When did bringing animals into stores become a thing?

Yeah, so, my office husband John and I have a running commentary about people bringing dogs into grocery stores.

Look I love dogs (and cats and animals – you know I do), but unless they are service dogs or comfort dogs, they probably shouldn’t be in the grocery store.

John and I text every weekend about it.

Me: “I saw three dogs at Safeway.”

John: “I saw four dogs at Trader Joe’s.”

We also text about different flavor Oreos we find, but I’ll save that for another blog post.

On Sunday, David, Calvin and I went to Target. David was on the other side of store from me, when he texted: “Where are you? There’s a man walking a cat on a leash here.”

David came running up to me,” You need to get a photo for John.”

I think we might be taking this whole “pets in the store” thing too far, but at the same time, Target does have really good deals – and even cats like a good deal.

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A few sad stories and then something funny, I promise

Yeah, so, I’ve got a few things to write about, and I don’t even know where to start.

Let’s start with the past few weeks have not been my favorite.

My grandmother passed away last week. She was 93. She was really amazing, and the original Church Lady, in my opinion. She was tiny, less than 5 feet tall, and she had 8 kids. 8 KIDS, you guys!

She knew I loved her, and I know she loved me, and she might have even been proud of me, even though I don’t go to church. I did a reading during her service, and I thought about opening with a joke about how Grandma was always trying to get me to go to church, “but this is taking it too far, Grandma.”

I won’t go on and on here because my family asked that we don’t post anything on Facebook, but my blog isn’t Facebook. LOOPHOLES! I will say that I love her, and I will miss her. I wrote her obituary, and if you’re interested it’s riiight here.

Oh, and best buddy Kate moved to Colorado for a job.

I’m so proud of Kate for making a big change in her life. But selfishly, I want her here! She’s an awesome person and an amazing friend. I will never been able to thank her enough for being there for me during some of the craziest times of my life: cancer, pregnancy, cancer again, chemotherapy, anxiety attacks … Of course, she was always around during the best times of my life: meeting my mighty, mighty good man David, the wedding and Calvin. She was my go-to person. My #1 in SF. Now she’s my #1 in The ‘Rado!

Even though she’s in another state, I have no doubt we will still talk all the time. She’s one of those friends that you just know you’re always going to be friends and be in each other’s lives. I’m just bummed that she’s not here to go to Chili’s with me. I am looking forward to hanging out in Colorado, though. They have good beer, and they’ve got Kate!

Orange wig and good buddy Kate at the Giants game during my chemo-cation in 2015.

OH, and our Little Cat Friend passed away. Her bone infection was just too much for her, so some of the neighbors split the cost of having someone come and put her down. It was sad. We have her ashes now, and we’re going to bury her in a sunny spot in our yard where she loved to hang out.

OK, OK, Let’s talk about something fun …

I strongly encourage you – some might even say beg you – to check out some of our latest Dorking Out episodes. We had SO MUCH FUN talking about “The Contender” with Margo from The Best Neighbors Podcast and Book V Movie. This episode is really funny.

Also, I know the Academy Awards were forever ago, but after the show Smith and I recorded an episode, so if you want to hear Drinky Sonia talk about the Oscars, then this episode is for you.

You can listen to Dorking Out here, or you can find us on iTunes, Stitcher and YouTube. If you listen to the show, I’d love to hear what you think. You can comment here, or on our website or Facebook page.

The spin doctors

Yeah, so, I know you guys are aching to know if I went back to yoga, or was I too embarrassed to show my crying face in that class again?

I went back. And back. And back. I was kicking ass, and feeling so good about myself.

And then …

I got vertigo.

I know, right?! I’m so lucky, you guys! I get the best stuff.

Ugh.

I’ve put in my time with illnesses such as breast cancer (twice) and other bullshit. It’s my time to be healthy, dammit! I woke up one morning, and I couldn’t walk because the entire world was spinning. I had to call out to my mighty, mighty good man David, because I was so scared.

I immediately started panicking, so I took an Ativan and went back to bed. I slept until 2 p.m., and when I woke up I felt less spinny. But, I had a heavy head, like I had a head cold, but I didn’t have a head cold.

So, I had David drive me to Kaiser … on his birthday! I mean, what do you get the man who has everything? A wife with vertigo, I guess.

