I'm a sucker for a good list of suggestions made by random people on the internet. When I started writing here more, it felt inevitable that I'd eventually try my hand at one of my own.
So here it is. These are my non-obvious recs for things that have materially improved my summer. Some are new to me over the past few weeks and months, others I've had for years and only recently started using in earnest because the time was right. Let me know what you think.
Crocs Dylan Clogs: These became a daily driver this summer, rather unintentionally. They're not the Crocs you're picturing: no holes or floating heel strap. I bought them to be an around-the-house shoe that could work as a natural outdoor extension of my house shoes. But they're insanely comfortable and I think they look rad. Add in that the solid closed toe keeps my feet dry on dewy mornings and through small puddles, and they're my pick most days for the morning walk with Nora. They also might be a signal that I'm not as cool as I once was and am in my mid-30s. I'm open to that.
Onyx Power Nap Half-Caf Coffee: These have been in the hopper of our grinder all summer and I love it. We subscribe to a two-pound bag on a schedule, which makes it easy to always have premium coffee in the house. Onyx was just ranked the best coffee shop in the world, the first US brand ever to top that list, and their half-caf is no exception to the standard. Why half-caf? I like drinking a lot of coffee in the morning without being sent into caffeine overdrive, which for me feels unsettled and a little anxious. Half the caffeine per cup is a good hedge. The problem is that anything short of full-strength has historically been looked down on by the coffee powers that be, so quality half-caf is hard to find. Power Nap is a 50/50 pre-roast blend of their Ethiopia Worka and their Colombia Huila decaf, and it's great.
Quince mid-length cotton socks: A few months ago it struck me like a bus that my sock game was in rough shape. I'd been treating socks like t-shirts or quality jeans, things you buy for life that hold their quality over a near-infinite time horizon if you treat them well. That is not the case, and the holey, greying socks in my drawer were a testament to it. So I went looking for something that could wholesale replace the previous crop and landed very happily on these. They fit great, have a nice dense cotton with a tight weave, and stay up like nobody's business. They're also great for working out in. Huge fan. Own twenty pairs.
Rockies hat: My old hat from my favorite (very bad) baseball team was structurally falling apart this spring heading into the season. I didn't like how closely that mirrored what I expected from this season's on-field production, so I upgraded to the classic '47 Brand Clean Up. Couldn't recommend it more highly. Fits like a glove (pun intended), and they've added a button under the brass tightener at the back that makes everything just a bit more convenient.
Fast charger. While traveling recently I realized I'd started using my big MacBook charger for everything that needed USB-C, because it got the job done faster than the wimpy little wall adapters I'd been hauling around. When you're out of your routine it matters how much charge you can put into a phone or a battery bank in twenty minutes, and a slow, low-wattage brick can be the difference between having the device you need when you need it and not. So I upgraded to the Anker Nano 70W Max. It's replaced everything in my backpack, including my laptop charger, since it'll handle that too. It made a real difference recently when I was stuck at the most outlet-poor gate in Boston Logan for a five-hour delay.
Ball jar filled with ice. It's been really, really hot here in Colorado, and I'm in the middle of insulating and finishing my workspace at the new house, which means the space isn't insulated now, which means it gets extremely warm as the outside temperature climbs. So I've been drinking a ton of water, and a Ball jar full of ice has been hitting the spot.
"But Joey, why don't you just use an insulated water bottle?" you're probably thinking, sitting there smugly without a cool-to-the-touch, slightly sweating Ball jar of ice water. Because it's a delight to drink out of, and the whole experience makes me feel cooler in the process. Try it and tell me I'm wrong.
LMNT drink mix. This has been critical while biking and getting ready for the handful of gravel races I'm doing this summer. With the heat it's doubly important to stay ahead of dehydration, and this stuff is good at that and tastes good enough that I'll occasionally throw a packet into the Ball jar too. They're also a cool company. They give away their recipe on their website and encourage anyone to make their own version of the product. A little like an open source drink company, where you pay for convenience and the institutional support.
Narragansett Lager. Another kind of recovery drink. Out here in Colorado, Gansett isn't as common, but you can find it without too much effort. To me it's the perfect light summer beer and the best thing to cook seafood in. I've had a run of steaming mussels in it with a bit of butter, garlic, and spices. This far from a coast, it's a little of the sea coming to me.
Waffle robe. I'm a big robe guy and wear one most mornings during the early routine. My beloved L.L.Bean fleece robe is too heavy duty for summer, so I switched to a lighter waffle robe that breathes better and doesn't hold in so much warmth. I assume the next step is linen, but I still want a little more structure to the garment than linen gives. Waffle is a nice middle ground.
Ripton shorts. I'm a longtime proponent of local Boulder clothing company Ripton. I've been wearing their overalls for years and have hard-pressed a lot of friends into buying them too. When I was at their newly revamped retail store a few weeks ago I grabbed a pair of their Reggie Deluxe shorts and have been wearing the hell out of them ever since. I cut mine a bit shorter, since I like a short that lives an inch or two above the knee, but other than that, no notes. There's a little stretch that makes them the best work shorts I own, and I think they look good enough to wear to all but the fanciest local breweries. (I'm still searching for a brewery fancy enough that these wouldn't be allowed.)