Hello hello! Happy Friday!
Are you guys sick of me yet?? This is now the THIRD time I’ve been in your inbox this week, and I’m sorry, but I did warn you that I was going to cram two Deep Dives in during the last week of the month!!
I am finally, FINALLY, caught up on all the work I had hanging over my head for the last few weeks. I’ve literally just spent the last few days coming down off of the adrenaline that was powering me through writing an estimated 10,000 words over the past 10-ish days. (Not including research notes and drafts!)
I’m finally starting to get planning for February, and it promises to be super busy (again) — mostly because I’m going to the AWP conference next week! I signed up to go a few months back on a work exchange, so on Friday I will be standing around helping people with stuff (which I’m weirdly looking forward to? I haven’t “worked” in any type of customer service-y way in a while so it’ll be nice, I think!). I’m really excited about meeting up with some online friends in person and learning a ton from all the seminars! I’m planning a Deep Dive on the experience, so I’ll share more about it later this month.
Also, we got some EXCELLENT news out of the world renowned groundhog hole this morning: Punxsutawney Phil has declared we’re getting an EARLY SPRING???
I’ll be honest, I’m usually at odds with this adorable little dude because he almost always predicts a longer winter.
See, look at that ratio! 107:20?? That’s basically 5:1 longer winters over early springs! Rude!!
Also what the hell is “War clouds have blacked out parts of the shadow”??? If you click on that link, it just takes you to the page for World War II. There’s no additional information or definition of “war clouds.” Dictionary, you got any info?
Okay so. I get this — because the US had just joined the war in December of 1941, but why the “have blacked out part of the shadow” statement? Honestly just kind of seems like a weird way to say “we’re not doing it this year because war.”
Then they skipped in ‘43, but were fine to bring him back out again in ‘44 and ‘45? Where’d the war clouds go then? Cleared off by a strong wind?
My main takeaway here is that next time someone asks me to do something I don’t want to do, I’m going to tell them I can’t because of war clouds.
Re: the early spring, I honestly can’t wait to get out a bit more — I’ve been enjoying the few days of sun we’ve had lately (from inside my office window by the computer). Hopefully we’re able to find jobs soon so we can really enjoy the spring and summer! (Simply stepping outside costs like $40 so it’s better for now if I stay in here and eat Wheat Thins.)
Anyway — I’ve still managed to spend some time on the web this week, so here’s what I’ve put together for ya:
Sesame Street Blues
Poor Elmo has had a week.
First up, Elmo decided to check in with everyone on Twitter:
And got a biiiiiit more than he bargained for:
“Elmo I’m depressed and broke,” one wrote. Others told Elmo that they had been laid off, that they were anxious about the 2024 election, or that their dog had rolled around in goose feces.
“Elmo each day the abyss we stare into grows a unique horror,” read a response posted by Hanif Abdurraqib, a poet, essayist and contributor to The New York Times. “One that was previously unfathomable in nature. Our inevitable doom which once accelerated in years, or months, now accelerates in hours, even minutes.”
…
Samantha Maltin, the executive vice president, chief marketing and brand officer of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind “Sesame Street,” said that Elmo might not have been prepared for all the emotional fatigue shared in response.
As a result, the Sesame Street characters tweeted out mental health resources.
And after all that emotional trauma, Elmo took a secondary beating IN PERSON on The Today Show from…Larry David??
Look at the hosts!!! They’re so scandalized!
I get it! Everything is kind of a big mess right now but WE CAN’T TAKE IT OUT ON THE PUPPETS, GUYS!! Elmo is only 3 1/2!! He’s a baby!
WHICH IS IT, Larry?? Do you apologize to Elmo, or not?
Good Reads
Check out this awesome thread about fungus in space, and try not to think about what this means for humankind as we know it!!
No Shoes, No Service
This TikTok has been blowing up this week — a couple likes to go barefoot so they Dremeled the soles out of all their shoes. There’s no way I can do this justice, so — just watch:
Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
I can’t decide if this is real or if it’s just designed to get people outraged.
What definitely IS real is that they went into a Sephora with ESSENTIALLY NO SHOES ON. A public store, with a floor where people just walk around all day with their filthy disgusting shoes…in their bare feet. I — could not survive this. There is no way. THE GERMS. THE GERMS!!!!
What — what do they do when they come home? How do you take your shoes off at the door? Oh, you don’t? You just drag Sephora detritus all around in your kitchen and your BED?? WHERE YOU SLEEP????
And we need to touch on the “we made a shelf for our toenails” comment. How — how long are their toenails? No. You know what? I don’t want to know. (I will add that I don’t think their feet look callused enough for them to be full-time barefoot people, so perhaps it’s all bullshit. Please let it all be bullshit.)
What if they had to use a public restroom while they were out??
I’m going to throw up.
Randomly Selected Animal Cutie(s)
Two dogs for you on this Groundhog Day!!
I am obsessed with the idea of setting up the stair lift so that your dog can use it when necessary. Safety first, though — gotta be locked in to the crate!! Head on up for bedtime, buddy!
This is extremely relevant to my interests. Look how well behaved they are (mostly), waiting for their food!!
Also, now I want Chipotle.
That’s it from me this week! Hope you have a great weekend. I’ll be watching the Pro Bowl (you know I love those Manning boys) and getting everything prepped to go to AWP.
K
Is Elmo the muppet version of Edward Cullen?! How long has he been 3 1/2?!