A problem I keep encountering — it looks like it might be 75 degrees outside. The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. But if I were to fling my windows open and welcome the spring air into my office like I really want to, I would almost immediately be afflicted with hypothermia.
I’m being dramatic, but only a little.
We’ve reached the point in early Ohio spring where Mother Nature likes to tease us. I want to sit on a bar patio without needing to fist-fight another human to get a spot next to the fire pit. I want to roll the windows of my car down and blast music without feeling like Jack Nicholson running through the maze at the end of The Shining. I want the sunshine of longer days to deliver the warmth that should go along with it.
Most importantly — I want to truly embrace the best springtime activity: bopping around town.
Bopping around town is my absolute favorite thing to do and also one of my most-used phrases. When my husband and I have no plans on a Saturday? Want to go bop around? When I have a little extra money and energy after a long day of work? I think I’m going to go bop around for a while.
Bopping around town should have truly no purpose. There is no sneaky trip to the hardware store that needs to happen. There is no dress to be obtained before a big event. It is absolutely not the act of running errands or “shopping.” There is no pressure. There is no checklist. It can cost almost nothing or involve a little splurge. Maybe we start at the farmers market, then stop for coffee at some place we always walk by but never try. Or head straight to the library to see what’s new. Maybe see a movie that we only discovered was playing 20 minutes ago? Stumble into an antique store? Wrap it up with a fancy cocktail or a stroll through the park?
Aimless exploring. A little treat or two. Maybe it took 45 minutes. Maybe it took the whole day. Doable when it’s cold out, sure, but a thousand times better when it’s a warm day. Accomplish nothing and still feel like you were still an active participant out in the world. Simple, easy, and boosts my mental health by about six billion percent.
Soon! Soon.
Reading:
I am not reading books as quickly as I’d like to, but I did just finish The Underneath by Melanie Finn and liked it a lot. Also highly recommend her other novel The Hare. Both are very tense and kind of weird and very much my shit.
This excerpt from Maggie Smith’s new book You Could Make This Place Beautiful was amazing.
There’s an excellent Boygenius profile in them.
Watching:
Succession is back and I already have a new tote bag to envy.
Listening:
Still obsessed with this Florence + The Machine No Doubt cover.
Spanish Love Songs covered one of my favorite Alkaline Trio songs and it makes me very happy.