5 Things I'm Pumped About This Week

Someone recently asked me what my favorite word was. At the time I didn’t have an immediate answer, but I’ve given it some thought, and now I’ve got one: FRAZZLED. I’ll admit that it may not be the most positive word choice, but I just love the sound of it. To me, it is the most apt word in the English language. The very sound of it seems to imply its ridiculous meaning.

When I think of the word “frazzle,” I think of getting off of the subway on a damp day at the wrong stop. I think of slightly shifty eyes, flushed cheeks, and frizzled hair (probably because “frizzle” is so similar in form to “frazzle”). Sometimes being frazzled can imply a negative state of emotion, but not necessarily. It simply means a lot of things are happening at once, whether those occurrences are absolutely dreadful or positively awesome.

And as you might have guessed, I’m a bit frazzled this week. My mind has been moving at lightning speed, and I show up everywhere slightly out of breath. It’s the good kind of frazzled, by the way. It’s the THINGS-ARE-HAPPENING kind of frazzled.

But even in the midst of a good-frazzly week, being frazzled can easily turn into stress. So to combat that, I’m going to spend today’s post reminding myself of all of the things I am pumped about right now. Gotta keep that frazzle in check, y'all. Frazzle frazzle frazzle.

Anyway, here goes:

1. Clinton Washington on The Voice

Via NBC

My megatalented superfriend, Clinton (I call him Clint, but you probably shouldn’t) is a contestant on The Voice! I’ve known this man ever since our freshman year of college when I gave him a haircut using a pair of kitchen scissors. He’s just a blast and a half as a human being, but he’s also an unbelievably talented singer. You may have caught a piece of his blind audition Monday night, and even though he was only on there for like seven seconds, admit it: it was the best seven seconds of your life. If you missed it, you can check it out here, and also download his track from iTunes because it’s golden. He was on last night in a preview for his battle round, and some guy named Pharrell said that it was "technically the best battle" he's seen this season. So yeah, you should probably watch that.

2. This weather forecast:

Oh hey there, next Wednesday and Thursday! You’re looking mighty sunny. I’m not going to be deceived into believing that these snowy hell days are done with, but I think this is at least a good sign. This winter has been pure evil for my psyche, and I’m not going to be sorry to see it go. 

3. TV

TV is a comforting, dear friend, and lately it’s just been really kind to me. A few weeks ago, I caught the premiere of Better Call Saul, the highly anticipated spinoff of Breaking Bad. Something you should know about me: even though I’m hip and I wear glasses and I’m up on all of my cultural references, I have not really watched Breaking Bad. I know, I know – best show in history, such gripping performances, Bryan Cranston is a genius, yadda yadda yadda – I’ve heard it all. I saw the first two episodes, and I was riveted, but I was also immediately disturbed by how dark it was. I gave up on it pretty early, but after the joy that is Better Call Saul, I decided to give it another try. Now I’m binge-watching Breaking Bad and catching up with the rest of the world. NO SPOILERS! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH! But for lovers of the show, just know this: I made it through the ATM episode without barfing.

4. A meetup with some ridiculously creative humans

Tonight marks the start of something I have been excited about for a good long while. I’m partnering with my dear friend Alex Shellhammer (the woman I'm hugging in the above picture and the lovely voice behind The Shellhammer) to create a collective of bloggers, makers, and entrepreneurs here in New York City. We’ve been talking about it for months, and it’s finally coming to fruition. Tonight’s gathering is going to be very simple, but the people who are coming – OH MY GORSH – they are just brimming with talent and creativity and inspiration. I can’t wait to hear their stories and continue growing this unique community. Stay tuned, folks. This is going to be good.

5. Kindness

The folks from OSNY serving with City Meals

Lately I have been struck by just how many lovely people I encounter in this city. Sure, there are some frustrating individuals out there who throw garbage at moving trains and manspread to their hearts content, but for the most part, I find that everyone is really just doing their best. Even if we don’t have at length conversations or always smile at each other, the people of New York by-and-large have big, generous hearts. I’ve noticed it a lot in prepping for this meetup. Everyone is so willing to lend a hand and contribute (“How can I help?” is the most common response I received). But I’ve also noticed it in little things like interactions with strangers. This last weekend, I volunteered with a group from OSNY at City Meals to deliver food to elderly New Yorkers. It was such a great refresher in basic human decency. Everyone we interacted with was so sweet and full of gratitude, and the entire experience was such a powerful reminder of how far our small gestures of kindness can really go towards impacting someone's life positively. When in doubt, just be kind, you guys.

What are you pumped about this week?