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!

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Clash of the What?

Based on the ads, the bands on the show "Clash of the Cover Bands" aren't cover bands. They're tribute bands. Weird. Why not "Clash of the Tribute Bands"? Alliteration shouldn't be that important. If it is though, to be fair...

...there may not be a good T word to use for "clash." 

This morning in a "Happy Thanksgiving" text, Kimberly messaged me a photo of myself our senior year of high school. I'm at her house by the fireplace, on my way to a Prince concert (the Purple Rain tour), wearing high heeled boots, a mini skirt and a super-awesome 80's top, with my hair in an up-do, and I look mostly... SO TALL. YES! 

The only time I've ever actually been tall was in fifth grade. I reached my full adult height (5'4) the summer before that year, and the rest of my classmates spent the next 2-3 years catching up... and eventually passing me by. As an added bonus, my hair was thick and wavy, and it frizzed in the Houston humidity, and I would not figure out how to tame it until I got a curling iron (thankyouJesus) in sixth grade. 

I was in a trio of best friends during that time- Lori, Kim (another Kim!) and me- and Kim had a "boyfriend" in fifth grade for a few weeks. That little twerp always called me Amazon Woman. (It sounds vaguely racist today, right? They haven''t been around since 500 A.D., so it's prolly not an issue.) I had no idea what he meant. When I asked him, he said Amazon women were tall and had big hair. He could have said, "You know, like Wonder Woman!" But no. 

Now, living life in the petite section, it's hilarious that long ago, I was so freakishly tall that someone made fun of me for it.

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Mmmkaaay

#BUTFIRST...

Howdy!!

Anyhoo... I was on my Amazon home page, and saw this:

Is that where I am now? Amazon thinks I would love some light bulbs for a little fall pick-me-up purchase? Oy. 

But I will take the Betsey Johnson earrings, thankyouverymuch.

Austin is finally starting to come down from the apex of our current and worst-yet covid spike, so YAY for that. We are masked in public unless we're outside with some good air flow. Hoping we can get back out more once we're down a stage or two. We take drives here and there on weekends, but don't do big group activities or dining out. It will be cooler soon, so eating outside will be more appealing. It's actually really nice out today.

Lately we've been watching Big Brother (Xavier fan since Day 1), Clickbait (finished) and Nine Perfect Strangers (finished). And of course, Ted Lasso. I also loved the Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson docuseries on Apple TV+. It is supercool. Megastars, music geniuses and very interesting content.

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...Someone Else to Catch this Drift

I've been listening to Jagged Little Pill, so I'm in a "girl power" sort of mood!

 

Why are you so terrified of silence? 

Here, can you handle this:

 

... 

...

 

;-)

 

The second season of Who Killed Sara on Netflix is good, but not as good as the first. It's very "messy." The jumping around in time is sometimes throwing me off. There are a lot of things that feel randomly added. So many people involved in too many crimes to count at this point. Still watching!

We binged Halston in a few days. It was also medium-good. It is entertaining and has lots of pretty things to look at. I just couldn't find much to like about the title character. Talented, but his egomania and the careless way he treated most people just didn't give me any sympathy for him when things went wrong. The actress/singer who plays Liza Minnelli is outstanding, and of course, there's the greatness of Ewan McGregor!

I caught Valerie Bertinelli's new show, Valerie's Hot Dish last weekend. Comedic actresses Melissa Peterman and Nicole Sullivan ARE Laura and I cooking together. They are hilarious. I just looked it up, and there is only one episode. What the heck is up with that?! More please!

 

Dr. Mark Escott is stepping into his new role as Chief Medical Officer for the city, leaving his post as Interim Medical Director and Health Authority for Austin Public Health. For Austinites during the pandemic, he's kept us informed, and led at least once weekly press conferences, Q&A's, etc. He's been a voice similar to Dr. Fauci, always clear and firm on what is happening and why, explaining when we don't know the "why's" yet, and such. He's done a superb job. I'm not exactly sure what the CMO for a city does, but I'm sure he'll do that with the same integrity and competence. These days, those things seem in short supply all around.

