At this point in time, we all know that the problem with New Year's resolutions is that they are useless. There's a whole category of literature on proving that it's not about setting intentions, it's about building habits. So on January 1 2023, I set my intentions to implement habits that would cultivate productivity through consistency.
Instead, I got RSV.
Not impaired enough to lie prone, but not functional enough to get any meaningful work done, I reacquainted myself with the misery of a mild ailment. I also created a sensational mocktail (2 parts Polar Ginger-Lime Mule Seltzer, 1 part orange juice), finished knitting my first mitten, and revisited the Crocodile Dundee movie franchise ("Now THAT'S a knife!"). None of this would have been achieved without my respiratory virus.
Illness is not a time for inspired cooking, which is why Bobbie's Boat Sauce should be an important part of your self care arsenal. If, like me, you hanker for dairy products when you're sick precisely because you should be avoiding them, might I suggest a combination that satisfies the same cravings without the phlegm production: white rice with butter and Boat Sauce. Boat Sauce revived my soups, leftovers, and re-ignited my love of a spicy non-alcoholic tomato juice cocktail (more on that in a future post).
In 2023, I would like to write MORE frequent newsletters with LESS irrelevant content, or at least less boring irrelevant content. And if that fails, there is always brevity.