This edition of Other Things is little different than any other except for the names of the things it contains. Life has been a parade of the usual.Food. Adventures. Books. Movies. Television.Books. It's easy to tell when I'm having high-pain or low-concentration weeks. LOADS of fluffy romance.

• What the Duke Doesn't Know Jane Ashford.
• Bedding the Heiress Cathy Maxwell
• Silk is For Seduction, Scandal Wears Satin, Last Night's Scandal, Dukes Prefer Blondes, all by Loretta Chase

I have three indie SF ebooks on my TBR list, and also  Everfair by Nisi Shawl waiting patiently on my end table. I refuse to start Everfair until I can roll my brain around in it like a cat in catnip. Reading it when I can't focus would be like eating a bag of chips before going to a 5-star restaurant. A waste of a delight.In my ongoing "keep the brain cells from rotting" project...You Are Now Less Dumb David McRaney. Same great topics and ideas as the author's first book, same irritating second person present tense style. Tremendous introduction to the way neuroscience is confirming or refuting lots of assumptions about How Everyone Thinks. I highly recommend both books. This one is easier to chew on because it's presented with clear, potential strategies for getting around your own brain.Movies (and thumbnail reviews)

• LEGO Batman. In the theater, even. Tons of fun.
• Kubo & the Two Strings Amazing animation, delightful mythos, okay tale.
• Florence Foster Jenkins: Far more sensitive and uplifting than I expected.
• A Man Called Ove: A beautiful gem in the Crabby Sad Old Man subgenre. A cat features prominently. I adored it. (subtitles)
• The Girl On The Train: moody, complicated, and okay. I had trouble telling the two blondes apart and more trouble caring about any of them.
• Arrival: Perfectly decent introduction to a whole checklist of classic SF tropes I've seen handled a thousand different ways. (Why do first contact movies always take place in universes where--evidently-- no one ever thought about first contact?)

Yes, I was trying to get in some Oscar nominees in before the Oscars.TelevisionThe Academy Awards. I love listening to the red carpet snark best, followed by all the painfully awkward presentations. Watching the glitz and glitter is an interesting reality check, as in, "Nope. Not one of these people lives in the same reality I do."NCIS. It's a really long series, and I watch it between other activities. I do things other than watch TV and read things, I swear. It may not always seem like it even to me, but 'tis true.Adventures & DetoursSpouseman is undergoing radiation therapy as a follow-up to last year's prostate cancer surgery.  Main challenges include fatigue, inflammation aches, and general lower GI outrage.  I knew we would be going to a low-fiber, low gut activity diet--and why--but I still underestimated the challenges. It took a week, but we have determined which dining options are safe and yet still tasty. Many chicken and rice variations. Many mashed potato experiments. Breads and biscuits. I'm eating a lot of fruit sides because salads are off his menu. Desserts: chocolate covered dried bananas are okay. And ginger-based cookies.And paczki. Assorted custard pastries are both dietary-approved and gut-tolerable. Go figure. Poor man. Forced to eat treats and nap extensively.We are hoping things are stable for the next 3 weeks so we can avoid going full BRAT diet. (bananas, rice, applesauce & toast)  I mean, I do great applesauce, but it's a better accompaniment than main dish.That's all the all there is. I'll close with a pic of my pretty crocuses. They're up a month early, brave little creatures.