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 // 93

Listening:

“Comeback Kid” by Sharon Van Etten. New Sharon! And it’s not epically depressing! I’m looking forward to hearing the full album.

“The Flu” by Lala Lala.

“Love Leaks” by TT.

Reading:

I won’t give you anything too depressing and hard to read. We all need a break sometimes.

These are entertaining updates from people that I sit near at work. Here.

Mr. Autumn Man Walking Down Street With Cup Of Coffee, Wearing Sweater Over Plaid Collared Shirt

“What Kind of Times Are These” By Adrienne Rich

A good way to describe the political landscape.

Craving:

I had a delicious feast at Shuka with my parents. We had falafel, so much warm pita bread, Taramasalata (Smoked Arctic Char dip with Trout Roe), butternut squash hummus, kebabs (with spiced yogurt, zhoug, parsley+sumac onions), kale and acorn squash salad, and scallops. Amazing.

I also went to An Choi, a wonderful Vietnamese eatery. I had a shrimp and avocado salad roll, veggie Phở, and Bánh Mì Gà Chiên (Crispy baked chicken leg poached in lemongrass & garlic). Also amazing.

(image via anchoinyc.com)

Wearing:

I could write the same thing as last time—it got hot again and then it cooled off again and then got hot again (and it’s making me feel ill! so stop please!). I wore a lot of black and white and brown and olive. Lace and structure and collared and casual. One day I threw in a hot pink shirt.

Watching:

I really want to see:

The Romanoffs. “Emmy-winning producer Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) created this anthology series that tells stories of people who believe that they are descendants of a Russian royal family. Each episode takes place in a new location -- with filming occurring on three continents -- with a new cast. Among the actors appearing in the hourlong installments are Aaron Eckhart, Amanda Peet, Diane Lane, Kathryn Hahn, Noah Wyle, and Mad Men alumni Christina Hendricks and John Slattery. Weiner writes and directs each episode of the Amazon original series.” Cannot wait. There are a million other amazing actors in this too.

And with more Kathryn Hahn, I want to see Private Life. “A couple coping with infertility struggle to keep their marriage going as they navigate through the world of adoption and assisted reproduction.” It’s also got Paul Giamatti and Molly Shannon.

Treasuring:

Chilling: Sometimes you need to lie in your bed for an afternoon and cancel plans and stay up late texting in the dark. Sometimes you need to nap at odd hours of the day. Sometimes you need to just sit on a bench at the park.

Monday Memos // 65

Listening:

"All My Loving" by The Beatles.

"Ubik" by Reptaliens. 

Reading:

The Mugs That Our Favorite Ceramicists Can't Live Without - I love these kind of "favorite things" pieces. The artwork is so great too. "One recent study found that one in six people have an emotional attachment to one particular mug. A third would be “angry” or “totally devastated” if their favorite one broke. So it’s totally normal to grow attached to a certain mug; it’s always there for you, unless someone else is using it. (Don’t do that.)"

What's your favorite mug? (illustrations by Maria Sainte via bonappetit)

Doing the Right Thing for the Wrong Reason

(images by Miss Lasko-Gross via thenewyorker)

I’ll Need Your Café’s Wi-Fi Password Because I’m Working on My Novel Today - "Would you like to take a photograph of me and hang it up, so you can one day tell your patrons that a famous author sat here for twelve hours using your Wi-Fi and only purchased a single coffee? What size for the coffee? The smallest you have, please."

Craving:

A moment of wanting a big bowl of something delicious nearby brought me to the fast-casual restaurant Cava. I can always go for Mediterranean food. The sauces and pita and toppings were all so good I went back a few days later.

I'll be back. (image via zagat)

I finally tried a cookie from Ovenly. As their website says, "we adventurously explore culinary traditions with an unexpected twist, thoughtfully melding sweet and savory with a touch of spice." Even though I just had a simple salted chocolate chip cookie ("secretly vegan"), it was so wonderful. I'm still dying to try their Brooklyn blackout cake. 

One of everything please. (image via ovenly by winona barton-ballentine)

Wearing:

Unintentionally, my entire wardrobe was black, grey, and blue this week. I suppose my red knit hat adds a dose of color, but I could stand to brighten things up. Most likely I'll throw in some sparkles and bright plaids. It's so cold, burrowing in black just feels right. 

Colorful inspiration. Top image: Marni Spring 2018 Ready-to-Wear fashion show on Vogue Runway. Middle image: Lupita Nyong’o photographed by Erik Madigan Heck for "The Guardian." Bottom image: Gorman clothing.

Watching:

Turns out they're making a Big Lebowski spin-off based on John Turturro's character, Jesus Quintana. I'm weary but intrigued; also, the Coen brothers aren't involved. "Strangely, this film is apparently a remake of the 1974 French film "Les Valseuses." This new version, which also stars Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou, and Susan Sarandon," is titled "Going Places."

So deep in my Australian tv romance I can hardly watch anything else. I did manage some hotel viewing sessions of "Jeopardy" and "Seinfeld" as palate cleansers. 

