Hey.

You.

Yes, you, reading this CMEpalooza blog post.

I want to tell you something.

It’s something very important, that we all need to hear.

Good job.

That’s it.

Just…good job.

It’s been a weird year.

It’s been a hard year.

Harder for some than for others.

But hard for us all.

There are days when work is hard.

And communicating is hard.

And parenting is hard.

And living alone is hard.

And getting out of bed is hard.

And doing anything is hard.

And that’s ok.

We all feel like that sometimes.

But here you are.

Reading this.

And that alone is something.

You made it this far.

And that’s great.

Good job.

One of the sports-themed podcasts I listen to has started a new gimmick where every Friday they talk about their latest obsessions, mostly related to the world of sports. They aren’t really “obsessions” in the true sense of the word but rather things that they have found super-interesting recently and are excited to see more and learn more about.

This is neither a sports-themed podcast nor is it a Friday, but I’m not letting that stop me from stealing someone else’s gimmick and using it for my own purposes. My most recent obsession is with all things Scottish. I don’t know if it’s because my trip to Scotland in the summer of 2019 was the last big trip I did before the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down (absence makes the heart grow fonder), but for the past month or two I have found myself seeking out anything and everything Scottish. A few examples:

• Only watching TV shows* set in Scotland. My favorites so far have been Outlander, Case Histories (starring Jason Isaacs, who also played Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, which was extremely disconcerting once I made the connection) and Shetland, which is a great show featuring fantastic sweaters.
  
  *Not entirely accurate as I have also watched both Queen’s Gambit and Lupin during this stretch. I enjoyed them both, but was annoyed neither of them took place in Inverness or the Isle of Skye.
• Liked the sweaters that Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez wears on Shetland so much that I researched them online and bought one for myself from a store in Buffalo, NY, for more money than I realized anyone would actually pay for a sweater. I was later informed this was considered a reasonable price. I wish I was making all of this up. (Note from Scott: we demand a photo)
• Bought the book Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other, written by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, stars of Outlander. My wife is a huge Outlander fan, and I read this to her while she is knitting or puttering around in the kitchen. The book is a precursor to a forthcoming Clanlands TV show and has its own Instagram account, which I follow. There are pictures of McTavish wearing rugged sweaters and, yes, I have googled “graham mctavish sweaters.” The results were poor.
• Joined the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, a Christmas gift from my thoughtful and patient wife. As a card carrying member of the SMWS, for which there is a yearly fee, I am now able to spend even more money on bottles of scotch that only members can purchase. Yes, I spent money for the privilege of spending more money. Quite a brilliant business plan they have (Note to Scott: can’t we get the interns to figure out a similar plan for CMEpalooza??) I have bought three bottle so far, one of them accidentally. Don’t ask.

But enough about me and my crazy Scottish obsession. We’re here to help those of you who just can’t get enough of CMEpalooza. I’m not going to call it a CMEpalooza obsession because that’s sort of creepy ([looks at blog post title] [shrugs and quickly moves on]), but if you are anxious to watch as many CMEpalooza sessions as possible, I have some good news for you, friend.

The CMEpalooza Archive has been updated to include all the sessions from CMEpalooza Fall 2020!

Woo!

We also are going to be releasing our agenda for CMEpalooza Spring next week, so there’s that, too. While you’re waiting for the exciting news, I recommend relaxing with a wee dram and a couple episodes of Shetland. Sláinte!