Five on Friday - An Ode to The Tortured Poets Department

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Happy Friday, y’all!  Well, as much as I’ve talked about it on Instagram this week, you probably all knew it was coming… Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, is my #1 favorite thing from the entire week.  Y’all.  I could go on all day about this album, and so, upon realizing that I had so much to say about it, I decided to dedicate today’s entire post to it. 

Originally, I was just going to put it in my number one spot for the week, but then I kept writing and writing… and writing, and it became too much for just one segment.  And so, here’s an entire blog post about an album that Taylor Swift wrote. 

Have I ever dedicated an entire blog post to an album before?  Nope.  Did I see this coming?  Honestly?  Nope.  But here we are.

And if you’re not a TS fan, please feel free to check out now and come back Monday.  Haha.

With regard to all of the questions about whether or not we are letting Olivia listen to it, the answer is yes.  She is a diehard Swiftie, and I couldn't bear to keep it from her.  However, much of the content on the album is explicit and/or about various life experiences that she doesn't quite understand.  So, she will not have access to the full version... instead, we downloaded the clean version for her.  

I chatted with a few of my friends who have daughters in Olivia's class at school, and they all said that they were downloading the clean versions for their daughters, too, so I know she'd hear it eventually even if we didn't give access to it to her at home since she hangs out/sleeps over at friends' houses often.  Not to mention it's all over the radio. 

The clean version removes all of the explicit words (Down Bad, I'm looking at you - F-Bombs galore!), and most of the rest of the album is okay except for a few select songs that have questionable content besides curse words.  I have been listening to it with her, and I told her if she has any questions she can ask, and so far, all she has asked about is what "petulance" means.  Hahahaha.  Most of the content is honestly going right over her head.  

We have also used the album for teachable moments, as I explained to her the other day that when Taylor says, "Your wife waters flowers.  I want to kill her." in the song "Fortnight" that she is obviously using hyperbole.  She understands that Taylor Swift does not actually want to kill someone's wife, and she also knows that it is not acceptable to say that we want to kill someone.    

With all that said, we are HUGE music fans in our house, and I have always been a big believer in the art of songwriting and music and self expression, and I was raised in a house where we were welcome to listen to every genre under the sun.  And that's why I think I appreciate music so much.  I also believe that our kids are mature enough to discern right from wrong, and I'm not concerned about Olivia being influenced negatively by this album in the least.  

I also believe that it's important for my little girl to see that it's okay for girls to be strong and powerful and creative and expressive and messy and vulnerable, and Taylor Swift is the epitome of all of those things.

I do also understand that many people have concerns about their girls listening to this new album, and that's okay, too!  You have to do what's best for you and your family.  <3

So those are my thoughts about the "momming" side of navigating the album for those of you who are asking.  Thank you for coming to my TED talk.  Hahahaha.

O N E – My Random Thoughts About It

For starters, not only did she release a new album, but she also surprised us with a double album, so instead of 16 songs at 1 hour and 5 minutes, we got 31 songs at 2 hours and 2 minutes.  Bravo, Taylor, bravo.  I did not see that coming.  What a gift.

From start to finish, this album is a masterpiece.  The lyrics to every single song are heartbreaking, relatable, PURE GENIUS, and I believe that this is absolutely her most vulnerable album yet.  She lays it all out there.

While Folklore is also heartbreaking, relatable, and genius, the vulnerability aspect wasn’t there for her personally because she claimed from the start that all of the lyrics on that album are… folklore.  So, while Folklore will always have my heart (it’s her magnum opus in my opinion), I do feel like TTPD has that extra layer of vulnerability that almost puts it in the top spot of Taylor Swift albums for me.  Almost. 

But Folklore remains my #1.

I have loved Folklore so much for so long (it’s in my top three favorite albums of all-time by any artist ever) that I didn’t think this album would come anywhere close to being in its league.  I’m so thrilled that it did.  She truly delivered. 

She does not hold back on this album, and parts of it are a bit unhinged (hello, I Can Do it With a Broken Heart and Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?), but I LOVE unhinged Taylor and I believe that this is some of her best work yet.  I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again, she is a lyrical genius… one of the best lyricists of all-time, and most definitely the greatest of our current time. 

I have listened to this album on repeat all week, and I just cannot get enough.  I want to crawl inside of it and stay there until I can sing every single word of every single song by heart.  It is that good.

