I seem to have spent a fair amount of time in front of the television this week --
STUNNING UPSET: by the underdog Montreal Alouettes who beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in the final minute of the Grey Cup championship football game. I always cheer for The West, so I am bereft. Hand me down my crying towel!
ANOTHER TASTY WIN: on the other hand, I was happy to see Loïc Fauteux-Goulet, a teacher from British Columbia, win season 7 of the Great Canadian Baking Show. But then, all the contestants on this show, plus the hosts and judges, are always very likeable.
IMPROMPTU COFFEE: unexpectedly ran into a friend while grocery shopping, so we got a coffee from the in-store Starbucks and had a little break and a good chin wag.
WRAPPED: all the Christmas gifts. I am now covered in glitter from ass to tea kettle.
FINISHED WATCHING: season 2 of the British World War II drama World on Fire -- "the intertwining fates of ordinary people in multiple countries as they grapple with the effects of war on their everyday lives." I especially like the series' focus on minorities and women, whose wartime experiences and sacrifices often get overlooked in such dramas.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: finally got around to watching the 1981 movie The French Lieutenant's Woman with Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons. Hey, it only took me 42 years. Interesting gender role reversal of the standard romantic trope about a moody, troubled Byronic hero and the besotted, vulnerable naïf whose life gets ruined.
BEEN LISTENING TO: a great opera arias CD which I learned about and purchased thanks to John M's blog Reflections. See? Blog reading pays off!
Christmas presents all wrapped?? You are my hero! -Jenn
ReplyDeleteYou've done your wrapping as well?!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great week, stay warm.
ReplyDeleteShocks!!!
ReplyDeletePresents wrapped and you just NOW saw TFLW [I'm too tired to write it all out]?
Another full week for the books. I like how blog reading influences our daily. My gift to me this year is a book I met on a blog.
ReplyDeleteThe series may have focused on minorities and women, but they chose to put a white dude front and center on the poster.
ReplyDeleteAre reality shows about baking obligated to feature nice people? It seems this is a common refrain from your and John Gray's recaps.
@ Bob -- Yes, I'm afraid the entire decade of the 80s was pretty much a cultural wasteland for me. I was in law school and then private practice, so I did nothing but work. No time for movies, TV, music, books, anything like that. I'm still catching up on that whole era.
ReplyDelete@ Old Lurker -- Yeah, the handsome white dude is the main protagonist but he's not the only hero, like he would have been in older productions so that's progress. And yes, I think it's a law that all baking show contestants must be nice people. Baking is a very genteel sport.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was very familiar with women's anatomy. But I don't remember the tea kettle.
ReplyDeleteSuch a good tip...
ReplyDeleteThe French lieutenant's mistress... I have to see that!!!
Thank you.
Happy greetings to you from Viola
I too had a chance encounter and impromptu coffee
ReplyDeleteThe British series sounds interesting. I’ll try to find it
And yes I too have been faffing about with Christmas and have glitter from here to beyond
It’s the season me thinks
I enjoyed the baking show this year as well.
ReplyDeleteBaritenor looks like a good show
ReplyDeleteBy the score of the football game I knew what kind of 'football; you were watching. 😁
ReplyDeleteUmmmm...can i just say...Loïc Fauteux-Goulet is YUMMY!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE World On Fire. I finished season two Friday night. I also like the attention paid to the roles of minorities and women. I've shopped but haven't wrapped.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Pretty sure I read World on Fire, but haven't seen the movie. I need to check my list to be sure. WWII is my favorite genre so making myself a note.
ReplyDeleteWrapped all your Christmas Presents. WOW!! I've not even thought about Christmas yet, except to note the dates our daughter will be home. But, we do very little buying gifts these days. The family has gotten way to large, and most well past the needing or wanting gifts. We do get together for a fun evening and just the youngins get gifts. I'll think about decorating in a few weeks.
Folk/Americana singer Rhiannon Gideons has a podcast called "Aria Codes", which breaks down various operas and features a well known aria from the highlighted opera. It's a very cool podcast to check out and she just started season #4 this fall.
ReplyDeleteI applaud your foresight in getting your Christmas shopping done and done. I probably won't start mine until the second or third week of December.
It been a while since I been in or around an starbucks.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on.
i just finished watching anne with an e which i loved and am devastated it was canceled. very different but so enjoyable. i've almost finished poldark and outlander so i guess my life is pretty much ending.
ReplyDelete@ G.B. Miller -- Thanks for the podcast tip! It sounds good -- I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteI should check out World on Fire. I've only seen the ads for it many many times. I thought it might just be romantic story of someone's love going off to war and either not coming back or coming back very broken.
ReplyDeleteAh! This explains why TBDHSR keeps comparing mine to that 'singer's blog'.
ReplyDeleteBought my brother's Christmas gift. Rich Hobson's trilogy "Nothing too good for a cowboy".
ReplyDeleteHave you read John Fowles' The Magus? Takes some doing and you better know your classical mythology. And there is no way you can see the ending coming.
@ The Blog Fodder -- I saw the movie that was made of "The Magus" on TV in the 70s. I was intrigued enough by the film that I started to read John Fowles' novel, but I simply could not get through it. Too difficult for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a busy, productive and enjoyable week you have had! I like to read about other people's holiday successes... lol
ReplyDeleteCheers,
E
Running into an old friend AND making time for a catch-up is terrific. I've never heard the phrase Chin Wag, but it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI saw the French Lieutenant's Woman when it came out, but I believe it was over my head at the time.
Christmas gifts purchased AND wrapped? Are you human? 😜
it is always a pleasure when your favorite player or participant wins :) congratulations dear Debra
ReplyDeleteglad you finishes one of the your fav series
war movies are still frightening and painful for me but i have to watch because hubby love them specially historical and i watch with perspective that it is good addition of information for me
the movie you mentioned sounds compelling i though i hardly missed any movie of her but this i did indeed
I watched a little of MasterChef with my wife last year but it's all the cooking shows ever get to see
ReplyDelete