Monday Memos // 103

Listening:

"Hire" by Girlpool. New girlpoooool. Woohoo!

“Sugar Bum Bum” by Lord Kitchener.

“Cavern” by Liquid Liquid.

Reading:

I wrote about wanting to read Her Body and Other Parties months ago and I’m finally reading it and LOVING IT. So weird and wonderful.

“A wife refuses her husband’s entreaties to remove the green ribbon from around her neck. A woman recounts her sexual encounters as a plague slowly consumes humanity. A salesclerk in a mall makes a horrifying discovery within the seams of the store’s prom dresses. One woman’s surgery-induced weight loss results in an unwanted houseguest. And in the bravura novella “Especially Heinous,” Machado reimagines every episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a show we naïvely assumed had shown it all, generating a phantasmagoric police procedural full of doppelgängers, ghosts, and girls with bells for eyes.”

Craving:

Dinner from Zyara. “… the Vegan Arabic Sandwich, a kitchen-sink sensation of deep-fried veggies (cauliflower, eggplant, and paper-thin zucchini) plus falafel, tomato, cabbage, and assorted pickled things that all gets stuffed into a housemade pita like circus clowns into a Volkswagen.” (via Grubstreet)

Cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine. As someone who often proclaims they don’t care for cupcakes, even though I greatly adore cake, these really were outstanding. Very unassuming but absolutely delicious.

Sometimes less is more. (image via sugarsweetsunshine)

Sometimes less is more. (image via sugarsweetsunshine)

Wearing:

When I woke up Wednesday and the temperature said “4,” I just piled on all the things. Long Johns, undershirts, sweaters, boots, scarves, hats, gloves. I am ready for spring. I am ready for summer. I have finally maxed out on the cold. I forgot what it’s like to have my legs exposed to the fresh air.

Watching:

TV: I’ve already rewatched the first three episodes of High Maintenance season 3 (so many amazing comedians I admire keep popping up!). I’m deep into True Detective—it’s good! I tried a couple episodes of The Assassination of Gianni Versace, but I’m finding it too slow. I’m a few episodes in Russian Doll, the latest Netflix original with Natasha Lyonne—I wouldn’t say it’s brilliant, but it’s entertaining. It’s cold! so the tv is on!

Movies: I watched The Lives of Others. A German drama/thriller from 2007. It was very good. As one apt review says, “fierce and gloomy.” I just learned while looking up the cast that the main actor, Ulrich Mühe, died months after the film won an Oscar. So sad.

Ulrich Mühe enjoying his stolen literature.

Ulrich Mühe enjoying his stolen literature.

Treasuring:

Warmth: As cold as it is and all the complaining, sometimes the blast of freezing air, especially when you have a warm home and a warm beverage nearby, can be a bit magical. One evening I walked out of the subway station, music playing in my earbuds, and I let the hot tears mix with the frigid air. Emotional release paired with the refreshing winter wind, hey, it’s not so bad.

My winter look. (image by marc pilaro)

My winter look. (image by marc pilaro)

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)

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.

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.

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

Monday Memos // 101

Pardon the unintentionally long break. I took a much needed vacation and felt true rest and relaxation. Then I got back to work where Mondays are no longer my constant day off. Adjustments, new year, new brain reorganization coming soon.

Listening:

“Diamond Day” by Vashti Bunyan.

“Poly Blue” by Jessica Pratt.

“Edge of Town” by Middle Kids.

Reading:

MATERIALS I’D RATHER BE THAN “WIFE MATERIAL”

Neither of my parents was exactly who I thought they were

What Is This Exercise Tool and How Do I Get One?

Craving:

I was in LA for Christmas and ate sooooo many delicious things. At Wax Paper, an amazing sandwich shop, I had the Ira Glass with turkey: avocado, cheddar, sprouts, pickled and raw red onions, cucumber, and garlic aioli on seeded wheat. Sitting in the sunshine with my brother, sipping a pamplemousse La Croix and eating amazing chili-lime tortilla chips (Rusty’s Chips—some of the best I’ve ever had) was wonderful.

Trois Familia was another gem. French-Mexican-California cuisine. I didn’t know what that meant but when we feasted it was all incredible. Beet tartare tostada—yum. A double decker potato taco with lime, crème fraiche, carrot pico, and cheese—this was wildly good. Parisian gnocchi with mushrooms—wow. Chicken milanesa, with raw and pickled cucumbers, and maggi ranch—wowowow.

Plus I finally fulfilled my lifelong dream and waited in line to eat at Sqirl. So excited that it was WORTH IT. My sister-in-law and I got the ricotta toast. It was like a dream. Brioche heaven, fluffy ricotta, and a rainbow spread of fresh jams—quince, blueberry and blackberry, and pluot. I got the sorrel pesto rice bowl too.

Bonus: My sis-in-law also made me the most perfect birthday cake and I, no joke, ate it every single day for an entire week. My pants are too tight but my heart is very full.

Wearing:

I was fulfilling dreams left and right in California (they do say something about dreamin’ there…). I bought myself the jumpsuit I’ve been pining over for a year, maybe two at this point. Big Bud Press: they really know fit, detail, and COLOR. It was hard to choose just one. The winner was mustang red. I also bought their pants in royal blue. Both have gotten lots of wear and lots of compliments. I will love them forever. I can’t wait for some wild color block outfit combinations.