 

T W O – Target Exclusive Vinyl

Not me buying the exclusive Phantom Clear vinyl from Target even though I don’t have a record player… 

But seriously, I couldn’t resist buying it, and I’m so glad I did.  There’s a 24-page book jacket inside and it is gorgeous.  And the summary poem that Taylor wrote at the end of the book.  Oh. My. Word.

I guess I need to buy a record player now.

 

T H R E E – My Favorite Songs/Lyrics on the Album

I have received no less than 30 DMs from y’all on Instagram asking what my favorite songs on the album are so far, so I finally took the time to put a list together.  I was originally going to share my Top 5, but that was impossible, so then I decided to share my Top 10.  There were still a few that I just couldn’t not have on my list, so I ended up making a Top 13, and that in itself should make all of you true Taylor Swift fans proud.  IYKYK. 

Without further ado, my Top 13 favorite songs on the album and my favorite lyrics from each…

 

1. loml – "You lowdown boy, you stand up guy, Holy Ghost, you told me I'm the love of your life.  You said I'm the love of our life, about a million times." // When your impressionist paintings of Heaven turned out to be fakes, well, you took me to hell, too." // “But I felt a hole like this never before, and ever since.” // "Our field of dreams, engulfed in fire, your arson's match, your somber eyes, and I'll still see it until the day I die.  You're the loss of my life."
2. Guilty as Sin? – “If it’s make believe why does it feel like a vow we’ll both uphold somehow?” // “What if the way you hold me is actually what’s holy?”
3. Fortnight – “I love you; it’s ruining my life.”
4. I Can Do It with a Broken Heart – “I cry a lot but I am so productive, it’s an art.”
5. I Look in People’s Windows – “Does it feel alright to not know me?  I’m addicted to the if only.” // “I look in people’s windows in case you’re at their table.  What if your eyes looked up and met mine one more time.”
6. Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? – “So, I leap from the gallows, and I levitate down your street, crash the party like a record scratch as I scream who’s afraid of little old me?  You should be.”
7. The Black Dog – "That was intertwined in the magic fabric of our dreaming, old habits die screaming." // “I move through the world with the heartbroken, my longings stay unspoken.”
8. The Alchemy – “Cause the sign on your heart said it’s still reserved for me, honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?”
9. I Hate it Here – “I hate it here so I will go to secret gardens in my mind, people need a key to get to, the only one is mine.” // “I’m lonely but I’m good, I’m bitter but I swear I’m fine, I’ll save all my romanticism for my inner life, and I’ll get lost on purpose.”
10. So High School – “And in the blink of a crinkling eye I’m sinking, our fingers entwined, cheeks pink in the twinkling lights.” // “I’m watching American Pie with you on a Saturday night, your friends are around, so be quiet.”
11. Down Bad – “Did you really beam me up in a cloud of sparkling dust just to do experiments on, tell me I was the chosen one, show me this world is bigger than us, then send me back where I came from.  For a moment I knew cosmic love.”
12. The Manuscript – “The only thing that’s left is the manuscript, one last souvenir from my trip to your shores, now and then I reread the manuscript, but the story isn’t mine anymore.”
13. thanK you aiMee – “I don’t think you’ve changed much and so I changed your name and any real defining clues, and one day, your kid comes home singin’ a song that only us two is gonna know is about you.”

 

EEEEK!  She is seriously just the best.  I would give anything to be able to write as well as she writes.

F O U R – Threads Posts from Fans That I Loved

In the days after the album came out, I was browsing Threads, and my entire feed was full of TTPD stuff because, of course.  Several comments from random fans stood out to me, so I screenshotted them because I agree whole-heartedly.

F I V E – Brands Jumping on Board the TTPD Train

And finally, did y’all see all of the big brands jumping on board the TTPD train?!  So good, y’all!  I screenshotted several of those to share, too.  

Friday Funnies

On the Blog This Week

 Our 2024 Disney World Vacation, Day 3 – Epcot

Our Week – The One with Kindness from a Stranger, New Plant Babies, TTPD, Pressure Washing, and Two Birthday Parties

Our 2024 Disney World Vacation, Day 4 – Animal Kingdom and Pool Day

 

Happy Friday, y’all!

*Linking up with A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites.

Our 2024 Disney World Vacation, Day 4 - Animal Kingdom and Pool Day

Happy Wednesday, y’all!  Today I’m recapping day four of our trip, and this was our day spent in Animal Kingdom and at the pool!  On our last Disney vacation we dedicated an entire day to Animal Kingdom and an entire day for the pool, but this year, we decided to combine the two days since we don’t usually need very much time in Animal Kingdom. 

