The Night Water 300th Subscriber Special

A Q&A with our 300th subscriber, Alyssa Dempsey

The Night Water 300th Subscriber Special

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and Night Water newsletter subscriber milestones.” An incredibly prescient man—that’s why he’s on the $100 bill.

On April 27th, a mere two months and two days after the 200th subscriber signed up, Night Water reached 300 email subscribers. By complete chance, my good friend Alyssa Dempsey took a sip of that nighttime water and became the 300th subscriber, earning a spot in Night Water history and a Subscriber Special.

Plus, some more numbers news: as I mentioned in my year one review, my subscriber goal for this year was to reach 334 readers, double where Night Water was on its first birthday. I’m proud to announce that as of May 13, three months and a day into year two, Night Water has reached that goal! Thanks to each and every one of you for joining us here at the fridge.

And now, without further ado, the Q&A you’ve all been waiting for… our 300th Subscriber Special.


A young woman stands on a rooftop, looking at the camera as the sun sets behind her.
300th Night Water subscriber Alyssa Dempsey enjoying a sunset.

Who are you and what is your deal?

My name is Alyssa, and I live in Ridgewood, Queens. Most of my time now is devoted to taking pre-req classes to apply to medical school. I am really good at Jeopardy and still believe that Dippin Dots are the ice cream of the future.

How did you hear about Night Water?

I guess on social media? Wish I had a cooler answer.

Where were you when you found out you were Night Water’s 300th subscriber?

I was sitting on my couch watching The Today Show with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager when I got a text from Adam telling me I was #300. I asked “What do I win?” and he skirted the question.

Now that you’re subscribed to Night Water, what’s next for you?

I’m volunteering myself as a Y2K music correspondent because I loved the Hit Clips content. Here are some things I would like to review:

  • Zunes vs.1st generation iPod minis
  • Promo music releases from McDonald’s (I had a great CD that was a Britney Spears/N*SYNC split)
  • DIY cell phone ringtones
  • A ranking of the mix CDs that people made for me that I still have in my childhood bedroom

What does the phrase “late night vibes” mean to you?

If I’m with people, late night vibes is the sweet spot when everything anyone says is 300x funnier. If I’m alone, it’s getting into a trance-like state of studying and listening to ABBA.


Thanks for your honest and candid answers, Alyssa. We’ll look out for your first post as the official Night Water Y2K Music Correspondent soon!

If you want to hear even more from Alyssa, check out her episode of Museum of You, my somewhat defunct web series about the places we live and the stuff we own.