We caught COVID. Omicron has been sweeping the state; we caught it at a volleyball tournament. Large, well-ventilated gyms full of vaccinated people wearing masks. Youngest got a hard-won bronze medal and a few days later she got the sniffles. For us, it’s been as bad as a bad cold so we’re not really complaining. Ironically, the most upset about Omicron is my oldest daughter–she’s perfectly healthy and full of energy but because so many teachers caught the virus her whole school is online this week. At least she’s not home quarantined by herself now.

Now that I’m well again I figured I’d fill you all in on a few little things I’ve been into lately.

1. Bathtubs Over Broadway. For a couple days I was so tired and sick I just watched Netflix all day. Lots of documentaries. I more or less randomly chose Bathtubs Over Broadway and I’m so glad I did–it was so funny and sweet that I sat my family down after dinner and made them watch it. They were delighted. It’s about a comedy writer who discovers “industrial musicals” while looking for records to make fun of, and then becomes a sincere and devoted fan, finding friends and a passion in life through collecting these records. It’s hilarious because “industrial musicals” are musicals written for large corporations for conferences and sales meetings, so all the songs are about bathtubs and silicone and how to manage your fast food restaurant better. They’re silly. But it’s also sweet and fascinating because a lot of people worked hard on these and some of the music is quite good in that classic musical way. A surprising number of people involved were quite famous, but nobody really knows about it.
2. Behind the Curve. In my quest for soothing documentaries, I also tried this one about the small but growing flat earth movement. It was definitely skeptical of the flat earth theory, but it was subtle and pretty generous to the flat earthers it interviewed. No one really agreed with them, but the film highlighted that most of them seem like pretty nice, intelligent people who are pretty sincere about their kooky belief. They believe it hard enough to try their own experiments to prove their theory–of course, they keep getting results that support the round earth side and getting frustrated that they “must have done something wrong.” But they’re doing experiments. Good for them.
3. Canticles of the Holy Scythe by Lüüp. I have no idea how to pronounce this band’s name. I was searching Band Camp for dark chamber music to read to and found this album. Turns out you can’t read to this music; it sounds like they’re trying to summon demons, but they’re only exploring death through black metal and modern classical music. I like it.
4. Yin yoga. I was trying out a new yoga app and discovering I really suck at yoga when I discovered a yin yoga option. It’s the type of very slow gentle yoga where you try to melt into a pose and then hold it for a long time. It’s geared toward flexibility and meditation more than strength or cardio. I’d heard of stuff like this but never tried it so I gave it a whirl. Turns out I absolutely love it. I still suck at it–there are only a few poses I can do completely–but it’s so peaceful I enjoy it even when my poses look nothing like the instructor’s.
5. I’m looking for a cool wall clock. Probably two or three, actually. I’ve been trying to get the kids off our phones and in the process I’ve realized we don’t really have any clocks in the house. I rarely even wear a watch anymore. I have to keep my phone with me to know what time it is, which is sort of killing the phone-free vibe I’m trying to create. I have no idea what style of clock I want, though. Fancy and traditional? Occult vibes? Basic black? I might even want to DIY a clock. I know you can buy just the clockworks and design your own face but I don’t know what kind of face I want.

Pictures, clockwise (ha!) from top left, are from Time Flies clocks, Society6, Wayfair, Society6 again, and Home Depot.