TWTW - the one with the split

Things that were not faster than a speeding bullet: the progression of last week. But alas we did finally arrive to a rainy Friday that culminated in the finale of Malt Madness in my office and my favorite pizza delivered by MFD before I headed to the shore for a quick overnight.

I cannot resist the lure of the ocean after a storm, so I got up to see that Saturday morning and her mighty power put on a fine display under gray skies that gradually gave way to light. Lots of foam on the beach and beach erosion. Pics on the beach in front of the Flanders Hotel:

I road my bike down to the Music Pier and the jetty around 5th Street to survey those scenes too before riding back heading into the ferocious wind. Shit that was hard. I popped into Drip N' Scoop for a coffee, then back to do some things at the house and read a bit.

I made quick work of the mile long Spring Block Party, buying local food stuff, a CD for Lola, and of course visiting the tie dye man because I have a severe tie dye obsession. Do you spy one of my new pairs of athleisure shoes? They're iridescent.

I was back home by noon and tired like it was midnight, but I did some things around the house and then begrudingly ran my errands. Every time I have to go to stores, I am reminded why I get groceries delivered. I had to go buy flowers in person anyway though, so...oh...and I left Mae outside by accident for the two hours I was gone. She was pissed. When MFD got home we watched Florence Foster Jenkins. I freaking love Meryl Streep.

Sunday we slept in until 8:30. Weekly food prep ensued immediately. Breakfast is zucchini pie, snacks are strawberries and yogurt, lunch is pasta/chicken/veggie salad, and dinners are greek bowls and baked chicken with steamed broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes.

After I had the dishwasher going and the sheets changed and in the wash, I thought I'd have to suck it up and get out and deal with the flower bed but it started raining sideways so that was postponed. I purged my dresses and went through some bags that have been sitting around collecting crap. I also reorganized my laundry stuff using some things I had around the house to estimate sizes I need. Some of them will be cleaned up and some replaced, but I'm finally transitioning away from commercial laundry detergent. More on that in the future as MFD uses up the commercial stuff we have left. I did finally clear out the spring bulbs and plant the summer flowers under the watchful eyes of Gus and Geege. A shower, fresh nails (Essie Sunday Funday - it's been a while), putting away sheets and towels, and sinking into Woman No. 17 followed.

Today my best boy Geege turns 13. 

In case you missed it this weekend and have interest in either of these topics: organizing your recipe collection and steel buildings and reducing pressure on the planet's resources. 

Tomorrow! Show Us Your Books with me and Jana!

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

Time to refuel

This actually is a burnt out light bulb. 

MAN. My light bulb is burnt out you guys. I'm busy at work, I have a zillion errands to run, I can't catch up on hausfrauing, my mind is going a mile a minute all the time. I'm feeling the pull from many directions, and pressure to do and be from all sides. My brain seriously felt like it might fall out of my head yesterday.

This morning I thought about the small things that made me smile over the past week and it helped me relight my fire enough to switch it into gear and finish this week out in ass kicking style.

• Sleeping with the windows open
• New nail polish
• Catching Overboard on tv
• Staying up late to finish a good book
• Sleeping in
• Laughing so much my cheeks and stomach hurt
• Dreaming about soft ice cream
• Found money

• Seeing lots of sweet mullets in person
• A successful new recipe
• A coupon for a free iced coffee
• Two vats of iced coffee in my fridge 
• Spending time with my BFF 
• Hearing one of my more obscure favorite songs on the radio
• The arrival of US Magazine in the mailbox just as the weekend is starting
• Leftovers from my neighbor =  don't need to pack my lunch
• A cheery little pitcher
• Drying lavender
• Kisses from my dogs
• Getting a video of my brother's first college soccer game from my mom since I couldn't be there
• A funky bottle adds a little disco to dish doing 

• Fruit in a bowl
• Turning off the Republican National Convention and going to bed
• A shopping trip with MFD
• The smell of baby powder
• Brother's Pizza
• Getting veggies from my uncle's garden
• Brie
• A three day weekend looming in the not so distant future

What's getting you over the hump today?

p.s. I mentioned coffee twice in that list. That calls for another cup. Cheers. 

I'd Like to Buy the World a Home...

and furnish it with love. Grow apple trees and honey bees and snow white turtle doves. Take it away 70s commercial people!

Also considered as musical accompaniment:  My Favorite Things by those damn Von Trapp children and their nanny. Except my name is not Laura or Kim and I am not enamored of The Sound of Music. But I digress.

