at.
5. Tomorrow is the stupid time change. I mean, both time changes are stupid, but this one is worse in terms of health outcomes and so on. It means that for a few weeks, I’ll be out walking in the dark again. I really wish we would just settle on a time and stick with it. I’d prefer Standard time, because who wants it to be dark at 8:30 or 9 in the morning? But I’d settle for Daylight Saving time too. Just stop the insanity.
6. Ted’s stepdad found this picture, of a young Ted and his puppy Chameli. Chameli is digging in to his cereal and apparently Ted is letting her. Or trying to eat it quickly before she can. I love this picture.
Bonus content – the picture at the top of the post is a coaster that my brother sent me for Christmas. It has nothing to do with me as a mom, more to do with how much we used to torture and tease our mom as teens/young adults. Some of it was pretty funny, but she didn’t think so.
38 Comments
Margaret
I’m scared to look at our snowpack percentage; I’m sure it’s terrible. 🙁 We’ve had way too much warm weather and rain. I could kick myself for leaving so many kid DVDs at my job when I retired. I was kind enough to donate them to the new teacher since they had French language tracks (and sometimes subtitles too). Now that I have grandsons, I wish I had them all! I bought them with my own money after all. I trant about the stupid time change EVERY YEAR. The experts say that we should stay on Standard Time; it’s healthier for our bodies and circadian rhythm. I dislike DST anyway.
J
I wonder if you could find some good DVDs at a used music store? For the kids?
AC
We have one province — British Columbia — that says it is not going back to standard time after the change this weekend. The clocks will permanently stay on daylight saving time.
Good uck with the taxes. I gave up and pay someone now, and it’s done.
J
We used to pay someone, but our taxes are simple enough that I can do them with the help of TurboTax.
nance
I love that photo, too. PiperCat would do that for every meal if I let him. As it is, he hollers all morning until I make my coffee because I give him a little slurp of half-n-half in a teensy dish as a treat. I had no idea I was creating a monster the first time I did it.
Last night I looked for The Age Of Innocence on our streaming services. No luck. I didn’t want to mess around hooking up a DVD player to play my copy (Rick was at the lake). I watched something else instead and was largely disappointed.
J
Nance, yesterday I was out running errands, and I had the library’s DVD in my reusable bag. I stopped to get some wine at the wine store, and took the DVD out so it wouldn’t be crushed, and when I put it back in on top of the wine, the clerk at the wine store saw it and said…”Oh, I remember this movie…let’s just take a moment for Daniel Day Lewis…” Which made me think of you, of course.
nance
LOL! Firstly, thank you for thinking of me, and in such pleasant circumstances.
Secondly, SIGH. How I miss the Beautiful Daniel Day-Lewis. This is going to sound absolutely terrible and awful, BUT! once he got married, he simply stopped caring. Alas! At least we have him on film at his most lovely.
J
LOL, he got his wife and said, GOOD, I’m DONE. Good for him, bad for us.
Melissa
We went down to the pond near my parents’ house today and couldn’t believe how much the water has gone down since we were here in January. I mean, it’s summer here, but I don’t know when I’ve seen the pond so low. We did have a lot of rain last weekend, but that obviously did not make a dent. Overall, I think our state’s reservoir levels are not too bad, though.
Maybe I should try to watch Age of Innocence, it seems like a few of the CBCC readers have enjoyed it.
J
I’m glad you have enough water in your reservoirs, and then you’ll be going into winter soonish, right?
Daria
I honestly don’t understand this time change. Some countries stopped doing it altogether!
That picture of them sharing cereal is so special.
J
Time change is horrible. Why must we do this to ourselves???
Ernie
Thd dog sharing Ted’s cereal is hilarious. For me time change equates to babies and tots being off schedule all week. Eek.
J
That picture is hilarious. I like the dog’s ear in the cup too.
Kids being off schedule is rough. Hang in there.
DB Stewart
We had 25 cm of snow overnight (10 inches?)…on top of an inordinate amount this year, about 2 meters! Although it’s becoming exhausting to deal with, I’m hopeful to have a Spring and Summer without wildfires.
J
Yes, no wildfires is definitely something we all wish for. I’m sorry for all of the snow though, that sounds like a LOT.
Nicole MacPherson
Time change truly does suck, but apparently BC has changed clocks for the last time! I hope this doesn’t blow up at the 11th hour, but for now I am optimistic!
I have never listened to an audiobook! I am a podcast girlie, which suits me better – I feel like I would lose a lot of the story because I often zone out. With a podcast, zoning out doesn’t seem like a big deal.