If we hadn’t combined them, and we’d done an entire day for each, that would have also put us coming home on Sunday, and that was not appealing to me at all.  The thought of getting home in the evening on a Sunday from an exhausting trip and then not having a buffer day to sleep in, unpack, and do laundry sounded awful… I did not want to get back and then immediately have to wake up early and head back to school the next day!  So, we decided to cut our Animal Kingdom day in half and then spend the second half at the pool relaxing, and it ended up being perfect. 

Animal Kingdom day was another early one and we were up at 5:45 AM and walking to the bus by 6:45 AM.  Whew.  Doing rope drop every morning at the parks is not for the faint of heart.  ;o)  Also, it was freezing that morning – 57 degrees in Florida in April, WHAT?! – so we had to bundle up.

On the bus, B and I secured our first lightning lanes for the day – Avatar Flight of Passage and Kilimanjaro Safaris.  Those lines are always the longest, so it was nice to know that we were ready to go.  :o)

We arrived at Animal Kingdom and walked into the park right at 7:30 AM for early entry (for people staying in the park).  Then we made our way straight to the Tree of Life for PhotoPass pictures.  The lines are always short first thing in the morning, and you can usually get good shots without 84,000 people in the background.

Once that was done, we ran straight to Navi River Journey.  That line also gets very long later in the day, so we always run to that one first thing.  However, when we got there, we saw that the ride was down, so we decided to pivot and run all the way across the park to Expedition Everest so the boys could ride.  That line also gets very long, but thankfully, the boys were able to get right on.  Olivia had no desire to ride, and I wasn’t about to either with my vertigo, so we were happy to stand in the observation area and watch them. 

B texted me when they were boarding, so we were able to get a picture and a video of them coming down.  They’re in the second row.  That was Jacob’s first time riding that one, so we asked him what he thought when they came out, and he said, “Well, it was… thrilling.”  Haha.  Then he told us at one point he thinks he almost passed out.  Lol.  He recovered quickly, though, and he didn’t seem the least bothered by it after that.  He said he’d probably ride it again, too.  He is his father’s son!

 

By the time that was done, it was time for our lightning lane for Kilimanjaro Safaris.  We’d always heard that it’s best to go on the safari early in the morning because that’s when the animals are the most active.  Well, I don’t know if we caught the animals on a bad day or what, but we barely saw any of them.  It was most definitely the worst safari ride we’ve ever had.  We definitely saw more animals on the previous two trips, and we rode much later in the day both times.  So, whoever says to ride earlier, well, that’s not always true.  Hahahaha.  Granted, it was really cold that morning, so maybe they were all hibernating?  Who knows!!!!

After the ride, we all took a bathroom break and washed hands, and ate our breakfast bars while walking around.  We stopped at one of the PhotoPass spots in the Avatar world…

And then we stopped to buy Jacob some sunglasses since he’d lost his at Epcot. 

We decided to walk to Dinosaur next, but on the way, we happened to see the line to meet Moana, so we stopped to do that first.  She is tucked away in a place where you’d never find her, so we lucked out.  The line was pretty short, too, so we only had to wait about 15 minutes.  We were excited because we’d never gotten to meet her before, and she was able to autograph the kids’ books!

After our meetup with her, we continued to the Dinosaur ride, and I decided not to ride that one because the whole thing is in the dark and it’s kind of jerky.  I didn’t want to risk it with my vertigo, so I waited in the sun and warmed my bones because I had been freezing all morning.  It was a GORGEOUS day Thursday, but it sure did start out cold.

 

They didn’t have to wait long, and they were done with the ride in less than 30 minutes, so we headed to TriceraTop Spin next since it was right next door.  That one is one of the ones that lifts you in the sky and you fly around in a circle, so it’s pretty tame which meant that I was able to ride.   

By the time we were done at TriceraTop Spin, our lightning lane window for Avatar Flight of Passage was open, so we headed there next.  On the way, we made two stops – one to see a couple of boats sailing down the river, one of which had a band playing music, and one that had Timon from Lion King on it!   

Then, we just so happened to be walking by when Kevin, the bird from Up, was coming out to take pictures with people.  They only let him stand out there for a couple of minutes, so we got lucky and were able to snag some pictures with him.  He was so funny and he kept posing a bunch of different ways with the kids.  It was great.

I was on the fence about whether or not to ride Avatar, Flight of Passage because it’s such a cool ride and I really didn’t want to miss it, but I ultimately decided it wasn’t a good idea since it’s so immersive.  It made my belly flop the last time I rode it when I didn’t have vertigo, so I was worried it might do a number on me since I’ve been having so many issues these last nine months. 

