What I'm Watching and Reading in 2026

 The updated version for 2026 that will undoubtedly be forgotten, so not updated! We are just back from our annual trek to Cabo San Lucas, where I sit under a palapa and read alllllll day. I love it. It's my extreme happy place. When thinking about why I don't read more at home, when it's one of my main leisure items while we're away on vacation and the answer: too many distractions! So, I need to set aside time to read. 

Television

1. Full Swing Season 3 (Netflix) - This was my least favorite of the seasons so far. It felt like they were trying to make stuff that wasn't actually interesting seem interesting.  
2. Veronica Mars (Netflix) - I never watched this when it was on in the early 2000s. It has a 90s feel to it and it's full of high school drama. I loved the move A Bronx Tale when I was younger and I immediately recognized Eli/Weevil from that movie. Currently in season 2. 
3. Survivor 49 and 50 (Paramount+) - Watched all of 49 and in the process of watching 50 now. Colby is still a hottie and Christian is as entertaining as ever.
4. Boston Legal (Disney+) - watching random episodes while doing data entry. James Spader is a draw for me.
5. Law & Order (Disney+) - I started doing a re-watch while working and turns out JB wants to watch too, so now we're watching this together instead of...
6. New Tricks - an older British show about pensioners (retired cops) who get called back to work on cold cases. 
7. The Pitt (HBO/Max) - I watched a couple of episodes and then concluded that this is not a show to have on in the background. It needs your full attention.  
8. The Mentalist (Disney+) - I watched this completely when it originally aired, so this is a re-watch. Enjoying it as much as I did then.  
9. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Netflix) - Both seasons! Love the actress from Wednesday and enjoyed this show. Will watch the next season.
10. Young Sherlock (Amazon Prime Video) - It was a fun watch.
11. Lost (DVD) - Started Season 1. I didn't love it, so taking this one slowly. I am mostly reluctant to continue because I know it's not going to end well, so it's hard to get excited about it. I think I watched a few episodes.  
12. Ally McBeal (Disney+) - Started a rewatch of this. I haven't watched it since it was originally on. Some of it ages very poorly, but in a lot of ways is still charming. 
13. Little House on the Prairie (Netflix) - Watched the first half of the first season of this remake. So far, loving it.
14. Best Medicine (Netflix) - I love Josh Charles, so started watching this. It has the actress who played Scottie on Suits and Annie Potts, so that was a pleasant surprise. The show is light and fun, so it's perfect for when I'm working. It feels like Josh Charles is somewhat phoning it in, but... I'm still enjoying it and will continue watching it. I hope they make more of them. 

 

Movies

1. Placeholder - I'm sure I've watched something, but need to check.

 

Books

1. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride - I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It's set in the 1930s with a wide cast of characters. The main character is a Jewish woman named Chona, who is the heart of the neighborhood. It made me think about a comment I saw somewhere about how whoever controls the women, controls society. 
2. Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King - This is a collection of short stories that are mostly enjoyable for what they are. The last one was strange and SUPER meta re: delusional thinking about getting a book published, etc. It annoyed me so much that I think it prejudiced me when I read Writers & Lovers next. I'm not sure why I checked these out. I'm guessing it's because my friend Michelle who reads/listens to books constantly must have recommended the author. 
3. Writers & Lovers by Lily King - Parts of this book are too meta with the whole angsty writer writing a book, will it be good enough, blah blah blah. There's a lot of themes of death too. It's fine, I finished it, but I was a little annoyed about it about halfway through and almost stopped.
4. The Last Devil to Die - It's the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club. Read this one very chopped up, but still enjoyed it.
5. The Impossible Fortune - It's the fifth book in the Thursday Murder Club. Read this one a bit more continuously, so enjoyed it more.
6. Until I Find You by John Irving - An older book, published in 2005. I grabbed it from the library while doing some volunteer work. I ready the first third in the physical format. It's a BIG book, over 800 pages. I ended up giving it back and downloading the Kindle version for ease of reading later. 

What I'm Watching and Reading in 2025

 I always start these lists and rarely make a comprehensive list, but that's okay. I am going to post this as of 6/25/25 and then just update it as I add to it.

