It usually takes me about a decade to get into a good show, and I’m excited to finally be onto The West Wing.
“It’s probably too big a statement to say it’s made us smarter, but The Simpsons doesn’t ever promise to do anything more than make you laugh. There’s social satire in it, social commentary, deeper themes in it, but what’s great about The Simpsons is it says upfront, “All we’re gonna do is make you laugh.” That’s a purely noble cause, I think. It somehow doesn’t make you totally dumber by doing that. Most things that promise just to make you laugh don’t have any other redeeming qualities, and The Simpsons seems to.”
I Can Barely Take Care Of Myself By Jen Kirkman - A Review
Available on Amazon
Available on Amazon
Ten days into 2018 and I've finished my first book of the year. Is your envy seething?
After reading Jen Kirkman's latest book a few months ago, I really wanted to read her first book. They were both really good, but this one focuses way more on the fact that she doesn't want children (something that I love reading about). Here are some of my favourite parts, written out ahead.
- "I don't know why that happens - that when you're hanging out with someone you know you're going to fall in love with, you just don't know where to begin and you start picking up pieces of your life as though they're old photos randomly gathered in a box and handing them over to a virtual stranger for safekeeping. It's like saying, "Here. I'm excited and hopeful and I don't know where to begin but I think one day we'll eventually have enough time to unpack this thing and make some sense of it all.""
- "It's a weird thing society puts on us women. They tell us that we can have careers (well, after they told us we could vote - they sort of said it would be okay if we wanted to have a career, as long as we agree to get paid less than a man for the same job), and then they tell us that we aren't real women if we have careers but no babies, and if we dare pick a career over a baby... we better at least talk about that career like it's a baby in order to blend in and not call attention to the fact that we're selfish women who are not carrying on the human race."
- "I wasn't sure that Matt was the One. But I took a leap of faith. Romantic love is not parental, instinctual, unconditional love - it's complex. And what if I change my mind about having kids and I decide to have one and then I change my mind again? As gut-wrenching (and expensive) as it is to change your mind about who you love, it's a hell of a lot easier to get divorced than it is to toss a kid back into the sea and tell them that they'll meet someone else someday who will really love them."
- "Parents talk a lot about how much strength and dedication it takes to raise a child. It does. It also takes a lot of strength and dedication to carve out a life that doesn't seem normal to anyone else."
So much love for this woman.
There are few images that give me complete joy and this is one of them.
2018 Resolutions
I've really put some thought into these this year. Some of them are repeats of other years (since they're so good) and some are brand new. Please, please, please make some for yourself, you think it doesn't help, but to have these in the back of your mind really makes you push yourself throughout the year.
Read at least one book per season.
Go to the gym or do some kind of physically strenuous activity at least ten times a month.
Juice at least five times a month.
At least once a month, go to a nice restaurant that you've never been to before.
Take Baby Dog on at least two dog adventures per month (this could include going to Central Park, Astoria Park, dog dates, etc.)
Properly go on a date with Nathan at least once a month.
Learn how to meditate.
Once a month, write a letter to someone that I haven’t seen for awhile.
Once a season, do a week-long juice cleanse or follow a completely raw food diet.
By the end of the year, stop waitressing and start editing full time again.
(UPDATE: To see how these resolutions went, come on over here.)
2017 Resolutions Revisited
Read at least one book per season. - I did it! Winter (a re-read, but still), Spring, Summer & Autumn.
Go to the gym or do pilates at least ten times a month.
January - 6 times
February - 1 time
March - 5 times
April - 6 times
May - 9 times
June - 9 times
July - 8 times
August - 0 times
September - 6 times
October - 7 times
November - 4 times
December - 1 time
Yeeeeikes, well that didn't go well. But that means that I went to the gym 17% of the days this year, and while that's better than last year (in 2016 it was 14.5%) it's still not as good as in 2015 when I went 23.5% and in 2014 I went 37%. Welp, this year can always be better.
Juice at least five times a month.
January - 9 times
February - 2 times
March - 6 times
April - 3 times
May - 0 times
June - 0 times
July - 3 times
August - 3 times
September - 3 times
October - 1 time
November - 0 times
December - 7 times
Okay so 3/12 months I actually made my goal. Gotta try way harder this year.
Get at least three haircuts this year.
Hahah, only one haircut in January. SHIT.
At least once a month, go to a fancy restaurant that you've never been to before.
January: Gotham Bar & Grill (two of the best things I've ever eaten were consumed here. The mushroom risotto with trumpet royals, shiitake, baby arugula, pancetta, aged sherry and gruyere cheese as well as the Gotham Burger with plymouth tomme cheddar, vermont bacon, herb aioli and kennebec french fries) & Giorgio’s of Gramercy (the Alex Friar Soup and Chilean Sea Bass were equally heavenly)
February: Nick & Stef's (decent) as well as Cagney's (slightly better than decent)
March: Gusto 101 (not entirely memorable, but a good meal), Augustine at The Beekman (ridiculously good) & CUT (extremely underwhelming, this was probably the let down restaurant of the year)
April: Il Corvo (crazy good pasta) and Canlis (one of the best salads of life)
May: None!
June: Blue Ribbon (the onion soup at their location on Downing Street was way better than this reincarnation)
July: None!
August: Fusco (the happy hour pasta that changes weekly is the main draw here), Il Buco (Finally! As good as I hoped), Employees Only (HARD PASS) & Keens (crazy good, must go back for dinner)
September: Michael's Back Door (honestly, not as good as everyone tells you)
October: AG (very lovely)
November: None!
