The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Hello comrades.

I'm back from the dead, which is how I felt for the past 48 hours. I had a lovely post-weekend blog all prepared for yesterday morning, but alas I felt like shit on a stick and now it is Tuesday. What's been going on?

The Good:
-Friday, I had an early dismissal from a class in which I was the only student (awkward)
-I tried and loved Trader Joe's organic chicken broth (kickass and $1.99 for a carton)
-Saw Black Swan (weird) and Blue Valentine (sad and upsetting) this weekend
-Reorganized my china cabinet
-Tried four new recipes this weekend: Mimi's coffee cake, homemade taco seasoning, and Italian Wedding Soup (skinny version), crimini mushrooms and green beans roasted with balsamic and parm cheese
-Had a kickass time with friends Saturday night

The Bad:
-Still have not swept up from this weekend's soiree
-Today is Tuesday, Tuesdays always suck

The Ugly:
-Stomach virus. I was taken down on Sunday. I thought it was a bad hangover when I woke up at 11. When I woke up at 12 and had the chills, aches, and a fever, I knew it was much worse. I actually used a sick day yesterday, which I never do. I can deal with many things, but an awful stomach virus is not one of them. And of course, my train was a half hour late today, so I stood on the platform, swaying, nauseous, cursing everything.

Still fighting my way back,

SMD

Can we put this week to bed already?

Hello friends. This week feels so long...the days seem interminable. That, combined with this headache I've had since Monday and a busy week at work have left me me with no direction for today's blog and a smarting reminder that when you vow to blog actively every week, you'd better have your poop in a pile to be able to do so or you will end up with a random shit show that I'm about to expose you to below. And a run on sentence like nobody's business.

My nails represent this week's sad state of affairs. When I was saving this photo to my computer, I named it Sad Nails:

Does this week seem shitty to anyone else? I mean even the regular TV shows were lackluster this week. I watched Gossip Girl in fast forward because the episode sucked so hard, same for last week's Vampire Diaries. I knew who the killer was in 10 seconds on Criminal Minds, and why the hell are they giving the profile so early recently, before they even discuss the case?

Dr. Spencer Reid, I expect more from you.

I also had to put a book to rest. Swamplandia!, I wanted you to be so much better, but I could not get past 55 pages. Sayonara. I followed that disappointment up with Last Night at Chateau Marmont, which was eh at best. I am now settled in to Ed King, and it's holding my attention quite well.

Other bad things from this week:

• Errands have gone poorly, and seem never ending. Why? How?
• I dodged human poop in Suburban Station on my way home on Tuesday. Again, why? How?
• Today I woke up seven minutes after I normally LEAVE for the train station.
• My driver side door does not want to work properly. It was replaced a few months ago and now has to go back. Damnit.
• I do not have a winning lottery ticket in my possession.

Good things:

• Tomorrow I will wear jeans on a working Friday for the first time in more than three years, and this is because I have a class off-site in King of Prussia and I can. Praise you tiny denim-loving baby Jesus.
• I have not murdered anyone even though I have PMS.
• I pre-ordered The Bloggess's book today.
• This weekend is shaping up to be a good one, with plans for lots of movies, new recipes, and times with friends in the mix.
• Lori and Jack will bring Maxwell home tomorrow!

This concludes my poorly planned post.

Have a wonderful day, unless you've made other plans.

SMD

When Errands Go Awry

I consider myself an efficient errand runner – I group them by location and bang as many as I can out at once. I would love to have a personal organizer/errand running business. Sometimes though, the universe conspires against you, and sends your errand mission off the rails.

Round One

Saturday morning dawned bright and cold. I had grand plans to knock some errands out of the park. My original list was tailor, Clinique counter, Target, jeweler, dry cleaner, Brother’s Pizza.

I was a little late in leaving my house, so on the fly I decided to push the tailor, Clinique counter and Target to Sunday. I made good time and got to the jeweler soon after they opened. I went in and told them I needed my ring redipped and was told they could take it, but would have to send it off premises since the jeweler was out until the end of January. Frigger. I really like him so I said no problem, I’ll come back.

Ain’t nothin’ gonna break my stride, I sang in my head, and continued on to the dry cleaner. That went ok, but was much more expensive than I was anticipating. Damn you winter coats for all needing to be dry cleaned at once.

I arrived at Brother’s, where the hardy pizza makers looked tired and had not even begun to make the stacks of boxes. I got my pizza, plus a slice for the road because I am a disgusting glutton and cannot resist the lure of Brother’s, and was off, dreaming of a better errand running track record on Sunday.

Round Two

I set this up perfectly. I was at Target at 10:30, went about my business, did not overspend, and was sitting outside of the mall when it opened. I breezed through Boscov to the Clinique counter. I circled it. I circled it again. No chubby stick. What the hell! They didn’t have any in the store. I was a little annoyed, but thought whatever, I can pick it up downtown next week.

