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.
WATCH: HBO updates the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ classic comic.
This would appear to be the show of the moment. I tend to wait until there are enough episodes to consider binging, but I might have to make an exception for this one.
EAT: A delicious meal that’s ready to go in 30 minutes.
Cheesy black bean and quinoa taco bake. I’m not suggesting that this super tasty, easy to assemble healthy dish is an offering of appeasement following last week’s tater tot comfort casserole. But I am totally doing that. Did I mention that this is fresh flavored and satisfying? This has something to do with the fact that there are a lot of ingredients in this dish, most of which tend to be pantry staples. Still, it is easy, guilt-free and with a dash of your favorite condiments, a great dish. And because I am now a member of the less is more club, I will be serving this with…
DRINK: The perfection of a classic margarita.
A classic cocktail, carefully crafted with each serving. This is really all you need for a great experience even if you aren’t specifically pouring the particular brand mentioned in the recipe. If you’ve got a favorite, I’d use that. Also, if you think that maybe surprising your preferred human with a welcome home featuring a healthy and hearty taco bake and a margarita is a good idea, that was my plan.
LISTEN: Snow Patrol hits re-set on some of their biggest hits.
Gary Lightbody is the type of songwriter that can break your heart with a turn of phrase and a simple chord progression. His band Snow Patrol’s catalogue is heavy on songs that make impressions that never quite leave you alone. Hearing some of them presented here, sometimes dissected and reconstructed so that it is completely new (“Called Out In The Dark”), or slowed down and washed in the sweet prism of a steel guitar (“Chocolate”), means learning them all over again. Some of these arrangements reveal musical themes and lyrical flourishes newly emphasized. Having had the opportunity to interview Lightbody last year, I understand that his transition to sobriety has been something that has reinvigorated his work. I understand how revisiting these songs would be an appealing exercise, and I very much appreciate it. The two new songs that appear here are nice additions to the collection.
READ: Because sometimes a guy just needs to escape.
Erin Morgenstern’s first novel, The Night Circus, was a surprise favorite of mine when it was released. A surprise because, I didn’t think this was something I would read. I had questions. But the reviews were stellar, and I was able to read a sample online that convinced me to fully commit. I’ve waited 7 years for this. And from what I’ve gathered, this is worth the wait. If you have any aversion to fantasy fiction, this is not for you. Knowing that Morgenstern can craft a compelling story, I look forward to experiencing how this one unfolds.
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 is very much, in his opinion, something to behold,