This week we steer away from the normal reviews of small-time craft breweries to bring you the hipster beer that you know you missed: Pabst Blue Ribbon, more affectionately known as PBR.

PBR is the hipster classic. A lager that's been around for a very long time, but found its home in small concert venues in the mid-2000s.

When I walked into rehab, I had no idea that a simple task that THEY MADE ME DO would change the trajectory of my life. For the first couple of days at the facility where I was, they let me decompress and not have a daily unit chore, BUT I had to make my bed every day, and yes, it was checked by staff.

I remember thinking, "What a stupid thing these people are making me do! Why is making my bed important?"

“The Anonymous People” is an independent feature documentary about over 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions. Read that again. At the time this documentary was published in 2014, it was estimated there were over 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions.

“The Resident”, a medical drama set at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital, offers gripping narratives on various medical and personal issues, including addiction and recovery. One of the standout storylines revolves around Nic Nevin (played by Emily VanCamp) and her family, particularly the complex dynamics with her sister, Jessie (played by Julianna Guill), and their father, Kyle (played by Corbin Bernsen). Both Jessie and Kyle struggle with addiction, with Jessie battling substance use disorder and Kyle grappling with alcohol misuse and codependency. Through this arc, The Resident powerfully portrays the impact of addiction on family dynamics and the crucial role of family support in recovery.

As November unfolds and we walk through National Gratitude Month, I find myself returning to the thread-pulling gratitude practice that has sustained my recovery for twenty-eight years. Last week, while discussing how "The Flight Attendant" reveals the genetic underpinnings of addiction through GABRA2 and COMT variants, my sixteen-year-old son asked a question that stopped me in my tracks: "If gratitude changes how genes work, why don't more people practice it seriously?" GREAT Question!