On to the tailor, which was…closed. Closed? WTF! Their hours clearly said 11 – 4 on Sundays. I asked on Thursday night if they were open on Sunday, and he said yes, of course. I guess yes of course also means HELL NO. Balls. Balls I say!

Sometimes even the best laid plans can be rolled up, shoved up your nose, and set on fire.

In Other News
I tried Pioneer Woman’s meatloaf this weekend as part of my effort to test drive four new recipes every month. It was unheard of moist for a meatloaf. Not the healthiest meal for sure, but good for a big weekend meal during the winter. It makes a large loaf, so you’ll have lots of leftovers for sandwiches if you try it. I also liked doing it on a broiler pan instead of in a loaf pan. It was hollerific holy shit hot damn good.

In My Next Life
I will have a job where I get bank holidays off. While it was nice to have primo parking at the train station, and to sprawl out on the train instead of being squished like a sardine, it would also be nice to be off today.

Happy MLK Day –

SMD

p.s.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
                          ~Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963

p.p.s: my kitchen partner taking care of the starches. Yes, that's plural.

 

Merrily merrily merrily merrily washing's but a dream

Last night was a glorious night for a Wednesday, much like some night gone by was a marvelous night for a moondance. Incidentally, my two least favorite Van Morrison songs are 1. Brown Eyed Girl and 2. Moondance. Radio stations everywhere, please stop playing them. Drunk people in bars, please stop singing them.

And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush.

But back to my Wednesday night. Last night...

1. I did wash for the first time in nine days. You truly do not appreciate having a washer in your home until your washer breaks. I felt like Sarah Cynthia Silvia Stout but instead of not taking the garbage out, I was not taking care of the laundry. I did three loads last night and one load this morning. Good news! Only 208430948 more loads to go until everything is clean, and that's not including MFD's laundry. He does his own.

2. I made two large pots of meaty red sauce to freeze. It smelled absolutely fabulous. There are few things I like to do more in the kitchen than make vats of sauce or soup to eat, freeze and share.

Please excuse the slippers.

3. I watched Modern Family. Always a pisser.

4. In the span of five minutes, I dropped six eggs on the floor, cleaned them up, dropped a cup of milk on the floor, cleaned that up, and said 467 curse words.

5. I was reminded again of the importance of having a strong sense of self worth, and also how imperative it is to have friends who will have your back in a crisis. I thank the universe for my friends every single day. A dear friend of ours is going through a very bad time, and that is always hard to watch.  

                               That which does not kill us makes us stronger.

                                                     ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

This weekend, January will be half over. Say what? I have things to do!

January goals:

1. Make meatloaf. I haven't made it in a while and now I have a hankering for it.

2. Have a Goslingthon: Blue Valentine, Crazy Stupid Love, Ides of March.

3. Make homemade pasta, forcing MFD to use the pasta machine I bought him for Christmas about six years ago that he's never used. He has been waiting for a kitchen with enough space to use it in. You've got one now, my man! Let's do this.
4. Assemble my To Try recipe binder, which will set me up to test at least two new recipes per month for the rest of the year, but preferably four.
5. Convince you, my fine feathered friend, to join me at the Strike Out Cancer and Spare Lives bowling event on Saturday, February 4. It's fun, and it's for a great cause. Pretty please with whatever you want on top, come out and join us! For more information or to buy tickets online, visit http://phillyrelaystrikeoutcancer-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=1. Lanes must be reserved so let me know if you're coming.

Thank God it's Thursday,

SMD

Walk ten paces, turn left, and dig where X marks the spot

Have you ever been on a treasure hunt in your own house? I took five minutes to go on one last night. Excuse the quality of the photos, I was trying to snap some treasures before The Bachelor came back on.

To me, treasures are things that might seem a little out of place beside your other things, but they have meaning and connections to people and in some cases to times gone by.

In my kitchen cabinets, you can find these spaghetti glasses. My earliest memories have my Pop, who died when I was three, drinking out of these glasses. We used these in the summer at my Grandmom's pool, and she gave them to me when she moved. They are one of my most beloved material items.

Floragold louisa depression glass (in the photo on the left, the tray is the item...the candleholder is Pier 1). Thanks to Ebay and antique shops, I've built a nice collection of this.




When I was a little girl, these sat on a built-in bookshelf at my Grandmom's house. I would get them down and twist them one at a time and bask in the tinkly music. Now they sit on top of a bookshelf in my reading room.

My Dad and Carol just cleaned out the attic, and found a bunch of my childhood items, including my first shoes.

Yes, this is a professional photo. Come on people, I am not that good. This is my great grandmother's (who I called Big Pop Pop's Grandmom. Weird, yes?) pendant. My Gamma lent it to me for my wedding, and I had it pinned inside of my dress. This year for Christmas, she gave it to me. I love it.