(image via slashfilm.com)

Treasuring:

Revival. Some synonyms include: improvement, recovery, rallying, picking up, amelioration, turn for the better, upturn, upswing, resurgence... I'm feeling my happiness returning. I'm remembering what it feels like to be excited about the entire day (for several days in a row). I'm so busy and fulfilled I'm doing more than crossword puzzles and wandering around the mall. A few nights ago I turned out the light, going to sleep with tears of contentment streaking my face and a smile in my heart. The kitten on the poster was right: hang in there. 

🖐🏻Must love cats. (drawing by Nadine Redlich)

Monday Memos // 47

Last week I was in Los Angeles, this week I'm in Irma... there is so much in the world and my mind swirling about, but the significance of this day does not escape me, either. 

(image by Bill Bragg via nytimes)

Listening:

"Up All Night" by The War On Drugs

"The Price Is Right" theme song. Look out for me on December 7th!

Reading:

PLEASE FORGIVE US AT BLUE APRON FOR THIS WEEK’S MEALS. WE’VE BEEN HAVING A TOUGH TIME LATELY by Lucy Huber

A list of really beautiful places in U.S. I'd be down to visit. Crossed one off the list last week when I experienced the Griffith Observatory.

"Franny and Zooey" by J.D. Salinger. I watched a movie yesterday—not good enough to mention—and this book played a large role. I've been meaning to read it book since... forever. I started it in middle school, because of my name and my fondness for "The Catcher in the Rye," but I think it was beyond me at age 12 or 13. I have it sitting on my shelf, just waiting.

The two works were published together as a book in 1961, having originally appeared in The New Yorker in 1955 and 1957 respectively.(image via newsstand)

Craving:

Last week I ate some incredible things. A cruffin from Mr. Holmes Bakehouse—flakey, buttery croissant muffin hybrid; I think ours was filled with chocolate rye cream (house-made rye bread infused cream finished with 64% chocolate). 

I want to eat all the things. (via latimes)

At Spitz, a mediterranean place, I had the Döner Basket, which is a salad and fries topped with tzatziki, feta, pepperoncinis, crispy garbanzos, a falafel ball, olives, fried pita strips, hummus, tomato, onion, green pepper, cucumber and chicken. I could eat it a thousand more times. 

Salvating. (image via Two Peas & Their Pod

I didn't mind waiting in a long line to try some Salt & Straw ice cream. Experienced a cone while walking to Venice beach. One scoop of Chocolate Gooey Brownie (the house-baked brownies have marshmallow fluff folded in to keep them extra gooey) and one scoop of Apples & Sidecar Doughnuts (chunks of Butter & Salt doughnuts soaked in a homemade glaze, then stirred into ice cream spiced with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, finishing with a swirl of homemade apple pie filling). Wow! 

There's so much more, but I cannot stop drooling. (image via latimes)

Wearing:

This past week I put an old pair of shoes to use: my black and grey Saucony Originals Bullets. 

Six years ago, in my brief stint living in San Francisco, I needed a pair of black shoes for a restaurant job. I remember going to store after store after store, with some unknown vision in my mind of what I wanted to find. I didn't have much money and I love shopping for shoes, so it was a great game and source of entertainment. Eventually I found these sneaks, they fit the bill, and have served me well for years. 

I got them at Shoe Biz, on one of my favorite streets: Valencia. It was nice to wear them all over the West Coast again.

Watching:

Things I'm looking forward to:

"Jerry Before Seinfeld." "On September 19, Netflix is airing Jerry Before Seinfeld, a comedy special about how the world’s richest comedian got his start."

"The Deuce." "The first collaboration between David Simon and George Pelecanos since Treme, The Deuce is set in 1970s New York City, when Times Square had more peep shows and porn theaters than Olive Gardens and Elmo impersonators. In the eight-episode series, James Franco plays twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino, a bartender and a gambler who get swept up in a mob plan to profit from the burgeoning sex industry. Maggie Gyllenhaal is Candy, a sex worker with bigger ambitions."

"I Love You, America" "Sarah Silverman’s new weekly topical show for Hulu is being billed as an honest attempt for the outspoken comedian to engage with “real” Americans whose opinions and beliefs are at odds with her own. The series’s co-executive producers include Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (Anchorman, The Big Short)."

Plus, "Broad City," "This Is Us" and most likely much, much more. Hi, I love television. (Here's a list of so many Fall shows.)

I don't actually spend all day and night watching tv, surprisingly. (images via HBO / ABC / Netflix / CBS / The Atlantic)

Treasuring:

Visiting Los Angeles for the first time. (The Price Is Right! The Comedy Store! My brother and sister-in-law and their beautiful home! The beaches! The foods! The wanders! The cool breezes! The desert! The views! The change! The city! The excitement! The adventure! The weirdness! The architecture! The friendship!)

Having so many thoughtful people surrounding me during this hurricane scare. I've heard from old friends and relatives. I've been offered places to stay nearby, on higher ground and way up north—for myself, my cat, and all my friends. I've been offered help boarding up windows, I've been offered all the snacks... The world isn't full of monsters, which is a relief.

This is how positive humanity makes me feel. (image via popmyeyes)