28... Kind Of

An update for my fans and friends.

There are a few reasons that #8. “Take Several Short Vacations Instead of One Long One” is not coming out today.

1. I am a liar. And that’s the truth.

2. As 129 Ways grows, I’m excited to be expanding the project beyond my silly dumb self. I’ve spent the past week interviewing lots of folks about THEIR short vacation experiences. It’s been eye-opening and awesome. However, it turns out it takes a lot time to cut these stories into a dynamic piece full of insights about friendship, life, death, and that one time I got married in Budapest (it was not legally binding, chill).

3. All previous essays of 129 Ways are officially podcastified, baby! You can go to Spotify to listen to 1-7. There are even some bonus thoughts and feelings in the audio edition. And get this: as audio becomes more of a thing, you will be able to look forward to additional content and conversations.

4. But the main reason no essay is coming out today is because… it’s my birthday! I’m busy celebrating being born!

   

   Me today.

   So. If you want to give me a present, you could:

   1. Send 129 Ways to a friend and ask them to subscribe.

   2. Follow 129 Ways on Spotify and rate it.

   3. Venmo me one penny because it’s hilarious and if I get enough pennies I can buy a house (@emilyabice).

   4. Marry me so I can call it on this project and go back to writing my play about underwater ghosts.

      1. I’m kidding. But am I? This play could really be good if I had time to finish the first draft.

         1. I am kidding. I love this project and it’s not at all about getting married! It’s much bigger than that! Call me John McClane because I will never quit!

See you on 2/9 for number 8. xo

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“This Reminded Me of Your Blog”

If you feel deprived of the usual 15-minute long, 3,000+ word essay, do not fear! Here’s some alternative reading for your weekend.

Since starting the project, I have been sent a wealth of wild and wonderful suggestions of books, podcasts, and movies that I should check out for the blog. Some are good and others are horrifying. But that’s life, isn’t it?

129 Ways To Get A Life Reading List (aka Hyperlink City)

• Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz

  • Recommended by the fantastic Eliza Cossio!

• The Secret to a Long Life (a podcast by Radiolab)

• Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad

  • This book was stunning. Since falling down the Suleika Jaouad rabbit hole, I also discovered her amazing Substack, The Isolation Journals. Cannot recommend enough.

• Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin

  • Noooooooooooooooo. Bad! This is like 129 Ways but worse. Perhaps I will use it for a sequel when I finish this project.

• Sex Diaries from The Cut

  • Several folks have actually said “you should do one!” Honored to be considered but sorry, I simply do not have that kind of stamina.

• Saturday Night by Susan Orlean

• The Game by Neil Strauss

  • This book was described to me as “a sinister tool people used in the early 2000s to pick up women.” I won’t be reading it, but after some research it looks like this is how the term “negging” was invented? Ugh. Some deeply Entourage-coded stuff.

• 20 Guys You Date in Your Twenties by Gabi Conti

• 40 Days of Dating by Jessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman

• Pecker by John Waters

  • This was John Waters’ attempt at a mainstream movie. No idea why it was suggested to me. Email if you’re in for movie night.

• The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

• Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

• Bookbear Express on Substack

• This photo my Aunt sent. Caption: “Glad we don’t live in the 50’s!”

• Lastly: no one shared this, but it needs to be included. The other day I was trying to figure out why my dates (fruit) looked odd. I googled it.

  

  Don’t be a flaky date! See you next week! Don’t forget to follow on Spotify!