Miscellaneous shit from the past month Vol 5

After a long hiatus from doing concerts and all via Covid and just general disinterest due to life stage, it felt good to be back this year since I intentionally tried to make it The Year of Live Music that turned into the Year of Live Things in General. I saw Jagged Little Pill the musical in January, Bruce & the E-Street Band in Atlanta in February, missed the goddamn Gin Blossoms in February due to Covid but they were booked, Harlan Coben in March, music in the park in Langhorne at the end of May, Elin Hilderbrand in June,  Bare Naked Ladies/Del Amitri/Five for Fighting in July, and of course I saw Bruce at the Meadowlands, which was a bucket list concert for me, with Melissa and Tris the week before Labor Day weekend. Bruce was scheduled for Philly too with my Dad & brother but that was postponed until August 2024. Today is Bruce's birthday. Happy birthday to the boss!

Anyway the Year of Live Things concluded its booked portion this week with Ray LaMontagne at the Met and Kate Baer in conversation with Jessica Knoll at the Northampton Library. I also saw Jennifer Weiner at Bucks the Thursday after Labor Day, and had dinner with my mom after. I'm on the hunt for some live music/things to do for the remaining three months of the year, preferably around the shore since I'll mostly be there with a few spots of Philly intermixed. The live music/event doesn't have to be famous so if you have suggestions especially near the shore, let me know

The end of summer at the shore was good - MFD’s fam was down, mine over Labor Day, his Aunt Maureen spent a few days with us and it was nice to visit with her. Mom and alRich were supposed to be down this weekend but switched to end of Oct due to weather. 

Have I mentioned stilt people are at the top of the list with clowns of things I do not ever want to encounter?

Isn't she a beaut? I actually got one of those Brads deals things in my signature color. This was a fucking steal. It's quite a bit bigger than the yellow one from Aubrey I've been rocking the past few years and will likely continue to use for my shorter beach trips.

I just need to leave this here.

This will never go out of style. Fuck him and everyone excusing him and everyone on the fascist down escalator to hell.

Random things that have been kicking around in my head.

My hand is raised.

In the past week the dogs went back to Dog Beach and loved it - still another week before they are allowed back on our regular beach - and Shittah went to the vet and hated it. He refuses to be in a carrier so he went on his harness. He was pissed regardless.

Covid pause killed all of my creativity including cooking but I'm feeling like I'd like to do it again. I made greek chicken bowls recently, and ground chicken with a cauliflower veggie mix and some sesame oil and soy sauce to clean out the freezer. On the last day of summer (yesterday) I finally had two really good pieces of corn on the cob. I feel like I didn't get enough fresh farm food this summer. Also Snoop has cereal and it's not good. 

We cannot get enough of topo chico in the glass bottles with a little lime over ice. 

Adult level joy is finding the tart cherry juice you flavor your water with on sale for half price.

The only time I would ever touch Hunt's ketchup is to purchase it for a blind ketchup taste test happening this fall. Heinz only, FOREVER

Are we all loving connections as much as me? I do Wordle, connections, and a daily crossword all on my phone (I also do crosswords by hand still obvi). Gotta keep that aging brain fresh to death

This is my perimenopause headshot. Do you like it?

We are one main mini split and one window AC unit down at the shore. We are in the make a list of things to do portion of shore time.

Happy first day of fall. This is my favorite type of pumpkin.

My weekend plans were changed due to rain so I figured I'd use the time to catch up on random shit I like to keep on the blog. Hope you're well

Snippets of the weekend 2.6.2023

Weekend started bright and early on Thursday with a 9 am flight to Atlanta after two nights of very little sleep. I saw an old train co-commuter douche causing issues on the flight there with very high maintenance white man shit and my blood was boiling. Gwen's flight landed around the same time so we met up at the Marta and took the train to our hotel (Marriott Marquis) to drop our stuff off and grab lunch at Gibney's Pub. It was raining and that was close. They had no lemons, fries, or White Claw, but we made it through. Mimi arrived soon after and we relaxed in the room then hit Kuts steak house for dinner, also very close due to torrential rain. I was very happy to go the fuck to sleep and slept 10 freaking hours.