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Sunday SUNDAY

Jeff: BJ Thomas has stage 4 cancer.

Me: Oh, that's too bad. I met him once.

Jeff: Really?

Me: Yeah, he's married to Louise Mandrell. I met both of them after a concert at Opryland on vacation, when I was a kid. 

Jeff: He's married to someone named Gloria.

Me: Maybe they split up. Or maybe I'm thinking of someone else. <google search> Oh. I met RC Bannon.

Jeff: So anyone with two initials and a two-syllable last name...

Me: Yep. I've met them.

Sad about BJ Thomas though. 70's music memories.

Great news, my Dallas/Ft. Worth friends! HEB is coming soon! First two in fall 2022 in Frisco and Plano. Many more planned.

Finished Season 2 of Broadchurch on Netflix. I'm good with the punishment the murderer received. It took some HUGE twists and turns, yes? What will happen the last season? Will any other big-time British actors pop in?

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Music Shaming

When the A-List Pop playlist on Apple Music switches to the new list each week, it stops playing automatically in my car when my phone connects. By the time the first song comes on, it's playing random songs stored on my phone. So basically, it's throwback day for that trip. Today, I heard When in Rome, David Cook and Nickelback. "Far Away" was playing when I hit a stoplight, and I turned it down, so no one would know I was listening to Nickelback. Sad! I LOVE that song! Next time, I'll blare it and you can all laugh and laugh, but I'll know you're secretly singing along in your heads.

Here's a special version of one of my favorite David Cook songs, to brighten your day...

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Tiiiiiny Bubbles

Our recently restored water was quite milky looking Monday through Wednesday. (Very surprising and seriously gross at first glance.) Turned out it was just billions of eensy-weensy bubbles from all the citywide pipe leaks. Fizzy water from the tap! Now, at Day 5, I think we're down to mere thousands of tiny bubbles per gallon. Nice and clear. 

 

I finished Bridgerton Season 1! Stephen Colbert was right- it has lots of high, tight man butts. Very entertaining as well, of course. Lauren tells me next season is expected to be Anthony-focused, following the books.

Enjoying the Post Malone cover of "Only Wanna Be With You"...

 

Very cool.

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Staycation

 For my 80's pals:

 

And some vintage Go-Go's for funzies...

 

 

Who didn't want to dance like Belinda Carlisle? So cute. And I had those earrings. Well, not THOSE, but you know, ones just like them.

 

Sunday Stealing: COVID

 
1. Day 1 of serious isolation behavior: March 13, 2020
2. First trip you had to cancel. We had reservations for first weekend of April in Fredericksburg with my brother- and sister-in-law. :(
3. Other trips canceled: No Christmas in Dallas for the first time in decades.
4. Last trip out of town before isolation. Christmas in Dallas 2019.
5. Farthest from home since isolation. I feel like we drove down to Granzin's in New Braunfels at some point after the lockdown. Because, sausage.
6. Last Meal sitting in a restaurant before Isolation. Oh man, I have no idea. Might have been Mandola's or Pieous.
7. How many books have you read? 0
8. First event you didn’t attend due to virus. O'Henry Pun-Off
9. Date and event of last over 200-person event. Probably a show at Zach Theater or a homes tour.
10. Last live music event. 10,000 Maniacs at the One World Theater in 2018
11. Things you are eating more of since isolation. Popcorn. We bought a small popcorn maker to replace our huge movie theater-style one. MUCH easier to maintain.
12. Things you are eating less of since isolation. Meals out at nice sit-down restaurants. Takeout from most of them is not great, so we get takeout from casual restaurants.
13. What restaurants have you gotten take-out meals from? Mandola's, Chuy's, Kerbey Lane, Salt Lick, The League
14. Have you found yourself bored in isolation? YES
15. Have you gained or lost weight? Gained :(. Still in the same size clothing, just tighter.
16. Do you drink alcohol? yes
17. If so, more or less in isolation? less
18. What entertainments have you explored? mostly streaming TV/movies, puzzles, video games
19. Gotten into anything new? Nah.
20. Have you done crosswords? Board games? Jigsaw puzzles? No, no and yes. LOTS of puzzles. We lost our puzzlebuddies due to the lockdown, so we're a duo most of the time. Lauren joins us now and then.
21. Have you cleaned out some cabinet, drawer, closet, etc. thoroughly? Several! Biggest improvement was cleaning out and reorganizing the junk drawer in the kitchen. Last weekend, we finished paring down and deep cleaning Lauren's living space upstairs, which was quite an accomplishment.
22. Are you spending about the same amount of money? Much less. Reduced dining out, and no weekend road trips. Not spending much on Target runs and that sort of miscellaneous stuff either.
23. Done Zoom, Facetime, etc. meetups? Yep.
24. Had a social occasion with a small group of people you consider safe? The only in-person socializing I've done, other than very short interactions at a distance, is once with KathyL and once with Laura. We hung out outside, socially distanced. Jeff and I had dinner with Jim on the back porch one evening.
25. Did you vote? In Person? On Election Day? I voted early, in person.

