The Best of March 2025

Considering how bad January and February were, it’s kind of a miracle that this past month was so full of good things. I had the best birthday (of my life?) and it feels like there’s so much hope. Am I deluding myself? Anything is possible! But I’m going to try and ride this high as long as I can. Here’s what went down last month.

• The best tweets of the month can be found over here.

• I made these cottage cheese crackers that are ridiculously good. I’ll put the recipe below because I got it from someone’s mom on Facebook (jesus, that’s the most I-just-turned-40 statement I’ve made so far).

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Cottage cheese crackers

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I brush the parchment paper with olive oil as well so that nothing sticks

• Speaking of turning 40, Nathan took me to Turks and Caicos to celebrate and it was an incredible trip. I should probably do a post about it. Yeah, I’ll do that. Stay tuned.

• I finally visited The New York Earth Room art exhibit that’s been going on for decades and it was very neat.

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The New York Earth Room art exhibit

• Discovered the secret to amazing chicken parm: get bone-in. Changes the entire game.

• I got these brown wedge heels from Target that I am currently living in, I love them so much. Might get them in black, too. I also bought this comically large bed pillow that might fix my life.

• Lord, how I missed the Hillstone caesar salad.

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Hillstone caesar salad

• Nathan and I have started picking up garbage around our neighborhood twice a week and it’s been great. He got a trash grabber stick months ago, and it might seem insane but it makes us feel pretty good.

• Some things I watched:

  • The Monkey - hated majority of it. And I realized just how much I loathe this new genre of body-harm horror. It’s gaining traction and I can’t stand it (think Hereditary, Smile 2 etc.)

  • I’m all caught up on The White Lotus and this season isn’t the greatest, so that’s been disappointing.

• I’ve really been considering whether or not I should go to Dollywood this year. It’s the 40th anniversary (which we share), so that’s why I was thinking about it. Just a thought.

• I saw The Jonathan Larsan Project (so good) and Buena Vista Social Club (stellar). I didn’t realize how much I really missed going to shows.

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• I’ve been using the Trader Joe’s facial sunscreen (the Goop dupe) for a few years now, but I saw actual proof of how good it is recently. When I was on vacation, I guess I forgot to sunscreen the very top part of my forehead and to see the difference between that small area and the rest of my sunscreened face after an afternoon in the sun? Wow. This stuff is a holy grail product.

• I am in love with these duos that Target keeps releasing each season (below).

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Friends

• I had lunch at La Mercerie and it was good, I don’t know that I’d ever need to go back but it was fine. The older I get, the more I tend to be annoyed at trendy places.

• I’m still making these GF bean muffins constantly. Yes they sound disgusting, but they might be the best chocolate chip muffins I’ve ever had. I should stop telling people that they have beans in them.

• I did a spring french tip manicure and it turned out pretty good!

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Spring french tips

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: it’ll be nice to pack away my winter clothing, I have to start looking for wedding guest dresses and I’d really like to make this firecracker chicken again.

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A post shared by Liz Heather (@lizheather)

You can read last month’s roundup over here.

December Dalliances 2022

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Christmas Eve view, December 2022

• You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here. (I also made a list of my very favourite Christmas tweets.)

• I recapped my autumn list of things to do and made a new seasonal list of things I’d like to do this winter.

• I compiled my favourite photos of 2022.

• I finally wrote about my trip to Las Vegas from back in September.

• I read and reviewed Dave Grohl’s memoir.

• I went to the newly opened (and fantastic) Museum of Broadway.

• I got a seasonal latte at Elevenses Cafe in Astoria and it was very cute, I’d go again.

• I have fallen in love with The Body Shop’s new scent Wild Pine. I’m fearful that it may be a seasonal scent, so I’ve already stocked up.

• I ate at Soothr and it was so, so good. Love a new thai place.

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Paul at Soothr, NYC

• Some things I watched this month:

  • The Santa Clauses (the new Tim Allen show): Ugh, it was terrible. Maybe I’m not the audience it’s supposed to be for, but still - just a stinkfest.