Television

1. Emily in Paris (Netflix) - Kind of silly and a bit raunchy. The situations are ridiculous, but you get to see Paris as a constant backdrop, so that is a plus. Also, you get lots of French language! The main character seems to be desperately trying to channel Audrey Hepburn. It's a little weird.
2. Kim's Convenience (Netflix)- Rewatched all season
3. Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix) - watched all seasons. Season 2 featured a location that I used to frequent because it was a client's restaurant! This show is a love letter to LA. It has so much great scenery. Most of the food tips are right on (with the exception of La Monarca, no thank you). 
4. Andor Season 2 (Disney+) - the comparisons to the current state of the country are fire.
5. Survivor 48 - A pretty good season overall. Fun to watch.  
6. Elsbeth (Paramount+) - I love Elsbeth Tascioni. This makes me want to rewatch The Good Wife, and possibly even dive into The Good Fight, which I haven't seen.
7. Matlock (Paramount+) - We're only a few episodes in at this time, but so far, loving this too.  
8. Boston Legal (Disney+) - This was recommended to me by a fellow Rotarian. I may have watched some of this before. It's aged a bit, but I still find James Spader appealing.
9. The Resident (Netflix) - Starring Matt Czuchry from The Good Wife. I love the characters. It's a little gory visually (lots of operations with graphic images), but fun to watch. 

 

Movies

I participate in an online trivia league that has a brief trivia batch based solely on one topic - 90s Rom-Coms! So, that's why you'll see a lot of these on the list.

1. Rear Window (Netflix) - still in my top 10 movie list! Grace Kelly is beautiful. Although, I really noticed how LB was negging her the whole movie, which was a turnoff.  
2. Boomerang (Paramount+) - This is a time capsule of the early 90s and a who's who of Black actors of the time! The acting is pretty terrible, but it's still fun to watch. Halle Berry is maybe 25-26 and looks like a baby! She is cute and not yet in her sexy 30s. Definitely had some laugh out loud moments.
3. Never Been Kissed (Disney+) - They have somehow managed to make Drew Barrymore look plain in the first 10 minutes of this movie. You get to see a 20 year old Jessica Alba as a mean girl and wow some of these kids cruel. 
4. While You Were Sleeping (Disney+) - The part that really hit me was how sad she was to lose her newfound family. 
5. Out to Sea (Amazon Prime) - Ooof, so bad and so not a romantic comedy. Brent Spiner singing lounge-type tunes as the cruise director. It was not good. Do not recommend.
6. Two if by Sea (Amazon Prime) - How did this movie get made? The plot is boring, the acting is just so-so. 
7. Sliding Doors (Amazon Prime) - I remember watching this when it came out and thinking it was really cool. It still kinda holds up. Gwyneth Paltrow is SO young and skinny in this. The story is fine, although you just wonder why on earth multiple women want to be with that loser boyfriend. Like how???
8. Born Yesterday (Amazon Prime) - Absolutely horrific acting. The story is also really bad. I know it's a remake, but it was hard to watch.  
9. The Favor (Amazon Prime) - You get to see a young Cora from Downton Abbey and a really young Brad Pitt with a hard body in this. It's has a silly plot and weird dream sequences. I think the main point is still vaguely relevant. Even when you're married, you still want to feel that something you had with your high school make-out partner.  And when you've been with someone for a long time, it's sometimes hard to get that rush again. Even if you love them.
10. Hope Floats (Disney+) = Yet another Sandra Bullock film with a very young Mae Whitman with that distinctive face! 
11. Notting Hill (Max) - I watched it more closely this time. It's like the whole movie is centered around Julia Roberts' smile, which is kind of weird. 
12.  

 

Books

1. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - A re-read of a childhood favorite. It still 100% holds up! 
2. Figgs & Phantoms by Ellen Raskin  - Clearly I was on an Ellen Raskin tear. Still good!
3. The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon by Ellen Raskin - I don't remember reading this as a kid. It was okay, but a little quirky, as is her way.  
4. Circe by Madeline Miller - This was recommended to me by a friend in my networking group ages ago. I really enjoyed this book. It has a slow build, but draws you in. I was sad when it ended. She has a feminist flair in her writing that I kind of love. 
5. Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams - Also good, kind of sad.  
6. Galatea by Madeline Miller - Good and a bit intense. It makes you think about women in society. It's a short story, so read this in one sitting.  
7. Hotter in the Hamptons by Tinx - As I described this to my roommate for the weekend, this is a trashy summer novel. It tried a little too hard to be "sexy" and kind of failed, but I still finished it. 
8.  

Traveling to Japan - May 2025

 We have just returned from a two week trip to Japan. We started in Tokyo for five days, then went to Kyoto for five days and then back to Tokyo for a few days before coming home.

