field notes #2: the bloom route
nosediving into soft-honey sweetness, running into exs, and other weekly highlights
In case you missed my latest post:
In this letter:
A run in with an ex
A 70s-inspired album thats makes me want to spin around in a long glitter fringe gown
Vintage market finds!
On every walk this week, I took the bloom route. Typically, I choose the sunny route, but we only have two weeks to take in the lilacs, so I insist we duck through alleyways and take the long way around the park so I can nosedive into soft-honey sweetness.
We grab vanilla bean soft-serve from Small Cheval and call Niq’s sister to catch up on the goings-on in Iowa. We end the call with a task to really consider going on the family cruise later this year. A cruise we’ve already said no to, and yet his sister is very convincing. I’m not really a cruise girl, but…. the things we do for love!!
The sun had fully set as we headed back home, and because we aren’t monsters, when a leashed fluffy puppy runs in our direction, we both greet it with enthusiasm. Niq and I are crouched down, occasionally lifting our knees to keep the leash from lassoing us all together. The woman attached to the leash is cooing along with us. I finally look up toward her, and when I do, I am stunned.
The woman attached to the leash is my ex-therapist, Lynn.
This is the second time THIS YEAR I’ve run into an ex-therapist. In March, at Zara Larsson’s concert, I made eye contact with Ella, another ex-therapist. We locked eyes, then quickly dodged away. (I stay with therapists that aren’t right for me too long because I’m scared of hurting their feelings. That’s why I have so many exes, okay!)
Running into Ella was fast, and we didn’t speak, but it still left me rattled. It feels so weird to see a person who knows the most vulnerable, unhinged things about me, and yet the only real thing I know about her is that she works in front of a purple tapestry and wears glasses with interchangeable bold frames. And now, I guess, that she’s a fan of pop icon Zara Larsson.
Lynn and I stare silently as I stand. “Oh hi,” I say, suddenly aware of how I look. (Thankful I didn’t have gem nipples glued on my tank top like I did at the concert.) “I thought I recognized your voice,” she laughs, leaning in for a hug.
We recover quickly. I introduce her to Niq. We say one or two more things about her puppy and go on our way. And again, I felt rattled. My heart wouldn’t stop racing, even though it was the most normal interaction. It just felt like my safe, therapy world was suddenly cracked open — standing very real in front of me in her dog walking outfit.
In a woo-woo sense, I keep wondering what the universe is trying to tell me with these two run-ins…. only time will tell.
☀️ other highlights from the week
Overdressed (complimentary) my Chicago dog at The Sox Game
Biked with a BubblePlush to Layne’s so I could make her do “partner poses” for a work project. lol
Picked up some vintage goodies at Vintage House Chicago
Took my scarf top from cocktails to dinner to boystown to the dive bar.
Guessed the killer before the big reveal in Scream 7
People-watched so hard on the train that when one person in the couple I was watching got up and left, I wanted to lean over to the other one and say, "So tell me what just happened there, because I have some theories."
🎵 Listening
I have been listening to the album nonstop thanks to a recommendation from Austin. It’s so much fun. To me, it feels like a 70s-inspired album. It’s dancy and sexy! My favs right now are Sauna & Ride.
🎵 Watching
Margo’s Got Money Troubles is one of my favorite books, so I’ve been so excited about the series. I mean, LOOK AT THAT CAST. Please allow me to recommend the book once again. I’m slowly starting the series and trying to watch it with a kind eye, which is hard since the book meant so much to me. I’m one and a half episodes in, and so far it’s as gloriously colorful and weird as the book.
📖 Reading
Like every other girl in the world, last week I started Famesick by Lena Dunham on audiobook. I’m throughly enjoying the marketing rollout Lena Dunham and her team have been doing on Substack. I’m not super far into the book but the first two chapters deep dive into her time on Girls which of course, I was a fan of and of course, I love a peek behind the curtain.
see you next week,
sie