Monday Memos // 96

Listening:

“The Trip” by Still Corners.

“Oom Sha La La” by Haley Heynderickx.

Reading:

Tiny Love Stories: Dog Parades, Rowing-Machine Romance and a Hurricane

The Correct Way to Go See a Movie Is by Yourself

Everyone Loves the Hot Duck

Who is he? (image via James Devaney/WireImage/Getty Images

Craving:

I had a friend feast at Sala Thai. It was a delicious peanutty party. We had Thai crepe dumplings (Minced Chicken, Peanuts, and Sweet Turnips), Pla Muk Tod (Fried Turmeric Coconut Calamari with Roasted Bell Pepper-Peanut Vinaigrette Sauce), Praram (Sautéed batter fried chicken with Peanut Sauce, steamed Baby Bok Choy), and Kao Nar Ped (Crispy Quarter Duck Breast, Chinese Broccoli and Pickled Ginger). And then we were full beyond belief.

I was also given a vegan feast for two (more like feast for 12) from Whole Foods. To celebrate “World Vegan Day,” Whole Foods Market and Chef Jeremy Fox co-created a plant-centered meal, which included: Romanesco Cauliflower Roast with Miso Bagna Cauda, Cremini Mushroom Stuffing with Kimchi, Charred Escarole with Tomatoes and Chickpeas, and Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple and Hazelnut Dukkah. I ate it for days. The squash and the stuffing were the best.

Wearing:

Pink boots and pink bandana. Sweatshirts and Chelsea boots. My favorite jean jacket.

Watching:

Loved and Loving: Wanderlust was superb. The Romanoffs is proving to be highly entertaining.

Want to See: Dogs on Netflix looks great and potentially heart-wrenching. Holmes & Watson looks like a typical Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly comedy treat for lots of laughs.

Treasuring:

November: My calendar is filling up with exciting events. Music and storytelling and dinners and visits. So much family time and friends to see. Plus, the cool air and the changing leaves, I’m feeling great anticipation.

My block is very yellow.

Monday Memos // 95

Listening:

“Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus.

“Moonshine Freeze” by This Is The Kit.

“Honey, Let Me Know” by MarthaGunn.

Reading:

For a long, powerful story: Could an Ex-Convict Become an Attorney? I Intended to Find Out

For a pick me up: Trader Joe’s Autumnal Alfredo, Candy Corn Popcorn, and More Fall Stuff, Reviewed

For drooling over interiors: At 480 Square Feet, This Pastel Apartment in Barcelona is Tiny Yet Unbelievably Chic and In a New York Apartment, Dimes Co-Founder Sabrina De Sousa Lives With What She Makes

I WANT A GARDEN! (photo by IRIS HUMM via sightunseen)

Craving:

Last week Bon Appétit had their annual Hot Ten party. So, I got to eat an array of fabulous foods. I sort of went into a trance, snaking through the crowds and servers, trying ALL the things. Spicy swordfish curry, a latke topped with lox, daikon topped with caviar, and more and more and more.

When I snuck into the VIP area, that’s where I was truly in heaven: the desserts! I ate so much cake from Brothers and Sisters in D.C. It was phenomenal. The sugar high propelled me through the long train ride home and into the next morning.

Read more about those cakes here. (image by Scott Suchman via bonappetit)

Wearing:

Multiple people told me I looked like Jenny Lewis this week. Into that! I think it was the party look (wide leg jumpsuit and star-covered blouse) and a weekend look of high-waisted wide leg pants and a rainbow sweater. Now I want a suit. Or three.

Watching:

I saw Mid90s over the weekend. Written and directed by Jonah Hill, “In 1990s Los Angeles, 13-year-old Stevie escapes his turbulent home life by hanging out with a new group of friends he meets at a local skate shop, plunging him into a world of fun, danger and excitement.” Again, I didn’t know it would be so heart-wrenching! Still, it was well done, the music was great, and it really made me empathize with young boys and teens. Life is hard.

These two were my favorite: Sunny Suljic and Na-kel Smith. (image via A24)

I also started watching a new Netflix show, Wanderlust. All I needed was to see Toni Collette’s face and I was in. Only two episodes down, but I’m entertained, intrigued, and the music (most of which, see the Listening section) is wonderful. “The opening credits of “Wanderlust” — a BBC One-Netflix series, created and written by the British playwright Nick Payne, that came to Netflix on Friday — include a definition of the show’s title: strong longing for or impulse toward wandering. Its six hourlong, comic-dramatic episodes chronicle a controlled experiment in indulging such an impulse.”

Toni Collette and Steven Mackintosh. (image via Matt Squire/Netflix)

Treasuring:

Indulging: Eating too much cake. Not going to bed. Scheduling too many things. Making quick decisions. Saying too many things. Having so much fun.

Monday Memos // 94

Listening:

“Audience No. 2” by Autolux.

“Dog” by Widowspeak.

“Il Ballo Del Mattone” by Rita Pavone.

Reading:

From most important to least important…

I'm a Chef With Terminal Cancer. This Is What I'm Doing with the Time I Have Left — “When we think we have all the time in the world to live, we forget to indulge in the experiences of living. When that choice is yanked away from us, that’s when we scramble to feel.”

APPROPRIATE MOMENTS TO RESPOND WITH LADY GAGA’S GUTTURAL HOWL FROM THE SONG “SHALLOW”

The long, long history of long, long CVS receipts

Nostalgia for the Present by Brooke Shanesy.

Craving:

This weekend I celebrated one year since I moved up north. Sunday I had a lovely breakfast feast at Champs Diner, which included lots of coffee, a giant tofu scramble—the “hungover hippie”— and a gigantic, classic pancake. It was hard not to get the giant stack of fancy pancakes, but the one was ample.

I want to go back for a sundae or a shake. (image via nooklyn)

Wearing:

Sweaters! Pants! Jackets! Socks! The weekend skipped ahead and really felt like winter. I loved it.

I had to buy this Katie Kimmel sweatshirt.

Watching:

I saw A Star Is Born alone on Saturday morning (do not recommend the alone or in the morning part). I honestly thought it would be cheesy at best, but wow, it was actually well done and really good. However, I was not thoroughly warned that I would feel deeply depressed when it was over. (Side note: did you know Lady Gaga had a small cameo in Sopranos? She was “girl at the pool number 2.”)

I also watched Scream for the first time on Saturday night. As much as I have seen thousands and thousands of movies, I haven’t seen a lot of classics or standard fare. It filled me with suspense, it cracked me up, I yelled at the characters on the screen. A good balance for the day.

Treasuring:

Goofing: Skipping down the hall. Making weird faces and making weird sounds. Risking, and forgetting, embarrassment.

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.