Monday Memos // 104

Listening:

“Miss Chew” (feat. Jesse & Forever) by Nick Hakim.

“Color Me Badd” by Land of Talk.

Reading:

Is It Ever Okay...To Eat the Food Off Your Date’s Plate?

One Scene, 42 Takes and 2 Hours in a Bathroom Stall

Updated Etiquette Posters from the M.T.A.

Craving:

I am an avid craver of bowls. Rice bowls, quinoa bowls, noodle bowls, sautéed greens bowls. Sometimes, when I make them at home, I call them piles. Those tend to be the exhausted moments after work when I just throw together whatever ingredients appeal to me or are readily available (eggs, sweet potatoes, kale, peas, crushed up chips, weird “free table” snacks, hummus, etc.).

This week I went wild on dairy-free ice cream. Super rich and creamy chocolate citrus cake from Van Leeuwen. Ben and Jerry’s vegan Chunky Monkey and PB Fudge, too. Oh, also Pressed Juicery’s chocolate soft serve freeze. I might need to go to Ice Cream Anonymous.

Even when it’s freezing, I love ice cream. (image via medium)

Even when it’s freezing, I love ice cream. (image via medium)

Wearing:

Last week my nails were painted bright blue. I wore lots of wide leg pants—black, mustard, denim—and lots of sweaters—grey, cream, and more grey. I’m really ready for spring now. I miss seeing my legs and ankles and arms.

Watching:

TV: A steady stream of the greats: True Detective, High Maintenance. Also, remembered SMILF, and the second season is better than the first—definitely worth a watch. Plus, I started Nurse Jackie while on a Showtime perusal. (I was feeling under the weather so the couch was my best friend this weekend.)

Movies: I rewatched Frances Ha, hence the story about the scene above. I also rewatched The Royal Tenenbaums, excited about living near the house but forgetting how sad makes me.

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Treasuring:

Stories: One of my favorite things is hearing stories. From friends, from strangers, from lovers, from relatives, from children, from performers. I love eavesdropping, I love a really long text, I love a phone call filled with stories. Over the weekend, I stopped one night at an Italian place near my apartment to get a slice of cake to go—cake sounded great and I had a gift card. While I waited for the slice—the kitchen was slammed—I sat at the bar next to a man with great, wild, white hair. He was a writer working on a biography of a modern dancer. He had spent his day going from place to place, snack to snack, writing and writing. Now he was here with a cocktail and a finished chocolate mousse. He admired my wrinkle-free face and I learned a little bit about his days traveling with a dancing company (he had stopped in Gainesville at lease once) and he showed me photos of his stunning dancer leaps and turns. Good stories, good people. The cake wasn’t as good as the last time, but worth the trip.

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 // 49

Listening:

"Forever" by Pete Drake. 

"Thinkin Bout You" by Frank Ocean.

"Midnight Walk" by Elvin Jones.

"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer.

Reading:

For better or worse: "How to Survive the Apocalypse."

That title was paired with an image of brownies, so I was sold: "The Story Behind the Greatest Internet Recipe Comment of All Time."

Part of me wants to go the ignorance is bliss route. (image by Leo Acadia via NYTimes)

Part of me wants to go the ignorance is bliss route. (image by Leo Acadia via NYTimes)

Craving:

All the peanut butter. All the chocolate. Perhaps I'm in a kind of Reese's spiral (though I've been eating the elements in almost every form but this cup variety). Have you ever tried those new Reese's cups filled with Reese's Pieces? I'd be open to the idea of a candy bar company sponsoring me. 

I haven't actually tried this, but I wouldn't not.

I haven't actually tried this, but I wouldn't not.

Wearing:

I've been trying to wear lipstick more often again. Pizzazz pick-me-up.

Nars "Heat Wave" is still the best.

Nars "Heat Wave" is still the best.

Watching:

I'm counting down until March for Wes Anderson's latest movie "Isle of Dogs." I love seeing his movies on the big screen and crying tears of joy/wistfulness/love. I still remember seeing "Fantastic Mr. Fox" in the theatre (for the second time) as it snowed outside; everything was perfect and magical.

I'm also looking forward to Noah Baumbach's latest, "The Meyerowitz Stories." Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler. Arty/wordy New York-centric movies are generally up my alley. 

In honor of Harry Dean Stanton, I really want to see "Lucky." "The spiritual journey of a ninety-year-old atheist." Sounds perfect. Plus, with David Lynch, Ron Livingston, and Ed Begley Jr., how could you go wrong? (I'll never not think of him as Roman Grant on Big Love.)

Treasuring:

My small, strange, beautiful hometown.

Deejay nights—my world of music has expanded greatly and happily. Plus, it's just really fun smack-dab in the middle of the week.

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Monday Memos // 35

Listening:

When I was a senior in high school, the last month of school was essentially an olympic event of testing and exams. We didn't even have to go to classes, we just had to study. During my final math exam I remember anxiously checking the clock. I needed to hurry. My family was waiting in the car outside the testing center. As soon as I finished, I ran to the car, buckled up, and we drove off to Atlanta. We had to get to Radiohead. It was the best. "In Rainbows" has been swirling around my head this week, too.

I saw "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" recently. Not worth paying for, but baby Groot was great and so was the music. I can appreciate a space battle more when I'm being serenaded by Parliament and Fleetwood Mac. It made me want to listen to Cat Stevens (which in turn made me want to watch "Harold and Maude" again).

And I've been on an R&B/soul kick for all the times in between, so:

Reading:

This week in "things I read and enjoyed," the theme seems to be love:

After 54 Years, We Fell in Love. After Five Months, I Got Leukemia. By Delia Ephron

A Love Story. By Samantha Hunt

"A coyote ate a three-year-old not far from here.” Illustration by Patrick Leger for "A Love Story." (image via thenewyorker)

"A coyote ate a three-year-old not far from here.” Illustration by Patrick Leger for "A Love Story." (image via thenewyorker)

Craving:

Morning carbs. 

I went to the farmer's market on Wednesday with these dreamy muffins on the mind—but the muffin booth wasn't there! So I took inspiration from the bunch of overripe bananas at home and made my own (but the oven wouldn't get hot, so I turned the batter into waffles).

I spent the next three days snacking on delicious waffles. Now I want some pancakes. 

How about some chocolate waffles as a vehicle for a sundae? (via joythebaker)

How about some chocolate waffles as a vehicle for a sundae? (via joythebaker)

Wearing:

Gorjana 3 Disc Necklace. 

I got this necklace in my swag bag from the Create & Cultivate conference back in early May. I didn't put it on until a week and a half ago and I'm really digging it. I think it's fitting too, because I've been noticing all things three.

The rose gold version is really nice. (via gorjana)

The rose gold version is really nice. (via gorjana)

Watching:

"Don't Think Twice."

Netflix suggested this movie to me and it seemed just right for needing something on the lighter side. "When a member of a popular New York City improv troupe gets a huge break, the rest of the group - all best friends - start to realize that not everyone is going to make it after all."

It's full of wonderful, funny people: written and directed by Mike Birbiglia and starring Birbiglia, Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher and Chris Gethard.

Comedy/Drama is right, I laughed a lot and then cried at the end. It's not earth-shattering, but it's a nice story with some hilarity and heart. 

Made me want to see an improv show/comedy set. (image via rollingstone)

Made me want to see an improv show/comedy set. (image via rollingstone)

Wanting:

Off the top of my head:

I want my car to have working A.C. 

I want to go to the beach.

I want a haircut. 

Sounds like summer. (image via Leah Goren)

Sounds like summer. (image via Leah Goren)