Max and Esme

 After a long slog of rain and final exams, to celebrate the unfortunately short break between semesters we (Violet and myself) journeyed to the temperate and verdant Costa del Sol in Spain for a week's vacation. We stayed in Malaga (which has a diacritic above the first "a" which I cannot achieve on a Finnish keyboard) and Granada. Both historically critical cities in Andalusia between the Sierra Nevadas and the Mediterranean. Compared to the winter chills in Helsinki (below 0 [even in Fahrenheit] this January), the balmy 14 degree weather [Celsius] in Malaga was a welcome change. As locals complained of their year's coldest week, I doffed my jacket and explored the beautiful Spanish coast.  La Manquita (the one armed woman). Malaga's main cathedral, and a distinct landmark during navigation of the winding alleys.  We spent most of our city time wandering the narrow cobbled streets and enjoying the bounties of a year-round growing season. Seafood and produce is a...

He's not always blurry, but he is always on the move. Our video chats with Max often occur while he's out bird watching, commuting home from campus on the metro or tram, chopping vegetables for curry, or sometimes popping into the grocery story for a forgotten item. It's nice to have a view into his activities and environment and not just his face in a box. Although I do miss seeing that face every day! Love you and miss you, Maxwell. 

Special guest contributions from Peter this month. I was going to add my own comments, but I think these stand on their own. - Sara The Fifth Step: Our final National Theatre Live filmed stage play experience of 2025, starring Jack Lowdon and Martin Freeman.  Phenomenal sparring between two recovering alcoholics, liars, truthers, antagonists, and friends. Opening lines:  "I think I'm an incel." "Mm?" "You know what that is?" "An American that can't get a date and shoots up schools?" "Doesn't have to be American." Marty Supreme . A mean character goofs on Marty's (Timothee Chalamet) spirit-gum unibrow, but somehow his heinous teenage mustache gets a pass. So compelling as a cascade of fuckups and escapes that you don't realize until it's over that you just watched a remarkably straight (and good) coming-of-age story. Maybe supporting actress nomination for Gwenyth Paltrow? Stranger Things (Season 5). Same formul...

Deliver Me From Nowhere: I forgot this one in my November round-up which probably tells you all you need to know. A biopic focusing on one year of Bruce Springsteen's life while he was struggling with depression and wrote his 1982 album Nebraska. The movie contained very little music considering. The two Jeremy's (Allen White and Strong) are both highly watchable. Was entertaining enough for $5 movie night. 

I'll be honest, November feels like a long time ago already. But here are some highlights of what we watched: Life of Pi: National Theatre Live filmed stage production. I actually wouldn't have elected to see this show over other options on the London stage. Transforming a novel about a boy and a bunch of animals that is one big metaphor into a live stage production seems an impossible feat. (Puppets, really?)  But it was brilliant. The animals are stylized and yet completely lifelike in their movements - it took no time at all before I didn't even notice the people articulating them. It took 4 people to be the tiger, btw. Hiran Abeysekera - the actor who played Pi - delivered a energetic performance that brought to mind parkour. We had the pleasure of watching this in a movie theater, but you can stream it at home.  Honey Don't: Ethan Coen's second movie with the marvelous Margaret Qualley. It bills itself as a "neo-noir dark comedy" if Matthew Gilmore wa...