Monday Memos // 102

Listening:

“Dead Flowers” by Townes Van Zandt.

"Random Rules" by Silver Jews.

“No One's Easy to Love” by Sharon Van Etten.

Reading:

This was wild and crazy: A 4-Year-Old Trapped in a Teenager’s Body

This was true: 20 Things John Mayer Looks Like in This Photo

This was silly: Quiz: Who Wrote It: Edgar Allan Poe or an Emo Band?

This was funny and informative: Trader Joe’s Gets into Jackfruit in 2019: The Journey Begins

Craving:

Highlights: cumin-roasted carrots, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, a fresh Goldberg’s pumpernickel bagel with buttery spread and jam, tuna salad with Branston pickle, extra crunchy dill pickles, and homemade sesame chicken with broccoli.

A perfect New York bagel via Baltimore. (image via Goldberg’s)

Wearing:

It’s been cooooold, so lots of wool socks, turtlenecks, scarves, and beanies. I also wore my new red jumpsuit twice this week. I had a relaxing family weekend where I primarily wore sweatpants and sweatshirts. I looked in the mirror one day and thought I could be mistaken for dude in a 90s grunge band—lots of long disheveled hair and bagginess.

Watching:

TV: I watched the entirety of Sex Education on Netflix in roughly two sittings. I’m having withdrawals. It reminded me of The End of the F*cking World. Endearing characters, English accents, hilarity, really good music.

Gillian Anderson makes for a good wacky mom.

Movies: I rewatched The Big Lebowski over the weekend. It had been years since I had seen it—brilliant as always. I forgot how good the soundtrack is too. When I Googled the movie, this shopping link for the Dude’s sweater (from Dillard’s) came up: Pendleton sweater.

Treasuring:

Unwinding and nostalgia: A weekend in the suburbs means becoming so calm I have no worries or needs. Family laughs and baking cookies and dancing to bad music (We all have “Closing Time” stuck in our heads now, unfortunately). I made a visit to my storage unit for a stack of old journals from 2005-2008. Often painfully angsty and full of pointless minutiae, it’s been eye-opening and very humorous to revisit. So much and so little has changed.

I read a lot about this period of life—my sweet sixteen with Blake and a tandem bike.

Monday Memos // 78

Listening:

"This Is America" by Childish Gambino.

"The Suburbs" by Arcade Fire (Father John Misty cover). 

"Break-Thru" by Dirty Projectors. 

Reading:

The Double-Layer Chocolate Cake I Make for My Son’s Birthday — I hope to one day have a column or book chapter called "on dessert."

My parents followed this rule and clearly it shaped me: Why I Let My Kids Eat Dessert Every Night

I might have to take on Dorie's tradition for myself or someone in my family. Chocolate-chocolate birthday cake. (image by Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Michelle Gatton. Prop stylist: Amy Wilson.)

Craving:

I participated in a taste test of store-bought kosher dill pickle spears this week. It was one of the first taste tests that didn't make me too full or too lethargic. Maybe a little extra salty. My favorites were Claussen and Boar's Head.

When I went to pick up the few remaining jars of pickles I saw Alec Baldwin. I'm always tempted to tell these celebrities in my sightings that I love them in _____. I usually just end up playing it cool and letting them be on their way. I saw another woman do a double-take and wait outside the Whole Foods (she then ended up at another little market down the street too). I went on my way, lugging four or five jars of pickles back to Tribeca — in great fear I might drop the bag and have to start the pickle pilgrimage all over again. 

I remember one summer my cousin went through a massive jar a day. (image via the splendid table)

Wearing:

I've been dreaming of a specific pair of coveralls. A boilersuit. A jumpsuit. Whatever you call it, I have been searching everywhere I go for one. I wanted it to be somewhat fitted. I wanted it to be zippered or a button-up situation. I wanted it to be a color I enjoy and/or could easily wear (no white, no orange, etc.). I wanted sleeves — long or short but not sleeveless. For months and months I have been plagued with this desire to find one. So many online shopping carts filled and abandoned. If I had my sewing machine around I might've crafted one by now. 

Saturday I found it. It's a rich cornflower blue. It's cordouroy. (I almost got one in a Bill Cunningham blue, but I put it on hold at the vintage shop, walked down the street to their other shop where I found the winner, which fit even better.) I cannot wait to wear it all the time. 

I miss Bill. (Photo by Patrick Demarchelier for Harper’s Bazaar)

Watching:

Saw: Disobedience. Powerful moments, beautiful moments, intriguing moments, and slightly cheesy moments. David Edelstein says it best: [it] isn’t packed with surprises, but that’s not why you go to a movie like this. You go to watch humans with wayward emotions labor to make peace with (or opt to war against) a formal, ritualized way of life. You go to see them argue over such words as “freedom” and “choice.”

You've Got Mail. I started watching this movie sometime in 1998 or 1999 and didn't get to finish it. Instead I witnessed some horrible animal behavior and was a bit scarred. Anyways, I finally watched the entire movie last weekend and really enjoyed it. Plus, it's set in and around my new running route and neighborhood. Even the smaller roles are great: Parker Posey! Greg Kinnear! Heather Burns! Steve Zahn! Now I've got "Dreams" by The Cranberries stuck in my head. 

I still need to got to Barney Greengrass, I do love some good smoked fish.

Treasuring:

Mornings: I tried out a new routine last week. I woke up at 6am every morning and ran outside. The early light, the blooming flowers, the podcasts, the flush on my cheeks, it felt so nice. I was exhausted by 5pm each day, but it was fun. I like trying out these new routes and ways of life. The morning is a grand time.

Truth. (via emily mcdowell)