It’s been a sec, so here is just a general roundup of some recent watches & reads:

• “John Wick” - A saga of trying to watch this movie across multiple plane flights. I have both actual friends and par asocial friends (the podcasters I listen to) who love this movie and when I saw it initially on a Southwest flight months ago, I watched about 1/3 of it. Then, on my most recent flights I saw that American had it as well. In fact, they had all the John Wick movies. I thought, “great! I can finish the first one and probably even watch the second.” This was not meant to be. I have sadly discovered that despite enjoying both Keanu Reaves and action movies, the dulcet sounds of people get punched in the face does lull me right to sleep.

• “Superman” - The soundtrack absolutely slapped, and I’m not just saying that because I’m contractually obligated by friendship. The rest of the movie… perhaps just wasn’t for Brenna. We’ve established before in this newsletter that I am not well versed in DC comics, and this was my first real entry into Superman content (minus watching the Smallville pilot a million years ago, and a few episodes of CW Supergirl). I think it also reminded me why I previously never felt compelled to consume Superman content. Despite enjoying many earnest and wholesome things, the cheese-factor of Superman is just too high for me. Also despite having a stacked cast, so much of it was spent with the actors alone and not acting against each other - I thought this was a huge mistake.

• “Ballard” (tv show, Prime) - I fear my love of detective shows cannot outweigh my absolute lack of desire to see the LAPD represented as good guys in media. In fact, my love of detective shows in general is currently struggling against how gross I’m finding some of the current “copaganda.” Is this because of the constant footage of ICE doing despicable and gestapo-like things to random humans? Yes.* I was able to finish this show because of its focus on cold-cases and corruption in the LAPD, but it was a close call at some moments. I had previously tried the Prime show “On Call” and couldn’t even make it through one episode. Oh people don’t like you because you’re cops? Wow, I’m soooooo sorry.

• * I am aware that ICE and local police aren’t the same and yet… the vibe.

• “Dungeon Crawler Carl” (book) - This is a book for the nerdiest among us (myself included) and I had a very fun time. If the world collapsed around me and I had to compete in an alien dungeon crawler game I think I would simply sit in the Taco Bell safe room and enjoy the rest of my days there. However, I respect Carl and HRH Princess Donut for their courage. Some of the humor in this wasn’t quite for me, and I did tune out some of the fight scene mechanics, but I will absolutely be picking up book 2. Princess Donut, I would die for you. (She is a cat.)

From the drafts: “A rating of things in my Grandmother’s house:”

• The front porch swing: 100/10 - Happiness could be if I could sit on that front porch swing every day.

• The jute rug under the dining table: 3/10 - Points because it does look nice, but horrible to walk on.

• The horrible death-trap stairs down to the basement: -10/10 - Why in 120 years has no one put any sort of door or safety mechanism there to stop someone from tripping and most breaking multiple bones.

• The upstairs bathroom that was costal grandmother before it was a thing: 10/10 - I wish I could transport that bathroom into my house. It also always has a perfect actual fresh soap smell, that’s not a fake diffuser or candle.

Until next time, I will be here wishing for it to feel like summer and reading Elin Hilderbrand books to try and pretend like it does.