Rob’s college applications have all been submitted, and now we wait. He got one acceptance already, to Texas A&M, which was thrilling. I’d hoped it would mean we’d hear back sooner than expected from ALL the colleges, but it looks as if all the others notify more like March or April.
It’s strange to be in the 2017 of “Class of ’17,” after having it sound so far away when we first figured out what year he’d graduate. Now here we are: the year he graduates high school, the year he goes off to college, the year he turns 18 and registers for the draft and to vote. It’s a year of stress and change and lots of exciting stuff. It’s funny to think what an effect the college he chooses could have over the rest of his life: it could be where he meets the person he’s going to marry; it could be where he makes lifelong friends. It could be that he’ll love that area of the country and settle down there. The particular programs and professors could steer him in an unexpected career direction. The people he hangs around with could change his interests and views and the genetic make-up of my grandchildren. It’s heady stuff.
And I’m going to get to put together care packages, which I love to do.
Well. New subject: resolutions. I like to make a few, but not the eat less, exercise more, lose weight kind of resolutions, which discourage me even to THINK about: January is grim enough without adding that kind of thing. The closest I come to that category of resolution is, for example, deciding I don’t eat enough fruits/vegetables and resolving to eat one more fruit or vegetable per day: specific, manageable, achievable, kind of fun, kind of interesting, makes me feel perky rather than grim. Or I can picture resolving to try a new activity, like saying this year I am going to try Zumba, or this year I am going to try that ballet-based exercise class I keep hearing about. This year my resolutions are:
1. Learn one new practical skill. It doesn’t have to be BIG. Paul has been working on this concept for the last few years; I forget what he calls it, but something like adding arrows to his quiver. He’s learned some metalwork and some woodwork and some gardening, and now he’s learning ham radio. I might want to take a nursing assistant course, or maybe re-learn how to can, or maybe learn to crochet, or maybe something else. I could re-take CPR training, or learn how to make a button-hole, or re-learn how to make bread. Ooo, or it might be fun to learn to make flour from grain! I’m unlikely to NEED that skill, but that is not really the point.
2. Figure out where podcasts are found and how to move them onto a device and how to listen to them. I keep hearing about podcasts, but I don’t get how it works. This is acquirable knowledge, and I am going to acquire it.
3. I’m going to send some money to NPR. Rob won an Alexa in a computer contest, and on the advice of my sister-in-law I started asking Alexa to tell me the news each morning while I was making coffee and getting breakfast. She (the Alexa) gives me an NPR news summary, and it is exactly the amount of news I want. I keep forgetting to go online and give NPR some monetary appreciation.
I have an andoid, a googley one, so I go to the play store, and got *free* podcast republic. I have tons of podcasts (you just search for them by name, it’s good to ask people with good taste what they enjoy because otherwise IT’S JUST SEA OF MAYBE GOOD MAYBE AWFUL STUFF): I really like: the moth, my dad wrote a porno (which is unsafe for children but, omg, funny), gastropod (food, and soothing female voices) and radio lab. I enjoyed the first Serial but haven’t listened to the 2nd and I have a bunch more but a few aren’t safe for children so I have limited time for that sort of thing. Gastropod is FASCINATING and it was a good 3 weeks or so before I ran out of episodes – does the type of metal in your utensil affect the taste of food? kelp! vertical farming in the ocean, honey. So good.
Love these resolutions! 2016 was the year of podcasts for me. It has literally changed my life. When you’re ready, please do a podcast recommendations post….I’d love to give suggestions and I’d love to hear other’s suggestions. Happy New Year! ❤
Love these resolutions! 2016 was the year of podcasts for me. It has literally changed my life. When you’re ready, please do a podcast recommendations post….I’d love to give suggestions and I’d love to hear other’s suggestions. Happy New Year! ❤
Here is a great, easy link on getting started with podcasts. It even has pictures.
http://m.wikihow.com/Subscribe-to-Podcasts-With-iTunes
When you through it, you will have a Podcasts icon on your phone. I click on that and it shows me all that I’ve subscribed to so I can see which has a new one to listen to. It’s been very pleasurable to me to find voices I want in my life.
Wow I just checked my phone and I see the app and now I am listening to a podcast! Thank you!
