No Notes

 About Aging Well

...and with no notes

Egads.

It's been almost a year and a half since I've touched this blog... way back in May of last year (see the "Chucky Drumpf" post). At that point I had tried to avoid all things political but had gtten sucked back in with all the shenanigans of the first few months of the Orange Man's second term. Since then, there have been citizens brazenly killed in the streets (and no gun-happy ICE agents held to account), a White House wing razed (and an exorbitant ballrooms being raised), billions of dollars grifted (with no attempt to hide said grifting), and more wild Truth Social posts than can be counted.

Tiring? Yes. Disheartening? Most assuredly.

On the personal side, my wife and I welcomed two more grandbabies into this crazy chaotic country, which I must count in the blessings category, but as we've helped with childcare, and I've gotten reacquainted with soiled diapers (no, not mine... yet... give me a few more years, please), I have not had the inclination or the inspiration to add to this online endeavor.

Much to the disappointment of my legion of fan. Yes, I'm talking to you, Louie.

And then, this past week, something novel happened.

Political junkie that I am, I listen to more upsetting pundit podcasts on my walks with Leyla, the Springer Spaniel, than is good for me. To maintain my sanity, I break up those shows with one I discovered over a year ago. This breath of fresh air is "That Aged Well," and I inhale it wholeheartedly on a weekly basis. The hosts Paul and Erika serve up movies from the past in a sometimes ribald, always hilarious, fashion; in a manner that takes me out of the noise of the day and into a happy place.

They solicit five-star reviews from their listeners with the possibility of said reviews being read on the show, two reviews per week. I wrote one last December, so impressed was I by these two witty and insightful commentators.

Then I waited.

And waited.

And then, just last week, that aforementioned novel occurrence... well... occurred. Paul and Erika read and nicely commented on my review. They even had kind words for my admission to being a boomer, probably one of only a few in their audience. Paul promised to send out a tote bag, as is done for all reviews read on their show. I received it this week, and it's pictured above.

I was jazzed to pull the envelope out of the mailbox, and I proudly showed it to my wife, who said, "'No Notes!'... What's that mean?" I explained that my experience with the phrase was from play rehearsals, after every one of which the director gathered the performers for their notes on what they'd seen, usually on problems or spots that could be improved. If you got the comment, "No notes," on your delivery, that was a good thing, and you needed to take it and be happy.

My problem with that, self-centered as I admittedly was, was that I liked to get notes. If I didn't get any, I felt that my performance must have been unnoteworthy... But really, more than a search for an ego boost, I appreciated the constructive criticism and felt that any offering could be improved upon.

But enough of the self-analytical tripe. Back to the subject at hand. Search for "That Aged Well" on whatever podcast host you use. You won't be sorry. 

Peace to all, and make today noteworthy.