What's IN/OUT this week

First, an apology for not sending out a Tuesday newsletter. We had to put Dave’s sweet old pup down, and I just didn’t have it in me to write something. But we move onward, because we honor Wrigley by hating. His outs? Letting anyone touch his paws, a closed toilet lid, and waiting patiently for dinner.

IN: Fighter jet maneuvers. Stick with me here! Chicago holds an annual Air & Water Show every summer and it is exactly what it sounds like. I don’t know the specifics or the purpose of the event, just that it consists of planes and boats doing tricks. My guess is that the event originated when an 8-year-old boy and his WWII veteran grandfather agreed on Things That Rule. What I do know is that the fighter jets practice on the Thursday before the show, and it’s often directly over our apartment. I have to agree with grandpa and sonny on this one: These jets are cool as hell. Years ago, Dave and I unknowingly got a front-row seat when we were just floating on Lake Michigan and the Blue Angels came zooming overhead in formation. We wasted zero time putting on the Top Gun soundtrack and casually enjoying military excess. You will not, however, catch me dead elbowing through traffic to catch the actual event itself; Thursday practice from the comfort of my porch furniture is enough. OUT: Trying to take a photo/video of the cool planes. The sound doesn’t always match the flight pattern!!! Dottie and I were just running around the balcony like idiots.

IN: Taking yourself out to lunch. I forget that one of the great joys of adulthood is getting yourself a leisurely bite in the middle of the day. (Not me being one of Capote’s black swans!!) I needed to get out of the apartment for a bit on Sunday and I let myself wander aimlessly until an urge hit. I found myself in the Argyle section of Uptown and popped into my favorite Thai place, Immm, where I typically only order delivery. I got a cucumber relish salad, an order of egg rolls filled with spicy Thai basil ground chicken, and a glass of wine. I ate slowly, I people-watched, and I read my book (Free Food for Millionaires is INCREDIBLE and may the gods of fortune shine on Monica for recommending it). I love ordering exactly what I want — no influence from others — even if it’s just two sides or an appetizer, and then being left the hell alone. OUT: Not listening to your takeout gut. We clearly weren’t doing much cooking this last weekend, and, although I was craving something else entirely, I opted for a nearby falafel place because I wanted the short walk. But it didn’t hit the spot at all. And nothing makes me feel like I’ve wasted money more than a meal that was just FINE in a city of incredible food options.

IN: Mac and cheese shows. My friend Josh gifted me this phrase once, referring to shows you can throw on for comfort. This week? We returned to Arrested Development. OUT: Rich people on TV. Amid all the chatter about the cancellation of And Just Like That, I stumbled across this Atlantic article by Sophie Gilbert, which argues that extreme wealth on television is incredibly boring. The most obvious example, of course, being AJLT. “The point of the show is no longer what happens, because nothing does,” Gilbert writes. “The point is to set up a series of visual tableaus showcasing all the things money can buy, as though the show were an animated special issue of Vogue or Architectural Digest.” It’s a really interesting point that goes beyond suggesting that the show isn’t watchable because it’s not relatable — do you need to relate to Lucille or Buster Bluth for Arrested to be great? Absolutely not! And also, imagine if you did!! Another writer, Emily J. Smith, wrote on her Substack that part of the reason we’re being force-fed wealth is because reality for anyone living outside the gilded upper class is grim, so why on earth would the execs at HBO or Netflix want to depict it? “Is it a coincidence that the closest thing to an office drama we have right now is about people literally severing their brains?” Smith writes. Sure, the characters on Friends had unrealistic bodies and apartments, but they also had normal problems. They had to borrow money from one another and pick up odd jobs on occasion. And, as a Phoebe myself, I still think a scheme like the Relaxi-taxi is pretty genius. We need more middle-class idiots on the boob tube; they have real problems that make for real comedy.

IN: Taking your time getting back into a groove. I took Monday off, but the rest of this week hasn’t had my attention. Of course we still have naughty Dottie flopping around the apartment, but Wrigley’s absence is palpable. With the tip-tapping of his nails on the hardwood and even the occasional frustrated Beagle howls now gone, the place just feels a lot quieter. I will be the first to admit that mornings would often drive me a little nuts because they could be more chaotic than I like — Wrigley was a tripping hazard!! But that clunky, familiar routine is now out of whack. There’s no sense in fighting the wobbles, though. My sleep hasn’t been great, so I’m letting myself hit the snooze. I’m starting work later than usual, I’m a bit scatterbrained, but it’s fine and I’m not going to apologize. It’s just a testament to the subtle but enormous impact these animals have on us. OUT: The person who cc’ed my editor when I didn’t get back to them promptly on Monday when I took the day off. That is white-collar snitching and the penalty is nothing because I am a freelancer with zero power.

What did you hate this week? Leave a comment on this web post, or reply to this email to chat with me directly!