I also have an Android and use BeyondPod to subscribe and listen to podcasts. Most of the NPR shows have podcasts, so that can be a place to start. I subscribe to about 20 shows, and my current favorites are Pop Culture Happy Hour, On the Media, Reply All, The National Conversation About Conversations About Race, and Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. You Must Remember This is also really good if you’re into old movies. And Judge John Hodgman is fun (but slightly insufferable at times). For politics, I like NPR Politics and Keepin It 1600.
I don’t listen to it, but there’s also a show called The Big Listen, which highlights different shows. That might also be a place to start finding stuff you like.
Podcasts are great. I listen to them while I putter around doing dishes or folding laundry, but I know people listen to them as they walk around running errands too. Some listen in the car and I’m not sure how that works.
Anyway, for my Android phone, I downloaded the app “Podkicker,” which is very easy to use. Then using the app, you search for the podcasts you like (since I have small children, I like “One Bad Mother”, as well as Fresh Air and This American Life from NPR), and it shows you all the episodes to listen to. You can choose to stream via the Internet or download to your phone. It only takes a few seconds to download. Then you put in headphones (or not, it can just play via your phone speaker) and press play, and voila.
To listen in the car, plug in your phone, click Audio on your car stereo, and find the podcast you want on your phone. It’s not any different from listening to music from your phone.
That sounds like just the right amount of news!
When I first started listening to podcasts I told myself I would only listen when exercising, but I started cheating quickly so now I just listen during my insufferable driving job. Makes the time go by faster. I like listening to advice columns, storytelling, and productivity shows (purely aspirational.)
My 2017 resolutions are: 1. put your money where your heart is, and 2. learn to read again. The first is an attempt to actually vote with my wallet: send that (small, manageable) monthly donation to planned parenthood, subscribe to NYT, stop buying cheap Nestle-owned icecream and shell out for the expensive local stuff I can feel good about. The second is to stop only reading things on a screen and actually hold a book in my hand and read it for more than forty-eight seconds without my mind wandering. I can do this.
I had to teach myself how to read again (in the way you describe) a year or so ago too. I won’t lie, it was *so* frustrating in the beginning. I felt like I couldn’t go more than a few pages without longing for a distraction, no matter how good the book. And this from someone who used to read SO MUCH! But I kept with it and now I’m back to being able to read hours at a time (only getting up for bathroom breaks or a new pot of tea), even academic books that aren’t exactly as gripping as novels can be, and I love it. Good luck with this resolution, I promise you it’s worth it!
I love podcasts. I’ve listened to public radio for years, but podcasts are nice because I can focus on things I’m actually interested in, listen when I want, and rewind (critical due to child interruptions).
I really like Stuff You Missed in History Class. The hosts are charming and I feel like I’m learning something. I also like a lot of the weirder docudrama type stuff (Black Tapes, Limetown, the Message, Night Vale) but these are certainly a matter of taste. The nice thing is there is something for everyone.
I don’t think the year will ever sound normal to me again. Everything beyond 2012 registers as “future imaginary year” in my head before I remember, no, it is in fact 2017.
I like missed in history too!! I would be so bold as to highly recommend that for you Swistle.
There is also stuff mom never told you, by the same how it works people, very similar to stiff you missed in history but more female oriented? kinda. I love it
We got an Echo for Christmas and it has been SUPER great for the ‘tell me the news’ and ‘tell me the weather’ part of it. It’s also been ‘great’ for my five year old to listen to as much Trolls soundtrack as she wants to, soooo not all rainbows, ha! I agree with everyone, get the Podcasts app, whatever that is on your type of phone. My husband always looks at the most popular, but I type in search words, like, “comedy” or “real housewives”, or “unsolved murder” or whatever. If you subscribe to the weekly ones, you can have them download and then you don’t use data when you listen to them, which is nice. I have some that I really like a lot, my reading has gone down but my enjoyment levels have gone up! Happy new year!
My kids like to add potty-mouth things to Alexa’s shopping list, and then ask her to read them back. So fun. I subscribe to NPR in my blog reader (feedly) so I keep up with headlines, at least, that way. I used to listen to a podcast called “Sleep with me” which is basically just a guy with a really boring voice that talks nonsense to you and helps you fall asleep. Really good for the middle of the night if you’re stressing.
Favorite bit: January is grim enough.
The college stuff got me kind of teary. My kiddo will be class of 2031 which seems impossibly far away. And yet it will be here in an eyeblink.