While Brian and the kids went to ride, I found a nice spot in the sun to sit and hang out while I waited, and then I did some browsing in the Avatar Flight of Passage gift shop.

Both kids wanted one of the Avatar shoulder buddies when they got off of the ride, so they used their Disney gift cards to purchase those, and then we headed out in the direction of Navi River journey since B had been able to book a lightning lane for us.

As we were walking that way, I heard, “Lindsay?” and I looked in the direction that my name had been called to see a lady that I didn’t recognize.  She introduced herself, and it turned out that she is one of my blog readers!  What a small world!! 

That was the first time I’ve ever been recognized from my blog, and it was a surreal experience to say the least!  We ended up chatting with her for a bit, and she got to meet Brian and the kids.  She was such a lovely lady, and I was so happy she’d stopped me to say hello!  We took a picture together, but I forgot to ask her permission to post it here, so I’m not posting since I didn’t get her consent.

It was just a really neat experience, though, and it was so nice to meet a reader!  If you ever see me out in public anywhere, feel free to say hi!!  Unless you’re some sort of psycho creeper… then please don’t.  Hahahaha.  KIDDING.  I know I have the best readers and I’m very grateful for all of you.  <3

After that, we headed to Navi River Journey, and we hardly had to wait since we had a lightning lane. 

By the time we were done there, the only thing left to do was go see the Komodo dragons.  Jacob always likes to see them when we’re there.  Every time we go, they’re always asleep, and that day was no exception.  One of these days I’d really like to see them walk around or run or something, but they’re always lazy when we’re there.  Haha.

Once we were done there, we decided we’d done everything we wanted to do in the park, so we walked back to the bus stop to head back to the hotel.  It was noon, so it was time to get some lunch and head to the pool!

When we arrived back at the hotel, we went straight to Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory.  They have tons of grab and go options, so we knew it would be quick and easy.  I opted for a grilled chicken sandwich, and I figured it would be pretty basic, but it was actually delicious as it was topped with fresh mozzarella, basil aioli, balsamic glaze, arugula, and tomato.  Disney food never disappoints! 

After lunch, we walked back to our room, got changed into our swimsuits, and we headed straight to the pool.  It was a GORGEOUS day, but the high was only 75, so there weren’t many people at the pool… I think since it had been so cold that morning, people just decided it was not the day for a pool day.  Haha.  So, we were able to grab loungers right by the water slide which meant that B and I could both relax and watch the kids at the same time.  Two years ago when we went, we were barely able to find chairs anywhere at all, so to be able to get a prime spot was awesome.

The kids got in immediately and played for the next three hours… neither of them were ready to go when it was time.  They both went down the water slide countless times, and it was a nice, relaxing afternoon.  Brian got in the water with them a couple of times, but I never so much as put my toe in because I had been freezing all day and had no desire to get in a cold pool.  They do heat the water and keep it at the same temperature year-round, so it wasn’t very cold, but everyone was freezing every time they had to get out.

By the time we were done at the pool, the kids were starving since they’d played so hard, so we walked over to Scat Cat’s Club – Café to grab beignets.  Yes, ma’am!  One of the things I love about Port Orleans French Quarter is how close everything is.  We were able to go grab those straight from the pool and eat them right outside at a table on the sidewalk in our swimsuits. 

We bought a three-pack to share, and we opted for the warm caramel sauce to dip them in.  Those things are pure heaven, and we were all looking forward to having them again.  The kids have mentioned them often since our last trip two years ago.

When we got back to the room, we all took turns showering, and we all got ready for the evening.  We had a dinner reservation at Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and we were all excited about it because it was something new that we’d never done. 

Sanaa is African and Indian cuisine, and I’ve never had either, so I was a little nervous about eating there since I have a sensitive stomach.  I love trying new things, though, so we decided to go for it, and I’m soooo glad we did because it was ah-mazing. 

Sanaa is located in the Savanna of Animal Kingdom, and it has sweeping views of all of the animals roaming around.  When we arrived, we had to wait about five minutes for our table, so we walked out onto the deck to observe the animals.  There weren’t many close by, but we were able to see some giraffes (which are my favorite!) and a couple of other animals that I wasn’t able to identify.  Lol.  Once we were seated in the restaurant, I could still see the giraffes from our table, which was really neat. 

