Spring List 2020 Revisited

by Liz Heather in

So I’ll cut to the chase, I didn’t get a ton done off my spring list. Was that because of the collapse of the world around us and a pandemic that has no end in sight? Partly. But moreso I really couldn’t summon the energy to care about a lot this season.

  1. Sit on my fire escape.

    • I didn’t do this. This was the easiest thing on the list and I couldn’t do it. I’m a little afraid to do it, I think. I keep thinking “the dumbest way to die would be falling off a fire escape” and that tends to make me put it off. I’ll try to face this fear soon.

  2. Bake something spring inspired.

  3. Rewatch my favourite Hitchcock movies.

    • Did it! Vertigo, Rear Window, Rope, The Birds, Dial M For Murder. Love ‘em.

  4. Try some new hairstyles and new makeup routines.

    • DID NOT EVEN ATTEMPT. But I am thinking about making a big hair change, so stay tuned.

  5. Watch at least ten things off of my To Be Watched list of movies and TV shows.

    • I think I did about five. It’s so hard for me not to just rewatch stuff I love. Taking a half point.

2.5 / 5 - disappointing, but not the worst I’ve ever done. Let’s see what I can get done in summer.

Hello, worstseasonoftheyear! Welcome to worstyearofallyears!

My Walk To Manhattan

by Liz Heather in

We are still in lockdown mode in New York City and I feel powerless, numb and useless. I’m an editor with no clients on the horizon and a waitress whose restaurant shut down in March. The days have been bleeding into one another for months and I wanted to change that, even for just one day.

Yesterday I walked for 15.6 miles to get from Astoria in Queens to Soho in Manhattan and back. I started the walk thinking that I’d just walk to Central Park, but that only took me about an hour and sort of ignited something inside of me to keep going. Here’s how it went and why you should maybe consider taking your own wandering walk.

(Sidenote: I had a mask on the entire time and didn’t come in contact with anyone, I’m not an idiot.)

(Sidenote #2: In order to take a walk like this, you have to have amazing bladder control because every store is closed and the ones that are open may not let you use their bathroom. I didn’t go to the bathroom for seven straight hours during this walk because I, ahem, have a fat-ass bladder that I’m abnormally proud of.)

Walking across the Queensboro Bridge

I’ve never walked across this bridge before (I’ve only walked across the Brooklyn Bridge) and it took so much longer than I thought it would, but it was still a decent walk. Not as nice as the Brooklyn Bridge (maybe because it’s not as ornamental and old) but still, who doesn’t love a bridge walk?

Queens on the right, Roosevelt Island on the left

These apartment buildings remind me so much of an old Jack Lemmon movie

The perimeter of Central Park

Despite everything, spring is still happening

Believe me when I say that there was practically no one in Central Park and the people that I did see stayed very far apart from each other. Granted, a lot of areas were blocked off, but still. For moments throughout my walk in the park, there was absolute silence and it felt unreal.

Inside Central Park, looking at The Plaza hotel

I didn’t want to stay inside the park too long mostly because I had my mask on and the sun was shining so it was getting really hot, so I ventured on. I’ll forever love the fact that you can dedicate a park bench to someone. (I just looked it up and it costs $10,000 to “adopt” a bench because of course it does, this city is nuts sometimes, nothing too nice can ever be affordable.)

Regardless of the insane cost, I still love reading the inscriptions on these benches

After I left the park, I walked past Carnegie Hall (which always makes me think of both Home Alone 2: Lost in New York as well as Bill Cunningham) and then headed through Times Square.

Carnegie Hall

The Naked Cowboy alone in Times Square

I’ve never seen an empty Times Square before and it just felt sad. The city has never looked this way before. There are no crowds of people, only massive amounts of road construction going on against the backdrop of empty storefronts. Everything was turned off so fast and so easily, it’s insane to see the leftover realities of that.

Tuesday May 26, 2020 at 12:52pm

I took this photo while crossing 42nd street at 1pm. Lunacy.

From 42nd street, I headed past Bryant Park and down Fifth Avenue.

This library will forever remind me of Ghostbusters

Photo taken in the Flatiron District

At this point I was just wandering. It still blows my mind that the subway closes at night now.

Wild.

Around this point, I was getting pretty hungry so I started heading more south since I had a place in mind. I passed Madison Square Park and kept going down Broadway through an empty Union Square to get to Soho.