Your podcast resolution intrigues me as I have also remained on the outside of that particular media consumption method.
One Bad Mother shout out!
I LOVE podcasts. I starting downloading episodes of Radiolab to my mp3 player back in 2010 when I had my second child, and I’ve never looked back. I really love to listen to them if I’m doing any kind of housework or yard work, on long walks, and while making meals. Dinner and a podcast is my zen time.
They are also sanity saving if you are stuck up in the night with a kid, putting the kids to bed (presuming you have children young enough that your presence is still required), or if you are nursing/stuck under a sleeping baby.
There truly is a podcast out there for pretty much any interest, but as Alyson said, they certainly are not all good. However, if you start with ones made by shows that had a previous time slot on NPR radio programming (Fresh Air, This American Life, Radiolab, anything by WNYC) you will get a quality product.
Personal favorites of mine are Radiolab, Stuff Your Should Know, One Bad Mother, How to Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black, WTF (Marc Maron’s podcast), Lore, Invisibilia, The TED Radio Hour, Hidden Brain, Fresh Air, This American Life, Reply All, Mystery Show, The Memory Palace, 99% Invisible, Science VS, Freakonomics Radio, How to Do Everything, Death, Sex & Money, No Such Thing as a Fish, Answer Me This!, Snap Judgment, and, of course, Serial.
I listen on my IPod Touch, as I’m often doing something busy and have it strapped to my arm and I don’t want to be interrupted.
I would like to second the motion that once you try it out, you do a podcast post!
Mystery show was cancelled, though, no? which, It’s great for however many episodes exist but then is sad because it’s done! and, Starlee Kine! love.
Was it actually canceled? It just….disappeared. So bummed.
How odd! Only a day after I posted that, I was listening to another podcast from Gimlet and heard Alex give a short statement about the Mystery Show:
“On this podcast, we are transparent about a lot of things, but there are certain things that need to remain private. What I can tell you is, I’m really, really sad. And I wish Starlee all the best.”
So I googled around and found this:
https://medium.com/@StarleeKine/hi-everyone-2c140c11488c#.mcg8fh641
Bummer!
Oh, also NPR has a free app called NPR One, which is kind of like a Spotify/Pandora except for podcasts and programs put out by NPR, that provides personal recommendations based on the things you listened to and liked. I’ve never used it, but I’ve heard it advertised a bunch.
Also, there are few larger podcast business, or collectives, out there now who are the umbrella company for a suite of podcasts. The few I can think of are those done by PRX (Public Radio Exchange)–such as all the podcasts under the Radiotopia banner–many of which are excellent, those produced by Gimlet Media, WYNC Studios, and those that are done under the Maximum Fun Network. At least in the Apple podcast app you can search by these larger banner company names and be directed to the entire catalog produced by that company.
I’ve heard about some podcasts but haven’t really looked into any. I do listen to a radio show podcast – via their website (it’s called The Bob & Sherry Show) and I really like it. Thanks to your readers suggestions, I may look into getting an app and search out some different ones. Yes, once you get the hang out of it, write us a podcast post.
Congrats to Rob on the acceptance to A&M; that’s huge!! I’m sure the other letters will come trickling in soon.
Hmm, let’s see. My resolutions are to give more (time via volunteering, money via donations to causes I believe in), move more (looking up hiking trails near me today!), and be more mindful about where my dollars go — companies that speak up for values I believe in can expect more patronage from me in the coming years!
My husband and I are also house hunting, but in the meantime I want to give a little love to our current apartment and make it as homey as we can. There’s no guarantee we’ll find a new house this year (we have been searching for 6 months already!) and I want to feel appreciative of the place we live in now, even with its faults, because we are so lucky to have it.
NPR has so many amazing podcasts! As does Slate! And Gimlet! I listen to basically all the podcasts – or 115 of them, at least :)
Oooooh – definitely listen to Making Oprah as one of the first few you check out. It’s not an ongoing podcast, just a short 3-episode thing (with 3 bonus episodes) and it was amazing.
Congrats to Rob, and happy new year, Swistle. :)
A&M is a great school, and College Station is a fun town. There are at least two big Swistle readers located here :D So congratulations to Rob, and I’m sure many more offers will come in for him soon!
I use Stitcher for podcasts. If there’s something you love (like Splendid Table on NPR), search for it and often there’s a podcast. My favorite is Gastropod (need to send them some support), and my runner up is America’s Test Kitchen.
