Micro Naps + Bonaparte

Feb 13, 2021

Micro Naps

The very best days of my life all have one thing in common: at one point, I will have had a nap. Now I’m not talking about zonking out for an hour in your bed. What I love is a quick little lie down.

The first step is to find a good place to stretch out. In a pinch, I can do a sitting up, drool-down-the-chin snooze, but it is not optimal. Similarly, I don’t love the bed, because it’s a bit too intense for the low key nap vibe I’m going for. My ideal nap spot is the living room couch.

Normally I set my phone timer for between 15-25 minutes. Then I turn on a podcast I have already listened to, or one I don’t care very much about (I have a bunch of mediocre podcasts in my queue specifically for napping). Listening to the radio or a distant TV show would also work. I need a slight distraction to really get my nap on.

Next step is a gentle fall asleep where you’re vaguely aware of the things going on around you, but you also sink into a lovely warm state of relaxation. I’m not sure if I’m actually asleep or just deeply resting. Whatever, I’m almost always a tiny bit startled when the timer goes off. As someone who is NOT a good sleeper, the micro-nap is a total lifesaver - that 20 minute rest recharges me and keeps me going.

Two side-effects of the nap I have finally figured out to expect and to manage are 1. I will be very chilly after the nap, and I should make sure that I either do some sort of activity to get the blood flowing, or have a tuque and big sweater at the ready to warm up in and 2. I will feel snacky. I often manage this by making myself a cup of tea and then whipping out the ole Cheese, Triscuits and Pickle.

Anyway, if you’re not a napper, try it. It’s often literally the best part of my day.

Napoleon News

My forthcoming novel, THE HONEYBEE EMERALDS focuses on three fabulous divas and the beautiful necklace that unites them. One real-life historical character, Marguerite Bellanger, was one of Emperor Napoleon III’s many mistresses…

The Bonapartes (not just the little one you’ve heard of) are a truly fascinating family. Apparently Napoleon’s older brother moved to New Jersey after his brother got his ass kicked at Waterloo and this story is super interesting:

Napoleon’s Brother Lived in New Jersey. This is what happened to his estate

Bonaparte’s mansion caught fire the night of Jan. 4, 1820, as he was returning from a visit to New York. Historians are not certain of the cause, but Ms. Stroud wrote that it might have been either an accident, perhaps a guest’s fire left smoldering in a hearth, or arson, possibly an attempt to destroy copies of some of Napoleon’s correspondence.
Bonaparte rushed back to see his roof collapsing as neighbors rushed into the burning building to save as many of his possessions as they could carry, including paintings by Jacques-Louis David, Rembrandt and Goya, as well as the Spanish crown jewels.
Bonaparte had to restrain some of his neighbors from going back into the house, according to Ms. Stroud’s account. His neighbors presented him with all of his surviving belongings — nothing had been stolen.
Bonaparte wrote a letter to a local official thanking the townspeople for their efforts. The letter was translated from French and widely published in newspapers.

As a Gen X’er I just really enjoyed this article

Everybody Hates Millennials

TikTok has become a core way for Gen Z to express its own ethos, aesthetic, and attitudes—sometimes resulting in outright hostility toward millennials and boomers (though rarely Gen Xers, forever the forgotten middle child). Millennials, especially, are frequently criticized on the app for their perceived immaturity and whining, their predilection for Harry Potter and BuzzFeed, and their overall corniness.
In a post under #bullymillennials, a video montage mocks what it calls a “millennial core” aesthetic. A series of images flashes across the screen: a pile of avocado toast, a mock–election campaign shirt that reads “Doggo Pupper ’20: They’re heckin good boys,” the definition of the buzzword adulting, and the Harry Potter house crests.

The best cat video take

I can’t stop thinking about this cat filter video

I'm not hip, I'm a 32-year-old man trapped in a house due to a simultaneous lockdown and blizzard. I have worn track pants so often that putting on jeans feels like wearing a pair of knives.

I relate to this entire article

I thought buying things would make me feel better

When Covid hit, I decided: no more frivolous purchases. Journalism is a precarious industry at the best of times. But the pandemic just wouldn’t stop. March dragged into June then into January. My days were flabby and formless. I was bored. So I started buying things online, for the small thrill of hitting “check out” and having them arrive a few days later, a treat to break up the monotony of yet another day.