What's IN/OUT this week

I miss writing the Tuesday (or Wednesday) newsletter. Thank you for your patience as I muddle my way through June — what is otherwise one of my favorite months of the year!

IN: To-do lists. I have been living and dying by my checklists lately — which have come to feel more like triaging, if I’m being honest. And LET ME TELL YOU: If it is not on my list, it is not happening. Just ask my editor!!! OUT: To-doing. All the lists in the world do not change the fact that there are not enough hours in the day (or gas in my tank) to keep up. And you know what I miss the most? Reading!! I spend so much time reading articles, newsletters, and so forth that not having that in my day makes me feel dull, because that means I’m also not generating new ideas for essays. That said, you guys all probably imagine I get most of my inspiration from Garfield cartoons and who am I to suggest otherwise?

IN: Coffee shops. I had to get a new battery for my iPhone (Zeus himself could not rattle my skull into a phone upgrade), and killed some time in a new-to-me coffee shop near the Apple store. What a treat! Despite being a fully remote worker for six years, I don’t spend near enough time working at cafes. And I’m SO locked in when working in coffee shops. It’s hard to say if that’s public performance-driven or the 400 CCs of pure Colombian bean water coursing through my veins. OUT: Coffee as anything other than just GOOD STUFF. Dazed is calling caffeine Gen Z’s new drug of choice: “But beyond daily fuel or a tasty indulgence, today, caffeine is being flogged as a wellness product, presented in the form of powder, pouches (which are placed between the gum and the lip, like snus), patches that are placed on the skin, and ‘healthy’ energy drinks such as Tenzing, Brite and Neutonic. All of these products are, to varying degrees, framed as focus or fitness enhancers.” Uuugggghhhhh. Just drink the hot bean water because it’s one of life’s only pleasures. 

IN: My wardrobe. There will be three consistencies in these Friday INS/OUTS: Wine, food, and whatever my little outfits happen to be. I’m packing for trips three weekends in a row and suddenly it’s… not that hard. That’s growth, that’s progress, that’s a capsule wardrobe?? Well, probably not. Unless that collection consists of silly T-shirts and flowy pants that all somehow work together. Another summer of dressing like an adult toddler! OUT: An overdue haircut. That’s actually not the problem. The real issue is my salon texted me instead of calling. And they didn’t answer when I called to rebook. I’m noticing more and more businesses that can’t be reached by phone, and I’m not a fan. It’s so much easier to just call and quickly get an answer. A business without a phone number feels very “Can u DM me instead? I’m shy 🫣.” I am OLD and I want to CALL.

IN: Being near-middle age. I don’t have to worry about insane trends like fitness dating, which I guess now goes beyond meet-cutes at run clubs. According to The New York Times, there are now dating apps like Ateam, which claims to be the “official dating app of wellness” and asks prospective users: “You’re high-performing. Are your relationships?” Who is out there looking sexy when they work out? I look like you may need to call an ambulance. So I guess if you’re trying to meet a hot doctor… OUT: Being near-middle age. I don’t care for these new problems. So maybe hitting on the person next to you while panting furiously on a treadmill isn’t so bad?

Tell me what you hated this week!