The Weekend Reset: Hello Summer! Let’s have some fun.

It’s Friday. Looking for something to switch up your weekend, or to give you an excuse to relax a little? That’s what the Weekend Reset is for. Each week contributor Tim Johnstone pulls together five things to get your weekend started. Could be something to read or watch, something to eat or listen to, or even something to do. Enjoy the weekend fellas.

 

EAT: Summertime, and the grilling’ is easy.

Grilled Garlic and Black Pepper Shrimp. When Summer heats up, my desire to cook indoors completely goes away. I do what I can to shift my meal production outdoors. And when it comes to grilled protein, shrimp is a seasonal favorite. It loves a good marinade. I recently upgraded my grilling accessories, investing in a good grill-skillet and a fresh set of long skewers. This recipe is easy to throw together. I recommend grabbing a bunch of in-season vegetables or corn to grill alongside the shrimp. A simple green salad is all you need to put together a simple meal.

 

DRINK: Ice Ice Proseco*

*I deserve any and all hearty send-offs for that one. Bring it on. Frozen Proseco is the post-BBQ treat you never knew you needed. If you are familiar with a granita, then you already knows what’s coming. This is easier than it looks and better than one of these. It takes a wee bit of maintenance while you are freezing these but it’s really no big deal. Also, I would probably think about mixing in some fresh summer fruit into the mix (peaches immediately come to mind). Also, if it were me, I’d be serving these in something less dainty.

 

READ: Just because you grew up doesn’t mean you can’t read Roald Dahl.

Roald Dahl wrote some of the most beloved children’s books of all time (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, James And The Giant Peach, Matilda, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Witches to name a few). He was also a short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and fighter pilot. It might not take too much of a mental leap to figure out that the stories he wrote for adults are every bit as inventive and gleefully devious as some of his children’s books. And they can get dark. Kiss Kiss is an excellent collection of short stories perfectly suiting for summer get-aways no matter the locale.

 

WALK: Hit the streets when the sun goes down.

I’m not the biggest fan of summer. I tend to melt into puddles of sullen unhappiness. I sneer at all the talk about “a dry heat” and dampen many a handkerchief. However, one of my favorite things to do happens this time of year when the sun goes down. I love walking around the neighborhood at night. No earbuds. No screen in my face. Just the night and all that comes with it. If you’re lucky to live in an area with urban wildlife, they are out and about. Those of you in the city have your own urban wildlife to consider, if you get my drift. If you are fortunate to live in an area with open space, take advantage of it. Writer Will Self wrote an essay about why he loves night walking. I understand that not everyone can do this safely where they live. Regardless of where you are, it’s always smart to be observant and aware of your surroundings. (Photo by Rafael Barquero on Unsplash)

 

BINGE: HBO delivers a remarkable saga of the Chernobyl disaster.

An absolutely brilliant depiction of one of the most horrifying incidents of the past 50 years. For those who remember, it was a nightmare scenario. News of the event came via network news and the few sources of news reporting that existed on cable at that time. This was pre-internet. While the events were absolutely devastating for those in and around Chernobyl, the anguish spread around the globe. This is not light viewing. This story doesn’t have a happy ending. But it is engaging, frightening, and riveting.

Tim Johnstone is Dappered’s music correspondent as well as our resident gatherer of all things interwebs related. He’s pretty sure about some of the things most of the time, but totally clueless about everything else all the time. This however, seems to him conclusive evidence that we are a lost cause.  Thank goodness for this.