In my defense: I was literally in Rome for two recent Thursdays.1 Also, I’m kinda lazy and mostly write this newsletter when I want to.2
The lack of tourists was indeed what dreams were made of.
Today is a dark day: As of 3:16 p.m., I am now officially 30 years old. Many thanks to Bo Burnham for managing to sum up exactly3 how I feel about turning 30.
Much like Taylor Swift releasing “22” less than two months before I turned 22, I felt extremely seen by Bo Burnham’s timing of his “Inside” special.4 It’s really good, you should watch it.
Work stuff: Aliens, euthanasia, China, Padre Pio, tragedies in Canada, and more at CNA.
Bucket list item: Achieved! I had an extremely awkward but also kind of sweet interaction with Pope Francis, ticking off one of my “30 before 30” goals.5 I said “greetings from DC!” and he looked at me like “???” to which I clarified “greetings from *Washington,* DC!” to which he replied with a weird look.
Anyhow the picture turned out good. I’m trying to buy the real version, but the website is not working—so enjoy this watermarked version. I’m in the pink.6
Recipe of the week: Monday noodles.
Mondays suck, but these noodles don’t.
So I had a bit of fun on Sunday with an early birthday celebration, and was feeling it on Monday.7 Sometimes, you just have to give the body what it wants, and it wanted this.
This collection of…something…is based off of this exact noodle, which I got from Costco.8 I cooked the noodles in the microwave9 and mixed the sauce packet with about a tablespoon of peanut butter. I chopped up some peanuts and scallions and fried a strip of bacon in a wok.
Once the noodles were done, I drained them and tossed them in the bacon grease, then put them in a bowl with the peanut butter/sauce mixture. I tossed them to coat, then put them in another bowl. I fried an egg, and put it on top of the noodles, then added peanuts, scallions, chili crisp, and fried garlic.
Once it was stirred together, it became a weird hybrid Asian-esque carbonara. And it was so, so good.
Throwback Thursday: Here is me as a tiny baby.10
Parting thoughts: 30. 30. 30. 30. 30. 30. 30. 30. 30.
Ugh.
My nose is still recovering from the seven covid tests I was forced to take for this trip.
Dealwithit.gif
Not the bit about stupid children!!! I love my friends’ children!!!!
It came out 11 days before I turned 30. I assume someone will come out with a song about turning 33 right before my 33rd birthday, or something.
A large percentage of these goals were not legal Due To The Ongoing Pandemic, so I’ll probably expand it to a 35-before-35 list.
I hope this is obvious.
I guess this is “getting older,” isn’t it.
I actually remember the first time I saw them, when I excitedly declared to my friend that “thick cut” and “mala” are my two favorite food words.
Laziness.
It’s so weird to look at this pic and think about who this baby would grow up to become.