Watching:

TV: Too quickly I watched the entirety of Friends From College and rewatched the last 3 seasons of Sex and the City. I’m ready to get back into the deeper stuff like new True Detective and High Maintenance.

Movies: On Christmas Eve I watched Love Actually (on an airplane) and Die Hard (when at my final destination while eating Chinese food and birthday cake). I’ve also recently seen Little Odessa (love Tim Roth) and In the Realm of the Senses (disturbing and… more disturbing).

“In the fact-based 1930s drama, streetwalker-turned-maid Eiko Matsuda hooks up with innkeeper Tatsuya Fuji; he leaves his wife and family for her, yet this only further inflames her obsession with him. The intense depictions of copulation and the co…

“In the fact-based 1930s drama, streetwalker-turned-maid Eiko Matsuda hooks up with innkeeper Tatsuya Fuji; he leaves his wife and family for her, yet this only further inflames her obsession with him. The intense depictions of copulation and the couple’s fate will disturb even those familiar with the story.” (image via quad cinema)

Treasuring:

Connections: The last few weeks have been full of ups and downs. New, fabulous humans. Old, supportive folks. Friends and family, companions and strangers. Death and birth. Sadness and joy. Exhaustion and exhilaration. Stress and hope. But in the end, I’ve been squeezing my friends tighter and glad for everything around me. Definitely always say yes to friends and squeeze them as tight as you can.

I can’t remember where I found this, but I love it.

I can’t remember where I found this, but I love it.

Monday Memos // 100

This week is brought to you by ONE HUNDREDTH MEMO! That corresponding with my birthday week and the colossal wave of happiness I am feeling is such serendipity—it’s spectacular.

Listening:

My first Monday Memo (April 26, 2016), I was listening to Beyoncé’s newly released Lemonade. (It came out April 23).

“After Laughter (Comes Tears)” by Wendy Rene.

"What If Birds Aren’t Singing They're Screaming" by Aldous Harding.

“Playita” by Land of Talk.

“Suspended in Gaffa” by Kate Bush.

Reading:

My second Monday Memo (May 2, 2016), I had just started Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, which remains to be my favorite book. Life-changing. I’d love to read it again one day.

Bon App’s advice column. Hilarity ensues: “Is It Ever Okay... To Take Home the Wine You Brought to a Party?”

Passion, Romance and Yearning: Photos of People Kissing: From simple pecks to full-on makeout sessions, a new compilation of photographs reveals how couples have kissed in front of the camera since the late-Victorian era.

The look on that cat’s face! (photo from fine art images/heritage images/getty images via bonappetit.com)

The look on that cat’s face! (photo from fine art images/heritage images/getty images via bonappetit.com)

Craving:

My first Monday Memo, I was craving Brownie Brittle. “Can't stop thinking about and replenishing my stash. I eat it plain, I crush it up and put it on ice cream, I smear almond butter on it. The Peanut Butter flavor is hard to find but it is perfect. The Mint has the best chips. The Salted Caramel is that perfect salty/sweet combo. Even the gluten-free Trader Joe's version is great. I could go on. Yes, I have a problem.” I keep seeing new flavors in the stores and it still calls to me, though I try to resist the siren song. The Trader Joe’s version gets me sometimes though.

This week I ate a lot of oranges, drank a lot of ginger ale, and a lot of Conde Nast cafeteria meals. Plus, taste tested white English muffins. I’m not sure what my favorite brand was, but Stone & Skillet makes a nice, buttery dense version—very different from the Thomas standard.

I might just need to seek out the special holiday flavors. They look good. (image via sheila g’s)

I might just need to seek out the special holiday flavors. They look good. (image via sheila g’s)

Wearing:

My first Monday Memo I was was wearing “black tees and a black skirt or cut-off shorts. Plus a lot of light blue.” Seems about right. The beginnings of summer.

This week was a lot of black Chelsea boots, black leggings, black down jacket, black beanie. The winter version of black and simple.

Below is documentation of self—wow does my hair look dark!—attempting to let self portraits free, out into the world. That was in the same span of time, just playing with makeup and bang positions.

Watching:

My first Monday Memo, I was watching Friday Night Lights. Wow, I forgot about Tim Riggins. Good times.

I finally saw The Favourite last weekend and it was one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It was strange and beautiful and WILD.

I really want to see the short animated film called Bao, where an older Chinese woman feels lonely at home and one morning, while eating breakfast with her husband, one of her pork dumplings springs to life as a giggly dumpling boy. There’s a dark twist.

Dumpling baby! (image via pixar)

Dumpling baby! (image via pixar)

Treasuring:

Life: This has been one of the hardest, most exhausting, most intense years of my life. It’s also been one of the most exciting, most fulfilling, and most enriching years of my life. Year of the dog, you have been something else. Something else! I’ve gathered a lifetime of stories. I made amazing friends and connections. I’ve cried a thousand years. I’ve walked miles upon miles. I’ve taken so many buses and trains. Life is life is life and I feel so fortunate for this one.

Year of the Bee, personally, I’ve truly been buzzing. (BEE / earnest, hardworking, democratic / sensitive creatures / they're artists at heart) (image via @dailyanimalspirits)

Year of the Bee, personally, I’ve truly been buzzing. (BEE / earnest, hardworking, democratic / sensitive creatures / they're artists at heart) (image via @dailyanimalspirits)

Do you have a favorite Monday Memo moment? Tell me please!