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)

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.

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)

Monday Memos // 58

Listening:

"Drivin' On 9" by The Breeders.

You could be a shadow / Beneath the street light / Behind my home / Drivin' on 9 / I sure miss you

"Just Another Diamond Day" by Vashti Bunyan.

"Sister" by Angel Olsen.

"For You" by Sharon Van Etten.

Sharon just reissued her 2009 debut album, "because i was in love," with a two new tracks (this is an old one) entitled "(it was) because i was in love."

I was hoping that you knew I'd wait for you / I do, I do

“Blissing Me” by Björk.

The second song released from her tenth album, "Utopia." "Much like “Headphones” (released twenty-one years earlier), the track is a subdued electronic ballad about 'two music nerds' falling in love via swapping music."

Reading:

I can't concentrate on any books lately. Is my mind too full or are they just not the best books for me? I started "Telegraph Avenue" by Michael Chabon, though, and I like thinking about all the East Bay scenery and characters. 

"A big-hearted and exhilarating novel that explores the profoundly intertwined lives of two Oakland, California families, one black and one white. In "Telegraph Avenue," Chabon lovingly creates a world grounded in pop culture—Kung Fu, ’70s Blaxploitation films, vinyl LPs, jazz and soul music—and delivers a bravura epic of friendship, race, and secret histories."

One of the rejected covers of the novel. (via huffingtonpost)

Craving:

I continued my leisurely, lifelong adventure of trying all the Ethiopian platters/combinations that I can. This week took me to a random strip mall in Ellicott City, Maryland. There were minimal tables, one family eating, and seemingly one employee—also a local realtor. The smell was divine. My younger brother and I shared two combinations—kindly put together as one giant plate. For the first time in all my dining experiences, we were offered hot sauce. It was red, the thickness and color of Sriracha, the slightest bit tangy, and really good. The chicken was a bit tough, but everything else made up for it. 

Also consistently eating: dark chocolate, almonds, cashews, dried sour cherries, extra toasty toast, and spinach.

Kind of hard to show a bunch of piles of brown food in a flattering light. So here is a beautiful food image by Leah Goren. (via pinterest)

Wearing:

I had an epiphany last week: "I need to be embraced in the hug of my It's It sweatshirt!" When it's cold outside and you feel a little under the weather and a little sad, encase yourself in the image of a fabulous ice cream sandwich. Luckily I knew where to find it in the storage unit of all my belongings. We are reunited and it is so cozy. 

I know I have mentioned the sweatshirt and delicacy here before. (image via zielcreative)

Watching:

I watched almost the entirety of "Easy" season two in one sitting. From awkward to hilarious to mind-boggling to heartbreaking, the characters, stories, and music are wonderful. 

For those who appreciate The Great British Baking Show/Bakeoff," Netflix has another sweet and mouthwatering option, "The Big Family Cooking Showdown." 

I've heard nothing but praises and heartache around "Call Me By Your Name." This romantic drama is more fully and convincingly realized than most cinematic love stories in recent memory.

On the other hand, "The Disaster Artist" looks entertaining and goofy. Because I know Kelly Oxford is involved, I am extra thrilled.

Treasuring:

Emotions. Sometimes you have those periods of time where you cry a lot. I try to embrace those times and let it all wash over me—pour out of me. Sometimes you have to cry on the sidewalk and at a restaurant and in a car and on the couch—wherever it strikes. I think 2017 needs to squeeze a little more out of us. It is going to no matter what.

Untitled by Pablo Picasso (via missmoss)

Vintage Marimekko editorial in a LIFE magazine edition from 1966. (via missmoss)