Week in Review: Week 262

More thoughts from today and photos from the past.

MONDAY

Really? Monday? Again? Could you stop??

TUESDAY

It Feels Like Spring.

I wrote a “poem that’s not a poem/lyrics without a song” thing while I was driving home from work with the windows down. It’s called “Driving with the Windows Down.”

I dictated to Siri as I drove.

It needs some work before I can share it. Ha ha. Could I write a song? Sometimes I think I can do anything.  But I have NO CLUE how to write music. As much as I LOVE music, and I have a weird ability to know tunes practically before I hear them (if that makes sense), to just start from scratch and actually CREATE music? No. Nope.

But it’s been fun to play with.

Just Bettye living in her own head (her favorite place).

WEDNESDAY

Got my first covid vaccine today. Was a nice “get out of work early” event…and the shots took place at a beach parking lot and the wait line was in the car. All my favorite things!

THURSDAY

A Spring Day, for sure. I didn’t even mind having a fire drill cuz it meant I was able to stand outside in The Air for a few minutes.

FRIDAY

It can be H.A.R.D. to keep up with All The Bloggy Stuff so I’m grateful to Debbie for our accountability check-ins. Y’all know her as Fashion Fairy Dust but she’s got some exciting changes coming up, including a name change to “Your Styled Story: Your Story, Your Style, Your Way” which I LOVE. Anyway, we had a very productive call tonight and now I have all NEW things on my to-do list! It never ends! But I still love it. And as long as y’all are still enjoying it, it’s all good.

Any suggestions? Criticisms? If it’s “less BTS,” don’t read Sunday’s post 🙂

SATURDAY

Terrifyingly, I made a haircut appointment with NOT my usual guy. Ugh. I’ve been trying to hold on, but his return to work keeps getting pushed back and now he’s not expected back til MAY! So. Desperate times, desperate measures. So, lots of anxiety for my appointment after work on Monday. If you don’t see me for a while you’ll know it didn’t go well.

SUNDAY

IT’S GRAMMY DAY. The Grammy’s are (is?) not something that’s been on my radar since I was pretty young, but with my newly-invigorated love of music and BTS (!!!) I’ve been excited to watch. BTS has been nominated for their song “Dynamite” in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, along with Justin Bieber; Lady Gaga; J Balvin/Dua Lipa/Bad Bunny/Tainy; and Taylor Swift. BTS  are the first Asian music artists to ever be nominated for a Grammy, which is a Big Deal. So proud.

A little refresher on some of their successes of the past year if you didn’t know they were a thing:

They released their album, BE, in November 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its single, “Life Goes On,” became the first non-English song to debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. After the release of BE, BTS became the fastest group to earn three No. 1 songs in three months since the Bee Gees more than 42 years ago. BTS is the quickest group since The Beatles to have five No. 1 albums and the first group to have two chart-topping albums in the country in 2020 (with Map of the Soul: 7). They have won oodles (and oodles) of international awards and recently became the first Asian act to receive the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award, a very big deal in the music world.

That’s the good news. The disappointing news is that a few days ago, the Grammy’s announced that the BPD/GP award would be presented during a Grammy pre-show, NOT on the live show, which the majority of people will be watching. I’m disappointed for THEM as winning a Grammy has been a longtime dream and goal of theirs and I hate that (if it happens) it will be muted by not airing on the live broadcast. But they are lovely humans and good sports and I know they were thrilled to just be nominated AND to perform on their own stage during the live show.

Aside from their talent and many awards, a reason an American win for them would be So Important Right Now is that with all the hatred and violence against Asian people (due to Covid and just general ignorance and hatefulness), for people to able to see these shining ambassadors of another culture could be a very good thing.

It’s not that Asians need to “show their good side” to prove anything to anybody, but sometimes ignorance needs an example – “Look, dummy, these young men are talented and charming and smart and respectful; you think they’re the only ones? THEY’RE NOT. ” Sometimes people just need a smack upside the head a bridge to walk across into acceptance of people different than themselves. BTS could be that bridge. But they need a mainstream showcase for that and a Grammy win would be perfect.

I know I’m politicizing a pop band, but…LIFE. It’s going on out there and it can be ugly. Sometimes we need a shining star to guide us.

I hope I’m saying all this correctly.

So, my fingers are crossed for them tonight but win or lose they will still have a place in my heart.

WHAT I’M WATCHING

Skateboarding videos.

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@coletrottaokayyy #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #longboard #action #sk8♬ Cupid’s Chokehold / Breakfast in America – Gym Class Heroes

@coletrottasunset #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #longboard #sunset #vibes #QuickerPickerRapper #vibe♬ original sound – lyssa

These people are IN.SANE. But. They’ve got something. They’ve got that thing that allows them to Just Do It. Even if it’s ridiculous and dangerous and stupid.

I watch these videos on TikTok and they cause me such anxiety (THEY’RE. GOING. TO. DIE.). And yet…I want just a little bit of that. Just a little bit of that I DON’T GIVE A SH*T I’M GONNA DO WHAT I WANNA DO thing.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO

Music to stare at the ceiling by (in a good way).

WHAT I’M READING

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami. I’ve been forcing myself to read at least a chapter a week (ha ha, how ridiculous, I used to read 1-2 BOOKS a week and right now I Just Can’t) in the hopes that I’ll get pulled in and crave reading again…so far it hasn’t happened…but this is my current chapter-a-week book. And it’s not the book’s fault. It’s my favorite kind of quiet/quirky story, I like the characters, I like the writing. I just get too antsy right now when reading. WHERE ARE THE PICTURES? WHERE’S THE VIDEO? WHERE’S THE SOUNDTRACK? WHERE ARE THE KIDS ON SKATEBOARDS?

I do stop frequently to look at the picture on the cover. I find it very pleasing.

That’s it for the week. You’re doing great. Keep going 🙂