The doctor told me I had vertigo, and he recommended the Epley maneuver to help me. He also did some blood work to make sure I wasn’t dying and prescribed some sort of Dramamine.

So, yeah, I’ve been doing that maneuver, and it’s been helping. I also started acupuncture again. Acupuncture helps with the vertigo, and it is also helping me with the anxiety that having vertigo has given me. Now that I’ve had vertigo experience, I have all this anxiety that I’m going to get vertigo again, which makes me feel spinny and lightheaded. It’s the circle of anxiety and vertigo! Wheeeeeee!

I did give myself an entire day to feel sorry for myself. I was in a great routine with yoga and going to the gym. I was feeling really healthy and happy. This vertigo really threw me off balance, physically and emotionally. I was not happy. I was really grumpy, so I ordered delivery for dinner and drank a big beer.

But, the vertigo is under enough control that I was able to return to yoga this week, which makes me happy. I returned to my crying class on Tuesday, and – as usual – I was completely struggling. But, instead of bawling like last time, I told myself that I can only do what I can do. And, as the great thought leader Daniel Tiger says, “Keep trying, you’ll get better.”

I don’t know how to make small talk with kids

Yeah, so, a few weeks ago I did something I thought I’d never do.

No, I didn’t vote for a Republican.

No, I didn’t donate money to the NRA.

That’s disgusting. Get your mind out of the gutter.

I chaperoned a field trip for my mighty, mighty good boy Calvin’s school. The kindergarten classes were visiting the California Academy of Sciences, and the kindergarteners in Calvin’s special day class were invited to go, too.

Taking on the jellies.

I learned a few things on this field trip.

• Starfish are not really fish.
• The Academy of Sciences has penguins!
• I don’t really know how to talk to kids that are not Calvin.

There were four kids to a group with one or two parents each. The students from the Special Day Class were divided into the groups, and each SDC student had their own dedicated chaperone (their parent or a special aide).

So, Calvin was in a group of three kids from the mainstream kindergarten class, and there was another parent chaperoning the group, too, which is good, because see the third bulletpoint.

Me talking to kids is pretty similar to me talking to adults. I ask them what movies or TV shows they are currently watching, and then I crap all over them. “My Little Pony? Ugh. Really? That shit is so 2015. Grow up!”

Actually, I usually tell them that I like something they’re wearing. “I like your cat ears headband.” “Cool Pokemon shirt. That’s a Pokemon, right? Oh, it’s Minecraft. Is there a difference?” And then I wrap up the stimulating conversation with something like, “I need to go stand over here now and do some serious adulting,” and then go lean against the wall and look at my phone.

I have no problem talking to Calvin. We talk about trains, trucks and buses. We recite lines of dialogue from “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” But other kids want to talk about their thoughts and feelings.

This became really obvious when we sat down to lunch. Our group is sitting at a table, and there is this awkward silence. No small feat considering it’s a table of 5 and 6 year olds, who normally can’t stop talking. Finally, the other parent, this really nice woman whose name I can’t remember because I’m an asshole, said, “Do you know any jokes?” And the kids started falling all over themselves to tell jokes.

It would have never occurred to me to ask that question. Calvin doesn’t tell jokes. He’s funny. He’s got a great sense of humor. But it’s not a “knock knock. Who’s there” humor. It’s more like, “I’m going to try to wear the dog as a hat” sense of humor. It’s “I’m going to refer to Mommy as Daddy” humor.

I would say the closest thing to a Calvin joke is this: He was in a bathtub, and he looked at me, crossed his eyes and said, “I’ve got two mommies.” I laughed really hard, which turned it into a thing. “Two daddies.” “Two Tobys.”

The other thing I noticed during the field trip: Every boy was wearing something superhero or “Star Wars” related. Shirts, jackets, shoes: All Iron Man, Captain America, Darth Vader, Spiderman, etc. Calvin doesn’t watch any of that stuff. He doesn’t even know who those people are. These kids probably don’t know Calvin is autistic. They probably think he’s Amish.

There’s no crying in yoga

Yeah, so, I made a New Year’s resolution to be healthier in 2018 … just like a majority of human beings (and some animals – probably).

