15 Things: January

Severance, socks, and songs

Context. Here are my 15 things of January.

5 things I can see:

1. Severance. Holy mother of God, this show flipped me upside down. I’m usually late to things like this because I have a pathological need to not do what everyone else is doing or watch what everyone else is watching. I’ve been like this since I was a child — my mom will often remind me that when we would shop for clothes in my childhood, she’d show me a coat, or a shirt, whatever it was, and I’d say, “No, I can’t wear that, [classmate] already has that.” I don’t do this on purpose, really, I just have never been able to be on time for a cultural phenomenon. Severance first aired in 2022, and I knew about it because I love Adam Scott, but I never watched it. Blamed it on not having Apple TV or whatever. But I caught a clip from the upcoming season last week and decided that I needed to watch it before the second season got too far along. I watched the entire first season this weekend and was captivated by every single second of it. I am now perched on the edge of my seat waiting for the rest of the episodes to drop. Helly R., I love you.

2. From Here to the Great Unknown by Riley Keough & Lisa Marie Presley. For some reason, I know a lot about the Presley family. Not that I have an intentional fascination with them by any means, but I have just found myself on the receiving end of Presley-adjacent information a lot. Does that make sense? Anywho, I did intentionally choose to read this, and I really loved it. Riley Keough (actress, known most for Daisy Jones & The Six and also maybe Zola) is the granddaughter of Elvis, and the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley. Lisa Marie chose to write a memoir about her wild, tumultuous life in the shadow of the Presley family, growing up at Graceland and being the only child of one of the most beloved (and complicated) stars of all time, and just as she got started with the book, she passed away. Riley chose to finish the book and fill in the gaps, making for an incredibly comprehensive recounting of all of the insane shit they experienced in their lives. The book is written in two different fonts, one for Riley’s writing and one for Lisa Marie’s, and reading it felt like watching a mother talk to her daughter from the afterlife. It was beautiful.

3. Babygirl. I don’t even know what to say about this, except that it was perfect and I loved it. Nicole Kidman acted her ass off. I was troubled by the amount of people in the theater who talked…at full volume…throughout the entire movie…but that’s an essay for another day. Incredible film with a perfect soundtrack.

4. Sharp Objects (the show, but also the book, but mostly the show). I read the book and felt average about it. I watched the show and loved (well, maybe loved is not the right word…was enthralled by?) all of it. Amy Adams. You know what I mean?

5. The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin. This was a book club pick for this month. It takes a lot for me to enjoy a memoir from an author I don’t know, but I got a lot out of this. The author, “Mama Love,” goes to jail for a plethora of crimes. This follows her story through the prison system (and makes a very compelling case for how deeply, fundamentally flawed it is), and how her career blossoms after. She is an incredible storyteller.

4 things I can touch:

1. Baggu socks. I am a snob about socks. These are comfortable and don’t do anything weird to my feet. I have them in a couple other colors. Plus, puffer Snoopy.

2. This bag. I am not a snob about bags. This one is big without feeling like a giant tote bag, feels nice, holds a lot of stuff. Doesn’t feel cheap even though it was. I’m a fan.

3. My kindle. I have been reading nonstop for the last 3 weeks in a very valiant effort to repair the damage done to my attention span and mental well-being by the Internet. I’m on my 7th book of the year which is a lot for me, considering I read 7 books (total) in 2024. So far so good. I would not be able to read this much without the help of my dear, beloved Kindle. It has truly changed the way I look at reading. I can take it anywhere (and I do), read in the dark in my bedroom, have access to basically any book in the entire world at a moment’s notice. The paperwhite “screen” also really doesn’t feel like I’m looking at a screen, which was my resistance to an e-reader in the first place. I might never read another physical book again (which does suck for the part of me that loves having a very full and literary-looking bookshelf, but I’ll get over it). My Kindle rules.

4. Cassette tapes. Nothing grand to say here, I’ve just been buying cassette tapes instead of vinyl whenever I go to a music store, and it’s been a fun endeavor.

5. Madewell jeans. I have been on a never-ending quest to find a pair of jeans that actually fits me, and it has proven to be harder than I expected. I’m not a skinny person, so there are a lot of layers here: if I find a pair that fits my thighs, they’re always too big on my waist. If they fit my waist, they could not possibly fit over my thighs or butt. Madewell jeans have always fit me well, but I’ve been desperately trying to find a pair of jeans for less than $100 that fits me as well as theirs do. I’m giving up. The Curvy 90’s Straight jean is the perfect one for my current body! I’m accepting it!

3 things I can hear:

1. “The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don’t Want to Get Over You)” by Waylon Jennings. Perfect song. Later covered by Norah Jones, which I also love.

2. “Get By” by Kate Teague. This is a new song from my friend Kate. She is incredibly talented and also a very good friend.

3. “T&A” by Blondshell. I worship the ground she walks on. I can’t wait for her full album.

Here’s my January playlist if you’d like to listen:

2 things I can smell:

1. This candle I got from Hobby Lobby. It’s a Hobby Lobby candle, so you get what you pay for, but it smells nice. I don’t typically like any scent that has coconut in it, but I can’t really tell in this.

2. Gypsy Water by Byredo. I’m also not typically into citrus-y scents, but this one hooked me. Smells slightly strange and I love it.

1 thing I can taste:

1. Fried eggs?! I’m going through a fried egg phase right now. Nothing really groundbreaking going on here.