May Obsessions
In this monthly series, I will share things that I can’t get enough of and I encourage you to do the same in the comments. Enjoy!
Before I get into my obsessions, I just want to acknowledge that I’ve skipped a few months of posts. The pandemic has really hit me hard emotionally and I haven’t had much motivation to write. It felt so trivial to write about my little obsessions when people are dying, losing their jobs, and in fear about what happens next. Honestly, I still feel that way. While I’m grateful to still be employed and that my family is still well at this point, I’d be lying if I said anxiety and depression don’t still have their foot on my neck. Although I know this won’t be over for quite some time, in an effort to try to regain some normalcy, I want to start writing and sharing again. I hope you all are doing as well as can be expected and that you are finding ways to attain peace and joy during these truly ridiculous times.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
For the uninitiated, ACNH is the latest iteration in the Animal Crossing video game series now on the Nintendo Switch console. In this game, you are tricked into indentured servitude by an anthropomorphized, capitalist raccoon named Tom Nook under the guise of a deserted island getaway. You work tirelessly to beautify the island, recruit animals to move to the island to make it less deserted, and scratch your way out of mortgage debt by selling island resources (and Sow Joan’s sweet, sweet turnips) to Tom’s tiny cronies, Timmy and Tommy. At this point, you are probably saying, this sounds oppressive and a lot like the opposite of fun. Hear me out! The game is truly excellent and has kept me engaged for HUNDREDS of hours since I started in March. ACNH is in real-time (unless you’re a time-traveler), so while there are a few goals there is no end to what you can change and make on the island, it is incredibly zen to collect resources, make and arrange furniture and plants on the island and build relationships with your villagers on a daily basis, and hands-down the best part is the online community. There is a general ANCH online community that is a hellscape because it is filled with scammers and people that want your first-born child and soul in exchange for access to their in-game furniture collection. However, there is a small community created by Crissle of the podcast, The Read, that is filled with the sweetest, most wholesome people that I’ve ever encountered on the internet. I spend time in the group chatting, planning fun in-game meet-ups, exchanging tips, and making trades. This game and this community have been a huge bright spot for me during this pandemic.
My New Bee Babies
If you recall from my November Obsessions post, I have been enamored with the idea of beekeeping. Over the winter I decided I was going to learn as much as I could about caring for and maintaining hives so that I could get started this spring and began buying and preparing all of the necessary equipment. Because of the pandemic, I didn’t get to attend any of the hands-on beginner workshops, so I'm relying solely upon books, YouTube videos, and the one conference I attended before the world shutdown. Naturally, I was very nervous to start because I didn’t want to be viciously attacked and murdered by the bees. I also didn’t want to endanger my family or neighbors or harm the bees in any way. Despite my nerves, this weekend I picked up my bees, and to my surprise, the install was quick and easy! I likely won’t be able to harvest any honey until next spring, but I’ll be posting occasionally here and on Instagram about my progress. Stay tuned!
Dissect Podcast
By now you know, that I love a podcast. This particular podcast, Dissect, focuses on a particular album per season and serially spends each episode breaking down, dissecting if you will, the production and lyrics of each song on the album. The host, Cole Cuchna, has covered albums such as DAMN by Kendrick Lamar and Blonde by Frank Ocean (two excellent albums) and this season, in celebration of the 4th anniversary of its release, he and guest host, Titi Shodiya, are analyzing Lemonade by Beyonce. Another thing that you must know about me is that I am a card-carrying member of the Bey Hive, so this took a podcast that I already loved to obsession status. Not only is the show covering the album song by song but they are also incorporating an examination of the Lemonade visual album. The album alone makes me emotional each time I listen, but having this weekly in-depth analysis of both pieces has brought me to tears at times. For one, I still just can’t believe Jay did my queen so dirty and two, the album and visuals are so well done and Cole and Titi have done an amazing job with the research this season.