Friday we walked to breakfast at Atlanta Breakfast Club and it was fantastic - food, service, music, vibe. I got the chicken and waffles topped with peach cobbler. I am not a typical waffles person but the chicken was seasoned amazingly and I'm glad I did it.

We walked back to the hotel - why were we unaware Atlanta had hills? - then off to Cabbagetown to see amazing street art in the neighborhood and through Krog Street Tunnel. I'm sharing here for my own keeps despite some shadows due to time of day. Skip down past a bunch of collages if you DGAF.

We got coffee/beer at Krog Street Market, then drove to Ponce Market and did a walk around and had lunch at Minero's, which we all thought was Miner's LOLOL

Then it was time to lay down for a minute. Gena & Greg arrived and settled in, Tess arrived and her and Mimi went to get ready, and we walked over to the State Farm Arena. I cannot believe how orderly and nice everyone was. Super different experience than events in Philly LOL. Once inside we split up for our seats. Gwen and I loved where we were, and there was a standing/seated table area right behind us and we spent a lot of the concert there singing and dancing. It was so great to see Bruce with the band again. I saw them on their last tour in 2016, then saw him on Broadway in 2018, and hoped like hell Covid did not kill my chances of seeing him again. He played for 2.45, never left the stage. Still great at 73. We all met up after and hit up Gibney's for two nightcaps. Fantastic day.

Saturday we walked to Apache for brunch. I had eggs over medium with fried pork chops and another stellar food/service/music/vibe situation. Loved it. 

We had tickets for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and we did that an hour earlier than planned so as to only do the hill back to the hotel once LOL. An important and heavy experience. To know that it was not that long ago. And how far we have not come.

Back for a period of rest before walking literally next door for dinner at Pacific Rim Bistro. Something Gwen ordered arrived at the table on fire and it was hilarious. We sat in the lobby bar after dinner before saying our goodbyes. This is us in the elevator: 47 floors of a hotel and we were in 3622 and 3621 without planning it at all and checking in a day apart. 

Sunday alarms started going off at 4 and that is just unkind. Mimi dropped us at the airport and the goddamn guy from my train was on the flight again and talked the ENTIRE time and everyone was so mad. MFD picked me up, I had groceries delivered, slept for four hours on the couch, and we ordered cheesesteaks and watched the entire second season of Hacks.

weekending reels on Instagram 

These ladies are my first internet friends that I've known for 23+ years. We used to try and get together yearly, and that spread longer a lot of times over the years for us as a group. Super happy to have weekended with them in May and again this past weekend and we floated Groundhog's weekend next years too, closer to Gwen this time. I was also happy to see Tess in person for the first time in years and meet Gena's man Greg in person, and he fit right in with us. A great weekend with forever friends I adore. 

 

Dog stuff for people who want a dog but can't get one

Happy Friday everyone! Look at t he best friend dogs this morning, not working, sunning themselves while I toil away to earn money to keep them in the style in which they are accustomed. 

I was talking with a friend recently who really wants a dog but can't have one due to her rental agreement. That was us at one time, and then we moved to a place where we could get a dog (thanks Maria!) and got Gus. Then Geege. Then we owned our own home and could have as many as we wanted, which was at one time four and while I do not necessarily recommend that number, I do remember what it was like to really want a dog and not be able to get one. 

You might also be in that position - maybe you can't due to lease constraints, or you don't have the space, time, energy, money, physical ability, or mental capacity to care for a dog all the time. If any of those things apply by all means please DO NOT GET A DOG. It rarely works out well when people insist on getting a dog they can't look after. 

Even if having a dog isn't in the cards for you right now, it doesn't mean your life has to be dog-less. There are still plenty of ways you can have dogs in your life without actually owning a dog. 