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Survey Time

Answer each category with a song title that includes something in the category. No repeats and don’t use the internet. (It's tempting, but try not to!) Go with the first song that comes to mind.

 

Something to Wear - "Raspberry Beret" Prince

A Place - "A Summer in Ohio" from The Last Five Years musical

A Food - "Watermelon Sugar" Harry Styles

An Animal - "Black Cat" Janet Jackson

A Number - "1, 2, 3, 4" Plain White T's

A Color - "Brown Eyed Girl" Van Morrison

A Girl’s Name - "Adia" Sarah McLachlan

A Boy’s Name - "Samson" Regina Spektor

A Profession - "Tiny Dancer" Elton John

Day of the Week - "Friday I'm in Love" The Cure

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I'll Be Fiiiine and Dandy...

I really enjoyed the Christmas Garth Brooks/Trisha Yearwood special. I didn't intend to watch it, but it came on and it was live, and they were taking requests! I sang "Hard Candy Christmas" with Trisha at a pretty good volume. I hope the neighbors enjoyed it. Garth and Trisha sang "Shallow," which was hilarious, because... not Christmas. But we all need a little bonus awesome these days, so I was into it.

This NCAA football championship selection thing is a gigantic load of bullcrap. Just saying. The Aggies were stellar this season and they should be incredibly proud. I didn't really care if we got in or not, but I know the team wanted it. Next year!

I received all the USPS packages I was worried about, so yay for that. Did some in-person gifting this weekend. (Socially distant and masked, of course.) It is crazy to friends I haven't seen in person in months. Just got my curbside grocery pickup put away, and now settling in on the back porch, where it is 70 degrees and sunny. GORGEOUS. Thanks, global warming!

Happy holidays!

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Happy Friday! It's the Saturday 9!

Adam is leaving The Voice??!! WHAAAAAAT?

Bummer, dude.

The only good thing about it is that maybe there will be less experimental hairstyles/colors and facial hair in his future. Hee.

Cannot wait to see Songland! What a genius idea for a show. Yes!!


Saturday 9: God Bless America
Unfamiliar with Deanna Durbin's rendition of week's tune? Hear it here.
Memorial Day is the federal holiday designated to honor American service people who died in battle.

1) Memorial Day was introduced after the Civil War. Originally called Decoration Day, this is when memorials, as well as the graves of veterans, are to be decorated with flags and flowers on this day to show our appreciation. Is there a war memorial in your neighborhood?
Not in my 'hood specifically, but there are monuments for several wars, including the Korean War, WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War on the grounds of the state capitol.

2) Andrew Johnson, our 17th President, was in office the first time Memorial/Decoration Day was celebrated. Have you ever met one of our 45 Presidents?
No. George H. W. Bush spoke at our A&M graduation, although not at the engineering school's "session." That's the closest I've been. We visited his gravesite when we were in College Station a few weeks ago:

3) According to the AAA, more than 30 million Americans will hit the road this weekend and drive more than 50 miles. Will you be traveling far from home this weekend?
Staying here!

4) Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food?
watermelon

5) As you answer these questions, is there an air conditioner or fan on?
Hell yes. This is Texas, y'all.

6) Though she's belting out one of America's best loved patriotic songs, Deanna Durbin was born in Canada. Is there anyone in your family or circle of friends who wasn't born in the USA?
I was born in Germany. My aunt was born in England. My dad's whole family is in Germany.

7) No longer a household name, Ms. Durbin was once one of the biggest stars in the country. One of her most popular films was 1937's One Hundred Men and a Girl, which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Recommend a movie that you really like, but don't think many Saturday 9ers have seen.
I can't think of a movie I love that few have seen. I like popular movies I can talk about with other film fans, but I do have a couple of TERRIBLE movies to recommend, that you may not have seen! The #1 worst, most horrifying and disgusting film I've ever ever ever seen is The Human Centipede (now available on iTunes and other streaming services!). My #2 least favorite all-time movie: Boxing Helena.

8) Back in 1938, Deanna Durbin had her handprints cemented in front of the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. Have you ever visited that Los Angeles tourist attraction?
No, but I would love to someday, if I get over my earthquake phobia. Thanks a lot, California.

9) Random question: What food did you hate as a child, but enjoy now?
Brussels sprouts

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Parade of Homes 'n Stuff

Do I think NSYNC should tour without JT? Uh, YES. I'd rather them tour with him, for the sake of completeness, but without is fine as well. They do have another lead singer, yes? :p

So J and I went to College Station for the weekend last weekend, just for funzies. Stayed at The Stella. Always lovely.

We did to the Brazos Valley Builders Association Parade of Homes, which was really fun! Very different from the high-brow Greater Austin Parade of Homes, where you tour multi-million dollar homes wearing hospital booties over your shoes. In College Station, it was model homes and spec homes ranging from like $150,000 to $750,000, all over town and the surrounding areas. We liked so many of them.

The biggest current building trend is the utility room off the master closet, in a

master bedroom>bathroom>giant closet>utility room 

arrangement. So you just walk from your closet through a door into the utility room to do laundry! NICE. Several homes even had a laundry door in the closet, so you can just dump dirty clothes through a little flap, directly into a laundry basket or hamper in the utility room on the other side of the wall. No need to walk all the way into the utility room from the closet. (#firstworldproblems)

OMG. I'm making mojo sauce for the first time and there wasn't a warning that the entire house would smell like garlic. WOW-WEE. *cough*

Anyhoo... I went with Scott-n-Kerstin to a storage locker auction on Tuesday! Very interesting. It was the fastest 25 minutes ever. Walked to a locker, had about 30 seconds to look into it, then a brief auction, then moved on to the next one. Zippity-zee. You could tell there was a group of regulars, and a few of us newbies. One of the Texas Storage Wars guys was there, although I don't watch that show, so I didn't know him. Lockers went from $5 to $500. Keep an eye on your local newspaper for the next locker sale in your area.

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Apple Music Endless Loop

New "Best Name Ever Encountered in Genealogy Research": Booty McDougle.

BOOTY. MCDOUGLE. y'all.

Love it!

So, what the heck is up with Apple Music when it randomly starts playing 2-3 songs over and over? I'm almost always on the Pop A-List playlist when I'm driving, but every now and then, it will circle around songs, like last week, when it was alternating between "Why Don't We" and "I Don't Belong in this Club." I start thinking, Sure, I like this song, but it seems to be playing a LOT. After a few rounds, I realize it's stuck.

I think it may happen on some Fridays, when the playlist changes. Not sure though.

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Mid-Week Update

Jeff and I finished the second season of Ozark. Man, that is such a great series. The acting is SO good and the story so dark that I can't even watch more than one episode in a sitting. They'll off anyone on that show! Skeery!

I had lunch with Crystal at EastSide Tavern yesterday. It was really yummy! Try the brisket tater tots appetizer.

