Hello!
Welcome to By Golly, Ollie!, my quiet corner of the interwebs. My name is Jackie, and I am a millennial / mother / Michigander / blogger / wannabe runner / accountant / local library enthusiast / gamer, kinda. This is a personal blog, which means I’m not entirely certain what you’ll find here, but it will definitely not show up on the first page of Google search results.
Currently: Spring 2026
What I’ve been reading lately
I’m in a season of mystery novels, right now. From cozy mysteries (meta-cozy mysteries?) like Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess to choose-your-own adventures like Can You Solve the Murder? by Antony Johnston, I cannot get enough. A particular favorite remains the Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong. It’s the perfect blend of historical fiction and mystery (and I’m certain, slow-burn romance, too. Like, Dr. Gray and Mallory! Can you two just kiss already?!).
As always, you can discover more about what I’m currently reading here.
What I’ve been listening to lately
My podcast library doesn’t change too often, which means I have Crime Junkie, Maintenance Phase, and Left, Right, & Center on heavy rotation. Lately, I’ve really enjoyed:
- Philosophize This! a fairly chronological survey of philosophical thought across the globe. I most recently enjoyed the episodes about Confucianism and the Buddha.
- And in an effort to introduce my 7-year-old son to the world of podcasts, we’ve been listening to Sounds Detectives while we bake or decorate sugar cookies.
What I’ve been playing
I’ve finally broken the cycle of restarting and abandoning Fallout 4 and Skyrim. Lately, I’ve been playing Fallout 76, and while it has some flaws in the way the storyline develops (I accidentally found some Overseer holotapes out of order that more-or-less spoiled the ending for me), I really enjoy exploring post-apocalyptic Appalachia. It may be my favorite settings yet. I started Cyberpunk 2077 recently as well, and it’s okay. It sort of seems like Grand Theft Auto just 1980s retrofuture. I LOVE the aesthetic, the gameplay is mid, and I haven’t gotten far enough into the storyline to have an opinion on that.
What I’ve been obsessing over
I’m slowly making my way through the television show Call the Midwife, which follows a group of midwives and nuns serving East End London in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I adore the characters, but the evolution of maternal care during these decades is fascinating, too!
What I’ve been working on
After hibernating all winter, I’ve been slowly reconditioning myself for running season. I’m also trying to figure out how to balance this with my new workload following a recent promotion. Why does prioritizing my health and well-being feel so tough when work is involved in the calculation? I am at least happy to say that I was able to run my miles straight through right out the gate without feeling dizzy and nauseated, which is a surprising improvement when compared to the start of last running season. I was far more active last winter than I was this winter because I was still walking my son to school each morning, which is a two-mile walk, round trip. No idea why I’ve been able knock out my miles easier this spring, but I am grateful for the muscle memory.
What I’ve been reading lately
You can always check out what I’m currently reading HERE. Otherwise, right now I’m trapped in a cycle of DNFing all the books. Even books that I’ve been desperate to get my hands on– like Dungeon Crawler Carl. I’ve been trying to borrow that book from the library since FEBRUARY, but it’s always checked out. I finally brought it home last month but found myself stuck at chapter 26 before returning it. Aside from graphic novels or the books I read with the kiddo, nothing seems to hold my attention. I have no idea what I’m in the mood for lately.
What I’ve been listening to lately
I’m constantly streaming podcast while I work, and these are the ones on heavy rotation right now:
- Those Who Can’t Teach Anymore – a podcast “exploring why teachers are leaving education and what can be done to prevent the exodus”.
- Reignite Podcast – a podcast that chronicles Matt & Frankie’s playthrough of RPG video games. So far, they are focused on the Mass Effect games and the Dragon Age games though they have discussed playing games like Fable in the future. I’m listening to season 5, which is about their Dragon Age: Origins playthrough.
- Ologies – a podcast that explores different scientific fields and features interviews with scientists who are experts in their respective fields. I am obsessed with the two episodes about Salugenology (WHY HUMANS REQUIRE HOBBIES) with Julia Hotz. That’s the podcast title, but I don’t think it accurately describes what the podcast is about. It’s more about the study of what makes people well (which hobbies can certainly be part of).
- Left, Right, and Center – the only podcast about politics that I can stand listening to.
As for music, I’ve really enjoyed the new AFI album, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun… It leans heavy into 1980s post-punk and goth rock, and I love it. It’s wildly different from any AFI album that came before, but it also seems like a natural progression for the band considering their musical influences. Holy Visions, Ash Speck in a Green Eye, and VOIDWARD, I BEND are the songs that stand out to me.
What I’ve been playing
Similar to what I’m experiencing with reading, I cannot seem to finish any video games right now. (Which honestly, is really really fine.) However lately, I keep restarting Skyrim and Fallout 4. I find that I want to be in these worlds, but none of the characters I create interest me. (I just need to create a default character with whom to explore the world without any sort of meta-gamed, pre-destined storyline in mind).
Also, I’m already on my 3rd playthrough of Dragon Age: Veilguard. I love how I keep telling my husband how disappointing this game is while also obsessively bingeing the entire game during a long, holiday weekend.
Current Obsessions
My husband and I are coaching the kiddo’s soccer team this season, and it’s probably the coolest thing we’ve done as a family. Coaching youth soccer is not a thing I ever thought I would do: I am not athletically-inclined, I don’t know the rules of soccer, and being around kids (aside from my own) is not a thing that comes naturally to me. But, it’s been incredibly rewarding, and we are already looking forward to coaching again next season.
What I’ve been working on
Coaching youth soccer has had a profound impact on me. It’s made me realize how rewarding serving my community is (which, should have been obvious, right?) So, I’m in the process of finding other volunteer opportunities that support my community between seasons.
I’m also a really shy person, so I’ve been working on putting myself in social situations to make friends (or at least acquaintances). Lately I’ve been taking craft classes at my local library, but I’ve also been prioritizing coordinating playdates for the kid which gives me the opportunity to hang out with other parents.
Unrelated to socializing, I’ve been trying to push myself in my running routine. I started to include a Sunday Long Run (which for me just means running for 20 minutes without pause, and this is about 2 miles). It’s taken me over a year to get here, which is probably entirely too long for someone in their mid-thirties, but I am proud of myself nevertheless.
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By Golly, Ollie! 