Week 3, it’s lit… I never really know how to kick these off, but I guess that is probably why I am writing them in the first place huh? To stop wasting time procrastinating and blaming perfection when I know deep down I have no clue what perfection looks like. I think that is the essence of what make a creative person creative, they will create and create until the vision is realized… if you get stuck in planning mode and never get to the creation part the vision never mattered in the first place — a bit of a paradox. I guess this is a statement to those reading to take the goddam step. Sing a song into your phone, record some guitar chords, write the poem, put the paint on the canvas, turn on the stove, you get the point. Believe in your taste or at the very least fake it. Also, before I get into the vibes, be on the look out for more Op Ed style pieces, I have a few cooked up in the drafts that I plan to post in the coming weeks!
Garden Carver — Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I had the most gas sandwich this week. Arguably the best sandwich I have ever had, AND IT WAS VEGAN. When it came to breakfast/lunch I simply followed Sabrina’s lead this week, so realistically this is her taste but I digress, Garden Carver was absolutely bizarre. I got “The Best Steak Sandwich” which had an incredibly meaty taste and an absolutely buggin’ chimichurri sauce. When we move back to New York this will be a go to.
Shrinking Season 2 — AppleTV
Shrinking was one of my favorite shows last year, similar to other AppleTV shows… cough… Ted Lasso… they do such a great job of intermixing modern social commentary and mental health without overdoing it. The plot of season one was great for a comedy that was simultaneously teaching the viewer to be a little more introspective and open about why they feel certain ways, opening room for dialogue with loved ones, and perhaps even attempting to teach empathy. I am always concerned when shows with first seasons like this decide to make another season, as much as I love watching Jason Segel and Harrison Ford argue over cognitive behavioral therapy I do worry whether a second season will live up to the hype of the first. I won’t lie, the first episode had me a little worried — it felt a little too familiar to season three of Ted Lasso, a great season, but a bit much at times which made it feel forced. However, episode two threw a wrench in things and I am still very much looking forward to seeing how things work out!
SuperCalm — Recovery Cocktail
After a month of traveling around Europe, drinking endless amounts of espresso and wine, eating gelato and sweets, getting limited sleep, and contracting some sort of gnarly virus I watched my HRV and overall health take a steady decline as you can see from the chart above.
Quick Science Lesson: HRV is the variation in time between each heartbeat, and it's a key measure of how well your body handles stress and recovery. A higher HRV generally indicates better health and fitness, while lower HRV may suggest stress, fatigue, or strain on the body.
Well. when I got back from traveling I began taking SuperCalm every night before bed because I was having a tough time with jet lag and it is suppose to help calm you down. Well after a few days I was surprised at how good I felt, I had also just began marathon training again, yet I was feeling great, so I checked my health app to see how my stats were doing and to my surprise my HRV was clear over 100 every day since I began taking SuperCalm before bed.
I am a health nut, so I knew all the ingredients had great potential and I have taken all the ingredients individually, but together the cocktail is powerful and tastes great as something to sip before bed. Ashwagandha is powerful for hormone regulation which can be really important for recovery (optimal cortisol and testosterone). L-Theanine is powerful for anti-stress, balancing brainwaves to create a calm state of mind, this supports healthy stress reaction and thus heart rate. Magnesium is very commonly taken now and is know to support mental, muscle, and digestion especially in those who are very active and may lose magnesium in their sweat. Finally, Vitamin D, which is PROVEN to be indicative of health — those with low Vitamin D are more susceptible to illnesses and mental disturbances. Not only are all of these ingredients in the powder, but they are there in high doses, which I believe is the reason I notice such positive affects.
Weekly Spotify Playlist
This week we are rocking with real October vibes. I don’t know why, but these songs just ooze that mid October feel. The playlist begins with The Japanese House’s, “Spot Dog” in my opinion one of the best intro songs of all time, if anyone wants to purchase me a present, the reaction I would have to receiving this vinyl would be guttural. Moving on from Japanese House to another ethereal and melodically soothing song we have Lonely Star by Oh Wonder, while Oh Wonder is known for some really great songs, if you put your headphones on and go for a walk you can’t help but feel like an introspective main character. Another ethereal song we have the Henry Green cover of Electric Feel which again pulls you into a different world when listening. Moving on from Ethereal feeling indie songs we have more a more folky soothing feel with Long Way Down by Tom Odell which is then followed up by another cover, this time a Genevieve Stokes cover of White Winter Hymnal. Moving on from Genevieve Stokes we have a slick uptick, less depressive October bipolar state and more manic, Velvet Ring, by Big Thief, which if followed up by another raspy indie-folk artist Florist and her song Vacation. The poetry in this song is so powerful. We then round out the playlist with The Night We Met, by Lord Huron, Big Black Car by Gregory Ivan Isakov, and finally Bon Iver’s new single S P E Y S I D E which has me looking forward to his full album which just released!
If you are still reading, thank you! Please share with your friends, copy the link and help me grow this newsletter, I look forward to sharing my taste and the things I consume with everyone. Also I would love to hear your thoughts, what things do you think I would like, what shows should I watch, what food should I try. I am eager to hear and connect with everyone.
Will be dreaming of garden carver until we return