{"id":1122,"date":"2020-02-15T15:51:31","date_gmt":"2020-02-15T23:51:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/digitalmanticore.com\/?p=1122"},"modified":"2020-02-15T15:51:31","modified_gmt":"2020-02-15T23:51:31","slug":"a-week-in-the-life-february-15-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalmanticore.com\/?p=1122","title":{"rendered":"A Week in the Life: February 15, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This week I’ve been contemplating the idea that it’s much more work to be kind and generous in this life than it is to be an asshole. It’s easy to be selfish, to not work on imagining how other people might feel or be affected by things. Generosity is, of course, rewarding in many ways, but it is high effort. I keep thinking of the various tweets circulating the net that say things like “If you went through [terrible experience] and think other people should be forced to do the same because you ‘turned out okay,’ you did not, in fact, turn out okay.” Even if being nice is work, I can’t understand why people don’t want to make it better for the people around them. That’s become such a driving force for me, but maybe others are lazy? What do you think?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consuming<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here are some things I read, watched, or bought this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Sisters
The Sisters of the Winter Wood<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I got really invested in reading The Sisters of the Winter Wood<\/a> by Rena Rossner. This book is a story of two sisters whose family lives at the edge of a forest on the outskirts of a small town. Early in the story, the sisters learn that they each have the ability to shape shift, inherited from their mother and father, respectively. It’s an ability passed down to them from ancestors who found that, in a time of great need, they were able to become something else. One of the sisters, like her father, can turn into a bear. She spends a lot of the story feeling large and awkward, and like people don’t like her. Plus, she worries that she might hurt someone if she turns into a bear. I found this very relatable. Not because I can magically transform into a bear, but I have known the feeling of being big, awkward, and not fitting in, although for much different reasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is grounded in Jewish history and folklore, which is something I haven’t often seen in fiction, but that I appreciated and really enjoyed. I love getting different perspectives when I read. The author uses a lot of Yiddish words and phrases, which was pretty cool, but proved to me that I know much less Yiddish than I imagined (oy). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We didn’t get a chance to watch any movies this week, but we have kept on with Star Trek: Enterprise. We just started season four. My interest is newly invigorated by the current story line that involves actor Brent Spiner. Also, Anne has been here watching a The Gilmore Girls, so I’ve inadvertently been exposed to this particular slice of early 2000s media. It’s too bland and wholesome for my liking, but it’s inoffensive overall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rampant Consumerism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I bought a new cable for my circular knitting needles because I needed a long enough one for the pattern I wanted to start, so that’s exciting. I also bought some powdered Gatorade mix because … athlete life, plus Kirk likes drinking it. Big excitement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making Things and Doing Stuff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It may be mid-February, but it’s basically spring here in Elk Grove. Last weekend, we cleaned and organized our garage, which was much more satisfying than it sounds (Am I old?). I’ve also been tending to our garden and I hung up my hammock so I can enjoy reading in the afternoon sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, which we kind of don’t care about, but Kirk likes to use it for an opportunity to amuse me. In years past, he’s bought me things like a heart-shaped box of beef jerky. This year he bought me an assortment of cheeses, and some chocolate. Can’t go wrong with a man who will buy you snacks, you know? We don’t like to go out to eat on Valentine’s Day because it’s a scam, but this morning we went out to breakfast after donating blood, which, in a macabre way, does seem on theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n