With apologies for the uncustomary delay in new content, I'm incredibly excited to be back on my blog, and I'm kicking October off with a bang: 10 things I'm digging as we enter the 10th month of the year. And you're welcome: none of them are #pumpkinspice (although, yes: I am baking Mama Blewett's pumpkin bread right now. But more on that in a minute).
In no particular order, my first-ever first-of-the-month post: 10 for 10
"Let It All Go," by Birdy + RHODES
Every month needs a soundtrack, and this one is mine, not just because of the ethereally autumn-inflected video (which: wow) but also for the message of the song, newly near and dear to me: "If we're strong enough to let it in, we're strong enough to let it go." This is exactly the kind of moody, empowering-yet-reflective anthem to reach for during an end-of-summer break-up. Not that I would know. Ahem. [furiously swipes tear from corner of eye; clears throat]
The Leaves in Central Park Okay, maybe it's ultra Basic White Girl of me, but I'd like to think that my New England childhood entitles me to a certain degree of fondness for foliage. And while it ain't the White Mountains or Acadia, Central Park is my leaf-peeping place of choice. Whether ambling through The Ramble or sitting high above it all at Robert (if you haven't been: GO NOW), I can't get enough of the trees in Central Park.
"Cooking"
Not quite actual size. But actually my entire kitchen.
Yes, I said "cooking," in quotes, because my apartment has been without gas for nigh on two months now with no sign of it coming back before Thanksgiving at the earliest. Thank you, ConEd. Turns out they found a similar problem in our basement to the one that caused an explosion elsewhere in the East Village and leveled three buildings back in March, so better safe than sorry, yada yada yada. I'm all for not exploding, but two months without the ability to boil water has made me one cranky carb hound. So I bought a two-burner cooktop, jerry-rigged it into a power strip with my microwave, toaster oven, and coffee machine, and will be spending this month experimenting in "cooking" without a kitchen. Look, I'm not saying it won't be a cookbook idea some day. Mom's pumpkin bread is in the toaster oven right now, for crying out loud.
Amy
Having waited pretty much as long as I could before it leaves theaters entirely, I'm finally planning to see Asif Kapadia's documentary, Amy, this week. Bring on the black eyeliner and urges to get irresponsibly drunk at karaoke.
Play-Off Baseball
Greg Bird is the word.
Sure, eeeeeeveryone act surprised that I'm pumped for the post-season. My loathing for the NFL notwithstanding, there's still nothing better than October baseball. Deadspin has been posting a hilarious series of profiles of every team, in case my tutorial on baseball didn't get you invested, and any time someone calls Mets fans "sad-sack, semolina-smelling, self-deprecating fucking ninnies" or describes Lucas Duda as "a big strong dufus who hits home runs," well, that's my brand of sports journalism right there, folks. Now if only the Yankees would start hitting better than our fans catch.
KITTEHS
Got a cat? Need someone to come over and pay it an inordinate amount of attention for a few hours? Because I'm considering a second career as a cat petter. My dear MadCat headed up to that big cheddar cheese buffet in the sky last month (seriously, the cat must have thought that she was a mouse, such was her adoration for cheese), and while I'm definitely not ready for a new kitten, I can't resist petting friends' cats any chance I get. So if there's a feline in your life that needs a little Elmyra action, I'm your gal.
Red Wine in a Box
Okay, guilty: I always love box wine. But as the weather gets cooler and my apartment gets cozier, nothing beats a box of red in the evenings, and I'm not talkin' Franzia. My favorite wine shop, Discovery Wines, carries a terrific Portuguese blend by Alandra for $18 (which works out to $4.50 a bottle, or less than a dollar a glass, which is exactly the kind of math I don't mind doing), and it beats the heck out of the Rat White Wine that my best friend and I both bought, separately, only to find that it was bad earlier this year. Lesson learned: do not purchase unknown box wine in New Jersey, no matter how affordably priced -- and if you do, speak up and save others from your fate!
Adult Coloring Books
Go ahead, print your own!
No, I am not kidding. I fell down a BuzzFeed rabbit hole one night (yes, okay, say it all together: after too much box wine) and stumbled upon this, then promptly forgot about it until a few days ago, when I decided that all of those articles that say you should stop staring at a screen an hour before bed might be right (they are). So I Googled "adult coloring books" and printed off the first page that struck my fancy. It may or may not now be fully colored in and hanging on my refrigerator.
Window Screens
Summer is over, which means that The Treehouse is no longer a festering fifth-floor hell hole (I swear, I love my view, but I hate my south-facing windows in August). So off to the hardware store I went, and with screens in place in the living room, bathroom, and both bedroom windows, my casa is cool and crisp as can be.
Bike Rides
With softball winding down for the season (what is this "one game a week" crap, anyway??), I have to get a little more creative with my exercise. Enter my trusty orange Schwinn and my latest obsession: Flywheel, which -- not to sound like a SoulCycle flake -- is a damned good workout. Interested in trying it out? The first ride is free, and I'll totally cheer you on (and help you when you can't unclip your shoes at the end of class).
Coming soon: the triumphant return of TueDuesday, and next month, 11 for 11! What are you into for October? Tell me in the comments or catch up with me on Twitter or Instagram.
Okay, maybe it's ultra Basic White Girl of me, but I'd like to think that my New England childhood entitles me to a certain degree of fondness for foliage. And while it ain't the White Mountains or Acadia, Central Park is my leaf-peeping place of choice. Whether ambling through The Ramble or sitting high above it all at Robert (if you haven't been: GO NOW), I can't get enough of the trees in Central Park.
