Echo, Lizzo, and Silo

Maybe you’re familiar with the movie or book High Fidelity. At one point in the story, Rob, who owns an independent record store in either London or Chicago, depending on whether you’re reading or watching, says, “What really matters is what you like, not what you are like. Books, records, films—these things matter. Call me shallow but it’s the fuckin’ truth…”

Monica and I both loved High Fidelity going into our relationship, and it’s the second movie we ever watched together. In this spirit, I’m going to occasionally share things I like, and we can find out if we agree or not and hash it all out in the comments. My curation will be strongly influenced by Monica’s tastes, which I carry with me everywhere. And here she would correct me: I should have said exquisite tastes.

Echo

I’m only now beginning my relationship with the sailing vessel Echo, and right away I know Monica would be head over heels in love. The naming of things would be well underway, the TED Talks delivered from the more expansive v-berth stage would be impassioned, and the food coming from the improved galley and eaten at the outdoor table would be outstanding. Echo was designed and built in France, and, as a big fan of French sailors and French cooks, Monica would undoubtedly zero in on the details quickly, like the fact that a wine cabinet was included in the design. She would notice the way Echo sails along so quietly and quickly. I can hear her cheering and laughing now as I think of the big blue-hulled sloop accelerating over a six-foot roller like a surfing whale, spraying some lake on her face. Echo will be a good friend before I know it.

Lizzo

The new Lizzo album, BITCH, dropped in June, right before my birthday. I can’t imagine a world where Monica would allow anything other than this music to form the core of our summer 2026 soundtrack.

Quickly learning that the critics have been unimpressed or at least uncharitable, Monica would have BITCH playing on repeat. To the critics: She’s Lizzo. She can be all of these things.

Silo

Monica and I didn’t often binge-watch, but we devoured the first two seasons of Silo. We couldn’t stop ourselves. A third season begins on July 3, and we likely would have re-binged the entire first two seasons this month to make sure we were up to speed. Monica usually proposed this kind of cramming when we were really excited about a new season of a show and wanted to give it our full attention.

I’ll probably wait until November and cram the whole thing at once. I don’t watch much TV during sailing season.

“I want to go outside.”