Soho, my Adidas shoes

Lovely Day on Elizabeth Street

I got some takeout at Lovely Day (my forever favourite pad thai place) with the intention of eating it somewhere alone, not sure where yet, but I’d figure it out along the way. So I walked along Bowery heading back uptown through the East Village to get to the ferry at 34th Street.

On the ferry headed to Long Island City

I’ve never taken the ferry before and it was refreshing. It felt so nice to be on the water, even if it was only for a few minutes. It took me right into Gantry Plaza State Park where I found a bench chair to eat my late lunch. I stayed there for awhile and no one even walked by. That park is so great because there are a few little hidden walkways with these slanted chairs that are way more comfortable than they look. Then I started my final stretch heading home.

15.6 miles in the span of about 7 hours and here’s my face at the end of it in the lobby of my building.

I didn’t notice until posting this right now that the top of my face is clearly more tan because of the mask (pardon my glistening skin). Incase you’re going to do a walk like this of your own (you should!), here’s what I took in my backpack: a hat (forgot to use), a large full water bottle, a snack bar, my wallet, a scrunchie, my phone charger (which came in so handy, I used it three times at different LinkNYC USB ports around the city) and sunglasses. I also used the free app Map My Walk so I could have a map of the entire journey (shown below).

I took this walk mainly because I just wanted to feel in control of something for the day, since there are so many things that I can’t control right now. And I wanted my body and its capabilities to show me what I’m capable of. It’s becoming so normalized to be hateful of your own body right now and truthfully I’m too tired to participate in this ideology anymore. It’s miraculous that your body does so much for you on a daily basis and yet we still think & say such awful things to ourselves for not looking the way we think we’re supposed to look. To be so critical of something that literally gives you breath is absurd under normal circumstances, but especially right now. I’ve been saying and thinking awful things about the way I look for years and I’m exhausted. I just wanted a day where I wouldn’t be so negative about what my body isn’t and focus more on what it is and the possibilities that come with that. I shouldn’t be so hard on this body sometimes, I wanted to show myself that maybe it’s actually kind of a good body? Not good because it looks like what good should look like, but good because it can do things that make me feel powerful.

Spring List 2020

by Liz Heather in

It’s spring.

shockedwiig.gif

It seems almost insane to have a list of fun things to do this season when we need stay inside for the safety of ourselves and of others. And yet, here I am! So I’ve come up with some things that are appropriate for right now. I encourage you to make a list of your own, as always, because we all need things to look forward to, I can’t imagine not looking forward to anything.

  1. Sit on my fire escape. We haven’t done this once since we moved in last May and I’ve always wanted to. What better time than now.

  2. Bake something spring inspired.

  3. Rewatch my favourite Hitchcock movies. I was a huge fan of his when I was younger and I haven’t watched any of his movies in years, so I’ve been really wanting to lately. Nathan and I watched The Birds the other night and it’s such a good, calming movie (I know it’s about birds attacking and killing people, but there’s no background music in the whole movie and it’s just so gentle without being terrifying).

  4. Try some new hairstyles and new makeup routines. I (like many women) get into such a basic routine when it comes to hair and makeup and I want to venture outside of that.

  5. Watch at least ten things off of my To Be Watched list of movies and TV shows. I’ve had a growing list on my phone of recommendations from other people for years and even though some of them get watched, I really should make more of an effort.

Here we go…

Winter List 2019 Revisited

by Liz Heather in

Well, that was complete bullshit. Where in the FUCK was winter? ‘CAUSE IT WASN’T IN NYC. This was originally a very angry post, but anger is not what is needed at this time, so it was heavily edited.

  1. Visit Fantasy Explosion.

    • I went! I thought it was going to be a regular sized store, but it was a tiny corner in a weird little mini-mall space. Even still, they had great stuff. If I ever find myself in Brooklyn again in this lifetime, I’ll return!

  2. See a movie at The Roxy Cinema in Tribeca.

    • Damnit, I didn’t do this one. I did keep checking their listings and nothing seemed appealing! I should have put more effort in, though, and just went to see one of the Nicholas Cage movies from the past month. This is my fault.

  3. Finally eat at I Sodi in the West Village.

    • Irene and I went! And it was… disappointing! Food was average and the service wasn’t even amazing and it’s a little pretentious and WAY too expensive for what it is. Maybe the build-up in my mind was too high?

