The Morning: Exploring the backyard

Plus, the final season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and a recipe for homemade dumplings.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 3, 2024 By Melissa Kirsch Good morning. While a grand trip might offer novelty and excitement, there's adventure to be found in territories much closer to home. María Jesús Contreras Landscape architecture For more than 20 years, the British adventurer Alastair Humphreys roamed the planet. He rowed across the Atlantic, traversed India on foot, cycled around the world. In his lovely essay "A Single Small Map Is Enough for a Lifetime," published last month, he writes that climate change and familial commitments have caused him to narrow his horizons of late, to seek diversion in his own backyard, "on the fringes of a city in an unassuming landscape, pocked by a glow of sodium lights and the rush of busy roads." To begin this exploration, Humphreys orders a map of his neck of the woods from Britain's Ordnance Survey, which, for a fee, will create a map of any 20 square kilometers of the country at 1:25,000 scale, where four centimeters is the equivalent of one kilometer on the ground. Each hyper-detailed map includes not just roads but footpaths, vegetation and variations in terrain. (I've looked for a similar mapping service in the U.S. but the closest I've found are the topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey, which aren't nearly as intricate. If you know of anything better, drop me a line.) Humphreys commits to deeply exploring one small segment of his map per week, to getting intimate with his immediate environment, by walking or biking every millimeter. "I wanted it to be serendipitous, not governed by my preferences," he writes. "I hoped to see things I would not ordinarily come across. I decided to treat everything as interesting." The first kilometer he undertakes to explore is purposely devoid of any exciting landscape features. He wanders a former marshland, contemplates the seasons, communes with crows and, with the aid of a smartphone app, geeks out on common reeds. His journey is quiet, and contemplative, but still riveting, even in the absence of any drama. Although Humphreys has made a career of traveling on a grand scale, locating magic in the miniature comes easily. In 2012, he popularized the idea of the "microadventure," a short, local outing that nevertheless provokes a shift in perspective (picture, for instance, camping under the stars in a nearby wood.) In a 2015 interview with The Times, he extolled the merits of the "5-to-9 adventure": "After 5 p.m., you have 16 hours that are all yours," he said. "So you can ride your bike or take the train out of town, sleep outside somewhere and come back to work maybe a bit rumpled but feeling great." Humphreys's hometown project is inviting, a reminder of Thoreau's wisdom that: "It matters not where or how far you travel — the farther commonly the worse — but how much alive you are." Now seems like a ripe time for neighborhood micro-exploration: In winter, the landscape is denuded; each segment of tree branch and skyline available for scrutiny. A high-resolution map provides a satisfyingly orderly way to make sense of the environment, to catalog what's here now and what was here before, to pay close attention to what's going on in the world. Is there some kind of analog we could apply to our interior lives, territory that feels far more vast and ungoverned and in need of organization? Is there a way to shine a flashlight upon the disused bridleways of the mind? Meditation suggests it might be possible, but the rapidity with which our internal terrain changes makes the possibility of any definitive guide all but impossible. This necessitates, I suppose, close attention. A commitment to visit and revisit our intimate landscapes, mapping and remapping the contours of home. For more "I could not dispose of my redundant maps. My own borders were written into them. I do not want to live without them." Roger Cohen, a longtime foreign correspondent for The Times, on keeping maps as a chronicle of a life. From 2021, "Who Needs the Grand Canyon? Try a Microadventure." Need more amazement in your daily life? Try an awe walk. Ordnance Survey maps at Britain's National Archives. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE WEEK IN CULTURE Carl Weathers at a screening last year. Richard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated Press Carl Weathers, the N.F.L. linebacker turned actor, who starred as Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" movies and appeared in dozens of other films and television shows, died at 76. The final season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" begins on Sunday. The show "was the signature comedy for the agitated, antagonistic era of the 21st-century social internet," James Poniewozik writes. On that show, Susie Essman played the sharp-tongued Susie Greene, who served as Larry David's chief antagonist. She swears she's not really that mean. Chita Rivera, who died this week at 91, was a Broadway legend known for her dancing and acting. But her voice was her secret weapon, our theater critic writes. (Here are videos of her most memorable performances.) Elmo ​asked ​his followers on X how they were doing. Elmo was not expecting it to open a yawning chasm of despair. Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter after a grand jury revived the criminal case against him in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film "Rust." The Sundance Film Festival, which concluded on Sunday, debuted a full slate of new movies that could give shape to next year's Oscars race. Meet Coleman Hughes, the young Black conservative who grew up with, and rejects, D.E.I. A New York jury rejected a Russian oligarch's claim that Sotheby's helped an art dealer defraud him. Read five takeaways from the trial. Rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj released diss tracks aimed at each other. Read about what's going on, and whose side the internet is on. "Gilmore Girls" ended in 2007, but it remains among the most-streamed TV shows. People who helped make the show explained its lasting appeal. Kristin Juszczyk, a designer and wife of a 49ers player, who transforms football jerseys into fashionable outfits, signed a licensing deal with the N.F.L., Forbes reports. Taylor Swift and Simone Biles have attended games dressed in her creations. THE LATEST NEWS President Joe Biden and Jill Biden at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Kenny Holston/The New York Times The U.S. struck more than 85 targets across Iraq and Syria that were used by Iranian forces and proxy militias, responding to a drone attack that killed three American soldiers this week. Fani Willis, who is leading the Georgia criminal case against Donald Trump, admitted to a "personal relationship" with the prosecutor she hired to manage the case. A judge delayed the start of Trump's Jan. 6 federal trial, originally set for early March, while a separate court considers whether Trump is immune from prosecution. The U.S. labor market added 353,000 jobs last month as economic growth remained strong, and Americans' confidence in the economy rose. The Supreme Court rejected an effort to block race-conscious admissions at West Point while a lower court weighs whether the practice is constitutional. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. CULTURE CALENDAR By Alexis Soloski 🎥 "Lisa Frankenstein" (Friday): First loves are often complicated. Especially when your crush isn't technically alive. In this horror-comedy riff on Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" — which was, in its own way, an adolescent angst novel — a grieving teenage girl (Kathryn Newton) acquires an undead boyfriend (Cole Sprouse) and makes a man of him. Zelda Williams directs a script from Diablo Cody, who previously wrote the giddy, gory, tragically underrated "Jennifer's Body." 📚 "Fourteen Days" (Tuesday): It's difficult for many of us to remember the early weeks of the pandemic. Nearly four years distant, it's all a bit of a panicked, sourdough-scented blur. But one hopes that the literary supergroup edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston have better — or at the very least, more creative — recall. Set on the rooftop of a Lower East Side building in March 2020, this collaborative novel features dozens of characters, each written by a different author, Tommy Orange, Celeste Ng and Diana Gabaldon among them. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RECIPE OF THE WEEK Christopher Simpson for The New York Times By Melissa Clark Dumplings With Chile Crisp Lunar New Year is on Feb. 10, ushering in the year of the dragon in all its strong-willed glory. Feasting on dumplings is a traditional way to celebrate, and Genevieve Ko's homemade dumplings with chile crisp are a deeply flavored vegan option. Assemble them this weekend, pop them in the freezer, and then cook them, still frozen, just before serving for good luck, not to mention an excellent meal. REAL ESTATE Carter Woodson's home in Washington, D.C. Kenny Holston/The New York Times 1538 Ninth Street: The origins of Black History Month can be traced back nearly a hundred years to an unassuming, three-story brick rowhouse owned by Carter Woodson. Woke culture: ​If you're working from home more often​, or ​just need a place to retreat from the world​, make your bedroom do double (or triple) duty. What you get for $950,000​: A Tudor Revival house in Indianapolis​; a Colonial Revival home in Lancaster​, Pa.; ​or an updated Craftsman bungalow in Walla Walla​, Wash. The hunt: After a tennis instructor got to know his Queens neighborhood as a renter, he went looking for a place of his own in a relatively new building. Which apartment did he choose? Play our game. LIVING John Gietzel, left, and Matt Fitzgerald in Flagstaff, Ariz. Adam Riding for The New York Times Runners camp: Long Covid symptoms forced an endurance athlete to rethink his life. So he turned his home into a fantasy camp for runners. "Destination dupes": Taking affordable wellness trips and trying out under-the-radar locations are among these frugal strategies for saving money while traveling in 2024. Sad songs: Dating today happens at a faster pace, and with heightened emotions. Several melancholy ballads nominated for Grammys this year seem to reflect that. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER A $20 antenna to watch the Super Bowl When you stream live TV, it's not really live. Services like YouTube TV, Hulu and Fubo generally deliver video about 30 to 60 seconds slower than cable or satellite. That lag probably matters most on days like Super Bowl Sunday, when you really don't want incoming posts or texts spoiling the game-deciding touchdown drive. The cheapest, easiest way to avoid this? An antenna that picks up broadcast TV signals. Wirecutter's favorite indoor HDTV antenna costs only $20, boasts a super-simple, one-cord setup, and delivers a crisp picture at a speed no streamer can match. — Rose Lorre GAME OF THE WEEKEND New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11). Brad Penner/USA Today Sports Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks, N.B.A.: The Knicks are the hottest team in the N.B.A. They went 14-2 in January, and had the league's best defense during that span. Jalen Brunson, their point guard, just made his first All-Star Game; he's scoring nearly 27 points a game, and sinking 42 percent of his three-pointers, both career highs. Some fans may still be wary, considering the heartbreak the team has put them through over the years. But consider this: The last time the Knicks won 14 games in a month was in March 1994; a few months later, they were in the finals. 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were homophonic and monophonic. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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