I’m happy to announce, I’m finally feeling more like myself. I’m reading regularly and I’m even blogging/reviewing again. I’m still not following any kind of schedule, or finding much time for blog hopping (and for that I’m sorry), but right now I think it feels better to just accept what feels doable. Still, I rejoice because Birdie Bookworm is more active lately than she has been in a while.

I did recently stop to think about what I’ve been doing, in lieu of reading, to decompress and distract myself from life. I know not too long ago I wrote about how I can’t really handle too much negativity and intensity lately, and those feelings have taken the drivers seat in other aspects of my life, too. I thought it would be fun to talk about what mindlessness Birdie has been doing over the last few months, and perchance give others who may need mindless activities a few tips.

Ready?

On my phone:

Polygon

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Polygon is a gem! I’m not a crafty girl. I’ve never ever tried, or wanted to try, a real color by numbers. However, sitting and doing nothing but mindlessly tapping numbers on my phone, culminating in a pretty picture in the end, has been a lifesaver. My husband and daughter chuckle when I show them what I ‘colored’, but that’s okay. It’s the perfect emotionless escape.
Polygon ha been my new best friend.

Swipe Brick Breaker

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Brick Breaker games of any type are my favorite, simply because there is no thought needed at all. You point your shooter, hit the trigger, and 60ish little balls shoot out. Then you get to watch them demolish multiple bricks, like little explosions. It’s such a satisfying and therapeutic game, especially because it needs so little emotional/mental participation. I’ll can sit for hours and play this game. I never ever get sick of it.
(I’ve also gotten Cat addicted too.)

Webtoon

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What would I do without my Webtoons! They’re small little snippets, but when I’m not reading they’re my only source of fiction. Apparently I always need one source type for fiction! True Beauty, Lumine, Let’s Play, Small World, Cape of Spirits… They have been the stories I read when I curl up in bed at night.

On my TV:

New Girl

Oh man, was this such a great binge series for me and my family. It’s hilarious. It’s romantic. It’s light. It’s reminiscent of older sitcoms, and I was addicted to it. Like Friends, it had more than one romance to root for, and in many ways you fell in love with Schmidt and CeCe more than you did Jess and Nick. I really wish it was still playing so I could still be watching.

The Voice

My family is really sick of The Voice. I haven’t been able to finish a season, because by the time battles hit they refuse to watch it. I also don’t have alone time with the TV to watch it myself. And still, it’s one of my favorite shows to watch right now. There’s no deep thought here. You listen to people sing, and you go “I like that” or “Damn, they sucked”. All the while, I’m breaking bricks or coloring a pretty mindless picture. It’s the perfect accompaniment.

The Rookie

At first glance this isn’t a lighthearted show. A story about a 40-something LAPD Rookie touches on all sorts of the hard subjects I currently run from. However, Nathan Fillion makes this show perfectly binge worth for me. He’s a go-to actor for me. I remember him on One Life to Live. I loved to hate him as Caleb on Buffy. I was an avid Firefly fan. And, I also watched almost every episode of Castle. Watching Nathan Fillion bumble around as that 40 something year old Rookie feels as familiar as watching him bumble around as the mystery writer trying to work with the NYPD detective. It’s home.

The Resident

The Resident is the one show I have no excuses for. It is intense. It is heartbreaking. It is everything I refuse to watch or read. The Resident is just a really really good show. Matt Czuchry is really great as Conrad, and the storylines are fascinating. (Last week’s episode wrecked me.) I think I’m also addicted to this show because it resonates with me right now. I know it’s not really realistic, but watching Conrad and his friends battle bureaucracy is almost healing for us, even if it’s fiction. It’s full of ideas that mean a lot to me, especially as my life stands today.

So, there it is. When you don’t see me, when I’m not reading, these are the things I fill my time with. These are the activities and television shows that have kept me sane, when it feels like my world has gone chaotic and fuzzy. While things aren’t better yet we finally have a plan. As I said, I’m feeling more myself, and reviewing has become fun again.

Hopefully you’ll start seeing me around more.