How do you like the Alexa? I’ve been thinking about getting one, but I’m not sure if I’d use it enough to justify spending the money. (When I got a phone with Siri, for example, I thought it was the COOLEST THING, but now I only ever use it if I’m driving and I need to send a text to tell someone I’m running late.) But an Alexa seems like it would be fun in a “the future is now!” sort of way.
I’m not much of a podcast person, so sadly I don’t have any to recommend to you. (Welcome to Night Vale is the only one I’ve ever gotten into, but it’s so strange and out-there I feel a little weird recommending it to people.) But I do have some New Year’s resolutions/goals for 2017!
1) Start grad school. This is, of course, contingent on whether or not I get into grad school.
2) Travel somewhere I’ve never been before. (I kind of cheated on this one, since I already know I’ll be traveling somewhere new in the spring. Maybe I should change it to, “Travel somewhere I’ve never been before, not including that place.”)
3) Finish knitting at least one of the sweaters I’ve started. I have several partially-finished sweaters and exactly one that is finished enough to wear.
4) Increase my average daily Fitbit steps to 1,000 steps more than it is right now.
I really like the Alexa—except when the children are yelling at it trying to stump her or get her to give silly answers. I also feel a leeeeeetle bit nervous about having basically a listening device in the house. But…I do love asking for the news, the weather, a timer, the answer to a question, a song, a radio station. It definitely does have a “the future is now!” feeling!
Yes, I can see how the “try to make the computer say something silly” game would get to be quite irritating after a while. I work with middle schoolers, and they find that sort of thing hilaaaaaaarious. (My rule: it’s funny exactly one time, and then it’s no longer acceptable.) I do think it can be funny when Siri misunderstands me to the point of ridiculousness, but only when I’m not trying to make her say something silly on purpose.
I use the podcast app that’s built in on my iPhone. Podcasts are how I pass housework/cooking time. LOVE pretty much every NPR show turned podcast. This American Life, Fresh Air, there is a surprisingly good Alex Baldwin interview show from WNYC, Death/Sex/and Money, etc. I could go on all day! Serial season 1 is also a must listen if you haven’t yet. Keep us posted on what you listen to!
Weird Internet Stranger here—I’ve been reading and loving and verrrrry occasionally commenting on your blog since just after the twins were born (I think?!?!? In any case, my son is pretty much exactly their age, from what I can gather.) Getting legit teary at the thought of your firstborn getting his first college acceptance. Oh my goodness! Congratulations, Swistle! How wonderful and terrible at the same time. Can’t wait to see what happens next. :)
I hate the Apple podcast app. I use Overcast. It’s a free app and also accessible online [www.overcast.fm]. It also allows single downloads so you don’t have to subscribe to something if you only want to hear one episode. I’ll often do this if Terry Gross has an interesting guest on Fresh Air.
My two favorite have-to-listen-to-them-immediately podcasts are Gimlet’s Reply All and Awesome Ettiquette from the Emily Post Institute.
My goal in 2017 is to learn something fun. I was going to take an ASL class through community ed but spotted a multi-week game class I may take instead. They start with cribbage and each week is a new game based on what students want to learn.
I’m biased cause I’m a high school senior who will be a class of 2021 aggie, but A&M is a great school and the people in college station are so friendly. Overall it’s a diverse and well regarded school that can stand toe to toe with any other public university. Rob should definitely come to Cstat and be an Aggie in the fall
Congratulations to Rob!
I am making a list with one long-delayed task per month (hang mirror on closet door, take load of books to little free library across from food pantry). I’ve got other stuff I want to do, but I love checking things off, and I’m not going to make a list with 360-ish boxes to commemorate my daily plank. I could, but I”m not going to. So I guess my larger solution is to celebrate my slackness.
I use Stitcher for my podcasts. My current favorite is THE West Wing Weekly, if you’really a fan of the show (or interested in giving it a whirl). It’s kinda soothing in the current political climate. I listen to podcasts while I walk and while I crochet, so maybe you could knock out the podcast resolution and the learning a new skill resolution as the same time.
I highly recommend learning to crochet. I’m not very crafty, or coordinated, but I love to crochet. I learned about a year ago through a combination of YouTube (especially The Crochet Crowd videos) and having a friend show me the very basics. It’s also nice because although you can spend lots of money on crochethe, you can also get started with a $2 hook and a $3 skein of yarn.
