Welcome to clipboard, a weekly newsletter about good shit and Tāmaki Makaurau by me, Reilly Hodson. Mānawatia a Matariki! This week, I’m sharing some of the stray thoughts that occurred to me this week while I was in bed suffering from the novel coronavirus, that I still don’t quite have the mental capacity to flesh out into a full piece.
what I’ve been ruminating on
Last week, in an ironic twist following my article celebrating the ability to go out and do things in real life, I caught Covid-19, ever heard of it?
Suffice to say, this is not a disease that I would recommend catching, and I have spent the vast majority of the past week in bed watching TikTok and TV, getting good at Fortnite for the first time in my life, and thinking about stuff.
Unfortunately, one of the symptoms of Covid is an inability to think at full capacity and focus, which is what is required to turn out hundreds of words of thoughts every Sunday.
I’m not quite able to form my thoughts into a longform piece, so this week’s issue of clipboard is going to be a collection of stray thoughts, listed out. I am going to take next week off for my birthday, and when I return I will be full of fully-formed thoughts.
Now that I’ve experienced Covid, I’m even more confused as to why we all decided to be ok with thousands of people catching this every day, and ten or so people dying from it. Also - why did no one mention how much it messes with your stomach?
When I worked in hospo pre-pandemic, it was barely a question whether a cafe or restaurant opened on a public holiday - everywhere would be open, with no surcharge. It’s crazy to see this year how quickly that pendulum has swung back in the other direction, with only a few places opening, and those which are open are much more comfortable charging a surcharge.
On a related point, I feel like we’re also witnessing the slow death of Sunday as the day to go to cafes - plenty aren’t open on a Sunday anymore, which means it’s near impossible to get a table at cafes which do open that day. Obviously this is a win for hospo workers, but personally, my partner and I only have Sundays off together, so it’s not as fun.
There is no better blank t-shirt on the market than the Buddy hemp tee. The fit is perfect, the fabric is good for the environment and wears so well - my tees from three years ago feel just as good, if not better than the one I bought last week.
I’ve loved diving deep into menswear TikTok while off sick, but I’m not a fan of the return to the “optimisation” mindset of fashion - to me, clothes are about how you feel wearing them, not whether they’re considered the best shirt under $100.
I continue to be incredibly thankful to live in a country where votes matter, and our government (mostly) functions in line with the views of people. If you’re angry about what happened in the US, I’d suggest remembering which MPs voted against abortion reform in Aotearoa when we head to the polls next year.
We’ve been binging Love Island while off sick, and what a fascinating show! I think the most interesting thing about Love Island is how precisely everyone involved knows what they’re getting into - I can’t look away. Wish they could bring in their own clothes, though - Dami gets fits off!
clips
My old boss Jack Young has opened a new sandwich, coffee and drinks spot called No. 7, squirrelled away behind the construction on Pitt Street. It looks very cool, and opens late Friday and Saturday which I am a big fan of.
I was gutted to miss the Cafe Morison pop up put on by Thom Morison and Richard Beauchamp last week, but I picked up one of the mugs, and a matching saucer, and it’s my new favourite to drink out of. You can shop the collection (which also includes a ceramic checkers set!) here.
There’s a new Metro magazine out, and it’s excellent long-weekend reading, featuring good articles on the best bread in Auckland, what’s going on at Auckland Council, and way, way more! If you don’t subscribe already, this should be your sign to - if you like clipboard, you’ll love Metro.
This article from Duncan Greive at The Spinoff is titled “Everything feels bad all the time”, and honestly hits the nail on the head, although I’m inclined to believe there is some good stuff going on, too.
Want to feel like a fuzzy teddy bear this winter? Of course you do, and Checks Downtown has just the jacket for you.
Sneaker watch - Good As Gold in Welly has a few pairs of the New Balance 2002R Refined Future pack knocking around, these are very good shoes.
Quite like that you can buy a two-pack of the new Porter James Sports flannels
That’s all for clipboard this week, thanks for reading! As mentioned, I’m taking next weekend off to celebrate my birthday, so I’ll be back on 10 July with a fully functioning mind! In the meantime, follow clipboard on Instagram and get in touch via DM or email. See you out in the real world!