I’ve been eating healthier, and preparing whole food, plant-based meals using the Forks Over Knives meal planner. I even joined the gym down the street from me. It’s walking distance from my house, so I can walk to the gym so I can walk on the treadmill and listen to podcasts. I know what you are thinking: “Why don’t you just walk around your neighborhood, dummy?” Because. That’s why! Also, I feel safer in the gym, where I don’t have to worry about someone mugging me or hitting me with their car.

AND, the gym has yoga classes! I started going back to yoga, which always makes me happy. I’m so out of practice, so I’ve been easing my way back into it.

I started with a restorative yoga class which is very mellow. You know, it’s one of those classes in which the instructor says, “You’re going to need three bolsters, four blankets and two blocks.” And you think, “YAAAAAS!” Then you spend 90 minutes trying not to fall asleep in some crazy yoga pose. I love that class.

I also started another class on Monday nights that is a little more vinyasa flowy – it’s more challenging but not too challenging. I can kinda keep up.

But this is a story about the Saturday morning class …

It’s a class for students with an existing practice, which I have … sort of. I mean, I used to be good at yoga. I’m rusty and out of shape, but I never walk into a new class at think, “Oh, I’ll be able to do all the things.” I’ll just do what I can and hopefully, I’ll get stronger and better.

So, I walked into the class on Saturday, and I spoke with the teacher. I gave her some background. Breast cancer, mastectomy,  chemotherapy and breast reconstruction surgery – all things that make me struggle sometimes in a yoga class. I can’t do any amazing backbends, stuff like that. Maybe someday, but not yet. I told her I’m out of practice, but I really want to get back to it.

“You might find this class challenging, but just do what you can,” she kindly told me.

She was right. About 20 minutes into the class, and I was already struggling. I had to take child’s pose a few times. It felt really hot in the class.

“It’s really hot in here. Oh god! I hope I don’t pass out,” I thought.

And then that was it. I started panicking that I was going to pass out. Then I started beating myself up. I’m so out of shape. I used to be good at yoga, and now I suck at it. I’m embarrassing myself in this class. I was fighting my urge to just roll up my mat and run out of the class.

I worked myself up, so when the nice instructor came by to modify me in a pose I started crying. CRYING! Bawling, really. Tears. The works.

“Oh no! What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I’m so embarrassed. You are right. This class is too challenging for me,” I sobbed. “I used to be good at yoga. And now I’m so terrible at it. Oh god! I’m so embarrassed. I’m so embarrassed.”

The instructor was so kind to me.

“You are the best student in this class,” she told me. “You are working so hard, internally and externally. Yoga isn’t easy. No one is good at yoga. You just do what you can, and that’s all you can do, and I will support you.”

I wiped my tears, and I said, “I’ll keep trying.”

I stayed on my mat and finished the class. It was hard: physically and emotionally. When the class was over, the instructor came to my mat, and instantly I started crying again.

“Thank you for helping me,” I cried. “I’m really embarrassed. I guess I have some work to do on my body and my mind.”

We chatted for a bit about how yoga is exactly what I need. It’s going to help me.

“You’re not the only one who was in child’s pose today,” she told me. “And you’re not the only one who cried during a yoga class. It happens all the time.”

“I know this class was really hard for me, and maybe I’m not at this level, but if it’s OK with you, I’d really like to come back next Saturday and try again,” I said.

“I would be so disappointed if you didn’t,” she replied. “This is the class for you. It’s what you need.” And then she asked if she could hug me.

And even though I barely made it through, and even though I embarrassed myself by crying, I left the class feeling like I’m going to get better. I was proud of myself for not running away. I was proud of myself for just saying how I felt, even though it might sound stupid.

I felt so motivated that after class I went home and bought a new yoga mat, yoga mat tote and yoga pants. Any reason to shop, I guess.

I told my mighty, mighty good man David what happened.

“I think I’m just too hard on myself,” I said.

“Breaking news: Sonia is too hard on herself,” he said. “Way to point out the obvious.”

So, yeah, I’m really mean to myself. What’s up with that? I’m nice to other people, but I’m a real asshole to myself. I guess that’s something I should work on in 2018, too.

 

Six things I’m loving right now: Fenty lipstick, ’80s All Over and more

Yeah, so, here we go … Six things I’m loving right now.

