january is eternal, unfortunately

how we doing, team?

Floor Time​​

/flôr tīm/
noun

1. the 15-60 minute time period spent laying on the floor in the middle of the work day, typically as a relief from the soul-sucking reality of corporate America. 

I cannot believe it’s STILL January.

source: Hunter Harris, Hung Up

Has it always felt like this?, I asked myself. I went back 365 days to see what I possibly wrote about in January 2024. Lo and behold: this. January might be a recurring fever dream that we are forced to endure every year. And it is always 3049 days long. There’s no other explanation. You’d be hard-pressed to find things that feel just as long as January (and I am).

A Dump of Things that January Feels Longer Than¹

• The press tour, rumor cycle, and lawsuit for It Ends With Us. I simply do not care. Those two (read: three) seem like insufferable people to be around and everything I’ve come to know about the film and the BTS is against my will.

• My mystery illness from last year.

• The last few seasons of How I Met Your Mother when Barney and Robin are together and Ted has still! not! met! the! mother!

• Any NFL game (listen I’m honestly a football fan but why so long and why still Chiefs??).

• The line for the CJ Hendry Flower Market art pop up that I journeyed across New York for not once, not twice, but thrice. And ya girl STILL didn’t get in.

• The drive from NYC to Vermont where you pass these over and over again.

• The Goldfinch novel. Why were the first 100 pages so good and the rest so, so bad.

• The Brutalist. No, I didn’t see it. But four hours?! Only a man would pull something like this (and I’m right, he did).²

• The inauguration and all subsequent cabinet hearings.

Something I Thought of in the Shower

How do you know that the color analysts aren’t lying to you?

Something for Clarice

Hey! This newsletter is free and I intend to keep it that way. That said, if you love it and want to show your appreciation, buy me a coffee :)

Something Pretty

This beautiful assortment of dumplings we wrapped on Lunar New Year—was so proud of myself for nailing the family recipe³ (for the first time on my own!). 新年快樂! 🐍🧧

By the way…I’m reading this.

First, I finished James by Percival Everett and I think everyone should read what I believe to be the next great American novel. The storytelling is incredible, the characters are multi-dimensional, and the message is poignant, emotional, and transcends time.

My friend Ruby has been encouraging me to read The Wedding People, and though I’ve only read a chapter, I feel like it will automatically resonate given how many weddings I have and will attend these few years :)

source: The Literary Lifestyle

And I’m watching this.

Finally caught up on Abbott Elementary. This show never misses—and they have the crossover to end all crossovers, for real.

source: American Broadcasting Company

Happy Year of the Snake and wishing you all good fortune, good health, and good food in your belly :) Have a lovely weekend and TGIF (thank god it’s February).

‘Til next time, little dumplings. Your friend,

Clarice

1. I wrote this list in a fugue state. January has been punching me in the face over and over again and alas, my brain no longer functions as it should.

2. It wasn’t until recently that I had the epiphany that this film is about an architect…lol. Maybe I’ll watch it because Adrien Brody but it’s a big maybe.

3. read: translating “just a little bit of ___” and “whatever feels right,” to an actual measurement, IYKYK.