Here's the unwritten rules on being a tourist in Japan:

Walking on the sidewalk

• Generally, walk in a single file line on the left hand side of the sidewalk. We were mainly in bigger cities and the sidewalks are not huge, plus people are riding bikes on there, so stay to the left and don't make a wall blocking the sidewalk. Everyone is trying to get somewhere quickly and try to stay out of the way. Occasionally, you'll need to swap sides, but keep an eye on pedestrian/bike traffic and stay out of the way.
• Never eat or drink while walking (or on the train, except for shinkansen). If you need to eat or drink something, get out of the way, find a spot and eat/drink, then put it away and keep moving. 
• Don't stare at your phone while walking. Again, pull over, figure out what you need to do, then keep moving. If you're looking at your phone, you won't see the bike coming at you!
• Don't just stop. Just like driving in the US, be predictable.  

 

Money Stuff

• ATM - Make sure you have a 4 digit PIN for your bankcard. Taking out money from an ATM is your generally a good exchange rate. 
• Cash - Carry cash with you at all times. A lot of restaurants don't take credit cards. You will need cash to load money onto your IC/Suica/PassMo card (if you're using one).
  
• Wallet - Bring a wallet that lets cash lie flat. If you don't have one, you can buy one at a Daiso for not a lot of money. 

 

Hybrid Kimchi Recipe

I love the taste of homemade kimchi, but it can be quite time consuming, mostly from the first part - salting the cabbage, which using the Maangchi recipe, takes hours. While on a flight, I watched a Masterclass episode about fermented foods and the chef, David Zilber, did a very quick kimchi using a 2% ratio of veggies to kosher salt. I tried his recipe, but didn't care for the flavor, so I combined his salting technique with Maangchi's general recipe (with some adjustment, mostly removing ingredients I don't care for) and it worked out great.

I gave some to my friend's mom and she asked for the recipe, so I just went through the whole process of writing it up for her, so figured I would post it here for anyone who is looking for a quicker way to make kimchi that will definitely taste better than store bought.

Email to my friend's mom:

The main recipe is from Maangchi, my favorite Korean chef. Here's a link with a video showing generally how to make it. The biggest modification I've made is in the first part of the process - the salting of the cabbage. Her recipe calls for 6 lbs of cabbage, but that's a lot of kimchi, probably too much for most people, so I halved it.

---------------

Modified Kimchi Recipe (half recipe)

Veggie Ingredients

• 1 head napa cabbage (roughly 3 lbs, but any size is fine)
• Kosher salt (roughly 1/4 cup, but you will weigh on a scale)
• 1 cup Korean radish (mu) or daikon radish
• 1/2 cup carrot matchsticks
• 3-4 green onions (scallions), chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped Asian chives, or add 2 more green onions

Porridge Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp sweet rice flour (aka glutinous rice flour)
• 1 Tbsp turbinado sugar (or brown or white sugar)

Seasonings and spices

• 12 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 cup red pepper flakes (gochugaru 고추가루, coarse bigger flakes, not a fine powder). I usually look for one that is sundried.

Steps:

Start by making porridge first because it needs to cool down:

1. Combine the water and the sweet rice flour in a pot that looks bigger than you'd need because this will usually bubble up. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until it starts to bubble.
   
2. Add the sugar and cook for 1 more minute, stirring. Remove from the heat and let it cool off completely.

Prepping spices

1. I usually put the garlic, ginger, and onion into a food processor and run it until it's very minced. This is easier than chopping everything by hand. It's almost like a paste consistency.
2. Put minced spices into a big bowl that you will later use to mix up the whole thing, so a big bowl.
   
3. Add fish sauce and red pepper flakes.

Prepping veggies

1. Slice the napa cabbage into quarters lengthwise, then proceed to chop those quarters into 3 cm wide strips. Remove the cores.
2. Place your large mixing bowl with the spice mixture on a scale and tare it to zero grams.
3. Transfer all the chopped cabbage to the mixing bowl.
4. Add the cut radish, matchstick carrots, and green onions to the bowl.
5. Note the weight (in grams is easiest) and calculate 2 percent of that weight in salt. Add the salt to the bowl, and proceed to mix everything together thoroughly until all the ingredients have been moistened and well mixed.
6. Put mixed well kimchi into a container and if possible, put a weight on top to keep cabbage submerged. If you don't have something for this, you can use a ziploc filled with water.

Notes on fermentation (copied from Maangchi's website)

The kimchi will start fermenting a day or two at room temperature, depending on the temperature and humidity of your room. The warmer and more humid it is, the faster the kimchi will ferment. Once it starts to ferment it will smell and taste sour, and pressing on the top of the kimchi with a spoon will release bubbles from beneath. If you’re using a sealed jar with a lid, be sure to open it once a while, let it breathe, and press down on the top of the kimchi.