Fenty Beauty Lipstick in Censorship

I’m always on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick. No too orange. Not too blue. Not to harsh. A nice matte. Long lasting, but doesn’t dry out my lips. Luckily, I know some smart ladies. My friend Jess recommended Fenty Beauty Lipstick in Censorship on Instagram, and I knew instantly I had to have it. I love it. It’s a little pricey at $24, but if it stops me from buying three shitty reds from Target then it’s worth it.

Forks Over Knives Meal Planner

I wanted to try something that would encourage me to cook more, because I’m really happy when I’m cooking. I also wanted to cook healthy, vegan meals. So, I finally canceled my Weight Watchers, which I wasn’t using anyway, because I’m an idiot, and used that money to sign up for the Forks Over Knives Meal Planner. I’m super into it.

It sets a weekly menu for me, which I can adjust and swap out with different dishes (including dessert!) if I’m in the mood for something else. It makes a shopping list for you. I always print mine out and then go through my pantry and refrigerator and cross off the ingredients I don’t need. Then, it breaks down what you can prepare in advance in a Weekend Prep section. This makes every meal 30 minutes or less during the week.

Curry sweet potato soup

Spicy Indian Chili

You guys! It’s so awesome. Some of the dishes are better than others, but I’m so happy to try out new dishes and experiment.

’80s All Over Podcast

I love listening to this podcast while I’m dickin’ around in the kitchen. Scott Weinberg and Drew McWeeny are reviewing every major movie of the ’80s, month by month. And by every movie, I mean, EVERY movie. It’s rad! As a child of the ’80s, who was obsessed with movies, I love revisiting the titles, even if some of them are not very good.

The Orville

We are big “Star Trek” fans in the MansTracy household, so imagine our surprise when “The Orville” became our new favorite “Star Trek” show instead of “Star Trek: Discovery.”

My mighty, mighty good man David bailed on “Discovery” after two or three episodes. I’ve been slowly watching it. I think I’m four or five episodes behind. I’m not loving it like I thought I would. It’s so concerned with being dark and “Prestige TV” that it forgot to include any kind of fun. There’s no wonder. There’s no exploring. It’s just political intrigue, backstabbing and brooding.

“The Orville” is fun, but it still deals with social and emotional issues like the original “Star Trek.” It feels like “Star Trek,” and there are a lot of people from “Star Trek” working behind the scenes – producing, directing, etc. I’m not a fan of Seth MacFarlane’s other shows AT ALL. But we really like “The Orville.”

The Women’s March

The sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot known as our president, and the awful enablers we call the GOP really piss me off. Most of the time, I’m angry, but occasionally I feel bummed out. It’s depressing that our leaders are so awful.

The Women’s March gives me hope. All of these people, all over the world, are pissed off, too. The march makes me feel less alone in my frustration. I think it’s awesome, but it would be rad if we didn’t need to march next year.

Best buddy Kate and I are the Women’s March in SF in January 2018.

Representin’ the dorks.

This Video

Come on! That face.

Dorking Out Roundup

Yeah, so, Smith and I got a chance to chat about this year’s Oscar nominations just a little while after they were announced. We had a fun discussion about this year’s Academy Award contenders, including some movies that we truly love.

You can listen to that episode riiiight here.

We have SUPER FUN episode coming out next week in which we do a deep dorking out about 1992’s “The Last of the Mohicans” with AJ Muller from Horrorview and Daily Grindhouse. I have a lot of affection for this movie, so AJ and I had a great time talking about our favorite scenes and sharing why we love it.

Last week, we reviewed “The Post,” starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. As a recovered newspaper reporter, I have a real soft spot for journalism movies. This one is good, but not great. We talk about it riiiight here.

There’s a lot of good movies and TV shows planned for 2018, and Smith and I made a list of some of the stories we’re most looking forward to, including “Isle of Dogs,” “The Alienist” and various Marvel and Star Wars movies. You can listen to that one riiiight here.

 

Staying pawsitive

Yeah, so, if you spend a lot of time on social media it’s easy to think that everyone is awful. Here’s a story about some good people.

Remember our Stray Cat Friend?

This little cutie had been coming around our house for months. We would put food out for her, and she would eat and then lounge around the house on the porch or the patio in the sun. She would disappear in the evenings. Sometimes we wouldn’t see her weeks, but she would always come back. Sometimes she didn’t look so good when she returned. She would be limping or looking really skinny and dirty. My mighty, mighty good man David tried to catch her once, but even while injured she was super fast. It took us weeks to earn her trust back.

