Well, the election did not go the way I wanted -- not at all. Don't worry, I'm not going to write much about it here -- not now, anyway. I will at some point, just to get my thoughts down, but we don't need the millionth-and-first "What Went Wrong" blog post of the week. I'm much less despondent than I was eight years ago, so that's good, I guess. I'm not sure why that is, though. Maybe it's because I was ready for it this time. I didn't know for sure that he would win, but it certainly felt more probable than not. This is a stark difference from 2016, when it seemed completely unimaginable to me that he'd actually win... until he did.
I also have a different mindset this time around. The first time I was in a full-on resistance mindset. It seemed to me the best approach was to oppose Trump at every turn. But that proved counterproductive, so now I'm in much more of a ride-it-out mode -- take the L, get on with my life, find joy where I can, and hope my worst fears don't come true. That's the plan. I mean, he can't run again (...hopefully), and although I've heard it said many times by many smart people that there will still be Trumpism after Trump, I'm not sure that it's actually true. You've got Republicans who have a type of right-wing charisma (JD Vance); you've got crazies (Marjorie Taylor Greene); and you've got celebrities. But I don't see anybody out there with the right charisma-crazy-celebrity mix to replace Trump when he's gone. I'm eager to put the "Trumpism without Trump" theory to a test, anyway.
Another reason that I might be taking it better this time around is because my parents happened to be visiting last week. It's hard to be bummed out when you are around family you love and don't get to see all that often. It was a great visit. They are slowing down, to be sure, but they are still in pretty good health, and most importantly, they still have their wits about them. I have many friends whose folks are in much worse shape or not around at all, so I feel pretty lucky in that regard. It was a lot of fun to see my parents interact with my boys. My dad and Lil' S1 did a lot of cooking/baking together, which was really sweet.
In other news, we finally finished watching The Office as a family -- all nine seasons. The last two, the ones without Michael, were a bit of a slog, but we got through them. Actually, some of Season 8, with Robert California, is legit funny, just because James Spader is such a good actor, but the final season is flat out bad. The stretch where Nellie is the manager and the focal point of the episodes is particularly painful to watch. The series ends decently, but that's only because they completely cater to viewers' nostalgia of the early seasons when the show was actually good. It's a smart move, but you can only really do it for an episode or two.
One thing that struck me during this months-long rewatch is the sheer number of episodes there are of The Office -- nine seasons, about 20-25 episodes a season, that's over 200 episodes. (In fact, there were 201.) I know that that's how most TV shows, especially sitcoms, were way back in the day (2005), but it seems so weird now. With that many episodes, there are bound to be some duds. Upon second viewing, you really notice the we gotta run something shows. They are the worst episodes, and, for some reason, they often involve the characters committing crimes--Michael framing Toby by putting pot in his desk (which was actually Caprese salad); Angela hiring a hit man to maim Oscar for having an affair with her husband; Dwight shooting Stanley with a dart filled with bull tranquilizer. There were more than a few "jump the shark" moments throughout the series.
On the whole, though, great show -- possibly one of my ten favorites of all time. If I ever finish my "Top 100 TV Shows" list, we will know for sure. I don't know if I'll do that, though. I sometimes start things on this blog and then peter out and don't finish them properly.
Speaking of which... Until next time...
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