  • Jack Frost: I love Michael Keaton, but I just couldn’t get past the first half hour. It’s way too sad.

  • The Crown (seasons 3-5): Loved the season three Wales episode. The moon landing one was also perfect. It’s a great show, but extremely depressing if you’re binging it over a short period of time.

  • Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?: God, I hated it. Netflix has this annoying habit of making documentary series out of things that could easily be 40 minutes long and it is obnoxious as hell. You do not need to watch this. Read the Wikipedia page about it instead, you’ll save yourself so much wasted time.

• I was looking up trivia for the movie Scrooged and learned that the childhood house in the movie is a real place in Queens! So obviously I walked over to see it in person. Insanity that it hasn’t changed after all of this time.

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Frank Cross’ childhood home from Scrooged (1988) in Queens, New York

• I won a lottery ticket to see A Christmas Carol on Broadway and… YIKES. I can’t describe how bad it was. First of all, IT WAS A ONE MAN SHOW. And I didn’t know that beforehand, so yes that’s my fault. But oh my god, it was agony.

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A Christmas Carol on Broadway in New York, December 2022

• Are we all aware of how garbage the brand Silani is? I tried it for the first time and lord was it bad. Never again. Spend the extra dollar and eat something edible.

• I watched the final World Cup game with my parents and I’m glad France lost, give others a chance to win too, ya know?

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World Cup final with my parents, December 2022

• I will never be above latte art.

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Latte art from San Remo’s in Etobicoke, Ontario

• I went to Bell, Book & Candle for some Christmas themed drinks and it was great. Love a divey, but good bar.

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With Irene at Bell, Book & Candle, NYC

• Is it even Christmas if I don’t make Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies? I also made a few batches of Alison Roman’s amazing chocolate chunk shortbread cookies that were a big hit.

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The Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies from Ambitious Kitchen

• Obviously I went to my parent’s house for Christmas and it was exactly what I wanted & needed.

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My nephews watching Jingle All The Way, December 2022

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My mom’s Christmas window can’t be beat

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Christmas Day, December 2022

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Our Christmas tree

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Snowfall before Christmas is everything to me

• Went ice skating for the first time in twenty years and it was great. Think I’m gonna buy some skates and make this a yearly thing.

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Ice skating at Celebration Square in Mississauga, Ontario

• Jackbox and Nintendo Switch games remain the perfect family activity around the holidays.

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The game Use Your Words on Nintendo Switch

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The game Use Your Words on Nintendo Switch

• My mom and I saw a wild fox in her backyard and it. was. incredible. It was just playing in the snow and I can’t believe we got to see him/her.

• Winter skies might be the best skies.

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December 2022

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If only I could bottle this kind of blue and keep it in my pocket

• I made the Christmas tree spinach and artichoke dip and it was a hit. It did not look pretty, but the flavours were great.

• I also made a leftover turkey sandwich with STUFFING WAFFLES and it was so, so good. Again it photographed rough, but tasted incredible. I used this recipe to make the waffles. Definitely have to do this again.

• The main reason to go to the Union Square Holiday Market? Duck confit poutine at Duck Season. It’s honestly a better poutine than some Canadian places.

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Duck confit poutine at Duck Season in NYC

• I fell absolutely in love with the newest Bob’s Burgers Christmas episode, The Plight Before Christmas.

• Crate & Barrel continues to have the cutest fabric Christmas ornaments.

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Harry Potter-looking cat ornament at Crate & Barrel

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Fabric snowman ornament at Crate & Barrel

• Trader Joe’s had Christmas wreaths this year, so I got one and it was perfect. It makes me feel so together to have a wreath on my door. I still have it up. I don’t want to say goodbye.

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Christmas wreath from Trader Joe’s

• I went to see Noah Baumbach talk about his new movie White Noise at a NYPL event and it was very all right. I wish he’d talked more about older movies of his that I’ve loved, but I guess it makes sense that he didn’t since he was promoting this one.