Be a dog walker or a dog sitter

When you can't have a dog of your own, consider borrowing someone else's. If you have friends and relatives who have dogs,  they're grateful for someone to help look after them. You can volunteer to walk their dogs when they don't have time or to look after them when they're away. You might also have neighbors who could use the help. 

I'm looking for an in-home pet sitter for a week in June. I frequently need someone who can pop over and let the dogs out. People like me need people like you, and I prefer to use people I know or who know people I know. And in addition to getting to be around dogs, you get paid to do these things. Of course, you should have some experience with dogs before you start offering your services. But dogsitting is a great way to earn a little extra income while living your life and working your job if you have one.

Work with a shelter or rescue

Getting involved with a dog rescue or shelter is a great way to keep dogs in your life, and there are a lot of ways to do it. If you just want to do a small part to help a rescue, you could donate to or buy from an organization like Redemption Paws. It's a good option for showing your support and your love of dogs by wearing something that tells everyone how much you like them. You could also look for opportunities to volunteer with a rescue or shelter. If you're able to have a dog at home but not on a permanent basis, you could even consider fostering. There's so much need for donations of money and time. 

Dog Show! 

Mr. David Larry and Miss Colleen and Mr. Rocky Balboa and Mr. Bojangles (who knows this skit?) One of the most hilarious of all time

If you just want to be around dogs, you can find events that are centered around the four-legged, furry creatures. This could include competitions such as agility shows, as well as events that are just about dogs and their owners having fun. Sometimes these events might be held at dog-friendly places such as dog parks or beaches. Ocean City had a Doo Dah parade a few weekends ago, which is full of dachshunds. They also do a Howl-o-ween parade here. Look for events held in your local area to find fun things to attend that are usually free too, and full of so many people that showing up without a dog is a fine flex. 

It doesn't matter if you can't own a dog. There are still ways to keep dogs in your life.

 

Thursday Thoughts - don't leave false illusion behind

Picture it. Spring, 1980.

Add book, mug, and lipstick and my material life is reduced to a where you throw your shit when you walk in the door vignette

Treasures and death: a collage. Good week for treasures. Lots of dead things out there, Bruce and Ben tried to eat every single one in addition to the tiny alive crabs. 

Before. Shoulder season crowds loading. Spring is a hard time to intentionally book a trip to the shore far out - it could be so nice and it could be miserable and freezing. Every trip is weather dependent but few people like to freeze at the shore in spring when they know it's warmer inland.

Accomplishments. This week I took a bunch of returns to the post office, worked on taxes, picked up library books, ate a lot of vegetables, went through my bathing suits, purged clothes I have down here, booked two of the hotels for our New England road trip, and did my shore calendar and seasonal list. It's the little things. 

Misadventures in DIY. Who paints the bathroom floor THEN decides to have a team come in to paint walls, a plumber to replace the toilet, an electrician to fix a light fixture, and a husband to install a towel rack and toilet paper holder, requiring another coat before a top coat goes on? This dumbass. But I finally did the top coat last night, which will cure for seven days. 

You gotta get the big mama jar. The price of food has reached pearl clutching levels.

Scenic. March came in like a lamb and seems to be going out like a lion. It is confused by life in the now, like most of us. Off to secure my outdoor furniture and shit.

My constant starer.

Hope you all had a great Women's History Month and remember that every month is Black History Month and Women's History Month,  every month is the time to dismantle systems of oppression rooted in racism and patriarchy, and every month is the month to point your pitchfork in the right direction and clean up your own people's messes before you borrow messes from other people. Art by Kelly Reemsten

In the age of social media, this is a lost art. Reading and learning is so good and important and we bypass it a lot to make some sort of statement, like it's required of us. It's not. Even if we have at other times. I hope you follow Rabbi Danya. She provokes great thought in me. 

I'd like to thank the Academy in advance for cleaning up all of its messes. 

