Goodbye 2021

 It's just anoooother New Year's Eve...

Happy last day of this sucky year! Woohoo!!

We started watching "Maid" this week. Fantastic show! My favorite moment so far is Andie McDowell's whirlwind of a character angrily declaring that her ex-boyfriend's wife, Petal, who is cradling a baby in the background, "looks like a f*ing bitch!" Bwahahaa. (You may have had to be there. Seriously hilarious.) So far the lead character (played by Andie McDowell's real-life daughter) is making questionable life choices, but I'm hopeful she will start standing up for herself and taking help when it's offered. It's not really about being a maid, like I thought it would be. Looking forward to the next episode.

I've temporarily gone back to curbside shopping now, with the new covid spike in full force here. Hoping it will be shorter than the previous ones. Then maybe we can all start back towards actual normal-normal!

Saturday 9: Drivers License (2021)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a girl who just got her drivers license. Who taught you to drive?

my boyfriend at the time, in his Fiat

2) Do you like your drivers license/state ID photo?
It's fine. 

3) Think back to the first ticket you received. How old were you, and what was it for?

I was 20, and it was for having an outdated registration sticker. He also mentioned the A&M stickers I had on my license plate were illegal (even though they were very cool and we ALL had them!), but didn't ticket me for those. 

4) In this week's song, Olivia Rodrigo is brokenhearted, driving through her boyfriend's neighborhood, certain that he has taken up with the sophisticated blonde girl. When it comes to romance, do you have a jealous streak?

not generally

5) Olivia grew up in Temecula, California. Temecula is home to 40 wineries and dozens of tasting rooms. Have you ever attended a wine tasting?
several, yes

6) Her first on-screen appearance was in a commercial for Old Navy stores. Old Navy is owned by the same company as Banana Republic, Gap and Athletica. Have you done any of your holiday shopping at one of those stores? (Yes, their websites count.)
Nope.

7) She went on to star in projects for Disney studios. That's also how pop stars Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and Christina Aguilera got started. Arguably the first teen star created by Disney studios was Annette Funicello. Do you remember her?
I do, because she was in the Beach Blanket Bingo movie(s?) with Frankie Avalon, who was in Grease.

8) "Drivers License" was one of this year's most popular songs. One of this year's most popular books is John Grisham's The Judge's List. Do you expect to do much reading between now and the end of the year? If so, what's on your TBR (to be read) list?

Mostly cookbooks.

9) Random Question: What is the longest line you ever stood in, and was it worth it?

I have been in many, many overnight lines for concert tickets, back when we had to buy them at record stores. SO fun! Always worth it.

Read more...

Misc Wednesday

Laughing at the ad for dog treats covered in "peanut butter flavored yum." Whatever in God's name YUM is... *gag* 

We finished Part 5 of "Money Heist" on Netflix. Sad day. It is a very well-written action/drama show. Fun to watch. Now it's complete. Be sure to catch all the extra behind-the-scenes videos, including "From Tokyo to Berlin", to hear some funny and interesting production stories... and also to see the regular, non-geeky version of Álvaro Morte (The Professor). 

Luckily "Who Killed Sara?" season 3 is coming out sometime, so we can look forward to that for our next foreign TV thriller binging. 

Zoom Christmas was good. My brother-in-law and nephew had/have covid. They gathered with my in-laws and other local Dallas family members, but we declined to be a part of that. We've spent waaaay too long being cautious to catch covid on what may be the last significant round of it. *crossing fingers* 

Best Zoom Christmas conversation tidbit? Here ya' go:

Grandpa: I don't play golf, because the water always sucks my balls.

*mic drop*

Read more...

Keep Apple Music Curated Playlists Playing and Updated

So. I have been enduring this Apple Music problem. 

I most frequently listen to Apple Music's curated playlist 'A-List Pop.' Their playlists are updated weekly, so I'm always listening what's new in pop music. I went to the playlist on Apple Music and hit Play. I assumed that it would just play on (unless I listened to something else, of course), automatically updating every Friday when the list was updated. If the list had been updated since the last time I listened, I figured it would finish out the current song, then just play the first song of the updated playlist. 

But no.

If a curated list has been updated since the last time you listened, your device finishes the current song from the old version of the playlist, then ditches the playlist and starts playing random music from your Library. 

I have finally found and configured a valid fix, and it is workinggggg! Here it is:

If you mostly listen to one Apple Music curated playlist, don't play the playlist IN Apple Music. Download their playlist to your Library (just press the download button at the top of the list, or the "..." then "Download"). Then play the playlist from within your Library. It will auto-update every Friday from Apple Music to your Library, and work flawlessly, finishing the current song and moving on to the first song of the updated playlist if it has been updated since the last time you listened.

Ta. Da!

Read more...