No, You Didn't Miss It

Here's the Fashionably Late April Wrap-up

In terms of chaos, loss, deadlines, and disaster, this spring has been a doozy for us both. You’ve seen that reflected in our sporadic posting and we are so happy you’ve hung in there with us. Thank you. But summer is coming, spring is normalizing—knock wood—and we both finally have a chance to sit down and get into the minutia, so LFG with our April wrap-up. (Hey, at least we didn’t put it out in June, right?)

WHAT WE’RE READING

Jen: I just finished Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House and it was eye-opening. So if you listened to the podcast and you were all, “Whoa, Jen, you were kind of harsh declaring shenanigans on Biden’s health announcement,” this is why. Rarely has there been a savvier political operative than Biden.

While I absolutely believe he’s sick and I wish him a long life and a successful mitigation, lemme just say the announcement timing was more than a little sus. Also, and I can’t stress this enough, KAMALA ROSE TO THE OCCASION. (Does that mean I’ve skipped purchasing Jake Tapper’s Original Sin? Of course not. It’s queued up in my Kindle.)

At some point I will read fun books again, and when I do, it will be Allison Larkin’s Home of the American Circus, Jennifer Weiner’s The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, David Sedaris’s Happy Go Lucky, and TJ Neuman’s Worst Case Scenario because it’s not summer without a plane crash book.

Karyn: Speaking of plane crash books (which is a genre I casually enjoy), I highly recommend Visible Empire by Hannah Pittard. I absolutely loved that book. As for what I’m reading, it’s summer and I am going to start reading on my porch sofa. First up for me is Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman, whom Jen and I talked about on last week’s podcast. I loved Matthew’s first two books (Domestic Violets and We’re All Damaged) but missed everything after that. So I’m diving back in like the literary procrastinator I am.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Jen: If you’re not watching Your Friends and Neighbors on Apple+, then you are missing the damn boat. Jon Hamm is magnificent and the show is riveting, likely because author Jonathan Tropper created it.

I’m also watching Bravo’s Love Hotel, where four Real Housewives are hooking up with age-appropriate guys and trying to find love. It’s the PG-13 version of the Golden Bachelor and it’s so much fun. While some of the Real Housewives spin-offs feel forced—like the Ultimate Girls’ Trip—this is just a joy.

On our friend Gina’s advice, I’m also watching Grosse Pointe Garden Society show and it’s very much in the Desperate Housewives/Good Girls . It’s soapy and fun. What’s interesting is to see how “clean” network television is in comparison to what’s on streaming.

Karyn: I’m also watching Your Friends and Neighbors and loving it, although Jon Hamm feels slightly miscast. He seems a little too old for the role. Do you agree?

In addition to that, I’m fully obsessed with The Studio with Seth Rogen. The episode where he dates the doctor is uncomfortably accurate and so stupidly funny. I’m also watching Hacks (still brilliant), The Last of Us (still stressful), The Four Seasons (okay if a little meh), and The Handmaid’s Tale final season, which I’m hate-watching. It's terrible, but I’ve come this far and I need to see Gilead burn.

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO

Jen: Instead of rehashing the same stuff I listen to every month, I’ll do a twist on this. I am listening to the advice I’m getting from ChatGPT. We’re trying to do everything right with Scout, so I’ve used AI to create checklists and guides on how to socialize her with the cats, how to plan her training, and how to creating benchmarks. I’ve gotten advice on stuff like handling her feet and ears, so we’ll actually be able to groom her and she won’t go thirteen years receiving sponge baths and rain rinses only.

With Scout, I honestly believe that Hambone sent us a dog who was her complete opposite, because I don’t think I would be emotionally capable of seeing Hammy in another dog yet. Instead, Scout is 180 degrees away from Ham, so essentially she’s Libby II, the Electric Boogaloo, and it’s nice to be around a lighthearted, silly little girl.

Seeing her lay in Hammy’s sunbeam gave me a lot of joy because life does go on.

Karyn: Well, now I’m crying! 😭❤️ Gathering myself…okay, I’m back. I’m listening to Oasis — so much Oasis! The concert is in September and I can’t wait. I’ve been searching for the perfect vintage tee on Etsy…or I might just make one myself using one of these photos of young Liam Gallagher. (He looks like he smells like cigarettes and trouble, and I respect that.)

Right now, I’m obsessed with the song Don’t Go Away. It’s not one of their biggest hits, but it’s emo and makes my ovaries ache in a way I can’t medically explain.