Monday:

Why don’t you host another dinner party, since you can’t possibly invite all of your dream guests to one and hope to have good conversational flow? Invite five more! This time, carefully designed invitations in the most sumptuous calligraphy would go to the elegant Ina Garten, the worldly Joanna Lumley, the effortlessly amusing Jennifer Saunders, the legendary Angela Lansbury, and the unique Grace Coddington. We will chat about the theater, fashion, cats, comedy, and good food. It’ll be divine. We really should have more dinner parties, you know, even if it’s not dream guests. Invite your friends over, and pop a bottle or two of Dom Pérignon; we all deserve it.

Tuesday:

Why don’t you order custom thank-you notes with gilded embellishments to have at the ready for unexpected gifts or assistance? Nobody gives out thank you notes anymore, and that’s a real shame. When they do, they feel forced and artificial. Be sincere, reader, in the message contained in your elegant postcard. People will feel special, and you will have paid pennies.

Wednesday:

Why don’t you buy a nice bottle of white wine and a bottle of peach schnapps and enjoy one of the last days of warmth on your boardwalk sipping on a Kir Pêche? There’s really no more elegant drink in the world, except for champagne, and you can easily replace the white wine for champagne if you’re of a mind to. Fill a wine glass a quarter of the way with peach schnapps, then fill the rest of the glass with icy white wine. Don’t bother mixing. Sip. Luxuriate. Think about me drinking too many of these in the south of France, and then repeat.

Thursday:

Why don’t you try out a new kind of food that you have long been terrified of? I had sushi last night, and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. It was an avocado roll, so it wasn’t too daring, but it was still very different from anything I’m used to. Even if I ate meat, there is no power on earth that could compel me to eat a raw fish on top of cold rice. That’s just not who I am as a person. But avocado rolls were delicious. Wasabi was not. Be daring, reader.

Friday:

Why don’t you keep track of all the projects that are going on around the world and connected with your passions? I won’t tell you mine since you can easily guess by reading any other article I’ve ever written. (Hint: EGYPT.) There’s an exhibit opening next week in New York about the Middle Kingdom, so I booked my ticket last night for a quick little trip in November. I couldn’t be more excited. Pursuing my interests and pursuing them by getting on a plane is the love of my life. Get out, reader; see something.