Cramped Style Weekly
Issue No. 181: February 21, 2025
Hi! Did you miss me last week? I, like so many others in these End Times, was felled by the flu.
It was miserable! 0/10, do not recommend. But there were silver linings. For one, I cared a lot less about literally any news because all I could focus on was my aching body and malfunctioning respiratory system. And for another, I spent a LOT of time horizontal consuming things I can now recommend to you.
What I’m reading
I finished The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella, which I found in my Little Free Library. I haven’t read a Sophie Kinsella book since my teens? Early 20s? Whenever the Shopaholic books came out, but goddamn is she funny. This one is about a woman who sneaks into a party her father’s girlfriend throws in honor of selling the house the woman grew up in. In addition to being mad cap and hilarious, it was also very sweet. I also read The Bodyguard by Katherine Center after I enjoyed The Rom-Commers so much, and this one was a hit for me too! I loved how she flipped the typical gender roles and made the female lead the bodyguard in charge of protecting the male lead.
What I’m listening to
Look, everything I am listening to is pretty newsy and therefore bleak, so I can’t in good conscience recommend any of it at the moment.
What I’m watching
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve consumed a lot of TV. Not yet recommended:
“Roadrunner,” a documentary about Anthony Bourdain that made me miss him so so much. The ending was obviously sad but watching footage of his journey from a cook to who he became was so enjoyable.
We also watched the 1980s movie “Moonstruck” with Cher and Nicolas Cage, which I’d never seen before. Guys, it was so absurd but really funny and entertaining in its absurdity.
I finally started watching “Girls5eva” with Sara Bareilles, Busy Phillips, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Paula Pell and honestly I am just sorry I didn’t watch it sooner. I remember hearing Busy Phillips talking about it and I thought it sounded fun, if a little stupid, but it’s SO SO FUNNY. I didn’t realize Tina Fey and so many SNL people had a hand in it, and it is like the perfect blend of absurd but witty “30Rock” humor and early 2000s TRL-style nostalgia. I wish there were more than three seasons.
What I’m eating
Scott bought us the Valentine’s Day raspberry pistachio mousse cake from Cafe Dear Leon. Not because we’re into V-Day, but because he was really excited to remember to get in a special preorder on time. And my god this thing was worth it. We finished it days ago but I am still thinking about it.
How I’m staying healthy
Sleeping. This flu hit me like a ton of bricks. Listen, if you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, you still can. I had mine and it was still brutal so I can’t imagine how bad it would have been had I not had it.
This week’s obsession
Regaining my life force.
This week’s local favorite
This is a weird one, but I have nothing but love for the Canton Priority Care clinic. I have had quite bad experiences with urgent care clinics in the past, but every time I have gone to this one, it’s been empty, prompt, and helpful. They tested me for flu and got me Tamiflu and cough meds on a snowy day when my PCP was useless.
Where my money is going
If you haven’t heard, Democracy Forward is a nonpartisan group of lawyers fighting all of Trump’s bullshit right now AND ACTUALLY HAVING SOME SUCCESS.
Have a flu-free weekend!
