The Weekend Reset: Time to fire off some summer synapses.

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.

 

PLAY: It’s Summer! You’re already outside. Make it fun.

As you guys might have figured out, I’m always up for some fun outdoor games. There’s something relaxing about hanging with friends, sipping on something cold and playing a game like this. This is a Swedish game called Kubb that looks a little something like this game I recommended last summer. This is perfect for trips to the beach, BBQ’s in the back yard or picnics in the park. It’s always interesting to see which friends become super competitive once the game begins!

 

EAT: A seasonal salad that can stand on its own.

Corn, Radish, Tomato and Tortilla Chip Salad. This is super simple and easy to throw together. It utilizes some great summertime favorites. I can understand why some folks would take issue with the corn chips. But it turns out they provide a different kind of crunch that compliments the crisp of the radishes. I added matchstick jicama to the dish and it soaked up the other flavors. Not that it needs a sidekick, this dish is a terrific compliment to grilled proteins.

 

DOWNLOAD: Shazam! Not a superhero but a superhero app.

Spring for the deluxe version. Over the past couple of years I’ve realized that there are loads of people out there who don’t know about this app. And that’s just not right. In this so-called golden age of TV, more and more productions make use of music as a means to create atmosphere, advance a plot, or just plain make you cry, and Shazam is integral to that experience. I can’t even begin to guess the number of times I’ve gone from Shazaming to finding a new artist that I can obsess over. Besides, I wouldn’t deign watch the next recommend without it.

 

BINGE: Stranger Things Season 3: We’re going to the mall!

They do this kind of thing really, really well. Then again, maybe you’ve already seen it?

 

READ: This year’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

This is that time where I recommend a book about trees. And no, these aren’t Tolkien’s ents. But they are the focus of the 12th novel from Richard Powers. This book has been described as “sweeping” and “impassioned”, “haunting” and a “towering achievement.” It’s heavy. And it might be the last thing you have any interest in. Totally fair. Here’s what Goodread’s has to say. The New York Times is a fan. The WaPost chimed in thusly. I will admit, not everyone was charmed about the story featuring 300 foot tall characters.

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 elicited an arched brow eye roll of epic proportions.