There goes the car

I am car-less this week. Not because it’s done a Renault Captur on me, but because the youngest has gone to study camp in it.

It was a blessed relief not to have to drive an hour to drop the youngest at study camp, then drive an hour home, then drive back on Saturday to collect her.

However, it does mean my wings are a little clipped. Fortunately I live in a very convenient location, so when I decided to go to a 6.30pm Pump class last night it was just quick bus ride there.

I ambled back afterwards due to the lack of motherly commitments at home, which felt pretty zen despite all the traffic noise on the busy route.

The opposite of zen was watching a few episodes of the new Netflix series everyone is raving about – Beef. Beef is a black comedy that starts with a road-rage incident and stars comedian Ali Wong.

I’m not a big fan. It’s supposed to be one of the best shows of the year and I think Ali is hilarious, so I was expecting to love it, but it didn’t grab me. I found all the unhappiness and ugly behaviour deeply unsettling.

While the main character Amy’s frustration and repressed anger from hiding her true feelings and the pressure she felt to people please spoke to me, the unhinged rage that resulted from it didn’t.

I would rather escape into Wellmania, which I mainlined last week. It reminds me of the book I wanted to write many years ago about a journalist who ends up in rehab.

As the ABC notes, the main character Liv (played by Celeste Barber) is a “hard-partying, workaholic, borderline narcissist willing to say anything if it means she gets what she wants”. That’s what journalism can do to you if you’re not careful …

I was totally sucked into the storyline and I thought all the actors did such an awesome job, particularly Celeste. The dialogue is brilliant too.

It was much more on my wavelength.

Have you watched either of the shows? What did you think of them?

PS Speaking of Wellmania and Pump classes … I’m hoping yesterday was the start of a health kick, as there are some cossie-wearing holidays in my future … stay tuned for the exciting details …

Song of the day: Olivia Newton-John “Physical”