We could of course go into things we should all be talking about. Like the wife of a sitting Supreme Court Justice being in on the January 6 coup attempt as well as a conservative lobbyist and that same justice being the only one to rule against release of information instead of recusing himself for a conflict of interest. Like the former president continually being a lying liar who lies. Like misinformation and hot takes being presented as fact and disseminated to the masses by Fox News. Like the war in Ukraine and the threat Russia with an unhinged mediocre man at the helm poses to everyone. Like how we are treating Ukrainian refugees versus how we have received Middle Eastern refugees. Like high prices being passed off as "supply chain issues" and "inflation" instead of what it is in many cases - corporate greed, C-suite bonuses, stock buybacks all under record profit quarters while citizens suffer in the stores and at the pump. The widening wealth gap. The price of medications. Student loan debt crushing people. Gun violence. Violence born out of desperation, depression, lack of opportunity. Mental health. Substance abuse disorder. Black people sitting in jail on weed charges while white people are legal and licensed to distribute now. The farcical war on drugs period. Book banning bullshit and the silencing of teachers. Cutting off the ability to teach CRITICAL THINKING. The absolute disregard for nurses and their vitally important role in this world. Making sure gay and trans kids don't feel like they are legislated out of existence. And so much more. 

I hope we all have the day we deserve! Well, I hope that every day, and that we live knowing that is going to be the case. 

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Eye in the Sky by The Alan Parsons Project

Thursday Thoughts - there's an opera out on the Turnpike, there's a ballet being fought out in the alley

1.I love a warm fall where you just need a long sleeve in the morning or night but can still wear shorts. I don't need to be wearing leggings and boots and sweaters on September 22. But I would like to not expire from humidity. As of last night, it's finally porch weather again so Bruce sits waiting for passerby to fawn over him and we headed out there after Dog Beach too.

2. MFD cleaned the porch and put out the fall/winter carpets while I was in the city this week. I'm waiting on the arrival of my pillows and am picking up pumpkins today or tomorrow. I put some fall stuff out upstairs in the house at the shore too, I don't go crazy with seasonal decor like I did when I first had a place of my own but I do like to change a few things out. Philly house is next.

3. Happy birthday, Bruce Springsteen the man. 71 today. Happy birthday Jenny Leslie also!

4. Hiiii, do your own research people. Get vaccinated I am sick of this shit

5. Never say never me is back - I did my first reel on Instagram last night as a practice run because I'm introducing them in my job. I prefer to fuck social media shit up on my own account so I know what I'm doing on professional accounts. And I fucked it up last night and had to re-do so I'm happy I stick with that policy above all else. Mae was the subject. She usually travels in a pair with Gus but she's been weird this week so I kept her with me. 

6. Other shore shots from this week of Dog Beach frolickers and the full harvest moon Monday night. If you have never stood with your feet in the water when it's a full moon, you should. The energy is present  and palpable in the water. It is a cool experience. Put it on your list. Crazy rip tides here this week. 

7. That time I went into the office dressed as Grimace, forgot my coveted Kouklet slices from DiBruno among other things, remembered how much I missed street shots, and picked up a new shampoo to try in person in a store. Alternatively titled: Tuesday

8. Having the blue corporate party in office doesn't do a fucking thing for human rights either. There's no excuse for what is happening at the border. It is not illegal to seek asylum, people should not be met with violence you can see on the faces of agents NO MATTER WHO IS PRESIDENT. Biden condemning this doesn't mean a motherfucking thing. Words don't mean shit. Treat everyone with dignity, root white supremacy out of Homeland Security, and abolish ICE flat out or you are not upholding democratic values. Fuck this centrist shit. And fuck anyone who needs to apply context to this situation as if rules and policies should come before human life and safety. If you're worried about who will pay for asylum seekers, worry about who is paying for corporate welfare because THAT IS ALREADY YOU AND IT'S BEEN YOU. Our entire immigration "policy" is white supremacy period. All images and captions can be found on Instagram. Unsurprising that the daughter of MLK is spot on everything.

9. Reminder, via Mimi Moffie

10. Ecards

How are you?

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Jungleland by Bruce Springsteen