going out is too much effort

In re: Grup article, I thought this one was really relevant too. First line: "Are New Yorkers giving up?" (Please note, I do consider myself a New Yorker even though I do not live there. Let's move on.) (ALSO I SO do not understand how the play-format fits into the last EIGHT pages of the article because I got so bored that I skimmed it entirely, but I therefore give it an A+, much like your paper.)

http://www.observer.com/20060501/20060501_Sara_Vilkomerson_pageone_newyorkworld.asp/

Cut to a recent Friday night. The forecast had called for chilly temperatures and rain, but it turned into the kind of spring evening that carries a strong whiff of possibility. It was 7:30 p.m. and still light out in the West Village as people spilled onto sidewalks for drinks al fresco along Seventh Avenue. Couples strolled hand in hand. A gaggle of girls in matching crocheted tops hailed taxis with purpose; illuminated above them in a bare window, a young woman dashed around her apartment applying lipstick, clad only in a glittery silver top and underwear. But inside Gourmet Garage, another New York story was unfolding: Shoppers kept their heads down, their iPods firmly implanted, as they loaded red plastic baskets. A pretty blonde with a blue Mark Jacobs handbag slung over one shoulder paused over the individual dinner selections, opting for pre-prepared sushi. “It’s such a hassle to go out on weekend nights,” she shrugged. “All the restaurants and bars are packed. I usually just pick up food or order in.”

(Yes, I know it's sacrilegious, and it's MarC Jacobs but, as they say, [sic]) But seriously, who hasn't felt that way, that it's just too much effort to pull yourself together and actually run into people? The "inability to rally," as we call it.

Love when they reference the Seinfeld sweatpants-wearing:

Remember the classic episode when George takes to constantly wearing sweat pants? Jerry chides him: “You know the message you’re sending out to the world with these sweat pants? You’re telling the world: ‘I give up. I can’t compete in normal society. I’m miserable, so I might as well be comfortable.’”

Did you know K & I wore exclusively sweatpants for much of senior fall? It was part of the "otherwise we will be committed for weighing so little" phase, slash "we can wear this directly on and off the treadmill and run for an extra 5 minutes for not having to change our clothes" and it was DEFINITELY a "I Give Up" moment.