I'm not the only one in the house who likes treasures. MFD brought this one home, and I have to say I adore it.








These are some of his treasures from his grandparents that he keeps all together on a shelf.









And this is a photo from this past weekend that I will treasure - my brother rode over an hour home in the back of my dad's car. It was very very amusing.








I love new things, but I also love things with a history, be it my family's, MFD's family's, or plates off of someone's table that I've never met. Nostalgia is a friend of mine.

Be a love and make the best of this shitty and useless day called Tuesday.

Reminiscing,

SMD

p.s. I did something to my Achilles tendon. It flipping HURTS.

p.p.s. My heart is sad for Lori and Jack, who had to put their beloved CJ to sleep this week. I truly can't imagine losing one of my dogs. Thinking of you guys to the north. xoxo

Welcome back.

Welcome back, train wreck television. Mob Wives, it was good to see you. It's been too long. Renee, stop whining and moaning about the complications of your elective surgery. Elective is the key word. There were risks, you knew about them, and you chose to do it anyway. You grate on my nerves and are not an eighth as fabulous as you think you are. Karen, get over yourself. You are inconsequential unless you are linked with the fabulous D'rita. D'rita, you keep on being you. You are hilarious and fill me with glee. Box it out, girlfriend. Carla, are you still on the show? Do something.

Guidos and guidettes, I will check in with you on Thursday.

And you...oh, you.

The last time I watched The Bachelor, Andrew Firestone was on, I shit you not. This year, it happened to premiere when I was freshly without a Monday night show - The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles don't come back until this summer - and I thought eh, let me get in on this.

I only watched the one season because the very premise of the show is complete madness. You cannot form a lasting relationship that starts out with 25 people chasing 1 person. Will you accept this rose? No, but I will shove it up your ass, you tomcatting rose throwing marauder.

That bachelorette Trista, who is married and has kids with the guy she met on her show, must have a magic hooha or they clicked immediately and she faked liking anyone else. Theirs is the only relationship in the franchise that has ever worked out. Obviously the formula is stupid, but the insane drama, while stupid as well, is also hilarious. This season, the blogger is frightening and the model is a psychotic SWF. I cannot wait to see this shit unfold.

Look, what else am I going to do on a Monday? Or write about on the first Wednesday of the year?

Freezing my ass off (fuck me please do not let the Polar Bear Plunge take place on a day like today),

SMD

p.s. Happy bday yesterday to Laura, today to my aunt Sue, and tomorrow to my father-in-law.

p.p.s. Step right up and cast your vote for Ferko in the Viewer's Choice Awards! http://www.myphl17.com/community/mummers/viewers-choice/

p.p.p.s STEP RIGHT UP in case you want to see the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_vMOBB1JG0

Let's Review.

2011 in review.

MFD finally did Disney and loved it even more than I thought he would. We loved the cruise so much we booked a seven nighter for next year.

I encountered at least double the amount of midgets that I did in 2010. This is probably due to me mentioning them so often...it's like a super effed up law of attraction.

We spent more on Geege's teeth than either of ours.

I had the worst sinus infection that lasted more than two months and took two Zpacs, one other antibiotic, two rounds of steroids, 1072 neti pot uses, 479 bottles of nose spray to eradicate. F U sinuses.

I worked on my birthday and vowed to never do so again. I did not work on MFD's birthday and that was infinitely more enjoyable than mine.

We learned what type of damage a leaky fridge will do, but got a gorgeous kitchen as a result.

I went through three Totes bubble umbrellas. 2011, you rainy bitch.

Gus got sprayed by a skunk.

I hosted my second favorite party ever - the Royal Wedding Party (RWP). Only surpassed by my 33rd birthday party where "BLACKBERRY. CHILLED," was born.

Saw the Phils in early May, which I always want to do but never get around to doing.

Had a brief but intense affair with mushrooms in the month of October.

Was a pot of gold to MFD's leprechaun on Halloween.

Changed my name to Doyle.

Tried to take a photo every time I saw an awesome sky.

Tackled Kim Schultz in the snow outside of Laura's house.



Maybe the booze had something to do with it?

Took this hilarious photo.

Celebrated my Pop's 80th birthday wearing suspenders in his honor.

Saw this in action.

Got this superb chair after spending an entire weekend with my ass glued to it. Thank you Jack and Lori for letting me take yours home and ordering another.

Hello, Darby.

Had two visiting pugs, bringing the total up to four for a week. It was fun and hilarious.

Lost too many good people, and had friends lose good people. Why do good people go too soon while assholes live forever? Age old question.

Obsessively watched Chopped, Mob Wives, and Investigation Discovery channel.

Started this blog.

And a host of other things, big and small.

I look back on 2011 fondly, and look forward to 2012 with anticipation.