Eventually, we just settled into a routine. She would come to the porch and wait for David to notice her and feed her. Then she would sleep in the sun, and around the hood at night. It went on for months.

Last summer, we took a family vacation to Santa Cruz. We were gone for a few days, so our Stray Cat Friend wasn’t getting fed. She was hanging around our house and strolling around the neighborhood, and the neighborhood noticed.

Someone posted this on NextDoor.

She didn’t look so good.

This NextDoor thread is filled with neighbors tracking the cat and trying to catch her. Finally, someone mentioned that they were pretty sure that we were feeding this stray cat.

When we returned from vacation, a neighbor came to see us. She wanted to put some food out for our SCF and try to catch her.

“How do you know about her?” we asked.

“From NextDoor,” she told us. “Haven’t you read it?”

We told her we had been on vacation, but when we checked the app there were SO MANY comments and offers of help.

Another neighbor, Adrienne, came over with a trap. David and her exchanged numbers and they were in constant contact about the whereabouts of our SCF. But, before we could catch her at our place, another neighbor was able to catch her.

Adrienne immediately picked her up and took her to a vet. A bunch of people in the NextDoor thread offered to chip in for her medical bills. Actually, they didn’t just offer, they really did pay her medical bills.

The prognosis wasn’t good. She had a mouth full of infected teeth. Her two front legs had been injured and healed improperly, so she would never walk normally again. One of those front paws has claws that won’t retract, so she’s like Wolverine in permanent fight mode. On top of that, she had a bone infection. The vet said they could pump her full of meds, but the vet recommended putting her down.

Adrienne decided to get a second opinion, because she’s smart and awesome. The second vet encouraged us not to give up on her yet, and give the meds some time to do their work.

In the meantime, people in the thread were asking for constant updates. With everything going on in this country, with our embarrassingly moronic president and disgusting GOP-led congress, everyone in our neighborhood needed this. They actually said in the thread, “We need this! We need this cat to be OK.” We needed this cat, which Adrienne named Sierra, to get better.

Sierra moved from the hospital to a foster home to another foster home. Eventually, she ended up staying with Adrienne, as everyone in the thread tried to figure out where Sierra would call her forever home.

Everyone offered to fund her stay at a feral cat sanctuary and different animal rescue organizations, but with all her medical requirements, Sierra really needed a home.

We seriously debated taking her in, but the truth is she would never be happy here. She required a quiet space where she could be alone, and we have neither of those things. Eventually, someone in the thread said she would be happy to take her in.

So, before she moved to her forever home, David and I stopped by Adrienne’s place for a visit.

Sierra was in the back of her large crate with big eyes. Adrienne told us that Sierra was still anxious, and she never saw her sleep or relax. But, as David started talking to Sierra, she started to relax and close her eyes! Adrienne couldn’t believe it. “She NEVER closes her eyes!”

Sierra spent so much time hanging around outside our house, it’s no wonder that the sound of David’s voice is so comforting to her. I know I find David’s voice very comforting, too.

We hear that Sierra is settling in at her new home. She’s got a healthy appetite. She has even let people pet her a little bit, and she’ll purr. That’s a big step for a feral cat. The new owner has asked for a recording of David’s voice. Ha ha! I’ve been suggesting that we record him reading “Goodnight Moon.” She can play it every night for Sierra.

The new owner has shared some cute photos of Sierra.

I cannot overstate how much all our amazing neighbors in that NextDoor thread did for Sierra. They chipped in hundreds of dollars for her medical bills. They donated food, blankets, towels and crates. So many of our neighbors pulled together to avoid a cat-tastrophe (wah-wah). I cannot thank Adrienne enough for everything she did. She was Sierra’s guardian angel, and she always kept us updated about everything.

When I get updates about Sierra, I’ll make sure to pass them along. I know that if you’ve read to the end of this post, you are now invested in her well being, too. And if you want to help some animals out, I recommend donating to SF SPCA, Humane Society or Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.

Buh bye, 2017

Yeah, so, this year hasn’t been awesome.

We have a sexual predator in the White House, and – with the help of an enabling GOP – he is attacking this country’s most vulnerable citizens, including the sick, elderly, disabled and immigrants. It’s disgusting and depressing as fuck. It fills me with rage.

