In the cover art for this haunting tune, Phoebe Bridgers is literally snuggled up against a ghost, a perfect match for her ethereal vocals. The song is a cover, of course, of Merle Haggard’s original, a cheerier tune penned about financial hardship leading up to Christmas— and the hope for a sunnier outlook next year. Even while she sings about maybe getting out to California someday, Bridgers pulls a dark, winter cloud over Haggard’s sun, breathing a Covid mist through the line, “can’t afford no Christmas here.” It’s not a song to get you down; it’s more of a(n ultimately optimistic) companion when you’re feeling those pandemic winter feels. Listen here.

Over the past several weeks, handy restaurant folks have been hard at work transforming their outdoor dining pavilions into full-blown, walled winter structures, made to extend the outdoor dining season and the lives of their businesses alongside. But every time I pass one, I wonder, aren’t these fully enclosed outdoor dining structures just a new form of the indoors? I looked it up and according to New York City law, the answer is actually “yes”: any enclosure with at least three sides is considered “inside” and is therefore subject to the 25% capacity indoor dining rule (if, ahem, we’re following those). What’s really worrisome is that New York is one of the only places that’s regulated this kind of thing, and everywhere else is just winging it, leaving restaurants to invest thousands of dollars in makeshift setups that may or may not be of use or above board. That “A” for effort may not cut it in this situation.

You know that nightlife is in even more trouble than restaurants— but if you think about it, the industry was in trouble even before the pandemic. Venues were increasingly being forced out of their real estate by gentrification and climbing prices, and those that held on have faced the wrath of their noise-hating neighbors. But the way nightlife people are handling the pandemic might actually pave a way for a better future. Open-air partying, while relatively Covid-friendly, also happens to avoid the problem of rent. According to Berlin’s Club Commission (clearly the people to trust on the matter), cities should just seek outdoor spaces that are “at least 1,000 square meters… in non-residential areas close to public transit and removed from nature preserves,” with access to water and utilities. Berlin has already identified 65 such places. I bet your town has some, too.

We are obviously in it for a while, and for a winter full of at-home adventures ahead, I really recommend the shop at Food52. I have been getting a boatload of use out of their (sturdy! affordable!) knives, tupperware, and silicone lids. Their pots have given rise to many soups already this season, and their Baggu collab fanny pack has come along for walks and bike rides into the dropping temps. You may also note that they have a full “outdoor living” section, which is exactly what you’ll be doing for months to come— as will everyone who is expecting a present from you this winter. Take a look and enjoy the sense of aesthetically pleasing possibility. (Maybe you’re a foraging-knife person after all.)