Short newsletters for short months for short people
Among a particular set of my college friends, February was known as "The Month of Sin & Degradation." This belief/tradition started before I got there, and it persists now as a bit of a ironic running joke. The idea was that anything that could go wrong, would do so in February, as the general frustrations of winter built, the second semester got underway in full, and we bided our time between The Holidays and Nice Weather. Some time later, a dear friend pointed out to me that the attitude was a self-fulfilling viewpoint. I was using a negative lens on the world, if not outright emitting negative energy, and so, yes, things were going to seem wack. How does this line up with your experience of February? Do you have similar stances on other months?
Reading
Closed captions! Yeah, that's right! I first started using them regularly when I watched 'The Wire.' As I've aged and technologies have shifted in too many directions, I've found it easier and easier to watch almost all television and movies with closed captions on. This includes my new favorite guilty pleasure show 'Below Deck.' The crew's dialogue is rarely particularly challenging in content or presentation. Sometimes the guests are too tipsy to enunciate. Sometimes we're talking over the episode as we watch. Turns out I'm not alone on this whole trend! Speaking of people who live and work on the water, Kelsey sent me news of archaeology in The Great Dismal Swamp: people who had been enslaved ran to the huge, messy area for freedom and a new way of life.
I'm also making my way through Jomny's everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too, which is meditative and heartbreaking. Read it if you want to think about the nature of human relationships and the time you make for art. If you have other recommendations like this book, please do share them! I want writing prompts. And in longer form works, I am at long last enjoying Nicole Chung's All You Can Ever Know in advance of her visit to Philly next week. The other book on my shelf is Springfield Confidential, a passalong from Kelsey's dad, who was enjoying it on family vacation last summer. It's breezy and almost too full of bits, which makes it perfect bedtime reading!
Eating
My friends Sam and Joe hosted a Super Bowl Party that included a Buffalo chicken dip contest. All the dips were good, but you know what people loved the most? Some stupid-easy pickles. I had made fridge pickles with mini cucumbers, tons of huge garlic cloves, and no bay leaves. They're like half-sours and you can experiment with black peppercorns and herbs, as I plan on doing every few days. April starts The 100 Day Project again. Will I attempt another round of spice blends? I probably shouldn't.
Meeting
I'll be a guest in Steve Norris and Ashley Fee's new surreal variety show Mr. Carter's Compound at Philly Improv Theater on March 8. Also next month, I'm looking forward to attending the One Book, One Philadelphia finale and A Very Beatles Purim. This town contains wonders.
For digital Neil-content: my aforementioned Ignite Philly talk about breakfast sandwiches can be seen on YouTube. And I'm a contributor with some other Internet pals on the new Eureka! newsletter organized by Kae Lani of Spontaneanation and Foodful Thinking fame.
Beating
I spent a day listening to a weird amount of Lake Street Dive, because I heard "Side Pony" on a Spotify playlist suggested for me and it stuck hard. I realized they've been in my ears for about 6 years and I sadly wouldn't have predicted that from first hearing their "I Want You Back" cover. Another binge this month was when I was hosting bar trivia nights (Quizzo, for you locals) around town for a week and stacked my between-questions and pre-show playlist with Girl Talk, specifically Night Ripper, Feed the Animals, and All Day. I've been dabbling in the This & That Tapes offerings and Aquarium Drunkard's ambient Music for the Deluge playlist. At one point prepping this newsletter, I was up late listening to R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" and thinking about the first music videos I remember seeing. Look for that list next month, or never, or in some other venue.
Deleting
You'll recall that the intro to this issue is a bit dark. It's been a tough few weeks. February is the anniversary of several deaths in my circle, and these weeks have been hard on top of that. A childhood summer camp friend named Neal Brodsky passed away unexpectedly five years ago. I hadn't seen him in ages, though it always felt like we were on the cusp of reuniting in-person, especially when he was in England and I was in The Netherlands. Facebook does a helluva job reminding you of anniversaries like this, ya know? He's on my mind throughout the year. February amps it up a bit.
Closer to home and the present, my father has had some health problems this month leading to a period of hospitalization and physical rehabilitation care. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's about two years ago. That put a label on some seemingly extraordinary signs of aging we'd all noticed. We have promising days and tough days. There's more to it than all this, of course, but for now, let's all agree to follow our therapists' advice physically and mentally, hydrate constantly, and communicate directly.
Golly, I've thrashed my word goal, surpassed my allotted time, and smashed my emotional limit here. People replied last month saying they liked the newsletter's format. Do you want more links? Fewer links? More photos of baked goods? More Grateful Dead tracks? Tell me how to live my life and I'll briefly consider your advice.
You're fabulous, friend, and I thank you for reading. Now I've gotta go do some journaling and work work.
Mildly regretting the subject line's reference to a short newsletter,
Neil