I never really got into podcasts (it was only recently that I accepted electricity as a trend that’s here to stay, and I’m still clutching my wide-brimmed hat about it.) I vaguely recall listening to This American Life back when I hung around a lot of people who were a little older than me and very into being aware of things so that one could be indignant about the things over craft beers. Most of those people, to the best of my knowledge, are now doing important work to better the things they helped teach me to be indignant about – which reminds me, I should remember to try more. And do better. Anyway, so, podcasts. Someone recently suggested I listen to “My Favorite Murder” because they know I am a person who loves murdering. Actually why they suggested it is a little unclear – the suggestion was based on the fact that I share a space 45+ hours/week with a human who is extremely challenging to share space with and others, including the podcast-suggest-er, are sympathetic. But the part that’s unclear is exactly in which way stories about murders are supposed to be helpful. Is it in like a, “life could be worse” kind of way? Or in a “I think you are a person who probably identifies with murderers” kind of way? Either way, it’s GREAT. The setup is casual, so it just feels like you’re hanging out with friends (especially if your friends don’t respond to you or acknowledge your presence in any way, and if you can’t SEE your friends you just hear their voices and also if your friends like to talk about dead people a lot.) I’ve been playing it while I get ready in the morning, and I can’t tell you what a treat it is to hear about women running into oncoming traffic while I smile into the mirror and dot blush onto the apples of my rosy, rosy cheeks. Such a pleasant way to greet the day.

I’m also listening to one called Sword & Scale, which is way more fascinating/upsetting. I tried to play one today at work but it had to do with kids and the dark web and it just got way too gruesome. Like even thinking about it now is making me want to throw up the sugar-free Jell-O pudding cup I just ate without a spoon.

The books that I’m reading are more cheerful – for example, I got a Kindle one for .99 (you know I can’t not) and in it the little boy escapes! from the secret, walled-off basement that his family is living in because his older brother raped and murdered a girl from their town who fell off a cliff. And the baby that the older sister has with the older brother is healthy! Another recent one (worth about 1/10th of the .99 it cost) about a girl who kills her roommate, assumes her identity, and then stalks the child she gave away for adoption. And not ALL of the post-apocalyptic ones have also been dystopian, exactly, so. I just bought/started reading Station 11 upon the recommendation of one of the girls on the murder podcast, so I’ve got pretty high hopes for a happy ending.

Also have not made the slightest of dents in the wall of books I already own and have yet to read. And if I divide how much I’ve PAID for the gym this year by how many times I’ve GONE, well, you know, math is hard.

That was an update on what I've been listening to/reading. Brought to you by 5PM EST.