The Weekend Reset: An unforgettable story, a spooky read and yes, another salad.

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.

 

GROW: You might not have a green thumb. Here’s how how to get one.

I do not have a green thumb. I’m the guy who kills succulents and cacti. Also, I have at least one cat that makes it his mission to destroy plants. This includes specific flowers like Tulips. Thus, my place is devoid of greenery. And that bums me out a little bit. Thanks to the most excellent folks at Laughing Squid I might be able to bring back some greenery via a subscription service called Horti. The mission with Horti is to get you the plants that make sense for you (beginner plant care, pet friendly, etc) and get you all the information you need to become proficient at taking care of them. Also, you can skip boxes which is always a good thing in a subscription service.

 

EAT: This is summer on a plate.

Ok. I know. Another salad? Here’s the deal. I went in search of a grilled steak recipe to satisfy the most primal culinary desires. I was waylaid by this Steakhouse salad with red chile dressing and peanuts. Cut me some slack here. Look at that plated masterpiece. LOOK. AT. IT! Flank steak, sugar snap peas, radishes, cucumbers, peanuts and butter lettuce dressed in a terrific Korean seasoned vinaigrette. Fresh, flavorful and fantastic.

 

LISTEN: The man with the Golden Airline Ticket. A True Story.

This is quite the tale of whoa. A man purchases a limitless travel ticket on a major American airline. And it gets wonderful. Until it doesn’t. A story about things loved and lost. Of legal challenges and a man who refused to let his good thing die. As told by his daughter. Fascinating.

 

READ: Stories that will creep you the eff out.

Let’s start with the disclaimer: this is some dark material. The protagonists, as such, are not always people you would root for, and you probably won’t. These are people going through remarkably difficult situations not always of their own making. But mostly so. I will say this: the monsters in question are not necessarily easy to figure out here. There is an element of the fantastic in each story and the fact that these elements are never even close to a distraction speaks to Nathan Ballingrud’s gift with words. I had to put this book down in between stories and go walk about a bit to settle myself. It was all so very much worth it. Ballingrud is one of those writers who matter very much to those who appreciate language. I found myself reading entire passages out loud to friends (I read it over a recent weekend in the mountains) just because I wanted so much to share it with others. And I just learned that Hulu is bringing this to the small screen.

 

WATCH: A different kind of Alien Invasion movie.

This indie genre movie flew under the radar of a lot of fans of this kind of movie. I found the lead actors to be real in a way that many of the big blockbuster movies fail to pull off. The movie plants a stake in several genres and the filmmakers really created an impressive movie on their indie budget. The movie shines a light on South American culture, offers something of a travelogue, and delivers some terrific frights. It is thoughtful, beautifully shot, and it isn’t afraid to offer a bit of commentary on the media.

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.