A million years ago when I worked on President Obama’s re-election campaign, Michelle Obama came in to visit our headquarters in Chicago near the end. We all gathered in the largest part of the giant fluorescent-lit former law office we’d spent most of the last year and a half of our lives in. We were exhausted, we were anxious, we missed our families, we needed it to be over. She was there to give us a pep talk. She talked about what was at stake and acknowledged how tired and scared we were. Then she said, “But here’s the thing. You can do anything for 33 days.” It became a mantra for us for those last weeks, whenever we thought we couldn’t last one more minute: You can do anything for 33 days. And the number ticked down day by day, because the time, hard as it was, passed.
There are 173 people reading this email. We’re all experiencing this unprecedented thing in our own little bubbles, but we can also get through it together. May our ranks only grow.
Here are what some of you are doing and thinking about so far. (Reminder that you can always submit by emailing me at hi@lauraolin.com.)
Let’s start with Dana W. and Sadie:
Spending all day at home, working from home, has allowed me insight into my pets’ weird day behaviors, like Sadie who apparently just hangs out behind the toilet for parts of the day:
Bless you, Sadie.
A challenge from Annie S.—would love to hear your responses:
Imagine you are operating a very hip and popular food truck. Every day, when you open for business, you are instantly overrun - lines forming, chaos encroaching, etc. Luckily you are not in the food truck by yourself. You get to work alongside a trusted co-captain. My question is: which celebrity (or could be a family member or team member) would you choose to work with in a very popular, potentially frenzied food truck environment?
A recipe for garlic-onion-shallot skin broth from Kate A.:
Make a delicious stock for soups (or broth to drink on its own) by saving the papery skins of garlic, onions, and shallots. I collect mine in a ziplock bag (freezer bag size) over the course of a couple of weeks and then when it’s full, or when I need a broth, I put them all in a large pot with 4 cups of water or so. Bring it to a boil. Lower to a mild simmer and leave it alone (semi-covered) for 30 minutes or so. Let it cool, strain, use broth!
From Anne P.:
This episode of Thirst Aid Kit made me laugh and occasionally put my hand on my heart and say "Oh my" which is to say I forgot about COVID19 for a while.
Marc H.:
I'm in a social slack that's been running for almost five years, and it's been a big help for not feeling isolated—we've done a few social, watercooler Zoom calls and they've been great.
Eve M. shared a poem by Lynn Ungar, part of which reads like this:
What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Jessica C.’s hand-washing song is Call Your Girlfriend by Robyn. Pick your own.
And finally, Jen D. is hanging out with her resplendent dog Eloise and doing Yoga with Adriene.
And that’s Day 33.
Have something to contribute for later this week? Hit me up at hi@lauraolin.com.
Stay healthy and See you Wednesday.