Lackluster Days

lack·lus·ter  ('lakˌləstər)    adjective 

1. lacking in vitality, force, or conviction; uninspired or uninspiring

Oh, yes. 

The word lackluster describes me exactly. I'm not sure where my motivation went, but it took a two-day trip and I have done very little about anything during that time. I have a job/career to finish in two days and a summer-long trip to pack everything three people will need. What am I doing watching TV and reading books when I have so much to do? I believe it's called procrastination. 

Anyway, I want to tell you about what I have read/watched because I really enjoyed all of it.

First, is a new Netflix series called Grace and Frankie, which starts Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterson. 

Sheen and Waterson are law partners married to Fonda and Tomlin for 40 years. In the last 20 years, however, the males discover that they love each other. The show begins with full disclosure and impending divorces. Fonda and Tomlin claim the beach house, become roommates and learn to tolerate each other. This part of the show is like a more mature and feminine Felix and Oscar from The Odd Couple.

I like this show because it has a plot different from the norm and also has some really fine acting. The characters are believable, sad and funny. I binge-watched the entire season, 13 episodes, in two days, and many times I laughed out loud. I really appreciate that Netflix gives me the entire series at one time which makes my binge-watching easy.

Another item that helped me procrastinate is a novel by Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale. 

I really like historical fiction and lately have read several set during World War II, as is The Nightingale. The story, told in flashback, is of two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, who work to survive and help others survive while the war rages in France. I was caught up in the characters and their actions, so much so that I actually cried at the end of the novel. Rarely does a book make me cry anymore, so I’d say Hannah told a good story.

Now that I have confessed, I will have to get back to work. I’ve moved almost everything that I’m bringing home out of my classroom, but still have two more days to work. The packing for summer is another matter, one that isn’t going away while I sit here. 

Wish me luck!