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Noah Baumbach speaking at an NYPL event promoting White Noise, December 2022

• The candy cane cold brew from Blank Street? Unparalleled.

• One of my favourite things to do in December in New York is to walk around the city looking at the holiday lights and listen to that Darlene Love song on repeat.

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The Rockefeller Christmas Tree, December 2022

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Saks holiday lights, December 2022

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Macy’s holiday decorations, December 2022

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Holiday taxi display on Fifth Avenue, December 2022

• I went to Essex Market to see their Gingerbread Village display, which was cute but I wish it was bigger. And since I was there, I took a look at the sandwich menu at Shopsin’s and holy christ I need to go back.

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Gingerbread Village at Essex Market in NYC, December 2022

• Nothing better than a Boxing Day puzzle.

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Boxing Day, December 2022

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going to get real dressed up and go see Moulin Rouge on Broadway with my friend Diana, I’m excited about seeing the Restaurant Week menus for this season, I’m going to start using this first-of-the-month checklist again, Classpass is doing a free monthly promotion right now so I’ll keep doing that until it starts charging again, and I really can’t wait to make this lasagna soup.

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The Heathers 2022

If you have any interest in the other monthly roundups of 2022, they can be found here: November 2022, October 2022, September 2022, August 2022, July 2022, June 2022, May 2022, April 2022, March 2022, February 2022 & January 2022.

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Baby Dog, December 2022

March Magic 2022

“Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom.”

— Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Sometimes I write these monthly posts and think, “How the hell did I do all of that in one month?” I mean, obviously I love it but sometimes it just seems bewildering that I get to do all of these things that make me so happy. I wish I could go back in time and tell kid Liz what a sweet life she’ll have. She’d never believe it. Anywaaaay, maybe that paragraph should’ve been a diary entry…? Here’s what went down in March, babies.

• The best tweets of March can be found over here and here.

• I recapped what I did from my winter list of things to do.

• I made a spring list of things I want to do.

• I wrote about the fashion exhibit on now at The Met (In America: A Lexicon of Fashion).

• I tried out the new Vicks bath salts and they are incredible. I know that all bath salts hit hard, but these? Just beyond relaxing. I also tried the Vicks scented Puffs tissue paper and oh my god. Take all my money, Vicks. Such a genius idea to incorporate that smell when you blow your nose.

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Puffs with Vicks

• I went to the downtown location of Eataly and it’s less chaotic than the Flatiron one. And I don’t hate Eataly, but you definitely have to know why to go here. It’s overpriced and terrible if you’re going for a sit down meal or even their pre-packaged meals. But if you’re going for high quality dried pasta, incredible canned tomatoes and specialty items like anchovy paste and canned seafood, then it’s a cook’s dream.

• I dyed my hair even blonder and… I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to natural. I love this look so much. I think my goal this year is to… become… untouchable?

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• The New York Times had a piece on the former mayor of Mississauga, Hazel McCallion!

• Sometimes I like to sit in Barnes & Noble and peruse the cookbooks for inspiration and meal ideas since one day B&N will definitely go bankrupt and cease to exist. I give it ten more years, max. So in the meantime, I will take advantage. I looked through The Pepper Thai Cookbook (Chrissy Teigen’s mom) and it wasn’t anything special. I swear, her and her daughter make 90% of their recipes with fish sauce. And look, fish sauce is great when used sparsely, but it’s enough already. I also looked through The Milk Bar cookbook and again, nothing special.

• I got coffee at the fancy coffee place Felix Roasting Co. and yes it’s a pretty space, but they really need to clean the fabric of their booths because they look ROUGH. I can’t stand it when a business puts so much effort and time into creating a different, beautiful space and then there is zero upkeep. Why spend all that money up front and then get lazy with the actual management of the place? It’s such a waste. And not to be a bitch, but the Starbucks flat white is better than whatever they’re serving here. Never again. And if you’d like to see the most pretentious coffee shop menu of all time, gently look below.