Once it starts to fermented, store in the refrigerator to use as needed. This slows down the fermentation process, which will make the kimchi more and more sour as time goes on.

----------------

That's it! If it ends up being too much, my favorite other things to make with kimchi are kimchi-jjigae (shortcut here is buying anchovy broth bags or tablets so you can skip making the anchovy broth), kimchi pancakes, and kimchi fried rice.

 

Theme for 2025

I haven't updated this in ages. I haven't set specific resolutions for 2025, but rather continuing the trend I started a couple years ago of themes for the new year.

The theme for 2023 was "Quality of Life Upgrades." We did various projects around the house to make life a little more comfortable and enjoyable at home, since we spend a lot of time at home - both working and relaxing here. We:

• put ceiling fans in all the rooms of the house, 
• fixed up the den, which had had a big leak, 
• put a new roof, which caused the aforementioned leak,
• fixed an issue in the primary bathroom,
• started buying shrimp cocktail anytime we went to Costco for shopping (if we would be home for the next few days),
• various other spending money things that I probably would've vetoed in previous years due to it "costing too much money."

 

The theme for 2024 was "Self Care." I guess this could be considered Quality of Life Upgrades, but for me personally. I started going to a strength training gym in October 2023 and continued that in 2024. I also got an Oura ring, to add to my Garmin Instinct watch, and started tracking my sleep, readiness scores, etc. 

Work-wise, I knew this was my next needed theme, so I started cutting clients in late 2023 and continued to do so if 2024. I got rid of all the clients that were causing a ton of stress, because while the strength training has been amazing, I really needed to cut down on stress, especially work-related stress. I also decided to be more particular about which clients we on-boarded during 2024. If I got any weird feelings about anyone during a discovery call, I would not even consider taking them on. This has helped work stress greatly. I've reduced the number of hours I've been working quite a bit, and have been much happier, plus I have more time to work out or do volunteer work. 

I also started using an app to track my food called MacroFactor. I try to track my food most days, but I usually take Saturday off to have a break. The biggest eye opening fact from using MacroFactor is that I was not (and am still not) eating the recommended amount of protein. I can say I have significantly improved it and am now way more conscious of how much I am (or am not) eating each day. I haven't lost a bunch of weight, mostly because I often eat more than the recommended number of calories, but 100% I have lost fat and am more toned. I have much smaller love handles and can tell that my body is reshaping itself with the better handle on food and the exercise.

Which brings me to 2025! I am continuing the ideas from 2023 and 2024, but am adding a Self Enrichment focus. I received a sewing machine for Christmas, so I'd like to learn how to use this and potentially make stuff in 2025. I signed up for more volunteer work with CASA of Los Angeles. I'm starting my training this week. If all goes well, I will work with them to write up essential histories of foster children. 

This year is also bringing a lot of travel. We already have two international trips booked, at least a handful of domestic trips planned as well. One of my best friends is having a baby, so planning to relocate to their house to help with baby wrangling and care of mom and dad. I'm so looking forward to this! And so happy that with my (hopefully continued) lowered work load, I will be able to do this without any issues. 

 

One potential wrench in the works - my main employee is moving to China for 14 months. We are hoping he will be able to continue to work remotely while he's there, but we won't know for sure until he's there. Fingers crossed this all works out well. If not, I will have to pick up the slack and work more. 

Overall, I am feeling very optimistic about personal stuff for 2025, regardless of politics, which is a whole different story.

What I am Watching and Reading in 2024

I started this "practice" last year of recording what I watched in 2023. I want to continue that trend in 2024. I am going to continue for 2024, with the addition of books! I bought a Kindle for Black Friday 2023. 

 Note from 6/25/25 - this list is likely woefully incomplete, but I'm going to post it anyway.  

TV Shows

1. The Crown (Netflix) Season 6. The final season that covered losing Diana and it is still shocking? Amazing? Weird? That her death still feels so tragic 25+ years later. Watching this season felt like it did then. 
2. The Bear (Hulu) Seasons 1-2 - I love the food shots, the craziness, and the characters. 
3. Good Omens (Amazon Prime) Season 2 - It started out okay, but then went off the rails for the ending. It was kind of annoying.
   
4. And Just Like That (HBO) Season 2 - Very touching and kind of great to see older women having sex, flirting, and everything else. 
5. Not Dead Yet (Hulu) - Starring Gina Rodriguez, who I loved in Jane, the Virgin, as well as the BFF hottie from New Girl Hannah Simone.
6. Abbott Elementary Season 3 (Hulu) - Still fun. Will they, won't they?
   