I have donated money to organizations and candidates who are helping people and fighting for what’s right. I’ve been calling my reps, and occasionally reps in other districts since their votes affect me. I do what I can handle, and it makes me feel a little less helpless.

BUT, I wanted to focus on some good things that happened this year in the MansTracy household.

My mighty, mighty good boy Calvin started kindergarten, and he is flourishing. He’s so happy, and he’s learning so much. His language skills have improved by leaps and bounds.

I got a new job … kinda. The big corporate overload moved me from the Oakland office where I was the lone content person from the past 8 years to the San Francisco office to join the content team. And instead of just working on content for one brand, I will be working on the content with the team on all the brands. I’m really excited and nervous. Writing is in my comfort zone. Thinking big picture is outside my comfort zone. But, I’m down to expand my skillset. Plus, I super love being in the SF office. Not only has it cut my commute in half (and I’m taking BART instead of driving), but I absolutely adore my content coworkers. They are fuckin’ rad as hell.

I got on an airplane all by myself for the first time ever. True story. I met up with my mighty, mighty good man David in Portland after his work trip. We had a great time exploring the city, which is swimming in vegan options for me and beer for both of us. Plus, we got to see our friends Caitlin and Kirk, which made the trip even more awesome.

I got to go to Washington, DC to see my good buddy Katie and her husband Nathan. I finally got to see their house, and we spent some awesome time together walking around the Newseum, going to a Nationals game and sitting on the couch watching YouTube videos, because that’s how we roll.

We went to Santa Cruz again this year for our little family vacation, and we had an amazing time. Calvin has been asking to go back pretty much every day since we got back.

I started baking bread this year. I have always wanted to bake my own bread, but I thought it was too difficult and too time consuming. I found a perfect bread baking book: “Bread Illustrated” from America’s Test Kitchen.

My sister Michelle and my sister from another mister, Amanda, did a spa day at the Sonoma Mission Inn. We got massages and lounged by the pool with drinks. It was heaven.

I went to Bourbon & Branch for David’s birthday, and I discovered that I like gin. That’s a good thing.

 

 

My 15-year-old (!) niece Lorelei came out for the weekend, and we saw “IT” at the Alamo Drafthouse. Lorelei is a Tiny Sonia, so I knew she would love the Alamo Drafthouse. We had so much fun hanging out together. I was scared to see “IT.” I thought it was really fuck me up, but it turns out that I loved being scared about something other than the news.

After our weekend together, I went on a scary movie watching spree. It turns out I love horror movies! Funny enough, I’ve been listening to F This Movie for years, and the host Patrick Bromley is always taking about horror movies. Now I have the courage to actually watch all those movies he’s talking about.

Speaking of podcasts, Dorking Out with Chris & Sonia is still going strong. We recorded a podcast every week, except for one week. Even dorks need a week off once in a while. Super-big, mad props to my co-host Smith for keeping us on schedule, and all the work he does recording the podcast. Oh, and we got this amazing new logo by Jeff Heerman.

I’ll end this post with what everyone wants to see: Dog and cat cuddling action!

Happy New Year, you guys! Let’s hope that 2018 is chrome and shiny.

Dorking out about Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Yeah, so, we went on and on about “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” on Dorking Out with Chris & Sonia.

In episode 79, we review “The Last Jedi” with Raymond Scott Daigle, who used to work for Lucasfilm. I really loved the movie, even though I thought it was a little too long. I sing the praises of Mark Hamill, and mourn the loss of Carrie Fisher. Also, I think the Porgs are adorable, and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.

In episode 80, Scott sticks around for a State Of The Star Wars Galaxy discussion, in which we chat about all the upcoming “Star Wars” projects, including the Han Solo movie and “Star Wars: Episode 9.” Plus, Scott tries to convince us to watch “The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels.”

In episode 81, we talk about “Star Wars” stories we’d like to see. A Star Wars horror movie? A Star Wars romantic comedy? Why not? The podcast goes off the rails because, ummm, someone didn’t do their homework.

And finally, if you’re sick of “Star Wars” (whaaaaaaat?!), you might enjoy episode 82, our podcast in which we share some underappreciated family movies. It was a perfect opportunity for me to talk about “A Town Called Panic.”