Pillow Talk

A peek inside my journal

In last week’s letter, I told you about my late night shenanigans and promised to share some of my “urgent nighttime scribbles,” so I shall. The format might feel strange to you, but it’s how my brain works. Enjoy!

The flow chart of thoughts

I’m not only interested in someone’s thoughts, I love understanding the flow chart that brought them to the final result. How does their brain work? What would it look like represented on a cork board with red string?

Stuck art

Think of all the art stuck inside those not motivated enough to create and realize it. It makes me so sad! As Brené Brown says, “Your unused creativity is toxic… [it’s] not benign. It metastasizes. It turns into grief, rage, judgment, sorrow, shame.” I think I’m currently using such a small percentage of my stores, and it’s pushing up against the damn walls, I’m just not quite sure where the hell to put it. I have so much potential energy (OKAY PHYSICS)!

The anatomy of a joke

I love the anatomy of a joke. The internal logic, the scaffolding, how it’s balanced, why it works. It’s mathematical. I honestly find it sexy to think about all the intricacies.

Necessary evils

Sometimes when I’m going through a rough patch, I’ll think of a positive life event that I deem absolutely essential to my being (“point B”). Then, I’ll think of a hard experience I went through prior to that (“point A”) and find a way to link them (i.e. “This hard thing had to happen for me to end up at this good thing”). It’s a way of justifying trying times and reminding myself that this tough moment, too, will eventually result in something positive, because it always has.

DIY cruise ship schedule to combat loneliness

If you’re looking at your calendar and it feels empty, make your own schedule and fill that shit up! Monday night make frozen margs, Tuesday night Kardashian marathon, Thursday night cook new recipe, yada yada…

The unspoken rules of my parents’ home

The back door will be unlocked from 9am until dusk and the second it gets dark it will be locked and you better have brought your keys. And fold and lay the blanket on the couch before going to bed, just in case Lucy comes downstairs and decides she wants to sleep on it (she never has and never will).

Brain expansion days

It’s funny how I’ve become so in-touch with my own desires/needs that I can viscerally feel if it’s what I’ve termed a “brain expansion day” (e.g. a day when I want to listen to podcasts that are thought-provoking, analytical, in the weeds) or a “surface day” (e.g. a day when I want to watch The Kardashians and “rot” a little, as the youngins say). In the same vein, I love that I’ve gotten better at sensing what my body’s asking for (in terms of movement, food, conversations, etc.)

Bee’s Knees cocktail (recipe)

My dear friend Luis makes these practically every occasion where it’s appropriate to do so, and they are unbelievably delicious and simple. The secret ingredient is really the Barr Hill Gin (made in VT) because it’s honey-infused.

Here’s the recipe (it strays slightly from Barr Hill’s recommendation):

Put ice in shaker and shake until it condensates on the outside. Add the following to the cold shaker:

1.5 parts Barr Hill Gin

1 part honey simple syrup (2 parts honey to 1 part hot water, let cool)

3/4 part lemon juice (or lime, Luis says)

Up to 1 part seltzer water

Pour over ice (if you’re feeling fancy you can chill the glass), add lemon peel garnish.

heaven