7. Hacks (Max) Season 1 - Started, but didn't finish this.
   
8. Queen Charlotte (Netflix) - fun backstory on the more mature women of the show. 
   
9. Bridgerton Season 3 (Netflix) - Full of twists and turns.
10. Shrinking Season 1 (Apple TV) - Love this new show. Their casting is amazing.
    

 

 

Movies 

1.  Just Like Heaven (Max) - A cute, slightly silly, rom-com with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo from 2005. Another good reason for making this list... about 10 minutes in, I thought, "I think I've seen this movie before!" But since I couldn't remember the plot, I went ahead and watched it again.
2. Hitman (Netflix) - Pretty adorable and fun, but a little stressful with the suspense!
   
3. The Notebook - A re-watch because I needed a good cry!
4. The Age of Adaline - Blake Lively as a youthful, eternal being.
   

 

Books

1.  The Lincoln Lawyer - suspenseful and fun! I already checked out the sequel. 
2. The Eyre Affair - Re-read of a fun Jasper Fforde book. 
3. More Lincoln Lawyer books -
   

 

 

What I am Watching in 2023

 Rather than doing a recap, I will attempt to catalog the various movies that I'm watching this year. I'll have a separate post for books, although, there will be a lot of beach reading on there, so maybe I will just make that one private. Not to say that what I'm watching won't be... 

A lot of what I watch is "background" TV/movies while I'm working on busywork. 

Movies

1. Deadpool - Watched this with the guys. Pretty funny, with bonus beauty - Morena Baccarin. 
2. What If - Cute rom/com with Daniel Radcliffe 
3. The Sting - Watched this outside at Paris' house for his birthday. It was my first time seeing it and it was a little slow paced, but still decent!
4. Clue (Amazon Prime) - got a message saying this was leaving Prime at the end of 2023, so watched this again! I love Madeline Kahn.

TV shows 

1. Survivor 43
2. Winning Time (HBO) - Ridiculous and so fun to watch. Loved this. Can't wait for season 2!
   
3. Hung (HBO) seasons 1-3 - Story about living in LA... I went to a friend's house who was hosting a party game night. One of the friend of a friend plays the son on this show, so I watched this to see him as a teenager in there.
   
4. Julia (HBO) - season 1
5. The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House (Netflix) - really cute and fun to just watch the food. 
6. Dark (Netflix) - finished seasons 1-2 in February 2023, moving on to season 3! Update: finished season 3 in early March 2023. While I enjoyed the show, after watching 1899 first and the end of that first season and then the end of season 3 Dark, I'm done with these creators.
   
7. House (Amazon Prime) - 
8. Game of Thrones - my during work background TV for Feb 2023. Only 10 years late! 
9. Mandalorian -Season 2 - watching this as it comes out in March - April 2023.
10. We Married as a Job (Netflix) - super cute Japanese show about a couple that starts out as a "contract marriage" and then eventually fall in love.
11. Wednesday (Netflix) - watched the only season of this. Enjoyed it, and will watch season 2 when it comes out.
12. Call the Midwife (Netflix) - this has been in my queue forever, and I finally started it. I've been zipping through, so far in season 3 or 4. 
13. Survivor 44
14. Abbott Elementary (Hulu) Season 1-2 - Super cute. Loved it.
    
15. Succession (HBO) season 4 - Finished off this series. It was a ride!
16. Full Swing (Netflix) - documentary on the PGA golf tour. I love documentaries, and sports ones are always fun, so really enjoyed this. The initial LIV Golf situation is talked about quite a bit in this season, so a great way to learn about some of the history of it.
    
17. The Last Dance (Netflix) - inspired from watching Full Swing. This focuses on Michael Jordan, and his last season with the Chicago Bulls. You get to learn about everyone that was on this dream team back in 1995-1996. Almost done with it, but thoroughly enjoying it. 
18. Endeavour Season 9 (PBS) - This is the final season for Morse and crew.  When I'm writing this (7/2/23), there is one final episode to watch, plus a documentary. 
19. Endeavour re-watch (Amazon Prime) - Seasons 1 - 6 Watching this final season has made me nostalgic for Morse. So, started re-watching it and already done with the first season. The thing about PBS is with their very short seasons with a year in between, it's so easy to forget everything that has happened almost 10 years ago! Oh man, I love Morse. He's exactly my type, except for the blond hair, but I can overlook it. He's loomy, too smart for his own good, tall, skinny, and has a strong sense of justice. What's not to love?
20. Suits (Netflix) - Suits just showed up on Netflix, so I started a re-watch of this too. I had originally watched it until around season 6, and then lost interest, so let's see how far I can get into this. This showed on Netflix around mid-June and I'm already on season 3, so making good progress. Update- stopped watching this and started other stuff. It was too hard to watch while doing data entry type tasks. 
21. Winning Time (HBO) - season 2. Similarly fun and enjoyed it.
    