Here are some of my favorite things, that I wish everyone had or had experience with...except for the selfish assholes who only think of themselves and don't care about others, or people that harm people or animals on purpose. For those people, I envision a raging army of fire ants perpetually attacking their private parts. Anyway these are a few of my favorite things:

Sanuks

Intimate Knowledge of this Movie (whoever stole my copy from my house, may your ass burn with the fire of 1 million suns for eternity)

Totes Clear Umbrella

Aid Through Trade Roll On Bracelets

Pureology Shampoo and Conditioner

Cindy Crawford Washable Slip Cover Sofas (especially if you have smelly snorting dogs who are always on the couch)

Yoga Pants

Brother's Pizza

Ceramic Christmas Trees

A Tiny Baby Jesus Candle Purchased at ShopRite

Experience Working For a Cause Like This

Parties where the Preferred Attire is a Wedding Gown



Professional Photography of your Dog(s)

Friends Like These

More favorite things to come, I'm sure. Until then, happy Monday. If you have off for this banker's holiday, I am jealous and bitter. Enjoy yourselves, and also: kiss my grits. I am getting a free lunch though, and chances are you are not.

Working on Columbus Day,

SMD

p.s. Good season Phils!
p.p.s. While I do wish I wasn't working, I don't think Christopher Columbus is a good reason to have the day off.

Luke loves Laura. And so do I.

image from generalhospital.tv

Oh, General Hospital. Luke and Laura Spencer. Luke loved Laura Laura loved Luke on and on ad infinitum for years on GH. Nevermind them and their long history of love, pain, intrigue, moronic son Lucky and foolish daughter Lulu. I am easily distracted on Friday mornings.  I have my own Laura, and this post is about her. When you're as close as we've been for going on 23 years, you can sense each other's moods, whether you live around the corner or two hours away from each other. Today I think Laura could use some laughs and good cheer, no bobs about it. Henceforth on August 5 I will celebrate the anniversary of Laura Being Awesome. In honor of this day, an ode to Laura.

A LITTLE ABOUT LAURA

Laura loves Air Supply, interpretive dance, fudge, wedding planning, participating in dance offs, Brothers Pizza, kids, and the Sound of Music. She is nice to old people. She believes in paying for beach tags and not making a fuss. She is not a good cook and should not ever make her own mixed drinks unless she wants to be poisoned. She can laugh at herself. She hates mustard and cheese, both of which I spilled all over her dashboard at 2 a.m. a trillion years ago. And which she had to clean off of my wedding dress because yes I served hotdogs at my wedding and yes I was messy enough to spill mustard on my wedding dress.

She was always the first to sleep at slumber parties and the first to wake up.  She had two Ford Escorts we named Menudo and Guido. When she fell asleep we used to take ridiculous photos all over them. She never knew about it until we gave her a book of them for her 21st birthday. Here she is on her 21st beside Guido.

I would hire her as my handywoman. She has done electrical work, tiling, painting, etc. in her gorgeous home in North Jerz that came standard with an elevator. She uses it for storage of cleaning supplies, but whenever we visit we like to take photos and act like assholes in it.

She is a CPA working in Manhattan. She can audit like nobody’s business and people too stupid to know she’ll always get to the bottom of something have been burned by underestimating her.  She works near Magnolia Bakery and never goes there.  How?

This crazy ass also ran the NYC Marathon a few years ago and is running it again this November. We follow her around the city boozing out of flasks, wearing t-shirts with her name on them, holding up signs with her face on them and hooting and hollering like loons. Win/win.

Her heart is the size of the moon. In addition to volunteering for Holiday Express throughout the year, she also volunteers at weekend camps for kids who have lost their parents to cancer. She travels two hours to attend Relay For Life events and walks beside me in the heat and rain to raise money for people with cancer. She lost her Dad to the disease and instead of spewing bitterness into the atmosphere she chooses to pump love into the universe. This is one of my favorite photos of Laura and Mike:

She is silly and ridiculous and not afraid of looking crazy. She makes the best costumes and wears them with glee. She is also very crafty and ingenious and to thank us for being a good support system turned jock straps into #1 Supporter Gifts.

I won’t try to describe what a huge part of my life she is. When I told her I started this blog yesterday, she offered to be my Victor. She is my family and one of the people I love most in the world, my favorite road trip partner, pretty much the only person I answer the phone for besides my parents and husband, and quite honestly one of the best people I know. If there is a rapture like some of the crazies think there will be, she is definitely moving on up. This photo is from May 21 this year, the latest Rapture Hoax.

Laura, I know you are reading this because I sent you the link. You are beautiful, strong, smart, funny, generous and wonderful. You bring a great richness to the lives of everyone lucky enough to be one of your people. Today, I hope you are celebrating that. I will be.  Happy anniversary of being awesome!

Looking through the eyes of loooooove,
SMD

p.s. I’ll still be sending you a card like I always do when I can feel your fret through the miles. Blogs don't replace Hallmark greetings.    

p.p.s. I wrote this and then went in the bathroom and cried because I am so proud of my friend for the courage and spirit she's shown in the past few years.