Goals include continuing to have an attitude of gratitude, even for the small things; writing here at least thrice weekly; spending time and energy on the wonderful people in my life; crossing some things off of my Life List including seeing Niagara Falls from Oh Canada, walking on the Golden Gate Bridge, and freezing my ass off while doing the Polar Bear Plunge; getting back to the healthy eating/exercise I was doing well with until the holidays; and avoiding the midget plot to take over the world.

Wishing you and yours the very best in the last four hours of 2011, and more of the same in 2012. Thank you for indulging me and reading this blog.

Kissing 2011 goodbye like Julia Roberts singing in the tub in Pretty Woman,

SMD

p.s. Good luck to MFD tomorrow, who is marching in his 24th mummer's parade. I am proud of his participation in this tradition that is so richly woven into this city's history. Cannot wait to see you and Ferko on TV lovey!

p.p.s. Parade Party Attendees, I have 3.5 bottles of blackberry brandy. Everyone pray it's enough.

Here's a Tip: I've been washing my face with oil.

Say what? Yes, it's true. I've been washing my face with oil thanks to some recommendations from friends and The Oil Cleansing Method. Me, who has bemoaned my shitty skin, zits, and oily face for decades. I am now washing my face in it.

I first heard about this oil cleansing method almost a year ago from my friend Diva T. I pshaw'ed her and said NEVER, mofo! Then Rachel H. brought it up again this year, and I thought what the shit, nothing else is working. I might as well try the blasphemous Oil Cleansing Method.

Never say never is sort of the lesson here, as evidenced by my conversion to The Oil Cleansing Method and also my ability to not wash my hair daily despite saying for years, "I have to wash my hair every day, I can't take it/wake up/feel clean unless I wash my hair, blah blah blah, it's fine if YOU don't wash every day, but with MY hair I need to, blah blah blah." And, no I don't need to and my hair looks better than it has in years. So stick that in your pipe and smoke it, never sayers.

Awesome payout #1 of using this method: I'm not dropping one zillion dollars on moisturizers and other face potions guaranteed to make my skin as fresh as the skin on a newborn baby's ass. Nothing ever worked and  I never used anything until it was finished. And when I *did* find something that worked, it was discontinued - I'm looking at you, Avon True Porefection. I bought a bottle of castor oil and a bottle of sunflower oil, mixed them up in a travel bottle, and that's it. Dunzo.

Awesome thing #2 of using this method: I am a lazy as hell face washer and rarely do it. Which coincides perfectly with how you do the oil cleansing method. Just rub a wash cloth over my face most days? Sold.

So reporting in after a week: My skin is much softer and looks a lot better. I do have some new zits, which they said would happen. But my old zits are basically disappearing, which is wonderful. And it's not oily to the touch.

I'll keep you apprised of the state of my face. I know you're on tenterhooks now, bitches.

Oily oily oily oily, life is but a dream. Happy hump day!

SMD

p.s. Why when I google images for Never Say Never, does google images donkey punch me with 20483084 pages of Bieber? Jesus Christ! Some warning would be nice.

Knock knock. Is anybody home?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Exhausted. Next year I am saving my days and taking this entire week off, for sure. Santa  missed the memo to get MFD slippers for Christmas...he has two right feet ones from two different pairs and wore them all day. Poor guy. I will be getting him some matching ones this week.

Due to the kitchen remodel, we decorated on 12/23 and put our tree up on 12/24. We have never been so late. I normally like to restore order and begin the new year without Christmas items up, but MFD loves his Christmas stuff out so this year I agreed to leave it up until 1/6. Merry Christmas babe.

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas weekend.

We did our traditional Christmas Eve at Sandy's, followed by some more family stuff. Christmas morning was a whirlwind, and we had a steady stream of visitors from about 11 a.m. all through the day and night. I believe our last guests left around 4 a.m.?  It was wonderful and the new kitchen was enjoyed by all. I stayed up too late, drank too much, and laughed my ass off at all the beer cans I found in all the cabinets.  Someone (Michelle) was nice enough to give me some laughs and also to document them with my own camera. hahahahah
 

On a sad note, we lost a wonderful person on Christmas Eve. Mr. Ricci was a true friend, very giving and loving to so many people, and an all around fantastic guy. I have known him since I was about six, and he was always so good to me. I am so sad he is gone, and my heart is with his family and everyone else who loved him.

Things like this remind me that you never know what's going to happen. It's so important to appreciate and focus on the good  in your life. Life is simply too short to give creedence to anything that brings negativity into your atmosphere. Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful. Appreciate the people who bring you joy and be grateful for every day. This concludes my soapboxy sermon.

Toodleoo, I hope you have an easy peasy week. Speaking of easy peasy, I saw a variation of this on pinterest and did my veggies like this on Christmas day. I thought it was fun.

Is it 5 pm yet?

SMD