  4. Start a binder full of ideas for the big Euro trip in June and July.

    • Ugh, I did start doing this but with the state of the world, who knows what will happen throughout the next few months. But since I hate that kind of thinking, I’ll continue to add to this binder because that’s what you do when you’re faced with obstacles, you press on and hope for the very best.

  5. Take at least five bubble baths.

    • So I took four. Not bad. but not perfect. To be fair, this decade hasn’t gotten off to the greatest start, so I haven’t exactly felt like I could bask in a bubble bath most nights.

So all in all, I got 3 out of 5. Not terrible! Christ, now I have to come up with a Spring List. It’ll have to be Spring 2020 appropriate too, like making a dress out of leftover plastic bags or some shit. All right, I’m gonna go brainstorm.

February Feats 2020

by Liz Heather in , , , , , , , ,

I write this from underneath two blankets, perched atop three pillows. This is day three of being sick (Nathan just joined me in illness yesterday) and I think I’m getting better but that could just be blind hope. In any case, I still have to tell you what went on last month. Forgive the tone of this post, it might be… affected.

  • I heard that Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker are going to be in the Paul Simon play Plaza Suite together and so I casually thought “Ooo, might be nice to catch” so I looked it up and tickets START at $700. So I guess fuck me then. I swear to god, this fucking city.

  • The best cover so far this year:

Brian Stauffer, The New Yorker

  • I rewatched a movie I love: The Door In The Floor and it really holds up well. Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges and both too good at what they do. Love this movie so much.

  • I rewatched The Evil Dead and look I understand it’s probably a “good horror movie” especially for its time and budget, but I fucking hated it, maybe even more so than the last time that I saw it. Never again. Why do I keep rewatching things that I hate? I don’t have to like everything. I must repeat this to myself daily.

  • I had lunch at Daily Provisions and their lemon cruller was really good and light and the chicken club sandwich was good, too. Always a solid morning/afternoon place.

  • Favourite tweets of the month:

  • I tried Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Couscous and maaaaan, it was so good. So I guess all couscous is good? Gotta get my hands on that pearly couscous. That seems like the money cousocus.

  • I made this Greek Couscous Salad for lunches for a week and didn’t get sick of it at all, I gotta remember to keep this in the rotation. I also kept the salad and the couscous separate until I wanted to eat, and then I’d join them together.

  • I can’t believe I hadn’t seen this sketch before (calling someone a “goofy bitch” just about killed me), also ignore how bad an actress Cardi B is:

  • I finished watching The Good Place and yes it was a good show. I don’t think l liked it as much as pretty much everyone else in my life who loved it, but it was definitely a good show. This scene was the best part of the finale, for sure. That song used in the scene will always elicit tears, I remember falling in love with it when it was used in the movie that everyone hated but me, Swept Away.

  • Again, I visited Everlane and it still disappoints. Why do I keep thinking it’ll be different each time? What the fuck is wrong with me?

  • I saw Parasite and it was wonderful and everyone who hasn’t seen it should see it. I haven’t heard from one person who didn’t like it. Universally liked!

  • I listened to the new Strokes single and hated it, so that’s something. Growth?

  • I haven’t seen the whole episode yet, but I really liked RuPaul’s SNL monologue.

  • Why isn’t everyone putting pickles on grilled cheese? Makes no sense. Fucking taste explosion.

  • I finally tried the (off-menu, must be requested when it’s not brunch) Cacio E Pepe at L’Artusi and holy christ, it might be better than their mushroom ragu. I KNOW. Such wild developments! (They also started serving at lunch, but only lunch delivery, not dine-in. SO this means nothing to me.)

  • I think I will officially stop buying candles from Bath & Body Works. The ones at Marshalls are cheaper, last longer and the variety of scents is endless. I have a candle from Marshalls right now simply called STORM and it really does kinda smell like stormy weather. Obviously I’m waiting for a thunderstorm to light that mother. I have mental issues?

  • I watched the newest season of Shrill (no big spoilers ahead) and loved it, obviously. The disappointing-ness of parents is so nicely shown (that moment at the restaurant when she asks her dad what he thinks of her boyfriend and he’s so indifferent, ugh so perfect), I absolutely LOVED the wedding episode (infact all of the episodes following that one are the best ones, I think I just love the episodes not centered about this not-great relationship with her and her boyfriend), the WEHAM episode is perfect (finally someone making fun of makeup for for legs), and I continue to love the character Fran. Really hoping for a third season, especially based on the season finale.

