Notes from the Captain
Let me begin by officially welcoming new members to the crew. There are life jackets for everyone—seriously, we are almost drowning in life jackets here. Along this weekly journey, I shall make it my goal to steer this canoe away from all rocks hiding beneath the surface of the stream. This is my promise to you.
And now, onto this week’s post. It seems to have hit the spot with a lot of people, which thrills me no end. The joy I feel knowing that folks are actually reading what comes out of the cracks in my brain is immeasurable.
Send me your thoughts—on the post or just anything really. On that note, please be sure to take care of the life box you have been given.
In. Out. Keep don’t keep. Adjust contents accordingly.
Until next we meet, love what you love,
Your Captain, Janeen 🫡
Thangs mentioned in this episode…
👩✈️ Notebook nerdery
The notebook I show in the video is the Zequenz Classic 360 Signature Series, Size: Medium, Soft Bound journal with blank pages. I prefer the 5 x 7 size. It comes in black, red, and white, and has a little magnetic page marker so you don’t lose your place.
5 x 7 is B6, she said, confidently. All colors with blank pages in that size seem to be out of stock on Amazon, but it’s on the Zequenz site—you can even personalize it there, and the price is the same so 🤷♀️.
I actually got turned onto these notebooks a few years ago by Austin Kleon. I still love Moleskins. My favorite yearly planner is the Hobonichi Daily Planner, not that you asked.
👩✈️ Binkies, woogies, woobies, lovies, security blankets
It appears a “binky” is both a pacifier (an actual brand) AND something a small child is attached to (like a stuffed animal or blanket). That makes it even more confusing. Whatever you call it, it’s something that soothes you. So “Box Binky” still works within the context of the piece.
If you’re calling a pacifier a binky, fun fact—that’s a Dummy in Australia. If you “Spit the dummy”, you’re chucking a tantrum. For funsies, here’s a compilation video (long) of tennis’ G.O.A.T Dummy Spitter, John McEnroe.
👩✈️ Video Image Flashes
⏱️ 3:11:23 CAT FLASH
That cat was Ziggy. He has since passed away. He was my friend’s cat. He was very lovely and very photogenic. He is dearly missed by his owners.
⏱️ 5:05:24 FISH FLASH
When I say “very rare” in the video you briefly see an image of a Vaquita. It is one of the rarest noodles around. It is a tiny porpoise. There are 10 left at the time of my Googling.
“Vaquita are often caught and drowned in gillnets used by illegal fishing operations in marine protected areas within Mexico's Gulf of California”
Learn more about the Vaquita and their status from the WWF.
👩✈️ Music
“Little Boxes”
You might only know it as the Weeds theme song—I remember singing this in primary school (though had no idea what it was about). I used the Pete Seeger version in the video, but it was written by Malvina Reynolds and the first season of Weeds used her recording. You can read about the song and its inspiration, here.
“In Another Life”
👩✈️ Duck/Duct Tape
Duct tape is one thing. Duck tape is a branded version of duct tape.
Duct tape was the brainchild of a woman, Vesta Stoudt, who worked in a munitions factory in Illinois during WWII. You can read her story here.
And here is a thrilling 3-minute video about how Duck Tape is made.
👩✈️ John Wick 4 Trailer
IYKYK.
(Hat tip to James for sending me this after we both had seen it)
Behind the Streams: "Life Box"