Chiefs by 80, hopefully
Big shout outs to Alyssa last week! The best thing in the world to me is when my friends get to become friends with my other friends, and that’s what it feels like when I have a guest writer.
There was something last night that I was talking about that I was like “that will be in my Five Things for sure,” and for the life of me I cannot remember what it was.
I have been thrilled for Kamala Harris, and her bus, this week. And honestly, I can’t wait to be mildly annoyed with the new administration. I am so grateful that government is a common grace but not the means of flourishing in our world.
As requested, next week’s e-mail will include a political rant, and by rant, it probably won’t be a rant, rant is a weird word, if you haven’t already, click below to join the e-mail list. Maybe Pete won’t be building high speed rail systems to my liking.
I’m treating the paid subscriber option of this newsletter how I treat going on dates, like I’m trying to be chill about it, but I’m a fun bundle of nerves and excitement. And I am beyond grateful for my hype squad so to speak.
This sentence now has links to the 100th issue master spread sheet, my instagram, my Outdoor Voices referral link , and old issues of the newsletter.
Number One: Chili Onion Crunch
Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch can’t really be described it can only be experienced. I have put it on crackers, I have put it in my black bean soup, I have used it with Brussels sprouts, I mixed it with pesto and put it on my pasta, I have scooped it onto cheese. It’s not exactly a health food, but if you need to get things moving and grooving, this could be the key.
Number Two: Icarus and High School Musical, the Musical, the series
Two viewing recs for your consideration:
I think it took 50 recommendations to watch Icarus for me to press play Thursday night, but I was totally hooked. It’s the kind of documentary where you open Wikipedia 10-12 times because you’re dying for more context for this wild story. (Netflix)
It only took one person to tell me to watch High School Musical, the Musical, the series, and I am so glad I did. It’s just tender, but self-aware in a way that Disney so was not when I was at the height of my Disney watching days. Plus it gives you context for why all the kids (and adults) on TikTok love “Driver’s License.” (Disney Plus)
Number Three: Elizabeth Smart on The Masked Dancer
I didn’t watch this live, but a few weeks back, Elizabeth Smart was unmasked as the Moth on Masked Dancer. Elizabeth Smart of kidnapped as a teen and now victim advocate fame.
She did a lovely interview with Entertainment Weekly about it, and especially appreciated this part about how with all the ugliness in the world, why not do something fun? It’s okay to have fun.
Well you're absolutely right. I have never done anything like this before. I'm not a dancer. I've never trained […] But my grandma passed away around the same time that they asked me to do this. And sitting at her funeral, I just remember sitting there thinking about her life, and she did a lot of really serious things, but she also had a lot of fun. And just thinking about my life, I feel like I've lived a pretty serious life. I've dedicated really a lot of my life since I was rescued from being kidnapped to serious issues — to abuse prevention, and trying to help save kidnapping victims, and trying to help teach people how to respond kindly and compassionately towards the victims, and trying to prevent rape and sexual violence, and teaching people of the difference between enthusiastic consent and rape, because anything outside of enthusiastic consent is rape.
So I've spent so much time working in this field that when I was sitting there thinking about it at my grandma's funeral, I just thought, you know what, why not? Life is already hard enough. I mean, not to mention 2020. I don't think anyone would come back and say, "Oh, yeah, 2020, best year of my life" — or there would be very few people who would say that. And I just thought, this has already been a hard year, so why not do something that's fun? Why not do something that brings a little bit of light to my life and maybe to people watching? I mean, why not? Life, for all its seriousness, I think it's also good to have fun. And I think it's also good to do something outside of your comfort zone, or at least it is for me. So, I guess for me more than anyone else, I just wanted to do something fun. It's okay to have fun.
Number Four: The CIA’s Rebrand
The Snacks Weekly e-mail tipped me off to The CIA’s website rebrand, which I guess they’re trying to reach a younger audience, who knows. We can only wait to see which government agency gets the new look next, maybe The Department of the Interior or OSHA. Snacks Weekly did not tip me off that I would lose $6 in my S&P500 account this week, we can’t all be winners.
Number Five: Sedona!
Last weekend I had the absolute time of my life in Sedona with my friend Lilly. I would recommend Lilly as a travel buddy to anyone, but I am going to hoard her for myself. Sedona is the perfect four day weekend get away, and I will not hoard that part to myself.
Sedona is a little ~woo woo~ and at every Vortex we took a pause to see if we could tap into the earth’s swirling energy, but mostly we just enjoyed the view. I did however, absolutely lose it at Chapel of the Holy Cross because the brochure on the sculpture inside was so well written. This paragraph is what got me:
The crowning glory, though originally meant in derision is the “crown of thorns,” with three rose vines entwined around his anguished brow: the Holy Trinity made manifest in the ultimate perfection of the “Rose of Sharon,” the Christ. The Crown is adorned with 100 thorns: 99 plus one for the “lost sheep” found by the Good Shepherd - the Lord offers his life for all.
It was holy.
Anywho, if you are planning a trip here’s our abbreviated itinerary for your benefit, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. You may notice we ate PB&H for lunch both full days, worth it.
Caucasian James laugh of the week.