Pour Me A Story, Vol. 8
feat. Molly Dupuis, some unsolicited career advice, and more
hey pals, thanks for being so kind as to open yet another edition of Pour Me A Story. we’re entering that weird part of the year between Thanksgiving and Christmas where time seems to both speed up and slow down, and days don’t seem to mean much. it genuinely feels like it’s been three weeks since I last wrote one of these, which is patently untrue.
I dunno about you all, but man am I glad to not still be eating turkey. our 11lb smoked bird provided leftovers for at least five meals before I couldn’t look at it in the fridge any longer, and it finally was sent packing on Tuesday. next year I’m absolutely smoking a brisket or something that I know I’ll eat til it’s gone.
in good news out of my household, the baby slept through the night on three consecutive occasions without stirring even once this week. I’m firmly knocking on wood as I type this, and nothing lasts forever, but it’s an insanely good feeling as a new parent to wake up at 6:30am after having been in bed for like eight hours in a row. unnerving, perhaps, but good.
Anyway, We Have Company
this week we’re joined by another of my “real-life-before-online” pals, Molly Dupuis. Molly did a study-abroad in my hometown of Brisbane back in, like, 2011 and we were introduced by a college friend of mine who had also studied abroad at my alma mater. anyway Molly saved my ass early on in my immigration by letting me crash on her couch while I was funemployed in 2013 and driving me to the airport approximately one zillion times.
AC: hey friend hello! how are you doing this fine December evening?
MD: Hey! I’m feeling above average now that we’re in the home stretch of 2020.
AC: FOR REAL. the end is in sight, and we can only be thankful for that. how’s your holiday season shaping up?
MD: I’m choosing to believe that a flip of the calendar will make a huge difference. But I’m actually really enjoying this holiday season. It’s my last one stateside for a while, and although things look different this year, I’m savoring every moment possible with family.
AC: yes! family is as important as ever this year, and for you doubly so. obviously *I* know where you’re gonna be next Christmas, but can you share the exciting details with all 12 of our readers?
MD: Your influence knows no bounds… But yeah! I’ll be moving to France in the Spring––a city called Toulouse, to be exact. Pre-Covid I went on a volunteer trip to France. We partnered with Convoy of Hope in their efforts to respond to the refugee crisis happening across Europe. I returned to the United States realizing that I was no longer comfortable doing nothing with my privilege and resources. So, I’ll be joining the Convoy of Hope Europe team to serve in France for the next two years!
AC: amazing. two-part question: what does the work entail? and also — wait, do you know French and I didn’t know this?!
MD: To answer them in reverse, nope… but I’m currently learning French and will continue to do so once I get there. I’m still in the phase where I’m perfecting a bunch of noises I’ve never had to make with American English. As far as the work goes… I had a much better idea of that before the pandemic happened––I was going to be traveling all over France and greater Europe learning from and partnering with churches and organizations on the front lines of the refugee crisis, equipping them to be more effective in their work. I’m not totally sure what this work looks like post-pandemic, but my gut tells me there will be more people than ever looking for hope, care and a greater sense of community.
AC: “a bunch of noises I’ve never had to make with American English” is such a vivid picture to paint of a language. like that’s the perfect way to describe it, and it has to be a hell of a hurdle. I bet you pick it up SO quickly once you’re in-country and immersed. and I think you can trust your gut on that one -- I think there’s an almost primitive yearning for community and hope right now. speaking of, how are you and your family holding up through all this?
MD: “All this” being covid? Picking up my life (again) and moving across the world? 2020 in general?
AC: hahaha touché. definitely was leaning towards covid there, BUT let’s change tack. how are your family feeling about you heading abroad again?
MD: My level of transparency here depends on if my mom is one of your 12 subscribers... but assuming she’s not... it’s been tough. Last time I did this (when I met you!) I was 20 and it was a study abroad term with an end date in sight. This time, I’m almost 30 and I’m not only leaving behind my parents and sister, but also my niece and nephew who I’ve lived with for the past 5 years. The anticipated struggles go both ways, and if I’m being honest, I plan on this being longer than a two-year stint...
AC: whoa. that’s huge! I’m very excited for you, and I also know how tough that kind of overseas move can be from both sides of the coin, so I am here for you 100 percent for support. also I don’t think your mom subscribes so I won’t post this one on Facebook. okay I know it’s late there so two more easy ones then I’ll let you off the hook. firstly, family and friends aside: what one American thing will you miss most when you’re in France and can’t get it? you probably have some experience with this from Australia.
MD: Thank you so much! You and the fam are always welcome in whatever crappy French studio I end up in! Hm... Target. Showing my Minnesota roots on that one.
AC: so you’re saying “Tarjay” isn’t the fancy French version of Target? I’ve been lied to my whole life! alright last but certainly not least, the segment where you get to plug something near and dear to you. have at it, nothing is off-limits!
MD: The real lie is the knockoff version of “Target” you Australians fooled me with. For those unfamiliar, Google “Australian Target” and you’ll understand my disappointment.