We saw A Simple Favor last weekend. It was very entertaining, but I did think there was some weird editing, that didn't ever explain a whole obvious side-plot (the TA relationship- amiright?), and also went wonky at the end, where the film turned from dramedy to slapstick comedy for a few minutes there. Funny (ha ha), but also quite funny (odd). We did have a couple of questions about the story details as well. Maybe we're thinking too much.

And lastly, on the first listen, I really sort of hated this song. (I was like- THIS is David Guetta's latest???) Then Apple Music started playing three songs on repeat for some creepy/weird reason, and this song was one of them (of course). I was driving, so I couldn't fix it. The second time I heard the song, I liked it, and by the third time, I LOVED it! What the heck? Anyhoo...



I run to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

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Don't Look Too Deep Into those Angel Eyes

...oh no no no nooo-oooo-oooo...

Saw Mamma Mia! 2: Here We Go Again with the hubby Wednesday night. SUPER FUN! It even includes my favorite ABBA song of all time, "Angel Eyes!" Wheeee!!

It's a cute story. Pierce Brosnan's singing is vastly improved. Cher rocked her part. It is totally worth the stay until the very very end of the movie, to see a funny clip!

My only complaint was that, at least in our theater, the lead vocals on every song were too dang loud. Couldn't hear the music or harmonies much.

Overheard while leaving the theater, from a young man on the row in front of us:

"Was ABBA a real band?"

Why, yes! Yes, they were.

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George is OK

I like that people check in with me when George Clooney has a scooter accident in Italy, to make sure I know he's okay. (LOL) Actually he does have "trauma to the knee," (awww) but...

...at least it's not his face.

You were all thinking it.

Mostly kidding! Hope he's feeling better soon and stays safe on those bikes.

There are two songs on the Apple Pop Playlist this week where I'm not sure what some of the lyrics mean. Well, probably more than two, but:

"Weekend Luv" by Quinn Lewis: "...Don't give me that weekend love..." 
Isn't "weekend love" more uninhibited and carefree and swinging from the chandelier? Weekday love is typically more vanilla. Yes? He doesn't prefer the weekend love?

Ahh. Just read the complete lyrics. He just means he wants love on the weekend and also the weekdays. Got it. It should be "don't give me JUST weekend love" or "give me that weekend love... on a Monday night."

"I'll Be There" by Jess Glynne: "...I swear, I got enough love for two. You'll never be alone, I'll be there for you."
She's got enough love for two? Is that okay with her significant other?

We binge watched the 2018 Carpool Karaoke episodes last weekend. I have to say Jeremy Renner has an AWESOME voice! I mean, seriously. Who. Knew?! Good on ya', sir.

The Linkin Park/Ken Jeong episode was filmed about a week before Chester died. So sad. Still a great episode. Also loved loved loved the Seth McFarlane/Ariana Grande one. (ShOwTuNeS y'all!)

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Baby It's a Brand New Day

Is any daytime show NOT nominated for a daytime Emmy? Just wondering.

So, Lauren Shazam'd (Shazammed?) the Bubly jingle I mentioned the other day.

Lauren, her first listen: No. That is not JC.

LOL

It turns out, it isn't a jingle at all. It's a song called "Good Morning," by an Austin musician named Max Frost. Hmm!



Great tune! I still think his voice and this song have a Chasez sound (which is a total compliment). He even rhymes "day" and "me." It's gonna be MAY... hehe

In other music news... I think my favorite contestant on The Voice this season is Bryn. I can't believe she is only 14. Her voice is really different and wonderful. If she can work on being more comfortable on stage, she'll be a force.



Kelly is a fantastic addition as a coach!

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How the Tides Work... 'n' Stuff

This post went random pretty quickly, so I thought I'd come back to the top to warn you. Random Wednesday!

One of the guys on TMZ started a new segment with what I thought was "The Olympics are over and a lot of the athletes wanted to breastfeed dogs from meat farms..."

Turned out he said "rescue" not "breastfeed"... which is still interesting in its own way.

