A Good Ole Catchup Post

Here's a scenario which occurs in my life more often than one might think: I'll meet up with a friend who I haven't seen in a while, we'll chat for a bit, and suddenly they will look slightly embarrassed and say, "To be honest, I don't even know what to ask you. I feel like I know everything that's going on in your life because of your blog."

On one hand, they've got a point. I get pretty revealing up in here sometimes. For example, if you frequent this blog, you not only know oodles about my professional life, but you also know more obscure things like my favorite podcasts, what the inside of my home looks like, and hell, you even know my exact weight.

But the notion that my entire life is on this blog is honestly a misconception. While I pepper my writing with anecdotes and candor, I'd say that not even 5% of my day-to-day makes it onto the pages of Avoiding Atrophy. Actually, I'm pretty intentional about keeping it that way. Like you, I think it'd be pretty creeptastic to let the whole world into all my bidness.

Still, there are definitely details of my life that I want to share with my readers because, let's be honest, I like you guys. Sure, a lot of you are strangers to me. For all I know, you're just hanging around this blog to collect information so that you can Catfish me and rob me blind. But I take my chances because at the end of the day, dammit, I just like you. And when you like someone, you tell them what your deal is.

So on that note, here's a bunch of stuff that has been/will be going on with me lately:

I'm ALL IN for Next Creative Collective.

Next Creative is a collective that I've started alongside my friend Alex Shellhammer. Through monthly meetups and workshops, our aim is to provide a community for bloggers, makers, and entrepreneurs. Our first meetup back in March was an absolute smash, and our next one is coming up soon! It's been so fun coordinating with my girl, Alex, but I've got to admit, it's also a lot of work. It's the kind of work that feels really satisfying and character-building, like churning your own butter, but still, it's work. I'm stoked for this adventure, and if you want to take part (and by the way, you don't have to be in NYC to take part), click HERE.

This is part of a madlib that we passed out at our first meetup!

I finished Improv 301.

I've been pretty quiet on this blog regarding my comedy dabblings, but just so you know, I still dabble. I finished my third level improv course at the Upright Citizens Brigade, and it was certainly the most challenging yet. With the help of my truly phenomenal teacher, I really ended up feeling successful by the end of my course. I'm still not sure what improv means for my future, but all I know is I love it, and I can't wait to sign up for 401.

I signed up for ClassPass, and I can't stop talking about it.

If you haven't heard of ClassPass, here's the deal: for $99 a month, you can go to unlimited classes at tons (and I mean TONS) of awesome boutique fitness studios. My friends Robyn and Alex twisted my arm into signing up, and I'm so glad they did. Since I started last Friday, I've been to FIVE classes, and I just signed up for my sixth. I'm pretty much always sore now, and basically, I'm going to be ripped as hell in what I assume will be a few days. Look out, world.

I'm going to Europe.

In May, my hubs and I are heading to London and Paris for what will, I'm sure, be eleven glorious days. So far, all we've done is book some plane tickets, a train ticket, and a few AirBnbs. Other than that, we honestly have no plans whatsoever. Neither of us have ever been to Europe before, and the prospect of planning a trip of this magnitude is semi-intimidating. I'd LOVE some recommendations from you guys, so shout em out in the comments section if you've got em!

I've been eating a LOT of restaurant-quality ramen.

Just, like, a ton. Like, whatever you're imagining, add more (but also remember that I'm doing ClassPass, so I don't think it will kill me). Ramen is without fail my new favorite food, and I've been making it a point lately to visit some of the most reputable ramen restaurants in the city. Last week, I tried the ramen at Ippudo, and I pretty much left my body the entire time I was eating and dined in a spiritual realm of spicy, noodly delight. It was that good.

I should note that this ramen, while delicious, is NOT from Ippudo.

What I'm reading:

The Complete Stories of Truman Capote by Truman Capote, The Magicians by Lev Grossman, and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I recently finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed along with half of the rest of America, and you know what, it was fine. For sections of it, I found myself desperately wanting to go to REI and buy a bunch of backpacking equipment to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. But for the most part, I felt like it sort of dragged along. If you've read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

What I'm listening to:

Every episode of Comedy Bang Bang, and like, not a ton of music. I'm in a musical rut. Feel free to make some recs.

What I'm watching:

Oh, everything. I watched The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt three times through like a crazy person, and I'm still not even sure I love it (I think I do, but it's no 30 Rock, that's for sure). Also, I just finished up the first season of Better Call Saul (meh?), and I'm currently working my way through its predecessor, Breaking Bad, which I've been avoiding for years because I'm tenderhearted. I'm loving Last Man On Earth, and of course, I never miss an episode of New Girl or The Mindy Project. The season premieres of Veep and Game of Thrones aired on Sunday, and they were both glorious. And then let's not forget reality TV. As always, I'm devoted to another season of Survivor. The theme this season is "White Collar, Blue Collar, No Collar," and it's honestly ridiculous, but regardless, I'll probably never stop loving that show. I'm also watching The Amazing Race for the first time ever, which never really appealed to me before, but suddenly I'm hooked. It is weirdly satisfying to my wanderlusty heart.

Aaaaand this is getting long, and I haven't even begun to scratch the surface, but you get the idea: I'm a person and I do stuff.

Catch me up on your life. What have you been up to?

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?