The only thing I can think to plug is a little out of left field. But, support your local climbing gym! Rock climbing has changed my life over the past few years—not only because of the physical and mental strength it’s given me, but also because it’s introduced me to the most inclusive and supportive community I’ve ever known. Climbing gyms have been hit hard in the pandemic with closures and restrictions, so when it’s safe to climb again, bring a friend and help keep them open so others can have access to the sport!
AC: hahaha it really is a low-rent knock-off, too. but I was none the wiser until I moved here. that is a terrific plug and a wonderful way to wrap things up. thank you so much for sharing your Thursday night with me! miss ya.
MD: Thanks so much for the opportunity, I’m really excited about what you’re doing with this and it’s an honor to be a part of it. Miss you, hope to see you before the big move!
No Mean Feet
yesterday, Dec. 3, marked my second work anniversary at Finish Line, also known as “the sneaker store in the mall that you used to go to in The Before Times.” back in 2018 I’d been looking for a new job for like nine months before I landed the Finish Line offer, and I was really starting to doubt my ability to apply a decade’s worth of digital journalism experience to, well, anything that wasn’t journalism.
the newspaper was pretty toxic in the months leading up to my departure, and I was desperate enough to apply most anywhere whose role would be a good fit, even if the subject matter was foreign to me. think Yoga Journal magazine and an HVAC company, for example. I was convinced that the content didn’t actually matter if you knew how to distribute and market it, so I’d be fine anywhere.
that was, of course, until I ended up working at a sneaker company. back at the newspaper I used to have to browse the sneaker blogs and stores in hidden tabs, and in my first few months I felt like I’d been “busted” every time someone stopped by my desk and I had some post about the latest Jordan release on my screen. but almost immediately I realized I’d have struggled to stay interested in any of those other roles, given that I didn’t give half of a shit about the content they were creating or stuff they were selling.
I still think "do what you love and you won't work a day in your life" is bullshit because this is still very hard work, but it's fun to get paid to look at and write about shoes all day long. and in the past few months I’ve been lucky enough to take over management of the Finish Line and JD Sports blogs, which combines my background in writing and editing with my passion for footwear. it’s given me the chance to wax lyrical a few times a week about one shoe or another, as well as have some of my talented writer friends contribute as well (and get paid for it.) I never thought I’d be able to make the leap from journalism to something completely different, but I was flat out wrong. let that be a lesson to you, kids.
Worthy Consumables
like many of you out there, we finished HBO’s The Undoing limited series on Sunday night, and while it was enjoyable and kept us on the edge of our seats week after week, I don’t know how I feel about it. I won’t spoil the ending for those who haven’t seen it yet, but I wasn’t left entirely satisfied. I dunno, maybe that’s a “me” problem?
now that Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant are in our TV-viewing past for now, we’ve moved on to Away on Netflix. I heard it described as “This Is Us in space,” and after two episodes I can kinda get that vibe, although I’ve ugly cried way less than I had through two episodes of This Is Us. Your mileage may vary, but so far I’m into it. space action feels way more intense than Earth-based action in my opinion.
and now on the other end of the spectrum: Potentially Unworthy Consumables. today on the way back from a mid-afternoon appointment I realized I hadn’t had lunch. and then it hit me: it’s back. the McRib, the divisive and wholly unnatural limited-time-only McDonald’s sandwich, has returned to the menu nationwide. it’s probably been a decade since I last had one, and it’s taken that long for the last one to be fully digested, but the nostalgia from my teenage years flipping burgers at Mickey D’s, so I talked myself into it pretty quickly.
and folks, it was not photo-worthy, but it was exactly as I remembered. if there’s one thing McDonald’s does in spades, it’s consistency. this McRib could’ve been made in the same batch as the last one I had (and may have been!). oversauced, onions fuckin’ everywhere, top of the bun (the crown) sliding off at a garish angle. nostalgia is a dangerous thing, folks, but I regret nothing. NOTHING!
Parting Note
incidentally this segment has consistently been the hardest for me to complete each week, owing largely to the fact that I’m an incredibly bad creature of habit when it comes to music. whether I’m running or I’m in the car or I’m just trying to de-anxiety myself during a work day, I listen to the same, like, six records over and over again, and none of them are new. this week the hot trend on social media has been to share your Spotify stats of the year, which details all kinds of listening habits and shit (I don’t know, I use Apple Music).
anyway if I had Spotify this would probably be my most-listened-to song of 2020, and 2019, but I never get sick of it so maybe you’ll enjoy it too.
did you check that look in Kurt’s eyes right between “the whole” and “night through” in the final chorus? like he’d seen a ghost, or the future, or something. haunting, man. I get goosebumps every time.
anyway that’s it from me for another week. thank you for spending some time in your inbox with your boy. always feel free to drop me a comment or some feedback! but until next week.
— adrian ✌🏻
Australian Target has gone downhill in recent years. It's Big W all the way now. And guess what I just got in my inbox? An ad for the McRib AND the ElMaco. Maccas here I come!
I dug "The Undoing" but man "AWAY" totally blew me ... uh, away.
Great performances and really tugged on the parent heartstrings.
Googled "Australian target" and scanned thru a photo essay. Kinda looked like if Aldi or Lidl made a department store.