December: Enoteca Adriano (such good specials!)
There were only three months when I didn't do this! I will forever love this resolution and continue to do it each year.
Make one Chrissy Teigen recipe (from Cravings) each month.
COMPLETELY didn't do this. It's as if my eyes were blind to this being on the list.
Take Baby Dog on at least one dog date each month.
She had about seven dog dates this year, but I'm gonna tweak this resolution to better suit her for the upcoming year.
Try at least one new hairstyle every month. (God, these are low/sad expectations, BUT THEY MINE.)
Hahahah, not even kinda close to doing this one. God, 31 year old me was sad sometimes.
Properly go on a date Nathan at least once a month.
The only months we didn't do anything were April, May & June, which is kind of amazing that we did it for the remaining months! Definitely keeping this one on the list.
Finally go to Staten Island for pizza. See what the big deal is.
Still didn't go. Still don't know what the big deal is.
2018 resolution list coming soon!
Winter List 2017
I love this season. That video above is one my mom took of our backyard last week and words can't express how happy I am that it's already started to snow in Canada. There's nothing lamer than a green Christmas. In any case, there are bunch of things I want to do this season.
Drink a white Russian.
Play board games with the family at Christmas.
Finally eat at Raclette in NYC.
Visit the new Oscar Wilde inspired bar.
Build a snowman.
Finally try whipped cream vodka in a hot chocolate.
Successfully make a souffle for the first time.
Take at least five bubble baths.
Literally just sit and watch the snow fall.
Mail out holiday cards.
There's nothing too wild or unique on that list, I realize, but I wanted some simple and easy things that I can fully enjoy since I'm fully in Christmas mode at the moment. Happy first day of winter!
Autumn List Revisited
Holy hell, it's the last day of autumn. And while it was a really great season for me this year, I really didn't get to a lot of this list. Excuses ahead!
1. "Go on our annual pumpkin patch trip to Downey's." Of course, I went! If I find myself one year not having enough time to go and do this, please know that I've silently given up on life.
2. "Wear black lipstick in public for an entire day." Did it!
3. "Make turkey poutine with Thanksgiving leftovers." Completely didn't do this only because I was really over turkey right after Thanksgiving, I just couldn't look at it anymore.
4. "Make cinnamon sugar toasted pumpkin seeds and actually eat them." Nope. And I think I have come to the conclusion that I really don't care to do this. Fuck those seeds!
5. "Read outdoors." Did it, killed it.
6. "Jog before sunrise." Damnit, this is one I really wanted to do. I will do this eventually.
7. "Eat spaghetti squash for the first time and try not to be grossed out." Was too grossed out to try. Shame on me.
8. "Scare someone. If it goes well, scare others." I did it once and I wasn't good at it. Turns out I'm better at being scared. Sweet.
9. "See at least five Halloween movies I haven't seen before." Did it! I watched An American Werewolf in London (pretty good), Young Frankenstein (sucked!), The Thing (not my kind of movie), House on Haunted Hill (actually not that bad), Halloweentown (great!), Get Out (so great!)
10. "Create a fall door wreath." Hahahah, who the hell do I think I am.
All in all, I did 5/10. I passed! Winter list coming tomorrow!
How To Have A Less Expensive Christmas
Do I have wish I had thousands of dollars to spend on Christmas? Fuck yes! Is that a plausible reality?
Technically I have three jobs at the moment, but neither of them are crazy lucrative so HERE I BE. About to blow your mind with some money saving ideas for the next two months (ie. the most expensive two months of the entire year, arguably). BEHOLD.
- If you share a certain amount of friends in common, do a Secret Santa exchange within that group. It saves so much money not to buy all those individual gifts, it's insane.
- Make a ton of holiday cookies/candies/brownies & individually sized gift boxes with Christmas tissue wrap from Dollarama to house them in. I've done this a few times over the years when money is tight, and people seem to be into it. Also, food gifts are the best gifts. I love a gift that doesn't necessarily have to sit atop my bedroom dresser for the rest of time. EAT THAT GIFT.
- Try to buy as many gifts as you can on the week of Cyber Monday (I've noticed that Cyber Monday deals last the entire week). The deals are sometimes better than Black Friday, and there's so, so much more comfort involved.
- Instead of buying new holiday dresses, BORROW from your close friends and vice versa. Is this too frugal? Oh sorry, MILLIONAIRE. I thought you were here for cheap-ass ideas. Gorgeous dresses were meant to be worn as much as possible, and a true friend ain't gonna judge you for suggesting to swap for an event.
- Take advantage of so many free things to do this time of year: putting up Christmas lights, decorating your tree, making hot chocolate and taking it on a walk through your neighborhood, watching/streaming old Christmas movies, calling someone you haven't talked to in a long time, volunteering, donating anything you don't have any use for anymore, LITERALLY SO MANY THINGS.
- See less people over the holiday season! Haha, I'm kidding...? I mean, if you see less of them, expectations on giving gifts drastically falls. So this one kind of makes sense. Something that also works? Send a Christmas card. The card acts as your way of keeping in touch, but not having to spend money on dinner/gift/drinks/etc. This one sounds harsh, but it's sort of genius, said the person who came up with it.
- Spend more time with your family. Your family never wants to go out and spend money, right? Maybe that's a Caribbean thing.
I could tell you to just stick to a budget throughout the holidays, but I never find that helpful because I'm too easy of a target when it comes to spontaneous shopping. In any case, it is completely possible to not be 1000% broke once the holidays are over.