  • Don’t ask me why, but I watched most of the Police Academy movies and I think the Miami one might be the best one?? I couldn’t make it twenty minutes into the Moscow one, so I feel like you might want to trust me when I say that I know what I’m talking about.

  • These are my new favourite leggings of all time, they feel like you’re wearing nothing at all.

  • Cannot get over the beauty of these women and these outfits.

Camila Mendes

Nyma Tang

  • I watched the Michelle Carter documentary and I don’t know how other people feel, but it’s absolutely unreal that she was found guilty. Of course Nathan disagrees.

  • I ate at Frank for the first time in over a decade with the one and only Irene and it’s still great. Love that they do the opposite of al dente pasta here. Photos below.

Tagliatelle special

Roasted garlic bread

Mushroom pappardelle special

  • I can’t find a link for them online, but I bought some reusable Leak Proof Snack Bags by Kitchen Details at Nordstrom Rack and they’re perfect since we typically use a million of those disposable ones for holding sunflower seeds and almonds

  • I threw out a lot of clothing/shoes/bags, so I went out and bought some things that I absolutely love. I now have a faux fur, brown evening coat that I’ve long dreamed of owning, a new everyday purse, a vintage, gold, mesh evening purse, new everyday shoes, more sunglasses and some new wedges that may or may not replace the older wedges I’ve had since 2006 (the ones lovingly referred to as my Terminators because of the massive fall that I took in them upon exiting the movie Terminator Salvation). I could show you all of the new pieces, but I’d much rather slide into a room you’re in to show you my new fur coat. However if it annoys you not to see any of these new things that bring my joy, here are two of them.

Classic Reeboks from DSW

I also got them in blue

  • I’ve actually started using tiny drops of facial oil mixed with my nighttime face lotion and even though I’ve only just started to do this, my face is already way less dry when waking up. I don’t know if I can do this in the hotter weather, but for now I’ll keep it up.

  • I know all of these are old songs, but I recently heard and fell in love with this Taylor Swift song. And this one. And this one. Oh and this one too.

  • I went to Giorgio’s of Gramercy again (the last time was a few years ago with Nathan) and it’s still great! I haven’t had a steak in awhile, but the one here? Holy hell. Magnificent.

  • I went to see the new Kubrick 2001 exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image and it was pretty neat. They have one of his Oscars on display in a case, which was actually really cool to see.

  • I read and reviewed a biography of Johnny Carson that truly sucked.

  • So Nathan and I are in the middle of watching McMillion$ and can I just say: boooooooooooooooo. I’ve never seen a “documentary” more over-produced, self-indulgent, superfluous and WILDLY overdone. It’s a bloody six part series that could’ve EASILY been an hour and a half movie. If you ever need proof of a documentary having too much money spend, my god have you found it. Of COURSE Mark Wahlberg has something to do with it, this man needs to fucking STOP. I know they are countless other men attached to the project too, but it’s much easier to shit on just him. God, what a waste of time. The Wikipedia page is more succinct.

  • I watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before 2: P.S. I Still Love You and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. Loved the Adventures in Babysitting reference right off the top (I’ll forever love that movie and it doesn’t get talked about enough), I loved pretty much every musical choice (these are my top three songs from the movie), and I loved the idea of doing another Thanksgiving in March (although I’m pretty sure Chrissy Teigen did this a few years ago and planted that great seed in my head). Definitely the best thing on Netflix at the moment.

  • Seeing this restored footage of NYC in 1911 is both exciting and eerie as hell, for some reason.

  • Nathan and I went to the Raptors game that ended their winning streak, sorry about that.

  • I’ve been consumed with reading so much stuff about what’s going on right now and this was a little helpful: 4 Practical Ways to Prepare Your Home for a Pandemic. Don’t judge me for sharing this link! I’m delirious.

    Things that I’m looking forward to this month: visiting Collingwood and going skiing with my family, I might splurge and get that mini birthday cake from Momofuku Milk Bar, and the new season of On My Block comes out on the 11th. I’m pretty into the idea of turning 35, usually I’m more jacked about my birthday month but I think I’m too down to care at the moment. Caring coming soon.

    If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in January over here.