You know those pre-fab, frosted grocery store cookies in the plastic boxes, that people debate about, whether they are the most delicious thing in the bakery or the most disgusting thing on the planet? Well, I have some with pink frosting. (You KNOW you're jealous!) Guess what? They make your poop pink. Just didn't want anyone else to worry that they might have a deadly GI illness.

(Yikes!)

Hey. So, is Chasez singing the Bubly sparkling water jingle on the new commercial? It sounds very Chasez-ish.

If you haven't been watching Blue Planet II, you need to. Every minute of each episode shows you a new and amazing something. They catch things on film that have never been seen. And! I finally understand how the moon creates the tide. I have always thought they were saying that the moon pulled the tide away from the shore with it's gravity, which didn't ever make sense to me, because the moon would have to follow a very specific path parallel to the land to pull the water away from a particular shore, and thus would have an effect on some beaches, but not others.

The more accurate explanation is that the moon is pulling the whole ocean UP with its gravity, which, in turn, pulls the edges away from all the shores. Get it? I had this light bulb moment when Blue Planet II was discussing it very briefly, and the time lapse video just hit me a certain way where it all made sense. Too funny.

And since I did more research on the Google, I will share with you that the reason there are two high tides a day is because the moon pulls the land away from the ocean when it's on the other side of the Earth, resulting in a second bulging of the ocean. (Here's a fancy gif.)

And finally, one of my coworkers sent me this (for those of us who manage data... or don't... still funny!):

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Super Bowl and Halftime Show

Super Bowl game was amazing!! I really enjoyed it, even though I don't follow NFL much and none of my fave teams were there. Such a great game.

We played two games- winners each quarter for guessing the last digits of the score, and Super Bowl Commercial Bingo. We had lots of Scott's great food. I made a Caesar salad from scratch, which I've never done before. Even made my own croutons. Fun!

Halftime... I was disappointed. Justin Timberlake is one of the most talented performers ever, but the halftime show was blah. No big stunts. No guest artists. Just him. I just don't think that cuts it for the Super Bowl.

Of course, I would always love to see NSYNC together, but since he's already had them join him onstage at the Super Bowl halftime, I get that he might not want to repeat it. Same for Janet Jackson. It's been done, even though she's a great performer. I really like the suggestions that he should have brought Britney on. She would have been a cool guest, with a huge reaction! Her inevitable lip syncing would have made me crazy, but at least the show would have been memorable. There are numerous other great bands/singers he could have had join him during the show. Anyone! I don't care who you are, you need a guest artist or two, or at the very least, a mind-blowing stunt/effect at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Also, as a Prince fan, I think it's very sad that JT performed "with" the image of Prince, a type of performance Prince himself specifically called "demonic." I personally don't like any of those duets with dead people, because I find them to be cheesy and creepy. The idea of a tribute to Prince in Minneapolis is a fantastic one, but Justin could have so easily just sung a Prince song without using the image and voice of Prince. So easily! How cool would that have been?!! Some people have suggested he could have had Shiela E join him for the tribute song. That would have ROCKED! Instead it was cringe-worthy. Gah.

I wanted to like it!

The game was amazing though!

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You Talk Talk and You Get So Intense

...that you almost make sense. And that's what scares me the most...

Taking a work break for a bit. I can do that as a contractor! In my jammies! (I'm not in my jammies, but I could be!)

Randomly, I've been listening to Styx' Kilroy Was Here on Apple Music. One of the best songs on that album is "Cold War," which wasn't released as a single. It was one of my favorites to pull out the hairbrush, singing and jamming out in my room.



Partying with the President doesn't sound as cool as it used to, eh? Ha!

There is also "Don't Let It End."



And of course, there is "Mr. Roboto." "...I am the modREN man!" (Yes, modREN!)



Turns out, Styx is playing a casino in Lake Charles, LA TONIGHT. Weird!! Maybe there was a commercial for it and that's why I was thinking of them. Hmm.

Incidentally, hubby informs me that Def Leppard released their library on Apple Music today, so that's cool. I've seen then a few times. If you want to try out Apple Music, you can get four months free, rather than the regular three months, if you go to Living Social and search for Apple Music.

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