Bye, bye, bye.

To morning coffee, don't worry. Plus, 'Six' the musical and ELVIS!

Mar 18, 2022

Hello from San Fransisco where I am a tea drinker now. It’s been nearly three weeks since I had coffee. OK, that’s a lie. It’s been nearly three weeks since I had morning coffee like I normally have morning coffee, 5-7 minutes after opening my eyes. I did have an affogato in London, a cappuccino in Paris, and just yesterday a fresh pour-over from a truck in San Francisco *and* a doozy of an Irish coffee for St. Paddy’s Day. But otherwise, my morning ritual is no longer.

Why the sudden shift? Friends, I had heartburn. Or acid reflux. Or stress. Or [enter something else that’s entirely too TMI-y here]. All I know is that one day I woke up, walked bleary-eyed into my kitchen, put on the kettle to heat the water before pouring it into my Aeropress—that I am such a snob about using I even travel around the world with it, coffee grind in tow!—took a sip only to feel a burning in my chest. It happened again the next day. And the one after that.

“Stop drinking it!” said Mom, in a way that only Moms can say/text. “Try tea instead.”

And I did. I even went so far as to shop for some new black tea, which I don’t usually like because a) it’s bitter and b) I’ve already gotten my caffeine fix by way of coffee, thankyouverymuch. If, and when, I do drink tea it’s usually because I’m sick or cold, and I generally have caffeine-free or an herbal infusion.

Well, as if on cue and perfectly timed to my recent trip across the pond, I am now a morning tea person. I honestly can’t quite believe it. I expected to have more withdrawal and suffer from major headaches, but I’ve actually been…fine? I guess the amount of caffeine in black tea is just enough pour moi? I don’t LOVE the taste, and I do miss my morning ritual. (Dropping a teabag into hot water doesn’t have the same allure.) But, for now, I’m sticking with it because I feel better. (Is there a greater sign of aging?)

I am still slightly stressed and practice my yogic ujjayi breathing daily. But it’s all fairly good stress: lots of work, that 10-year-visa, travel plans (including to visit my nephew!) and even signing with a literary agent. Yup, I just went and snuck that in there. What can I say? I’m superstitious about getting overly excited about such things so will leave it at that. After all, there’s still the whole process of, you know, selling the actual book. But it does feel good. Validating, calming, and warm-cuppa-tea-good. :)

On that note, am going to make some. I’ll see you in two weeks, friends. (Or Tuesday if you’re on da paid list!) xx — Sara

Clickable

Here’s a whopper of a Paris Hotels Guide. | (Me for) Condé Nast Traveller (UK)
If you do housework, you exercise! | Forge
My friend and former boss Atoosa is making a comeback. | The Cut
Like, retreat or post: Twitter in a time of war. | Vanity Fair
Why writers are especially prone to Imposter Syndrome. | Creative Hub
“Dancers are like violins: They need to rehearse and perform to be kept in tune.” | The Guardian
Trigger Warning: A powerful visual essay about miscarriage. | The Cut
When a #MeToo case goes awry in Sweden. | The New York Times
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Watchable: ‘ELVIS’ Trailer

Baz Luhrman, of “Moulin Rouge” fame, has a new movie coming out this summer and it’s all about the man who left the building: Elvis. It also stars Tom Hanks, which pretty much guarantees it’s gonna be all shook up.

Overthinking It

Mangez bien: Sunday Roasts

There was a time when, for me, the only Sunday food ritual was Brunch: Eggs Benny. Bloodies. Stuffed French Toast. And then, in 2013, I lived in London for a few months where I discovered a different kind of Sunday tradition: the Roast. At first, the idea of eating something so hearty; so filling and not-at-all breakfast-like so early in the day—roast chicken, pork or beef with tons of sides—felt off-putting. But then a handful of British girls, who also worked in media, indoctrinated me to the weekend routine of getting all the Sunday papers and taking up residence in a pub to eat and drink and unbutton and read and then roll home sometime in the afternoon…

3 years ago · 2 likes · 2 comments · Sara Lieberman

On Repeat: SIX the Musical

I saw “Six” in London a couple of weeks ago and have been listening to the entire cast recording ever since. The musical, written by a pair of students over the course of two days for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, is about the six wives of Henry VIII and it unfolds more like a concert than a stage show with a mish-mash of tunes that are very Beyonce-meets-Spice Girls-meets-Rhianna-meets-Adele. In fact, each song is more catchy than the next and some actually sound strikingly familiar to well-known pop songs by the aforementioned artists. I already know some of the lyrics by heart, and my friend Liz and I were bopping along in our seats the entire time and didn’t want it to end, which IMO is the sign of a good musical. In fact, I’m going to be bold and say it’s the most clever one I’ve seen since Hamilton. I hope makes you boogie, too!

Currently Overthinking…

…jetlag remedies and whether to nap midday or keep on truckin’…

Souvenir: Little Miss & Mr. Men

Our Book Club had a mini baby shower for one of its members recently and when in the bookstore shopping for what to contribute, I was reminded of the Little Miss and Mr. Men collection! I had completely forgotten about this series by Roger Hargreaves that originated in 1971. I obviously also bought one for Calvin and while it wasn’t hard to choose a personality type for him, damn there are a lot of options! Pretty sure Little Miss Sunshine and Little Miss Trouble were on my bookshelf. What about you? How many did you have?

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