Also, I should proofread my comments better.
Oh, this post is RIGHT UP MY ALLEY! First off, Happy New Year!
On college: Yes! The college I went to totally influenced my life direction–I met my husband there, settled down near my college (about 500 miles from my hometown), and now I work at the university. Waiting for acceptances is a pain but exciting. I hope you will be able to share which college he chooses (though I understand you may not).
Resolutions. Making jam is a super easy way to get into canning. You could use your black raspberries (was it you with the black raspberry bush in the backyard or am I thinking of another blogger?) I highly recommend that “practical skill” and I think I’m going to steal your resolution about learning new skills. Sewing is also easy/fun if you have a sewing machine lying around. I find it much more satisfying than crochet, personally. But it’s less portable. Maybe mending or embroidery would be fun too?
Podcasts. I LOVE me some podcasts. I think I’ve blogged my favorites. I’m no use on downloading etc as I just use the iPhone app but back in the days before phones doing everything I listened to podcasts directly from my desktop so you could start there.
NPR. Also a big fan. I started listening years ago because of This American Life (now a great podcast) and get most of my news from them. They (and all their podcasts) encourage you to give to your local station. I have it set up as a totally painless monthly donation to my local station (KXJZ) and then I can feel very smug during pledge drive but don’t have to actually call in or anything.
Phew, sorry for the long comment!
I don’t do it myself, but some of my friends really enjoy spinning yarn/thread. It definitely has that life skill vibe going for it, and they claim it’s like meditation.
Sadly, Gimlet did shut down Mystery Show! I was super bummed, because I loved the show and loved Starlee Kine from her previous reporting. But, my understanding is that they are working on a way for Starlee to perhaps take the show and produce it somewhere else, or on her own. Either way, the existing episodes are all self contained, and SO worth a listen.
I recently found some “Learn to Crochet for Beginners” tutorials that look very helpful and are conveniently located in one spot: http://www.mooglyblog.com/learn-how-to-crochet/
I was going to say Stitcher as well, for podcasts. I love Invisibilia, Radiolab, Hidden Brain, Serial, More Perfect, Stuff you Missed in History Class. I also listen to Sword and Scale, but it’s not for everyone – it’s a true crime podcast and can have some disturbing stuff in it. I discovered podcasts last year and I love them.
I’m also an NPR sustaining donor membership person! It’s cheap (you can pick your price but I started with $5/month and now do $10/month) and like Melissa H, then I can feel slightly high and mighty when they do their annoying pledge drives. Now when I’m like “UGH can we get BACK to regular programming yet?!?” I have already done my part. Before I just felt like a jerk. Also they have pretty sweet thank you gifts for donating–I have a t-shirt and 2 really cool pint glasses.
Anyway! That’s very exciting Rob got into A&M! It’s a great school and although I’m not an Aggie I’m down here in TX so I feel the need to rep for our state! (We need more normal people. Please. Anyone??)
Podcasts, yay! I’m really into:
* Made of Human (Sofie Hagan talks to fellow introverts about mental health and being a person)
* The Longest Shortest Time (parenting from all sorts of angles),
* The Guilty Feminist (comedy about being feminists),
* Global Pillage (British-based panel show about global diversity),
* Answer Me This (British comedy advice show with questions from listeners)
* This American Life
Also, good job to Rob on getting into college!
I love podcasts; they make chores and exercising so much more enjoyable! I downloaded a free app “Podcast Republic.” It’s a little tricky to navigate, but just play around and you’ll figure it out. I subscribe to (in order of favorites)
No Such Thing as a Fish
Futility Closet
Savage Lovecast
The Mortified Podcast
Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me
StoryCorps
99% Invisible
All Songs Considered
Song of the Day (MPR)
KCRW’s Today’s Top Tune
KEXP Song of the Day
The Longest Shortest Time
The Hilarious World of Depression
The League of Awkward Unicorns
(I also just subscribed to The JOY Factor; haven’t listened yet)
You can also search for episodes without subscribing. For instance, I wanted to hear the Fresh Air interview with Carrie Fisher, so I got it, downloaded, and listened without having all episodes come at me.
Enjoy!
Gig ’em! Class of 1999 Aggie here!
Congrats to Rob, hopefully he’ll hear back soon from more places.