saturday soliloquy & a meme

the soliloquy

The last couple of weeks has been all about 2024 prep. Getting my stuff together for my planner, starting to get it set up for the next year. I’m a DIY planner girl, loosely based on the bullet journaling method. Premade planners just don’t work for me, so doing my own just makes sense, allowing me to customize it to my needs. Beyond my planner, it’s about work, life, and reading. And that means deep-diving into Google Sheets because I LOVE a good spreadsheet!! I revamped my process for tracking my editing clients, created a new spreadsheet to make my life a little more streamlined. I set up the 2024 pages in my financial spreadsheet, updated all the coding. My reading spreadsheet, though, that’s my baby. I love reading, I love reading challenges, I love keeping track of what I read. And I’m a nerd who loves stats. This pretty baby does all of that. It would probably be overwhelming for most normal human beings. But I love, love, love it. It sparks joy!

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1) In this song, a tall, handsome man asks Taylor Swift to drive away with him to escape the crowds. Where were you headed when you most recently got behind the wheel?

Nothing terribly exciting. I went to the commissary on Thursday. I live a glamourous life.

2) She sings about memories of a romance that just “follow you around.” Is anyone special on your mind this morning? (It doesn’t have to be a romantic partner.)

My brother has been on my mind a lot lately.

3) The lyrics reference sunset. Now that it gets dark earlier, do you find yourself watching the sun set more often?

I live close enough to the equator in Hawai’i that sunset is fairly steady all year round. I see the sunrise and the sunset pretty much every day!

4) The video for this song takes place on a movie set. Swift said it was inspired by tales of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton embarking on a love affair while co-starring in Cleopatra. Elizabeth and Richard fell in love in Rome, while this video was filmed outside of Gaborone, Botswana. In your wildest dreams, which of these exotic locales would you rather visit: Rome or Gaborone?

Gaborone. There’s so much to learn in the area, so much to see.

5) In homage to Elizabeth Taylor, Swift went from blonde to brunette for the video. Do you have an appointment with a stylist between now and year end?

If I count as a stylist, yes. I’ve got to dye these glorious tresses on Monday.

6) Both Taylors (Swift and Elizabeth) often wore the color purple. What color dominates your wardrobe?

Black, and I don’t know how that happened. I’ve managed to amass a fair number of black T-shirts, most of them either band shirts or snarky shirts. But I also have a lot of wild leggings, since I work from home and they’re comfortable. And I live on an island, so lots of dresses.

7) In the video, Taylor Swift’s leading man is Scott Eastwood, son of Clint. Though not as famous as his dad, Scott works steadily and has more than 30 TV and movie credits. Can you think of another second-generation performer who followed his or her parent into show business?

Michael Douglas, Colin Hanks, Kate and Oliver Hudson, Drew Barrymore, Ryan O’Neal (rest in peace), Jane Fonda, Jack Quaid, Zoey Deutch, Tracee Ellis Ross, Alexander Skarsgård… to name a few.

8) In 2014, when “Wildest Dreams” topped the charts, Paul McCartney had to reschedule tour dates so he could recover from a bout with the flu. How are you feeling this morning? Any coughs, sneezes, sniffles?

Just my ongoing and continuous headache.

9) Random question: How many different zip codes have you lived in throughout your life?

Oh, let’s see…

1. 13676: Potsdam, NY (multiple times)
2. 08640: Fort Dix, NJ
3. 12222: Albany, NY (twice)
4. 29207: Fort Jackson, SC (three times)
5. 93944: Presidio of Monterey, CA (twice)
6. 76905: Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX
7. 20755: Fort Meade, MD
8. 96786: Schofield Barracks, HI (twice)
9. 13617: Canton, NY
10. 23801: Fort Lee, VA
11. 13647: Hannawa Falls, NY
12. 13642: Gouverneur, NY
13. 85613: Fort Huachuca, AZ