What can I say about this year that hasn't already been said except for: keep wearing a mask. Socially distance. Understand where the people you interact with have been and potential exposure points. Avoid unnecessary travel—yes, that means even certain kinds of vacations, no matter how bad you need it (and I know! You need it! I promise that I know you need i! I need one, too!).
Anyways, with that out the way, it's time for my annual (this is the first time I'm doing it), much anticipated (literally nobody asked for this), comprehensive (these are the top 10 things that came to my mind one night) top 10 list of 2020.
(This is not actually in order, as you’ll find out. But there are numbers next to each entry because, you know, this is a “list” that goes up to a certain “number.”)
So let's go!
Cat Brown: Rachel and I got a cat! Not only a cat, but a Cat! That's right, we named her Cat! Our friends found Cat's mom and her new litter hanging out under the lawn mower in their barn. The mom apparently moved on and left our beloved Cat behind. So we adopted her and took her home at about 4 days old. Bottle-fed her. Turns out you have to "stimulate" newborn kittens to pee and poop and that's quite a fucking thing to do. But she's the sweetest. We love her. And she has been a light in our lives.
Living vibrantly: a once-in-a-century pandemic, and all that it entailed, certainly adds to any regular life stuff that comes up. And then when non-regular life stuff comes up, it's hard to grapple with. My beloved step-sister Ariel—adored by her daughters, friends, family—passed away unexpectedly in October. It is one of the cruelest things I can think of. She was blowing up in the San Francisco art world, and globally. But her demeanor and her outlook on life, the world, and on people, is one that I intend to emulate as best I can. Her life philosophy? For everyone to live vibrantly. She loved people. She believed in people. She treated people, from strangers on the street to her best friend and mother, with empathetic wonder. She understood what could be. It is extremely hard for me to have that outlook right now and I have no idea how she did it. But we should all try.
Blue Diamond Cheddar Almond Nut Thins: one of the great discoveries of the pandemic, in our household. We don't eat a lot of chips or bad-for-you chip-adjacent things (although are they fucking delicious? Yeah! Are Doritos just the best? Yeah!). I bought these on a whim during one of my weekly Whole Foods runs which, have basically been my weekly combination of social gathering/night about town/functional thing. The crunch on these crackers is addictive, but the cheddar flavor on them is next level. You could just the lick the crackers and be satisfied, but they're gluten-free and made with almonds. Practically health food. And you will have a delicious cheddar coating on your fingers when you're done, like a regular good-ass chip!
Volvo V90: we got a station wagon this year (read the follow-up newsletter for why!). But, now: I've never owned a cool car before, unless you count the minivan I drove in high school which actually was cool because of the number of people you could cram into it and it had tinted windows. So, you know. It was more like HIGH school. Anyways, when I was researching vehicles I came across these Volvo wagons. And in the span of a hour—first, discovering that Volvo still made these beautiful, big wagons, and then ruminating on being a wagon owner—I became obsessed. There is not a more beautiful vehicle on the road. I got the windows of our tinted, threw on an off-center license plate holder and, I mean—damn. Pure, unadulterated beauty. Is this a very materialistic thing to harp on? Yes. But I can't help it.
Elastic: this is going to sound like a "oh haha wow i fell in love with sweatpants during the pandemic, comfy life, amirite" but yes. That's entirely correct. I've worn pants or shorts that have zippers/non-elastic waistbands exactly twice since March. Make no mistake: this is privilege. My job allows me to do almost everything I do remotely (although I did start wearing Nike tech fleece pants to the office a lot more regularly in 2018/2019). But anyways: gym shorts and sweatpants. Comfy!
Stay tuned for part 2 and a big reveal.
Share this post