63 - Surviving January
On the table January 21, 2025
As Gloria kneads biscuits and drools on my lap, I’m writing to you—feeling very appreciative of her cozy cuteness. January has somehow managed to be the longest year ever, and I’m soaking up these small comforts. I’ve been pretty disciplined about only being on my phone or computer when absolutely necessary for work, spending most of that extra time reading instead. I’m also proud to report that I haven’t bought any new clothing or even indulged in window shopping! While I’ve visited more vintage stores recently than I have in ages, it hasn’t been nearly as risky as walking into, say, Aritzia. What I’m saying is: I deserve a gold star, please and thank you.
High of the week: it’s a tie between impromptu board game night and seeing two of my very good friends yesterday.
Low of the week: my left hip joint has been hurting. my years as a dancer were not kind to my body, which is rude. also, does complaining about my hip hurting officially make me old?
Thoughts & Things:
i would like to do more nothing together
there might be a correlation between sexism and Alzheimer’s
watched The Wild Robot last weekend, and definitely cried…a few times
for all my fellow ADHDers, this books is awesome. i’m finding it really helpful in just understanding why i do some of the things that i do
the census has found me and i’m now on the hook to talk to them monthly for the next four months and then they’ll follow up with me again a year later. apparently if i don’t answer their calls they’ll just keep showing up at my door. which, ok rude
Creative writing: Over the past couple of weeks, I decided to take a break from my weekly class to give myself some time to reset. I’ve felt creatively stuck for a while, and my heart hasn’t been in the art I love so much. I’m a big believer in stepping back when things don’t feel right, even though it’s hard not to see this community that means so much to me every week. I realized I needed to take something off my plate—something that had started to feel more like a task on my to-do list than the joy it used to be.
This is only week two, but I already feel a little lighter. I’ve decided to use my Tuesday nights for reading, writing, or both—but I’m keeping it low-pressure. I’m setting a simple goal of 30 minutes. After that, if I want to play games on my phone for the rest of the night, I’m giving myself permission. At first, I was nervous to take this break. Not just because I’d miss seeing people I care about, but because class has been part of my identity for so long. Walking away, even temporarily, felt like admitting failure. It’s ridiculous, I know, but when you tie so much of your identity to something you love, taking a step back can feel like you’re letting it go entirely. And yet, if you cling too tightly, you risk losing the spark that made you love it in the first place.
It might be too early to call this a win, but for the first time in a while, I feel the faint stirrings of an idea—a story beginning to take shape. It’s not fully formed yet, but I’m giving it time to percolate without rushing to pin it down. We’ll see how the next seven weeks go!
Severance season 2!: Severance is a weird, cerebral thriller that quickly became one of the dark horses of 2022. Set in the unsettling world of Lumon Industries, the show follows employees who’ve undergone a mysterious “severance” procedure, splitting their work and personal memories into two separate lives (innies and outties!). The production design is stunning and the whole vibe is delightfully unsettling.
I’m beyond excited for its return! On Friday I watched the first episode of season 2, which was great, but also made me realize that I had forgotten a lot. So! I’ve started to rewatch the first season—and folks, I think that some of the things can only be appreciated when you’ve already watched the season. If you haven’t revisited it yet, highly recommend.
New food: I went from trying maybe two new restaurants all of last year to hitting two in just the first few weeks of the new year. Progress! A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Pho VT, and now it’s Civico 2064. This Italian spot on Hillhurst in Los Feliz has been on my list for a while, mostly because of their vegan-friendly options. The vibe was cute, though I wish the lighting had been a little less bright.
Our lovely server brought out freshly baked focaccia (absolute perfection) with their house-made pesto, which is made with just five ingredients, which did not include cheese, onions, or garlic (mind blown emoji). Oddly refreshing! I ordered the rigatoni puttanesca, which was delicious, and my partner went for the branzino, which he loved. For dessert, we tried the cannoli—not quite what I expected, but my partner was a big fan. I would like to go back so that I can try their vegan tiramisu! They also had pretty solid wine. While it didn’t blow me away, I’d absolutely return for a glass of wine, a snack, or dessert.
New Game: Speaking of new adventures, this past weekend I went to Geeky Teas & Games—which I’ve written about before—but this time, we weren’t there to buy games. We were there to play games. For $5 each, our group of four got access to their game area, where you can pick any board game from their massive library and set up at one of their tables. And by massive, I mean enough board games that we all got hit decision fatigue almost immediately.
The guys at the table behind us started recommending games, but none really grabbed us. Then, the quiet guy in their group pulled out his own game (you can bring your own games to play there too), Rebel Princess, and offered to let us play it. It took us a minute to figure out what we were doing, but he kindly answered all our questions between turns at his own game. Apparently, it’s based on the classic card game Hearts—which I’ve never played—but instead of whatever you’re supposed to do in Hearts (I’m too lazy to Google, sorry), the goal here is to survive five rounds (aka nights at fancy balls) and end up with as few marriage proposals as possible. There are twists, like passing cards to your neighbors and using your princess’s to skew the odds ever in your favor.
I loved it. Even though I lost both rounds (clearly everyone else was cheating—how else could I end up with 25 proposals TWICE?!), I had so much fun. I can confidently say I’d play it again… but I will be demanding a rematch…
Young adult thriller: For reasons I’m sure absolutely no one could guess, I’ve been indulging in escapism wherever and whenever I can. And last week I struck gold. I picked up That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally, and well, I was immediately hooked.
The book kicks off with a teenage girl waking up on the side of the road, bruised, bloody, and with no memory of who she is or how she got there. An officer finds her and, after she refuses to go to the hospital, he takes her to the station to warm up. Enter a frantic man claiming to be her father, complete with her school ID, birth certificate, and family photos. But is it really her father? Dum dum DUM!
I couldn’t put this book down. It took me on a wild ride and delivered a twist I didn’t see coming—which is rare and deeply appreciated. This girl loves a good plot twist!
Here’s to surviving the longest January in history and doing our best to ignore the fact that the world is both literally and figuratively on fire. Stay cozy, stay sane, and maybe let’s all collectively agree to steer February in a different direction.
