Things That Made Me Less Cranky: February 2024 Edition
Things That Made Me Less Cranky: February 2024 Edition
I have lived a thousand lifetimes and 29 days this month
Welcome to my monthly list of recommendations. It is made up of completely random things/events/moments that made me less of a raging, bitter, hag despite the dumpster fire that is our world. It also includes food-centric suggestions. Enjoy!
Idiosyncratic List of What Made Me Less Cranky
Answering honestly every time someone asked, “How are you doing?” or “What’s new?”
Texting back Nikki Haley bots with messages like, “There is no scenario in which I vote Republican.”
Love Is Blind reminding me that I have many faults but being clingy, needy, insecure, controlling, paranoid and worthy of national mockery are not any of them.
Gal friends.
Queer and non-binary friends.
Guy friends.
Walking out on a date because of his stance on Gaza.
Actually, I recommend walking out on any date with anyone who you can tell will annoy the crap out of you. You’re worth more than that, baby.
Owing only $69.00 (nice) in taxes, especially after last year’s debacle.
Dual citizenship.
Pitching ambitiously.
People sending me random bulldog pics, on whatever platform we happen to connect.
Burning down your life to build a better one.
Reading my work out loud and having a room ask, “Have you ever thought of podcasting?”
Leaving a printed version of an essay at an Open House, having a random stranger walk in, seeing them read the first page, and then keep going until they finish up all five pages. Having that stranger turn to you and say, “I couldn’t stop reading this. Every sentence made me want more.”
This sentence from a New Yorker story about Flaco, the Central Park owl who escaped his cage and passed away this month: “I think we can all agree–that Flaco would agree–that the one year of freedom, even if his life was cut short, was better than living ten more in a box where he couldn’t fly.”
Restaurant of the Month: Gift Horse in Providence
One of Esquire’s best new restaurants in 2023, Gift Horse charmed its way into my heart by taking me back to a time when I could afford places like Gift Horse on a regular basis and find something novel in an old-fashioned concept: the seafood, raw bar joint. The twists here mainly come from the Korean inflections in every dish, which were unexpected because I barely skimmed the menu when my friend Liz recommended it. I loved the brine, the under-the-sea-herbs, the unapologetic garlic-soy-pickledness of the whole thing. Bring a friend so you can share a dozen small plates.
Bar of the Month: Riffraff in Providence
It’s technically a bookstore, but I love any bookstore where you can pair a zine titled “A Dead Politician, and Undead Clam, and an Ancient Horror” with a New England IPA.
Best Thing I Ate: Baklava at Aleppo Sweets in Providence
I love a sweet that is restrained in its sweetness.
Best Thing I Drank: Wine My Friends Sent Me
I remember it was Pinot Noir and little else, but nothing tastes as good as having a coven of people telling you, “We are here and we love you.”
The Month in Newsletters
Missed an issue? I got you!
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