January Jewels 2020

by Liz Heather in , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve purposely put off writing this monthly wrap-up because, well, christ. January was a terrible month. I don’t need to go into the details of why, but the consensus from everyone that I’ve talked to fully agrees with me on this. What the hell happened? Starting a new decade is supposed to be great. In any case, I’ll always have high hopes for the future. And I’m just thankful to begin a new month. Here’s what went down in the pit that was January 2020.

  • First things first, I recapped how my 2019 resolutions turned out. Why don’t more people do this? Where’s the accountability in reviewing your past resolutions? They’re not fucking birthday wishes, they’re intentions! More people need to follow through with this, even if the results aren’t what you hoped for.

  • I made my 2020 resolutions.

  • I fell absolutely in love with this sketch.

  • I did two podcasts with Nathan - one where we talked about the pope incident and one where I absolutely scream at him about Hillary.

  • I read Jenny Slate’s new book as well as a tiny little book about how to live a good life.

  • I ended up buying another J. Crew swimsuit (the same one I bought a few months ago, but this time in red) and I have no regrets.

  • In love with Trader Joe’s (dairy free) coconut whipped cream, I can’t stop using it in hot chocolate.

  • I rewatched (or watched for the first time, I truly can’t remember) The Staircase and it’s so good. I’m pretty sure Marla got me MP3 copies of this years ago and I did watch it, but I completely forgot about it in detail. Such a good watch. If you’ve already seen it, do you know about the owl theory? It’s a wild one, but, like, I think an owl did it now?

  • I’ve been using a small bottle of OUAI’s Wave Spray and if I can figure out how to not overspray it, it’s a great product. Once you use it though, your hair only looks good that day. After you sleep on it, your hair looks like shit. (Is that true of all hair products? I have absolutely no idea.)

  • Bought this Banana Republic top for $13 on sale and I love it because it does not feel like it cost so little.

  • I don’t know if it’s a Canadian brand but I have found a wicked alternative to Dollarama: Buck or Two. I went to one in Brampton and they’ve got everything.

  • I watched most of the SNL with Jennifer Lopez and wow did it suck. 99% of the sketches were basically “She’s pretty. That’s the joke.” Fucking hated it. They do this a lot of the time with certain actresses and I can’t ever tell if it’s because the actress loves doing these sketches or they’re afraid she can’t be funny. Whatever the reason is, blow my brains out, please.

  • I went to the Ear Inn in the city and it was lovely! Super old place. Service was great. Burger was great.

  • I went to Glossier with the intention of buying the cheek stain and then decided against it. It’s not a good product. I literally pinched my cheeks and got a better rosiness.

  • I came across probably my favourite winter children’s book of all time, The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. Look at one page of this magic.

  • I was so happy to hear about this matter finally being settled in New York.

  • I went to The Dutch again for Restaurant Week for their steak tartare and it’s just heaven on a plate.

  • I rewatched the great What Lies Beneath and man, it’s still just such a great movie.

  • As you may have heard, Papyrus is going out of business, so I’ve popped in twice to see what the closing deals are and they aren’t worth it yet (only 30% off! C’mon! I won’t get out of bed for at least 60%), so I’ll keep stopping in every so often until they’ve become desperate.

  • Love this part of a recent SNL (below). (If you can’t see it in Canada, search for “white male rage SNL.”)

  • I finally went to Boulud Sud for their pasta happy hour and man was it not worth it. The place has a terrible setup if you’re sitting at the bar, the food was absolutely nothing special and had ridiculous portion sizes. It’s also a bad sign when the bread is tastier than the entree. Super disappointing.

  • I tried on the bras and underwear from LIVELY in Soho and even though it’s priced reasonably, I couldn’t find anything I loved. I have a feeling that I could be into it though, so I’ll go again sometime in the future for sure.

  • I’ll forever love the lunch special at Pil Pil on the Upper East Side. I know I probably bring this up too much, but man. Love tapas.

  • I can’t stop buying sunglasses for sale at ALDO. And I won’t.

  • I finished season one of The West Wing and it was really good. I keep forgetting about it, but I should stick with it. People, like, loved that show, didn’t they?

  • I started using Sol De Janeiro’s Bum Bum Cream… on my butt. That’s what it’s for, no? So far, I mean… it feels smooth? It’s not at all greasy, which I like. Seems weird to have a cream just for your butt, but who am I to criticize.