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$15 for a S’MORES LATTE? We’ve entered hell on earth.

• I can never find them, but damn those North Fork BBQ potato chips are everything.

• Kind of over-the-moon in love with this Levi’s x The Simpsons collab. God, that cloud vest is perfect.

• Obviously, you know how Ulta & Sephora give you a birthday gift during your birthday month, so add Kiehl’s to that list now too. Got their pear scented lip balm for free.

• My brothers and I all surprised my mom and came to Canada for her 70th birthday and it was so nice. Can’t believe it actually happened.

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The Heathers, March 2022

• I bought this fake suede green coat from Zara that is the absolute softest and will be completely ruined if it rains.

• I tried the new croissant croutons from Trader Joe’s and they taste like little butter cubes. Just an insane amount of butter in these. They should’ve crumbled these up and sold them as a croissant breadcrumb instead. But what do I know (other than everything).

• Every single time I go to Mimi Cheng’s, I remember how much I love them all over again. Not really for their every day items, but their monthly specials are always incredible. In March they had French onion soup dumplings that were so intensely flavourful, they didn’t even need a dipping sauce. Love this place.

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• My best friend Harmeet was visiting, so we had drinks at The Palm Court at The Plaza before going over to see Plaza Suite on Broadway (her idea to do both, a genius one at that). The play was too good. When did they start letting you order a whole bottle of wine to take to your seat? Love that. And Sarah Jessica Parker was magnificent, but Matthew Broderick? Not so great! He just seemed… tired. Or unenthusiastic. Which seems weird because doesn’t he have tons of Broadway experience?

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• I had my steak Diane at The Dowlings at The Carlyle and it was divine. Ordered the raviolo carbonara, the wedge salad and the table-side flambéed steak and what a glorious night it was. The Carlyle is such a beautiful hotel, I love that they still have mail chutes prominently shown (below).

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I love embossed butter (at Dowlings At The Carlyle, NYC)

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Appetizers, Dowlings At The Carlyle, NYC

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Mail chute at The Carlyle, March 2022

• I had lunch at Robert for the first time and it was perfectly all right. The food/service/view were all good, but who decorated this place? Bit of a yikes situation with the colour scheme.

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Robert dining room, NYC

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View onto Columbus Circle from Robert, NYC

• This week in things that are too beautiful + too expensive:

  • This gorgeous Marchesa Notte Greer Gown

  • This breathtaking neon Coach purse

  • I would wear this to fill my bird feeder

  • Oh my god, THE BEADING
    

• I’ve mentioned my love of Bread Alone bakery (they always have a stand at the Union Square farmer’s market), but I hadn’t tried their oat chocolate chip cookie until now and it’s even better than the basic chocolate chip one. They also have incredible whole wheat sourdough.

• I saw the Harry Potter play (SPOILERS) even though I’ve never read the books nor cared about the movies, so maybe that’s why I didn’t love it. One standout part, though? Those damn dementors, they were WILD. Do not see this play high. The effects of them were true insanity and if you liked the series even 1%, this is the main reason to see the play.

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• I love the spring collection of colours that Essie puts out and my favourite colour right now is definitely their Well Nested Energy.

• I had the Vallata lunch special ($29 for a pasta & glass of wine) which was really, really good. Especially for that price. In 2022. Couldn’t believe it. I’m sure it won’t last.

• Sweetest Irene treated me to birthday dinner at Rezdôra (I’ve been dying to go here for ages) and it was phenomenal. We had the Cacio E Pepe in Emilia, this puffed up prosciutto thing and some toasted bread to start and then for our entrees, the truffle Raviolo (the giant raviolo with black truffles), the Grandma Walking Through Forest in Emilia (the green pasta), and the Maccheroni al Pettine with duck ragu (truly heaven on earth). NOTE: I just noticed on their new, updated menu that the duck ragu is gone and replaced with a sausage ragu! I’ve already sent out an email to those in charge questioning this decision. I’ll do everything in my power to get it back on that menu.