J
The zone out factor is real for me, too. I sometimes have to rewind because I miss things. But I find so much more time for listening than for sitting with a physical book, it’s worth it for me!
Laura
We’re doing a major cleanout and found a giant album with DVDs. I used to think I’d get rid of them but that whole streaming (but only if it’s available, even if I previously “bought” it) thing is making me think I’ll hold onto the collection. Now I need to see if I still have a functioning DVD player…
J
I feel like if you have room for it, keep it! Sometimes you want to watch something and it’s not available, which is frustrating. Makes me miss the days of Blockbuster, honestly.
Jenny
I read The House of Mirth a long time ago, and really liked it. It’s so sad!!! I don’t know if I ever read Ethan Frome??? I don’t remember it.
i read Nicole’s post about BC staying permanently on DST- no, no, no!!! I’m all for stopping the time changes, but if we do that, let’s stay on standard time. Think how dark the mornings would be in the winter! It would be terrible. That said, I definitely hate springing ahead. Grr.
J
I’m with you, so tired of switching. If I could pick I would pick standard time as well.
StephLove
I have that disappearing music problem with Apple Music all the time. It drives me crazy.
I am on an long-standing and unsuccessful quest to get my book club to read Edith Wharton.
J
The Apple Music thing makes me angry.
Michelle G.
Apple Music deleted a song you bought? That’s crazy!!! I listened to The Age of Innocence, and then I watched the movie. I think I got more out of the movie because I listened to the book. I loved seeing all the beautiful dresses and architecture, and even the table settings. The photo of the puppy eating Ted’s cereal is so great!
J
I love having at least 2 versions. I really enjoy reading and then seeing a movie, especially if the movie is well done, like this one was.
NGS
I wrote something similar on Nicole’s blog, but I’m really torn about the clock changing thing. Both options are bad, really. Changing clocks has bad outcomes (heart attacks! confused pets and children!), but leaving it at one also has terrible consequences (around here, if it’s less daylight in the AM children will be walking to the bus in the dark ALL YEAR, which is dangerous, particularly in less well-lit areas, if it’s less daylight in the PM the econcomic impact will be disastrous). ANYWAY. I want to have a STRONG OPINION and get upset about it! Instead I see both sides and am happy that I don’t have to make any actual decisions.
J
You know what Engie, I’m kind of with you. I mean, I hate the time change, but maybe it’s better than the alternative.
Diane
I remember watching Age of Innocence when it first came out. That year was such a good year for period drama – Shindler’s List, The Piano, The Remains of the Day, In the Name of the Father. (Oh I just lookedup the Oscar nominations from that year and The Wedding Banquet came out that year too!).
Anyhow, I should watch it again – I remember it being such a good movie. Winona Ryder was so perfect. I also didn’t realize at the time that Scorcese mostly made hard boiled gangster movies.
J
That was a good year for period movies, you’re right! I don’t think I ever saw The Piano, which surprises me because we used to see a lot of movies. I LOVED The Remains of the Day, also loved the book. I haven’t liked any other Ishiguro book as much.
Sarah
Ooof I hate runnig in the dark.
A DVD?!?!?! I don’t even think we have a device in the house that will PLAY a DVD– even Xbox has gone digital.
J
So many people don’t have DVD players anymore. We go months and months between using it, but we always at least use it for our Christmas movies.
Lisa's Yarns
I did ok with the first day of the time change but now I am struggling! I change time zones quite often so I wouldn’t think an hour would make such a difference but I am dragging today!
It annoys me that wordpress can’t figure out how to continue w/ the numbering after an image is inserted. So I use bullet points for 5 things Friday types of posts because it annoys me to see the numbers start over again!
J
Good point on the bullets, I should do that next time.
I don’t know if it’s the time change or allergies, but I’m not feeling great today. I slept well, so who knows.
Suzanne
The time change IS stupid.
What a fabulous photo find! I love the idea of Ted trying to shovel cereal into his mouth faster than the dog can eat.
J
I know, right? Hilarious (regarding Ted and his puppy)
Stephany
I don’t mind the time change because I love more daylight in the evening, but oof, mornings are ROUGH right now. I do appreciate how much easier getting up is for the fall-back time change. I feel like figuring out DST is something that has bipartisan support, so it could be the ONE THING that everyone in this country agrees on! Although, we’d find SOME WAY to make it a hot-button issue, I’m sure.
That picture of Ted and his dog is so sweet!
J
I could see the country breaking apart over Standard vs. Daylight. Total civil war, families battling each other, all of it.