  • Ate the fish tacos at Summer Salt and they’re good! It’s insane and great that they sell margaritas at a fast casual place, too.

  • Very into this Pat McGrath mascara that I got as a Sephora reward.

  • Love this Wells For Boys sketch (below) from a few years ago that I just saw for the first time (thanks for showing me, Irene!)

  • I haven’t been there in years, but I went to Sweet Afton for happy hour in Astoria the other day and had the pickle martini which actually wasn’t terrible. Love that place.

  • Tried the lunch burger at Peter Luger finally! And yes it was a good burger (love that they use American cheese and the bun was very good even though it's not a potato bun). Steakhouse burgers are always hard for me to rate since a steakhouse burger is a real *entree* unlike the regular, everyday burgers that other places have which are not as big and overwhelming. An everyday burger is easy to rate since it's either great, overrated or shit. A steakhouse burger has nuances, how juicy is too juicy? How's the quality of the meat? What are the ideal toppings? Should someone shoot me for my extensive burger thoughts? Yes.

  • I went to see a free orchestral performance put on by Julliard at Lincoln Center and it was great. It reminded me so much of going to my brother Gary’s recitals when I was a kid, just loved it.

  • Had dinner at Portale. The pasta was insane. This place might be a rival for L’Artusi! Dare I say it! Every bite was phenomenal. MUST return. (Noteworthy: it also just got two stars in the Times.)

  • LOVED this piece about Ricky Gervais and the Golden Globes. Favourite line: “The least risky thing in the world is announced apathy.“

  • Maybe you don’t know this, but 90% of post offices in the U.S. have bulletproof glass between the workers and the customers. It’s obviously because awful things have happened, but I’ve been going to this one post office in the city on 23rd street that doesn’t have the glass and the workers are SO MUCH MORE PLEASANT. I wish all locations were like this one. Just a thought.

  • Just bought another one of these UNIQLO shirts that I love in dark grey.

  • Every January I make sure to:

    • Mark down all holidays/birthdays/anniversaries (Valentine’s Day, Daylight Saving Times, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving)

    • Check expiration dates for passport/license/health card/insurance and write down any important renewal dates

  • I’ve watched the first two new episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and it fucking blows. There was only one thing I laughed at (when a server thought Larry was “oggling” her but he was really just keeping an eye on her tray with pigs in blankets) but OTHER THAN THAT, what a piece of shit season so far! I fucking hated the part in one episode where he videotapes the consent given between him and some woman as they’re making out. ALSO, and this has happened a few times over the seasons, he’s recycling fucking Seinfeld jokes. FROM THE SHOW. Talking about when it’s too late to get “Happy New Year-ed”? Are we kidding here?! Fucking lazy as hell. I might just stop watching.

  • I watched the new Taylor Swift documentary on Netflix and it’s really good. Even if you have zero opinion on her, I really liked it. (It also introduced me to this great song.)

Things that I’m looking forward to this month: seeing a Raptors game at Barclays Center, finally sitting down and watching season two of Shrill in its entirety, reading Joan Rivers’ book Enter Talking and and maybe going to another Restaurant Week lunch before the end date. February, please oh please don’t be as terrible as January.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in December over here!

2019 Resolutions Revisited

by Liz Heather in

2019 was actually a pretty great year. Some highlights? I moved in a great new apartment, Nathan did The Tonight Show, I went to Niagara Falls with most of my family, I celebrated ten years with Nathan by going to Vermont, I spent Thanksgiving in the Bahamas with my parents, I went to New Orleans with Jenn, I went to Canada for the holidays, and there are so many great photos that I love (and I started using the free Google Photos so I never lose my photos again). As you may recall, I made some resolutions last year, so let’s see how they went.

  1. Read at least one book per season.

  2. Go to the gym or do some kind of physically strenuous activity at least ten times a month.

    • I crunched the numbers and let’s just say that I didn’t quite hit my target. This was the first year in a long time that I really just hated going to the gym and I’ve gotta change something about that because I used to love going to my old gym (they had a wicked pilates schedule, but unfortunately closed down). I miss pilates. I hate NYSC. I’ve got to make some changes this year.

  3. Juice at least five times a month.

    • January: 11 times

    • February: 7 times

    • March: 8 times

    • April: 3 times

    • May: 1 time

    • June: None

    • July: 2 times

    • August: 2 times

    • September: 9 times

    • October: 2 times

    • November: 1 time

    • December: None

    • Yikes. I mean… I started off strong and then fully fell off the wagon. Will try harder in 2020.

