My favorite things (very late winter 2025 edition)
Got hit with a false spring, but then it became cold again and then slightly warm, and then it may be in the 50s and I wrote a version of this is January but didn’t share…so here you go…onward
My wife has been to two parties over the past few months around the theme of “favorite things.”
These have been women-only events (those are important!) so I haven’t experienced such an event myself, but as we’re all combatting the anti-social century, it’s an important thing for her to experience.
But because I was (probably) anti-social before it was cool to be anti-social1, I’ll stick to the written format and list my favorite things here (over the past few months).
From the intel that I’ve been able to gather from the bits of conversation we partake in over our new-found shared interest of the daily crossword puzzle calendar, the favorite things are semi-obvious practical things, not like your new favorite record that you can’t seem to stop listening to or the old emo record that you and your friends just rediscovered and you also can’t stop listening to.
Daily crossword puzzle calendar
We bought this to help us find a hobby to do together, and Mondays/Tuesdays are good, Friday/Sat/Sundays are difficult. Ashley doesn’t like to look on the back for answers, I’ll try for awhile and then just flip it over. I’m learning.
Snackle box
Not gonna lie, Ashley discovered this at one of her favorite things parties, but we took this on our 14/9/14-hour multi-day road trip over the Christmas break and it worked well.
Oh yes, officially it’s called the: “Divided serving tray with lid and Handle, snack box containers” but when you type in snackle box, you get what you need, just like a good snackle box.
Timberland socks for men.
I found these at like TJ Maxx in 2020 or something like that (how long do socks last) and then I always reached for them, you know beyond the other socks, and I finally admitted they were my favorite socks and so I ordered more of them and they perform exceptionally well in the winter time and come up mid-calf and work well with…
Blundstone boots
This is the most Brooklyn thing I’ve ever bought even though I live in Manhattan and I’ve 1) I’ve never owned boots like this before getting them on Christmas and 2) I’ve never really needed boots like this, or maybe I did and didn’t want to admit it 3) These may be the most expensive shoes I’ve ever owned, which at like $189 is expensive and not expensive at the same time. In the words of my dad, I hope they last.
They really have been comfortable all day as the ad says, but I also have a bruise on my shin but it could be because I’m in my mid-forties and that’s is life to the tee
Chapstick
You can’t leave the house without it, no way no how
Marvin’s Magic Racking It Up
My girls and I went to FAO Schwartz after the museum (see below) and we were all amazed by Marvin and his magic toys and FAO still has people demonstrating the toys which is fun, and one daughter got a magic flying saucer and the other one bought magic pens, all from Marvin
The Rural Indexing Project on Twitter
I’ve seen all of these places even though I’ve never seen any of them
Other recent favorite things:
That one store near where I work that still sells magazines, and they have a copy of Spin magazine up in the window lol
The back seat in the bus, especially if you know you’re going to stay awhile
I took my daughters to that Clock documentary at the MoMa , and they thought it was kinda weird, but thankfully there wasn’t that much that was inappropriate
Going to a beach even though it’s cold
Chatting with a fellow dad about SNL, and how he decided to work some connections and get a few of the written cue cards from SNL 50
Typing a newsletter while watching basketball
Buying a book at the local bookstore instead of from the chain bookstore, even though I still buy books from the chain store(s)
Using pencils again to do the aforementioned crossword
Keep going-
Josh Spilker
Sidenote: All writers are anti-social. It comes with the job.