22. Survivor 45 (CBS.com) - The winner was fairly predictable, but a decent group of contestants this season.
    
23. SVU (Hulu) - Seasons 1 - mid season 3. I watched all of this while it was airing and going back and doing a rewatch.
    
24. Reacher (Amazon Prime) - Season 1 and Season 2 started at the end of 2023.

Update as of 1/2/24 - This has been a very imprecise list of stuff I watched last year. It's kind of fun to look back on, because I had forgotten that I watched a lot of this! I think I'll try again for 2024, and also include books. I bought a Kindle Oasis in November and have been reading way more than usual!

Reflecting on 2020

One of my friends was asking on Facebook what good came out of 2020 and I was going to reply to her question, but then I thought, "Hey, I should write this up somewhere for posterity!" So, here we go...

I had started writing something up in mid-August about the pros and cons of sheltering at home. Looking at those now, four months later, they are still mostly true actually. Jason and I have been working from home since about mid-March. I had one client I saw a few more times on a monthly basis, but we have since moved to 100% remote work, so I haven't not left my house for work in months. This has been a huge plus for me. 

I've broken things down into categories! Who doesn't love categories?

General life

• Not killing each other - Jason and I have managed to be together 24/7 for several months now and haven't killed each other! This one feels pretty major actually. So, I'll say this is #1 with a bullet. 
• Great jobs - We are both so fortunate to be able to do our jobs remotely. Not everyone can and I think my stress levels would have been over the top if I had to be out and about with people this whole year.
• Good friends - We are also fortunate to have a core group of friends to be in our Covid bubble. There is a lot at stake when you're in a bubble with others. There is a lot of trust and I'm happy we can trust our friends to make wise decisions. That said, as the saying goes, "Trust, but verify!" So, even though we are in a bubble, we are still wearing masks while around others.
  
• Bullet Journal - I started bullet journaling in June and I love it. Here's a brief video that describes what it is and how it works. It has helped me manage my stress this year, by keeping track of everything I need to be doing. I bought a new journal for 2021 and after I finish this post, I'm going to start prepping it!
  

Food

• Bread maker - I finally started using the bread maker my mom gave me YEARS ago. The loaves of bread are fairly ho-hum, but we've been using the heck out of the dough cycle to make rolls, garlic knots, and focaccia bread.
  
• Zojirushi rice cooker - We purchased a 10 cup Zojirushi rice cooker. We have been using it pretty regularly. I love that it has a timer to cook rice. I can set it up in the morning and not have to worry about forgetting to turn it on at the right time. The rice turns out really well in it too.
  
• Instant Pot with Air Fryer - I had a 6 quart Instant Pot, but I let my brother take it when he moved out last year. I went ahead and bought a replacement one, but this time, I bought the 8 quart Duo Crisp, so it has an air fryer lid that came with it. We've been using this at least once a week since we purchased it. It makes dinner a breeze. Our favorite recipe is air fried salmon, which we make almost weekly.
• Eating out - We have still been patronizing our favorite restaurants, getting take out a couple times a week. 
• Meal Planning - I've been better about meal planning. This has been a little more critical to do, especially since we've been using Instacart (referral link!) for all our groceries. Pre-pandemic, I could walk to our local grocery store and pick up last minute items all the time. I'm not going in grocery stores, so it helps to plan ahead.
  

Work/Money

• Stable job for Jason - Jason had the same job for all of 2020! Woo-hoo!
• 100% working remotely - I successfully moved most of my clients to 100% remote work. One client wanted me to still go to his home office, but I declined, so I think he found someone else to do the work. Totally fine with me as he was one of my smaller clients and one of my BFFs who was working for him no longer does. She was part of the draw of me going to his office every few months.
  
• New clients in 2020 - After a few months of less work during the first few months of the pandemic, things picked up and I got several new clients during the pandemic. Overall, my revenue was up about 25% from 2019, which was up 50% from 2018.
  
• Even more clients - In just the last two weeks, I have three new clients that are going to start up with me in January and February 2021. 
• Value Pricing with Mark Wickersham - I joined the Value Pricing Academy with Mark Wickersham. Before I joined in mid-2020, I was billing all customers hourly. I've been taking his course and shifting my whole mindset and business to use value pricing, rather than hourly. I think this will be a real pivoting point for my business.