  4. Take Baby Dog on an adventure at least twice a season.

    • I only managed to take her on only one outing per season. I can do better. I must do better.

  5. Properly go on a date with Nathan at least once a month.

    • I just looked over the entire yearly schedule that I keep and holy shit, we completed this. The only months we didn’t do were October and December which were arguably the busiest ones when I look back at the calendar. This is great! Some of the dates included: dinners, drinks, movies, museums and a Raptors game.

  6. Go on an alone trip.

    • I really, really wanted to do this one but it didn’t pan out because of other trips that were taken. I will do this one day!

  7. Clean makeup brushes on the first of each month.

    • There were only four months that I didn’t do this one! That’s a fucking miracle! And when compared with my numerous zero-times-a-year statistic, I’m counting this one as a raging success.

  8. Try at least one new restaurant each month.

    • January: Emily (love this place, such great pizza, the burger is good but wildly overpriced), Xi’an Famous Foods (really good, one entree is enough for two people for sure), The Dutch (which has one of the best steak tartares in this whole damn city), Tavern On The Green (it was very okay but the service was great) and Dough (too dough-y! Ugh!)

    • February: Ten Bells (the food was average, the service was surprisingly good since the place is so crowded), Charlie Palmer Steak (nothing great, needn’t go again), The Huntress (great wings and I’m a wing-hater), Scarr’s (too inconsistent, won’t return), Empellon Al Pastor (too expensive for Avenue A, not really worth it), Mama’s TOO! (as good as they say) and Sardi’s (I ordered badly, which is my fault, but the service was impeccable)

    • March: Manhatta (fantastic for lunch, phenomenal view), Lilia (for my birthday, great pasta, though mafaldini is way too al dente), Pulqueria (pretty good!), Lions & Tigers & Squares Detroit Pizza (just a party, so so good), Raclette (nothing special, won’t return), Al Di La (again, nothing to write home about) and Daily Provisions (big fan, but hate the no-cash aspect)

    • April: Cactus Club in Etobicoke (fucking in love with the short rib pappardelle)

    • May: Cronuts at Dominique Ansel Bakery (good but way too sugary) (and yes, I’m six years late to this trend, SUE ME) and La Contenta (disappointing)

    • June: The Astorian (insanely good poutine - just shockingly good), Chama Mama (decent but there’s no reason to ever go again) and Whit’s End (good but I wish the burger was larger)

    • July: Misi (it was good, but it’s in Brooklyn so I’ll likely never go again), Pat LaFrieda’s Original Filet Mignon Steak Sandwich (really good for a stadium sandwich) and Village Yokocho (crazy good)

    • August: I was going to name this one dive-y place that my brother took me to for their calamari but it’s so aggressively average there’s no point in me listing it here, I hope you’re reading this, Robbie.

    • September: The Happiest Hour (super forgettable, you’d think that a place with this name would have cheapish food/drinks, THINK AGAIN) and Bar Sardine (hard pass)

    • October: Fish by José Andrés (one of the best meals I’ve ever had, the service was perfect), Drago’s (charbroiled oysters aren’t for everyone), Commander’s Palace (very lovely), Luke (great oyster happy hour), Mr. B’s Bistro (great service, great food), Brennan’s (the bananas foster is much too sweet but the performance of making it is fun?), Meril (decent), Delmonico (the service was so odd and not good and the food was equally unimpressive)

    • November: Mister Paradise (complete bullshit) and Joe & Pat’s (the service is laughably mean/bad, which is fine since the pizza is the most average slice in maybe the whole city? Staten Island can keep it)

    • December: Uncle Tetsu’s cheesecake (weird, kind of fun, but ultimately nothing special)

  9. Limit online shopping to once a month (exception being Christmas).

    • I think I was actually pretty great at doing this. It helped that I developed an intense hatred for Amazon specifically, so this really worked out.

  10. Write for at least two hours per week & submit pieces to publications at least five times each month.

    • Now this? This makes me feel like shit. I’m going to make this resolution again and try my goddam best to keep it. No more excuses. I sporadically did this on and off all year but man… this is the year. I’m gonna do it this year.

2019 was really a great year. Thank you so much for continuing to read all of the thoughts that I post on here, it really does means more to me than you’ll ever know.