Sunday, December 6, 2020

Aren't we all? I'm cozy because I finally gave in and bought soft, comfy matching sweatpants sets. They arrived this week and I 100% recommend getting some if you haven't yet. I look like my 4-year-old self, which is fine because it inspired a doodle.

Now that a vaccine is on its way, I'm sure some of you are starting to think about what it will be like to go back to the office (if you haven't yet). It might be confusing, as you'll see in the doodle below.

Customer service is also deliberately confusing. After feeling more frustrated with Optimum than ever, I knew what to do to feel better — make my first retaliation doodle and mention their disruptive competitor (who I'm pleased with so far!).

In some Danielle in Doodles (DID) news, this week I started turning doodles I made in the summer into videos. "9 types of Jews I've dated" was a huge hit on TikTok with 12,000 views and counting. (maybe that one was a little vengeful too, but really all just in good fun!) See what the kids are watching here or at the end of this email. AND, the first batch of cards have arrived! There's a sneak peek below.

My young self would be very confused that my wardrobe has not evolved

As a kid, matching sets, scrunchies, and headbands were staples in my wardrobe. I imagine if my young self could see me now, she'd be confused — not only because she thought we'd be married with three kids by 24 — but also because I'm dressing like a child getting ready for bed. Follow me on Instagram for another young Danielle/current Danielle interaction that I'll post later this week, plus pictures of the outfits. I really haven't changed much.

Returning to the office went badly

Technically my office is closed temporarily because of holiday spikes, and that's good news for me. The doodle above is based on the three times I went in the past few months. Speaking of work, I got some good feedback on the video I submitted for the talent show, so cross your fingers that I win! Or at least place in the top four. We all chose a charity that gets a donation if you win, and I chose City Meals on Wheels.

My battle with Optimum Customer Service

Unfortunately, in the spirit of bad customer service — this is not the most user-friendly doodle, and I apologize. It wasn't on purpose but I hope you can read it or least get the idea. The problem: my cable box disconnects from service every few hours and I need to restart it. (Yes I still have cable, another relic from my childhood I can't get rid of, it makes me feel like I'm at home!) Customer service is not helpful, and two technicians came and did not fix it. On the last visit, someone in the apartment — I will not say who — had an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. Between that and my many, many calls/emails/tweets, I'm sure our imminent breakup will be amicable.

Now, I'm trying YouTubeTV. It's a different feel from cable, and I will miss news12, but a few days in, so far so good and no cable box to worry about! Plus it includes DVR which is awesome. This CNET article was really helpful because I considered HuluTV, which just raised its price to $65/month like YouTube, and doesn't allow as many accounts to use it. 

My recent video success on TikTok

I posted an old doodle about dating experiences on social media this week. I can only embed YouTube links in here, so if you want to save a click, see above. To see the action on TikTok (you don't need an account to watch), click here. From sharing, someone reached out about collaborating, so we will see what happens! People were really engaged online. Here's a roundup of my favorite comments across all the social channels:

• "What about the creative doodler with ADD" - TikTok (taking that as a compliment!)
• "You can turn this into a full length film" - TikTok (hmmm!)
• "As an Israeli I can confirm everything you do is so American" - Reddit (Ani yodaat - I know!)
• "I have dated most, if not all, the others" - Facebook (validation!)
• "May you find your beshert (soulmate) soon" - Reddit (sweet!)
• "I'm type 10: never leave the house" - TikTok (haha who isn't?!)

Your celebratory cards have arrived!

They JUST got here today. If you're interested, please reach out. I've got some for Christmas, birthdays, and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. And if you have a celebration coming up, reply with your physical address! I will send you one. Don't worry, I just got a new book of stamps. Thanks to my sister, Julia, who turned the doodles into real cards!

Happy Hannukah if you celebrate. Please accept my choice of spelling. Thanks for reading! If you have any feedback, you can hit reply to this email and I will get it.

Why did you get this email? Because I thought you'd like it, or you expressed interest in my doodles in one way or another. Unsubscribe or contact me if you want to be removed from the list.