Health

• No COVID-19 - We didn't get Covid during 2020, so that's a huge win!
  
• Down 10 lbs - I'm down about 10 pounds from this time last year. I think a lot of it had to do with using Noom for the first two months of 2020. I just cancelled the subscription because I haven't really been using it since the pandemic started in mid-March. I got too far behind and then it just felt overwhelming to try to "catch up" with all the articles and participating with my group.
• Physical - I skipped my annual physical in 2020 because I normally do it in late March, which was in the early part of the pandemic and I was just too freaked out mentally to be able to go. I have an appointment scheduled for mid-January 2021, so hoping that nothing has developed since my last physical almost two years ago.
  
• Garmin Instinct - My brother gave me this smartwatch for Christmas about a year ago. It was the perfect gift. It's something I would never have bought for myself, but turns out, I love it! I wear it basically all the time and the data it provides helps me realize when I'm over-stressed or not rested enough. I love tracking things in the app. And I just got sidetracked and checked out all the Garmin smartwatches and I think I'm still good with my Instinct. The ones with the full color screens are cool, but my watch has a ton of awesome features and it only has to be charged every two weeks.
  

Exercise 

• Peloton - This has been the shining star of the last third of 2020! We ordered it in late August, it finally arrived in late October. Before buying the bike, I had never taken a spinning class. This was part of why I had been resistant to trying this out. But then our friend Renee got one and loved it. So we decided to try it. There is a 30 day money back guarantee, so I figured that if we didn't like it, or weren't really using it, we could return it. Needless to say, we have been using it! And not just the bike. I love the strength classes in the app too. This really deserves its own post, so I will leave it at... We've used it a lot since purchasing it and looking forward to doing even more rides in 2021! I logged 2,000 minutes of workouts/classes in 2020. Not too shabby!  If you are buying a bike and want to save $100 on shoes or other accessories, here's my code: DRM9WHDRM9WHDRM9WHDRM9WH

Socializing and Hobbies

• Hanging with faraway friends - I've been playing Die Crew every Tuesday with the same group and it's been great. Especially since three of them aren't living near me at the moment! It's been great to reconnect with everyone Zoom and Discord.
• Continuing Wednesday night gaming - I'm still playing games every Wednesday night with my usual crew. It's nice to have consistency.
• Thursday night trivia - What used to be my in-person Tuesday night trivia morphed to Thursday night trivia with Nikki and Paris, hosted by the always fun Steven. 
• Rotary - I tried to attend as many Rotary meetings as I could this year. We kept it alive and even had a virtual wine tasting event in November! It was super fun. I miss seeing my fellow Rotarians, but it's been nice to hang with them, even virtually.
• Virtual Puzzle Events - Sadly, the annual NPL convention was cancelled, but instead we had Conline and then Conline2! We also moved our Puzzled Pint meetings to virtual as well, so it's been great keeping up with everyone each month via Zoom.
• Letter Jam - Nathan made an online version of Letter Jam!! It's been so fun and we've used it quite a bit.
  

TV/Movies/Podcasts

• Tiger King - watched via Netflix Party Chrome extension... seriously, didn't EVERYONE watch this?
• Love is Blind - watched via Netflix Party Chrome extension with Nathan and Chia
  
• Kim's Convenience
• Schitt's Creek
• Queen's Gambit
• Wonder Woman 84
• Mandalorian season one - still need to watch the second season 
• The Boys
• Atypical
• The Vow (documentary)
• Fake Doctors, Real Friends - Scrubs podcast with Zach Braff and Donald Faison, where they have one podcast episode per Scrubs episode. I'm still pretty new on it, but I just LOVE TO DEATH
• Britney Runs a Marathon
  
• I'm sure there is more, but those are the ones coming to mind.
  

 

Random Highlights

• Diana is pregnant! - One of my friends is pregnant! Currently on bed rest, due in early February. But she's my age and had not had much luck in the first several years of being married, so thrilled to soon have a baby in our group! But also, she moved to Arizona (sad trombone!).
  
• Shane bought a house - She and JJ bought a house in September! Sadly, it's still an hour away, but at least it's somewhat nearby! Once the pandemic is done, looking forward to actually seeing it in person. 
• Two person cookie party - My normal cookie party was cancelled due to Covid, so on December 18, Nathan and I baked several hundred cookies while masked and then drove them around to deliver them to various friends and clients. It was a very exhausting day, but we kept the tradition alive!
• Alt BGG.con - We rented a house with our bubble and had our own gaming convention. I was sad to miss BGG.con, but glad we could keep this tradition alive as well. The two really exciting things from this were: a saltwater pool at the house, which I utilized just about every day, and going to Cortina's multiple times to pick up food and snacks. 
• Three(!!!) cabin trips - Nathan and I made THREE trips to the cabin! It was SO nice to get out of town and just be in a quiet space! It's so peaceful there. And the birds. I miss the birds so much! I sometimes watch this video when I want to see them. The chickadees will literally eat out of your hands. 
• Paris had a heart attack - Fortunately, it was mild and it happened a week before Thanksgiving, so it was before the insane surge of Covid cases so he was able to be seen and treated quickly. If you could time a heart attack, he did it just right.

