Things that are making me happy
Early March edition
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has turned 25 years old! Officially yesterday. So it’s half my age. My best friend, Joshua, who has been in that role about ten years longer than that, says I’m a female Giles. I rather like that. My accent is more drawl than high tea; I long ago accepted that my podcasting voice sounds like Peppermint Patty and Marcie had a child. But if I were ever a member of the Scooby gang, even 25 years ago, it would be loner Buffy with the world on her shoulders or Giles in the library, worrying about everyone.
I’m thinking about doing a rewatch of Buffy with proper analysis on the podcast, rewatching it through the lenses of my psychology and counseling degrees. Interested?
Devil House by John Darnielle. This is a strange and fascinating novel. Not quite a horror novel, perhaps horror-adjacent, despite its cover with a house with fangs. It definitely is about a demented domicile, but from the point of view of a true crime author, who is trying to write about a very strange crime by living in the building in which it happened. It’s set in the town in which the real murder that inspired the movie River’s Edge occurred, giving it veritas. (A teenager murdered his girlfriend, then took his friends to see the body, and none of them told anyone. The movie is stunning—early Keanu Reeves plus Dennis Hopper. I have been meaning to rewatch it.) It’s ergodic, much like House of Leaves—the header titles will lead you on a chase, and one section is even written in Olde English!
Toby and Arlo have become best friends. For those of you who don’t follow my regular Instagram, @carlahaunted, I have a new rescue puppy, October Holden. October, “Toby”, for my love of horror and Halloween, and Holden because he can tell if you’re a phony. Arlo had been sad and anxious after we lost our dachshund, Ellie, as have I. Arlo’s at least 12 years old—he’s a rescue, as well, so we’re not positive how old he was when we got him—and we were worried about him. So we rescued a green-eyed bundle of love. The first night, Arlo was jealous; we think Arlo thought we had a visitor. The next day, they were playing, and have been playing constantly ever since. It’s like we have two puppies!
Geeky DNA. I sent in their DNA swabs to Embark because we had no idea what Toby was, and I tacked on the extra medical bump so we would know what to worry about in the future. No medical concerns for either kid, except they both have the same low liver response in case of infection, and I sent it to their vet. They are both pit bulls, though neither one has the big pittie head. Toby is also Labrador and Bulldog; Arlo is also ChowChow, Collie and SuperMutt, which you know I have been calling him. :D
Don’t let this picture fool you; Toby has long, skinny legs. I don’t understand how he tripods like this. Also, the DNA results did not explain the green eyes.
Rediscovering the albums of my college days. I usually only listen to music in the car or in the coffee shop. It’s odd. When I am working or creating at home, I listen to podcasts or audiobooks. (Yes, I can write my own words and listen to someone else’s at the same time with full comprehension. My brain is so strange. It’s part of the reason I podcast; I need an outlet for all this input.) So I don’t intake a whole lot of music, and when I do, it’s the same old song, to quote The Four Tops. Prince. Taylor Swift. Billie Eilish. Lana Del Rey. Thirty Seconds to Mars. But this past week, going to several doctors’ appointments, I queued up Alanis’ “Jagged Little Pill”, which technically came out after I finished grad school, but okay. Same era. And it’s still sublime, with the best hidden track ever. (Never hung on after the silence? “Why are you so petrified of silence? Here, can you handle this?”) Now I’m pondering what else. Tori Amos’ “Under the Pink” took over Boston when I was at BU for grad school. Huge posters in every window, the kind they were painting by hand in the movie Xanadu. REM’s “Out of Time” came out when I started college, and I discovered The Smithereens’ “11” at that time. (I still remember every lyric, and it has a song inspired by Poe.) This music spelunking has been fun, and I’m sure my Apple Music friends wonder what’s up. :D
I’m going to keep this up. Good to spread the little things that make us happy, and it’s a good gratitude practice. Hope you’re finding things that make you happy, and feel free to share them with me. Love you, don’t forget that. You are loved and appreciated, and I don’t say that lightly. You’re my cupcakes.
Always,
Carla
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I have exciting news to share: You can now read There Might Be Cupcakes Podcast in the new Substack app for iPhone.
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