Friday Mailbag - 2/5/21
On dibs, markers, and Elton John
February is, without a doubt, the worst month. I don’t think that’s a particularly controversial statement, but there, I said it. I think we all need to do our part to make this a more tolerable February than usual. You could convince a family member to get vaccinated, and I could record a podcast episode. You could wear a mask when you leave the house, and I could stay home and write about dibs. We are all essential workers, in our own way.
20 in 20 EPISODE SIXTEEN is LIVE!
Another episode of 20 in 20. Thank you for listening. If you still like Elton John after last week, this one’s for you. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Buzzsprout.
AND NOW TO THE MAILBAG…
Loyal N.E.H. reader, Andrew, says:
“You should do a topic on dibs.”
Ah, dibs. If you’re from Chicago, you know what this is. I understand other cities–mostly cities in the Northeast–have similar systems in place for saving parking spots after a snowfall.
Basically, after you’ve shoveled out your car, you put out an item or two on the street to save the space while you’re at work or wherever. You call “dibs.” Nobody can park in that spot but you.
Some people like dibs; some don’t. Personally, I don’t see an alternative. It’s just too ingrained at this point. If you don’t call dibs, somebody will definitely take your spot, and you’ll be left shoveling a new one. If you do call dibs, even reluctantly, you participate in the very system you may want to see disappear.
So by all means, don’t be afraid to call dibs, but don’t stop there, either. Be a good neighbor. Help a stranger shovel out his car. Help push an old lady down the street. Shovel a snowbank or two. And most importantly, don’t half-ass your dibs. A cardboard box? Get out of here. A folding chair? That’s a little better. An ironing board from 1952? Now we’re talking.
Loyal N.E.H. reader, Sarah, asks:
"I was interested to hear that you have taken to the adult coloring book trend approximately 10 years after it was actually trendy. I would be very keen to know what your preferred coloring tool is?
Thank you for asking, Sarah. I use Crayola Ultra-Clean washable markers. Broad line, not fine line. We’ve got 30 or 40 in a variety of colors, and I’m happy when I get to use them. I dislike colored pencils, and I’m always snapping crayons in half. Markers are the best, but you’ve got to make sure you put the caps back on when you’re done! I’ve told my kids this a million times!
Got a question? Feel free to comment on this post or e-mail me at newexperimentalhours@gmail.com. Thanks!
Have a great weekend, everybody. I’ll be working at my retail job. (I was recently upgraded from a seasonal sales associate to a normal sales associate. Go me.) If I were you, I’d curl up with a good book–say, Elton John’s Me–and stay indoors. Bye