Brian had read that the Indian-style bread service is a must at Sanaa, so we started our dinner with that + some Prickly Pear Mules – VUSA African Vodka, Belle de Brillet Pear Liqueur, Prickly Pear, Ginger Beer, and Lime.  They were divine. 

The Indian-style bread service was incredible… oh my goodness, it was so delicious.  It came with five breads – traditional naan, garlic-ginger naan (it was incredible), spiced naan, onion kulcha, and paneer paratha.  The bread was accompanied by nine different sauces – cucumber raita, roasted red pepper hummus, mango chutney (which was my favorite), tomato-date jam, tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, garlic pickle, red chile sambal, and spicy jalapeno-lime pickle.  They ranged from spicy to mild, and we tried all of them. 

When I say that we tore up this massive bread board, I mean it.  We have the pickiest kids on earth when it comes to food, and they LOVED it.  We all agreed that the garlic-ginger naan was the best, and the kids ended up eating most of it.

After our bread service, they delivered our entrees, and oh my word, the food was just incredible.  I opted for the braised beef, basmati rice, and rajma masala.  They serve everything in separate dishes, but the server told me to dump it all out and stir it together for the optimal culinary experience, and – *chef’s kiss* – she was right!  It was so dang good.

The kids opted for American food from the kids’ menu, but I was so proud of them for trying the different kinds of naan and sauces and loving them.  Jacob was super stoked about the basmati rice, though… he did get that for his side because he loves rice so much.

The kids’ plates came with dessert, and they both opted for the “Timon Grubs” a la Lion King.  The Timon Grubs was a bowl of banana pudding topped with graham cracker crumbs (to look like dirt) and it’s topped with chocolate rock candy and gummy worms. 

Neither of our kids like bananas or banana pudding, so we had asked our server if she could just bring them a bowl of the chocolate rocks and gummy worms and leave the banana pudding, but they accidentally brought out the whole dessert for both of them.

We assured her it was fine because they could just pull the chocolate rocks and gummy worms off of the pudding, but she still went back to the kitchen and brought each of them a big extra bowl of the candy.  DISNEY GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND ALWAYS, Y’ALL!

And since the kids didn’t want their banana pudding, that meant that Brian and I were able to eat it.  Oh, my word, was it delicious, too!

We were all stuffed by the time we left, and everything was just exquisite from start to finish.  I cannot recommend that place enough, y’all!  Just note that you do have to have a reservation to eat there, and the reservations book quickly.  We booked ours 60 days in advance of our trip, which was the earliest possible.

After dinner, it was dark outside, but we decided to take a walk out on the deck one more time to see what we could see, and there were various animals walking around.  We saw a zebra and a couple of other large unidentifiable animals, as well as some large birds.  You could also hear the animals making various noises.

 

After that, we drove back to the hotel, filled our water bottles at the hotel café, and then we got to bed early because the next day was… MAGIC KINGDOM DAY!!!!  We saved the best for last, and my goodness, was it the best day ever!

And just in case you want to see our entire day summarized, here it is…

 

Summary:

Hours spent in park – 4.5 (7:30 AM – 12:00 PM)

Rides/Attractions – 6

Characters met – 2

Autographs obtained – 1

Disney Photo Pass pictures and videos taken – 30

Steps taken – 16,447

Miles walked – 6.50

Weather – Sunny, high of 75 degrees, low of 57 degrees

 

Schedule:

Wake at 5:45 AM

Walk to bus stop at 6:45 AM

Bus at 7:15 AM

Arrive 7:30 AM

PhotoPass Pictures at The Tree of Life (everyone)

Expedition Everest (Brian, Jacob)

LL – Kilimanjaro Safaris (everyone)

PhotoPass Pictures in Avatar World (everyone)

Shopping for sunglasses for Jacob (everyone)

Met Moana from Moana (everyone)

Dinosaur (Brian, Jacob, Olivia)

TriceraTop Spin (everyone)

LL – Avatar Flight of Passage (Brian, Jacob, Olivia)

Souvenir shopping (everyone)

Stopped to talk to a blog reader (everyone)

LL – Navi River Journey

Saw the Komodo dragons (everyone)

Left park at 12:00 PM (everyone)

Quick service lunch at Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory (everyone)

Pool time from 2:00 – 5:00 PM (everyone)

Beignets at Scat Cat’s Club – Café (everyone)

Back to the hotel room to shower and get ready (everyone)

Reservation – Sanaa for dinner (everyone)

Back to hotel for early bedtime

Happy Wednesday, y'all!