Have a Fun Weekend.

What are your plans for the weekend? New York is rainy, so we’ll be magna-tiling it up, I’m sure:) We’re also going to our friends’ apartment for cocktails. Hope you have a good one, and here are a few fun links from around the web…

Wow, this kitchen makeover!

Comedian Chris Gethard’s important, incredible show about “depression, alcoholism and the other funniest parts of life” premieres on HBO this Saturday. I saw his off-Broadway play and loved it.

Changing my mind about having toast for dinner.

Why Americans smile so much.

12 food writers share what they order at questionable bars.

This makes me want to take vitamins.

“It’s insane that anyone goes camping.” Haha.

Love the idea of rain perfume.

How sweet that French kids memorize poems.

10 things people don’t talk about in business (but should).

Plus, three great comments from readers:

Says Joanna on pets: “Every morning as I leave the house, I tell my husband I love him, my dog I love him more, and my cat I love him most. It’s accurate. Having pets is possibly my favorite part of life.”

Says Clay on Ashley Ford’s outfits: “Ashley, you so inspire me. You took your ‘too fat, too black, too poor’ feelings and threw them in the dumpster of life regrets, where they will die, while you FLOURISH! This 64-year-old, never-pretty-enough gal with homely legs and about 20 pounds over ‘ideal’ weight… well, I’m tearing about 50 pages outta your life lesson book and I’m gonna have good times with what I have. Goooooo, Ashley, and look out, New York!”

From Susanne on reader questions: “When we had our daughter, the best part of the day was when our neighbors brought freshly squeezed juice every morning. They took turns bringing it over and got a glimpse of the baby without disturbing for too long. Heaven!”

(Photo by Britt Fabello/Instagram. Bar link via Joy.)

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Madlen

May 9, 2017 1:12 pm

Dear Joanna, I am reading your blog for some years and finally, there IS ale foto from the city I live! Thank you, my life is sometimes different and sometimes so similar. ….
Madlen from Czech republic

Rachel

May 9, 2017 12:26 am

My 2nd grade students used to memorize a monthly poem. We would practice every day & they would recite it in front of their classmates. This was before the wave of state testing that, unfortunately, took over our instructional day :/
I hope they still remember their monthly poem & the happiness it brought to our classroom.

Jess.

Reply to Rachel

May 11, 2017 4:12 pm

The state testing hysteria makes me so, so sad.

asia

May 8, 2017 4:12 pm

Camping IS insane! Ha.

May 8, 2017 3:50 pm

Re: the fresh juice comment – wow.

That is a great idea. Sounds lovely.

Cassie Fields

May 8, 2017 12:01 pm

Chris Gethard’s podcast, Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, is amazing! It is so funny and candid.

Erin

May 8, 2017 11:15 am

That article about smiling – totally true. I am Canadian and moved to Germany about nine months ago… I feel like a complete loon because I laugh too much and too loud, and smile too much at random people. I’m pretty sure some people around town think I’m unhinged.

The Walmart thing in that article made me laugh, though. I worked at Best Buy Canada head office when they opened their first stores up north, and they sent us their training videos. It had people smiling, introducing themselves to customers and offering the shake their hand – that is so not the way we expect to interact with store staff in Canada. I remember being on the conference call when we were explaining we had to reshoot them, or something, because that would scare the crap out of people.

fefe

May 8, 2017 10:00 am

I can totally relate to the pets comment!

Emily

May 7, 2017 11:38 pm

Gah! You’re so lucky you get to see that apartment in real life.

May 7, 2017 7:53 pm

I went to a small elementary school in northern CA that was fairly old-timey in a lot of its philosophies. Every month we had to memorize a poem and recite it to the class – this was called declamation. With each grade the length of the poems became longer, but they were always our choice. We also had to write and deliver a monthly speech to the class, with a different assigned topic each time – maybe a how-to speech, or an explanation of an experience, etc. Such good life skills…I wish these things were regular assignments in my kids’ school.

Susanne

May 7, 2017 1:16 pm

dear Joanna, thank you for “featuring” my comment! what an honor. made my day

Anna

May 7, 2017 11:55 am

Oh my, we had to memorize poems in German school and I hated it. It was fine for the first few years when we could choose our own but then we started having to memorise classics and they got longer and longer.
It took the fun out of poetry for me. I don’t want to overanalyse art if I choose not to.
I am however loving the kitchen makeover and the camping post – ha! :D

Alli

May 7, 2017 11:38 am

Ha, camping! I love it. I think there’s a misconception about car camping- which is far different from backpacking. With car camping, you can bring the luxuries from home and eat, drink, and sleep well in the campsite. For example, I always bring a slightly precooked meal (like a braised chicken dish, which we then just reheat and dump over couscous or polenta), and we pack a nice bottle of wine and Govino wine glasses (check them out- they’re amazing). If we’re going for only one night, I won’t even do the dishes in the evening and just toss them in bus tub in the truck to do at home. My husband and I have a super, super cozy set up, complete with a double sleeping pad and a double sleeping bag, so even though I’m a cold sleeper I still can get cozy and warm right next to him and we’re not slipping and sliding on individual sleeping pads all night. Plus, bring pillows from home. Why not? The car is big enough to pack them. The set up makes all the difference in enjoying the experience. Now that we’ve “got the gear” and are in the habit of it, camping is so enjoyable.

Nina

May 7, 2017 10:35 am

Not just French kids, all around Europe (from west to east) children have to learn poetry and then recite it in class. It’s normal practice. I still remember the poems I have learnt and I’m 39, as do my parents who will soon be 70. There are also a kind of book clubs, where every year children can get an award for reading at least 7 books, and on special appointed hours (usually before regular school hours), children are asked various questions by the teacher to prove that they have actually read the assigned book. Some little bookworms read even more. My daughter has already read 10 books this school year.

Bee

May 7, 2017 6:21 am

The smiling article reminded me of how I used to feel stressed about interactions in the US because I always felt I needed to measure up to the friendliness and energy level so as not to appear rude/curt/cold. For someone from a less expressive culture, it was quite exhausting!

Raissomat

May 7, 2017 1:56 am

Don’t kids memorize poems in america?! They do here in switzerland and all surrounding countries in primary scool as well. Brain training and familiarity with the varied language and all..it’s the only reason I know some very rarely used words.
On camping: most families do it for lack of funds, for kids it’s the coolest!! Making pasta and soup on the fire is the best activity, running around free all day..and about the rain..well, you don’t go if they announce bad wearher, and if you get surprised by rain you walk to the next bar and play cards, drink tea and get dry. I have a sensitive back and skin: just pack a rolled foam mattress and real pillow, and put lavender oil or other essential oils in your lotion before bed to protect from bugs. Also, tents have bug nets, so you sleep bug free..what’s the problem. Just kill the five bugs that got in with you, and sleep tight.
pooping in the woods is great, I don’t know what you mean. Also i like camping near rivers or lakes, so I get to jump in the cold morning water and feel fresher than fresh. You know what keeps the bugs away, makes you sleep tight and relax your back?!? Smoking a little weed. I don’t now, but I remember back in art scool it was key to a fantastic camping trip.