Sorry For Partying
I'm over a week late, and I can't help it.
Two weekends ago, I was on a horse farm in Colorado watching Sadie point at a horse and say “neigh” while I tried not to cry. This weekend I was at a blackjack table in Vegas at midnight watching my chip stack disappear while trying not to cry. Two very different weekends, two very similar emotions!
I apologize for the delay. Hi bestie!
The Colorado trip was for my friend Jon’s surprise 40th. We stayed at one of the largest working ranches in the state. Horses on horses. 8000 feet of elevation. Waking up with lips so dry, you feel as if no moisturizer will ever suffice. We had a blast!
Then, this past weekend, the complete opposite (outside of the desperate need for water): Vegas. Twenty-four hours on the ground. Big stakes, big yikes.
We went to see Phish at the Sphere, which is - and I don’t say this lightly - one of the most insane visual experiences I’ve ever had. I don’t know if you’re a Phish guy, I’m not really a Phish guy, but holy shit. The Sphere turns any concert into a hallucination, no party supplies required. My retinas burned for two hours after the show. I was amazed. It is spectacle in a spectacular form.
What else? Hit the pool. Lost at blackjack. Made it back at roulette. Listened to The Chainsmokers from my hotel room at 3AM because the bass was so loud you could feel it on the 59th floor. Left close to even, depleted, and not remotely ready to smash send on a Tuesday newsletter I was a week late on. Sorry guys!
Below are a few things that got me through these two manic weekends:
Oliver Tank
Put this on if you need to fall asleep on a plane. Oliver Tank is an Australian ambient producer who makes music that sounds like someone wrapped a cloud in reverb and handed it to you. Chillwave, glitch pop, Bon Iver if Bon Iver made beats in Sydney. I put on “Last Night I Heard Everything in Slow Motion” when I sank into my seat and woke up preparing for initial descent. Love you Oliver!
The Secret Agent
I watched this on one of the flights and it hits. A Brazilian political thriller set in 1977, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, starring Wagner Moura (you know him from Narcos). Won Best Director and Best Actor at Cannes. It is two hours and forty minutes of gorgeous, ambitious, tense filmmaking.
They don’t make them like this anymore. Deliberate, human, real in a way that so many films are gloss. Watch it on your next Delta flight?
Your Friends & Neighbors, Season 2
Already mentioned how much I like this show, so quickly: should James Marsden be in all shows? Yes.
The Polo Button Down
This oxford is classic. It works anywhere. It works always. It should always be in your travel bag. (Didn’t hurt that I had it on for the Kentucky Derby, because, yknow, horses.)
The Town with Matt Belloni
In between all of the eating, and the gambling, and the Starbucks spinach-feta wraps at the airport, I tried to get a few runs in. And when I run, I listen to The Town.
If you want to feel like a Hollywood insider while running through Prospect Park at a pace that would embarrass most power walkers, this is your show. Matt covers the biz in a way that makes you feel like a power broker, someone who can show up to any meeting with some interesting to say. Also, shout out to producer Craig, who is underrated. I have sat in that chair before, and Craig, lemme just say: game respect game.
I’ll be back next week. Maybe. Hopefully calmer. Probably not.
Go Knicks.
JW
You want to hit those deadlines? Think short. Think one good thing. You spend a lot of time in planes and airports. Captivity breeds creativity. But all is excused because we all know why: you can't keep your mind on anything but that fascinating little love bug.
You are so Oh,Cool Jay! Thanks for all the love and tips you share with all !