Cruel Summer
Going back to the 90s from the comfort of 2021
Welp, it’s Wednesday. I’m sitting at Soho Works because I couldn’t stop watching My Lottery Dream House at home and it turns out you can be really productive when you get a change of scenery. I don’t know why I am constantly surprised by this. But after a few hours of solid work and a few moments without HGTV on in the background I have realized that I’m not nearly as behind and overwhelmed as I thought. In fact, two of the things on my “things I have needed to do for a while” list I had actually done a long time ago. So now I remember that I’m awesome and brilliant at everything and that’s why these little pink couches are magical.
The overwhelm was useful though. I have so many things going on and so much less time now that I am being forced to leave my house that I had to sit down and write out my list of priorities and let me tell you, that was a surprise. I listed the things in my head as they came to me and I was really shocked at what came out. It turns out that there are things that I obsess about every minute that actually are not the things that I would list as my top priorities and then there are things that I don’t think about at all that are high and my list and maybe I should get my butt in gear on them. It was a really refreshing look at what’s really driving me right now, what I’m most concerned with, and what I can put on the back burner. Highly recommend.
One of the things on that list is organizing and possibly taming my SUMMER OF GEORGE. George is getting tired. It is already halfway through June and I still have approximately 549 activities to fit in. I propose that we readjust society thusly:
6 months of quarantine.
1 month of being in the world.
6 months of quarantine.
Repeat.
It’s really the only way to maintain sanity and any kind of reasonable budget. Think about it. It’s for the best.
So my brilliant friend Lila about whom I have written a lot (have you preordered her book yet) is raising money for her organization, StuyHealth, which is the reason that the community members affected by 9/11 have healthcare today. Seriously. She is raising money now because the 20th anniversary of 9/11 is coming up and they need to get out some important health messaging and because men told her that she could never raise enough money and we have to prove men wrong. So please donate. It’s the best thing you can do today.
Watch:
Cruel Summer (Freeform/Hulu): I know what you’re thinking. Freeform? Am I a TWEEN??? No, but you’ll remember your 90s tween day with this superbly edited teen drama about an incident in a Texas town. The 90s soundtrack and dialup internet alone is enough to take you back, but this show is actually really good.
Made For Love (HBOMax): Creepy Google-esque founder puts chip in wife to track her every movement. Wife is not having it. Ray Romano is also involved. Open a bottle and prepare to be glued to your television.
Read:
They laugh until they need you to solve a global pandemic.
That one time in WW2 when Germany had a great idea and the gods were like NOPE.
Listen:
The Vaping Fix (podcast): All about how Juul started out as a good idea and then got kids super into being addicted to nicotine mostly by lies and deception and fun flavors.
The Turning: The Sisters Who Left (podcast): You know how there’s no such thing as heroes except for Nichelle Nichols and Mae Jemison? Welp, Mother Theresa ran a shady cult. Which we already knew she was extremely not perfect but oof this podcast.