There may be more, but for now, this will do! If I delay in posting this, I'll forget and next thing I know, it will be 2022! This was fun! I'll have to post more in 2021. Happy New Year to all!

My Favorite Dallas Restaurants

My friend Marc wanted some eating recommendations for his friend who is working in Dallas this week, so I worked up a list and thought I should post it here so that next time I can just send a link to this page...

We go to Dallas every November for BGG.CON and this is pretty much my to-do list every year:

• Pecan Lodge - BBQ, but it's kind of far, closer to the heart of the city. If he goes with maybe 5 other people, he can skip the line and go to the front to the "big orders" register and order a trough, which is enough for about 6-8 people depending on their appetites.
• Lockhart Smokehouse -  If they have it, get the bread pudding. Also, the beef rib, which is only made on Wednesdays and served until the run out, so get there early for lunch on Wednesday.
• Meat U Anywhere BBQ  - A bit north of DFW. They open at 6 am with breakfast burritos/tacos made from BBQ. :-) Perfect for morning BBQ.
• Damian's Cajun Soul Food -Iit's in Arlington, only open 11 am - 4 pm during the week, but delicious. I never miss it when I'm in Dallas. The peach cobbler and cakes are a must!! Prices are very reasonable.
• Hard Eight BBQ - Also, not terribly far from the airport, maybe a little northeast... The worst of these amazing BBQ restaurants, but still solid.
• Andalous Mediterranean Grill - Freshly made pitas, variety of meats/kabobs and about a dozen veggie-friendly options. The fried cauliflower is amazing. 
• Babe's Fried Chicken House - Great fun with a group. You choose your meat and all sides are family-style with unlimited refills. The whipped potatos and corn are crack-tacular.  They have multiple locations, but we usually go to the one in Carrollton.  I usually get the fried catfish or chicken, but people love the smoked chicken.
• Elotes La Esperanza - This is a cart in front of a Fuel City gas station. There is also a taco stand right next door to the gas station. I'd recommend both of them. The elotes cart is cash only.

New-ish House, New-ish Budget

We started budgeting in 2013.  It's worked out pretty well.  I feel like we're both on the same page with money and we have a common outlook toward our future.  -- I originally wrote these first couple sentences almost a year ago, but it still holds true.

We have a new-to-us house, which has changed our budgeting.We did a ton of remodeling and used savings plus some cash flow to fund all the renovations. In addition, my work-life has been turned upside down in various ways since last September. Right now, I'm working very part-time and it's kind of weird. I've been getting little projects done around the house, but it's just weird not having someplace to go every day. Thankfully, Jason is gainfully employed. :-)

On the plus side, I've been able to volunteer a bit more, exercise a bit more and cook more, so overall, it's been pretty positive. I haven't been pursuing a full-time job just yet because we're waiting to adopt. So I'm using this time as a time to get refreshed. I have no idea how long it will take to find children to adopt. We're adopting through the foster system. We got officially licensed in April and so far, we've only received one call about twin boys, but they fell through. I'm not sure why the process is so slow. Maybe bureaucracy? I have no idea.

Since 2013, we've been using Mint.com, but last week I decided to try something else. The best thing Mint has going for it is that it's easy. It's a lazy man's finance tool. You enter all your information and it will automatically download your transactions. The bad thing is that the budgeting tool sucks. It's so hard to interpret. So last week I downloaded You Need a Budget. The interface doesn't automatically download everything, but I can download transactions in Quicken format and upload to the program. It also has mobile apps for iPhone and Android. August will be our first whole month using it. I'm excited to see how we like it. I already like how the budgeting looks WAY better than how it's formatted in Mint.

The next financial goal is to pay off the house early. We've been paying a little extra toward the mortgage each month. If we precisely followed the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps, we'd pay any extra we have in our budget toward the house after putting our 15% into our retirement plans. I'm not sure if we will follow this exactly. We will have to scrutinize the incoming funds for August to figure out how much is reasonable.

More of an update on You Need a Budget after I've used it for a full month.