Lang’s World: How I Got Through 2020
Lang Whitaker2020 was awful. Finally, something we can all agree upon. If you enjoyed 2020, you must be The Grinch, or someone equally dour. The only thing that made it at least palatable to me was that we were all going through it at the same time, all doing our best, alone together, to survive this new, unnormal normal.
The good news? We made it. Over the last few days, we flipped the calendar and moved into 2021, which would have to really be something to top 2020. (Literally knocking on wood as I type this.)
The way I made it to 2021 was finding time here and there to escape. Here are five things that helped me get through 2020 and into the new year…
Just the description of this show seems like it would be a tough watch: An American college football coach is hired to take over an English Premier League soccer club by a conniving owner hoping to infuriate her ex-husband by running the team into the ground. Anyone remember Major League? Yeah, me too, which is why I didn’t exactly run to my TV to watch “Ted Lasso” when it debuted. But once it dropped I heard plenty of positive stuff about it, enough to convince me to give it a shot, and I think it may have been my favorite show I watched all year. Jason Sudeikis humanizes a relentlessly positive simpleton, and he makes this show so much fun to watch. The supporting characters are well done, too, and each episode improves as they flesh out each character’s world. As a sports fan, I am here to stan for more shows about sports, especially good shows about sports, like this one.
Also, the show has this scene, which should make it must-watch for anyone who loves the NBA…
We all spent a lot of time stuck inside our rooms this year, which meant we needed something to keep us occupied. For me, after a brief flirtation with Fall Guys, the game I ended up playing the most was probably PGA Tour 2K21. As someone who loves playing golf but rarely has 5 free hours to kill, this is about as close as it gets. I’ve created an eponymous golfer, and I spent a lot of time making him look as much like Richie Tenenbaum as I could. It’s fun to play because you can almost do it in the background—take a shot or two then check Twitter or watch some sports on the other TV. It’s perfect for playing in the background when you’re on one of those interminable Microsoft Teams calls.
Now if I could only get my hands on a dang PlayStation 5. C’mon Sony, let me be great!
Creating a space—When we arrived in Memphis, we moved into a three-bedroom house. My wife and I use one, our son claimed another, and the third bedroom was designated as the “guest bedroom.” This was a good idea, except it wasn’t like we were running a hotel or anything. And once the pandemic kicked off, we had one room just sitting there mostly empty. Meanwhile, my wife was using a space attached to our bedroom as her office, so I was mostly relegated to the living room couch to work and watch sports. Which was fine, except the space was never my own. And to have dogs and kids and other assorted distractions come traipsing through whenever I was trying to steal a little quiet time made things challenging.
So, I took over the guest bedroom. I have no professional experience doing design work, but I have a good eye for color and shape, and in our homes and apartments my wife has always assigned the designing gig to me. I knew wanted my room to be comfortable but refined, functional yet a bit of a showcase. It took me about five months, and I did everything myself, whenever I could find the time: painting; changing out and rewiring light fixtures; hanging TVs and setting up A/V hubs; shopping for and finding furniture that fit. All while hewing to my budget, but eventually I got it done. I made a mancave for my son and me. And we love it.
I’ve been enthralled with the Star Wars universe for as long as I can remember, and I couldn’t wait until my son was old enough to sit and watch all the movies with me—well, at least movies four through six. But then a funny thing happened: My son never got into Star Wars. I tried, numerous times, but I didn’t want to force it, and he just naturally cared more about Harry Potter and Pokemon. But when season two of “The Mandalorian” debuted on Disney+, we started from season one, and not only was Season Two fantastic, the show ended up acting as a gateway to the larger Star Wars world. We’ve now spent the last three weeks working our way through the final six Star Wars films, and eventually, I guess, we will have to watch the first three. Or maybe we’ll just rewatch all those episodes of “The Mandalorian.”
I first started cooking when I moved to New York, almost two decades ago. In the time since, at the risk of sounding presumptuous, I’ve become pretty good at cooking—perhaps you’re familiar with my work?
Anyway, I’ve reached the point where I feel confident in the kitchen, that I can solve any problem that pops up, can decipher any flavor combination, can figure out a way to make a meal out of any leftovers.
Which is why it was so fun a few months ago to discover the Instagram account of Chef Frank Prisinzano. Frank doesn’t have recipes, strictly speaking. Instead, Frank teaches what he calls “methods,” or ways to cook different types of food. He never provides any written instructions, never gives any specific measurements. Frank would prefer you learn how to cook with “cadence” and “flow,” getting in touch with your oven and stove and pans.
If you can sift through all that, Frank will give a couple of recipes—I’m sorry, methods—in his Instagram stories each week, will all of the old ones up there in his story archives. They’re fun and loose and entertaining, and most of all they’re delicious—I make his lightning kale at least once a week. Spending virtual time with Frank has helped make enduring this pandemic a little easier.
Honorable mentions: “Lovecraft Country” on HBO, which narrowly missed my main list; “The Boys” (season two); Fall GuysSoulHamiltonDa 5 BloodsMucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter MercadoThe Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
Published on Jan 04, 2021
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