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Cacio E Pepe in Emilia, Rezdôra NYC, March 2022

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Truffle Raviolo (the giant raviolo with black truffles), the Grandma Walking Through Forest in Emilia (the green pasta), the Maccheroni al Pettine with duck ragu, Rezdôra NYC, March 2022

• Things I’ve Watched:

  • To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday: Okay, I watched this because I was turning 37 this month and I thought “that sounds fun” so of course it wasn’t. Spoiler but Gillian IS DEAD. She died on her 35th birthday! I had no idea the whole movie was about the grief of her death, so obviously this wasn’t a fun watch. Also, all the gross flirting with minors was… a lot.

  • Malice: Okay, do you know anything about this movie? If not, don’t look it up. Just watch it. I was ON CLOUD NINE watching this one. So many twists, there’s a great Alec Baldwin monologue in it, it’s just a party of a movie. Especially if you love early 90s semi-sexy psychological thrillers, WHICH I DO. Such a great movie.

  • Impeachment: Great watch. Started watching it at the airport out of boredom and then it really picked up. Fully recommend.

• I tried these great Vicks-like patches called Salonpas that you can stick on any area that needs pain relief but without the stickiness of an ointment.

• I visited Argosy Book Store (one of the oldest book stores in NYC) and it’s wild that this place has managed to stay alive.

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Argosy Book Store, March 2022

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Argosy Book Store, March 2022

• Did you know that every night at 11:57pm, fifteen screens in Times Square shut down at the same time and display art for three minutes? It’s called the Midnight Moment.

• This Welsh restaurant in Astoria Snowdonia has started to do tacos on Tuesday that are beyond incredible, especially the lamb.

• I’m over the moon that Manhatta finally reopened, so Nathan and I went for my birthday and it’s still as beautiful as ever. So thankful they were able to reopen.

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Cocktail menu at Manhatta, NYC, March 2022

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View from Manhatta, NYC, March 2022

• So my dear friend Diana and I had brunch together and I found potentially my favourite burger (au poivre) in all of NYC at Raoul’s and I can’t recommend it enough. They only serve it for brunch on the weekends and then a limited amount at the bar on week days. Find this burger. Eat this burger. This is your only option. Christ, it’s a revelation.

• Since when did Tim Hortons bring back the apple fritter? So messy and good. Not better than San Remo’s, but a respectable alternative. Now all they need to bring back are the salted caramel Timbits and I’ll stop complaining.

• I made this lemon orzo with peas and parmesan and it tasted so flat, it was weird. I love all those ingredients in it, I was just confused eating it. It’s like when you meet someone you think is so gorgeous and you talk to them and there’s zero chemistry. Like, what the fuck… we coulda been something here.

• I made this crazy easy lasagna (with jarred sauce instead of tomatoes) last minute and it came out great. Love a fast lasagna. No one has time for a béchamel sauce.

• One of the best dishes I’ve eaten in a loooong time: the roasted corn and couscous risotto with parmesan from Glass House Tavern. Holy hell, was it good.

• I made scallops for the first time at home and they tasted so ordinary. They might just be one of those dishes that taste better when somebody else makes it.

• Some spring inspired recipes I’d love to make soon:

  • Caprese Pesto Orzo Bake

  • Couscous Bowls with Lemon Feta Vinaigrette

  • Truffled Garlic Bread with Ricotta

• So I saw one of the best plays I’ve ever seen on Broadway: Birthday Candles with Debra Messing. I wrote about it here, but oh my god. I laughed, I cried, I can’t believe how good it was.

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Things I’m looking forward to: I’ve gone to the open galleries in Chelsea on Thursdays but I didn’t know that on the third Thursday of every month most of the galleries on the Lower East Side remain open from 4pm-8pm so I’m definitely going to do that if the weather’s nice, I’m excited for all the rain that’s coming (does this sound insane?) because it’s a known fact that spring rain is the least depressing rain, and I really want to make a dent in my “movies to watch” list.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in February, come on over here.

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