Friday Five-ish: Christmassy shit

Happy Friday - one week left until Christmas Eve. Two weeks left in this year. A good time to dump the holiday-ish photos I've taken here and wander off into the weekend, where I have three actual event-related things to do. After so long of having nothing to do, doing a fraction of what I used to feels like so much LOL. 

Ocean City's beach trees: North Street, 11th Street, 15th Street, 21st Street, 37th Street, and 55th Street. I also went to see the secret tree on Seaspray that lights up at night but it's been so heavily misty this week my pictures are shite.

Over a week ago my Dad and Carol took us to dinner at Macaroni's. The meal was absolutely delicious, I cannot stop thinking about the brussels or the stuffed chop. Their entry tree was amazing too. Then we drove around two of the cul-de-sacs in our neighborhood to look at the lights. 

Clark Griswold finished his window after that. You can land a plane in our living room but it always looks festive and nice.

Of course we have pet photos to accompany that.

If you're not feeling it or feeling very fucking tired of the show that is 202021 - I'm just saying it together now, it's run together and it has run well amok - hang in there. I hope you get some rest over the holidays. Remember you don't have to do everything, buy everything, see everything, be everywhere. Quiet holidays are wonderful too. Or not observing them at all if you don't feel like it also works. 

I hope everyone is vaccinated and boosted, taking advantage of the warmer temps to ventilate well or be outside and in general careful out there. If you indulge in holiday spirits, do not indulge in holiday driving.

I am ill over the national threats of school shootings trending on social media. This country is beyond broken and it cannot be fixed within the systems we currently have. This is freedom? Really? Be safe out there everyone. 

Happy happy happy birthday to my very favorite little boy  - my nephew turns four today. He is smart, funny, mercurial, and gives amazing hugs. 

TWTW - the one with the snow

One of my favorite events of the year is the Army/Navy Pep Rally in Liberty Place right next to my office. The place is packed and there's a lot of good energy. Video here.

Friday night was a soup and grilled cheese, fall asleep on the couch before 10 kind of night.

Saturday 
I did some food prep, hung with the dogs, painted my nails (Zoya Pandora, ho hum neutral), and laughed at Bruce experiencing snow for the first time. He was mystified and also tearing ass all over the yard.

Debbie and I went on guided street art walking tour in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philly with Conrad from Streets Dept blog. Tours are over for the winter, but if you like public art, check back with him in the spring! I love street art, and we both really enjoyed it. It was a beautiful winter wonderland but walking around in wet snow for two hours was fucking cold. I shared some more of the art on Instagram in this post and this post.

The drive back to the northeast was mildly treacherous so I was happy to get home. MFD was Clark Griswolding it up, baking peanut butter cookies, listening to Christmas music, and photographing his outdoor Christmas shit in the snow. ho ho ho. I made stuffed pepper soup and we watched Guardians of the Galaxy 2. I read Wonder starting in the morning and finishing at night. 

Sunday

After throwing beef stew in the crockpot, which involved searing the meat, I jetted over to get a himalayan pink salt massage, smelling of stew. Charming. Otherwise I read a book, ran the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen, did the laundry, and hung with the dogs. I'd like to tell you I cleaned out my health and beauty aids, cleaned up the shit from the shore that had taken residence on the spare room bed, and changed the bedding in there, which I've been meaning to do for 407 months now but alas I read a book from start to finish and did none of that shit. We did watch Superbad and I ordered the light fixtures for electrical work we're getting done at the shore in January. Merry Christmas, shore house!

Weekly food prep

Breakfast is kodiak waffles with syrup; snacks are hard boiled eggs and honey crisp apples; lunch is stuffed pepper soup; dinner is beef stew over egg noodles and turkey thighs with mashed sweet potatoes and snap peas. 

Happy birthday to my dear long-time friend Meem today!

Two weeks from today, it'll be Christmas. Tomorrow, it'll be Show Us Your Books.

See you back here for that! 

Stranded on a deserted island: Christmas movie edition

The title of this sounds like a nightmare to me. I am not the most Christmas-y of people. You will not find things like It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, et all on a list of my favorite Christmas movies or shows. However...

I'm sort of married to Clark Griswold, which would explain why I can't quit Christmas Vacation. I can't resist THE BLESSING, the shitter being full, and the neighbors. I mean, what about these photos does not scream Christmas to you?

Fun fact: whenever MFD and I are bickering I either picture us as Todd and Margo from Christmas Vacation or Meg and Hamilton from Best in Show. 

A Walsh Family Christmas - So it's not a movie, but it's 90210 and 90210 belongs on a deserted island with me. Cindy is sad because it's her first Christmas away from Minnesota. She invites everyone over but no one can come then they all end up there in the end. In between, Dylan visits his father in prison, Brenda stops the police from harassing an old man in a Santa suit he stole from the Peach Pit, Steve tracks down his biological maternal grandfather and finds out his biological mother is dead, Jackie and Mel get in a furious fight while Kelly pouts and David looks anxious, Donna sits there with her teeth in her mouth being Donna, and I'm sure Andrea spends the episode wringing her hands over some political or social injustice. HO HO HO MOFOS!

My final pick is a copout: A Christmas Story. I know every word and figure it would be a good memory test when I'm going insane alone on the deserted island. And MFD looks like Ralphie. Andplusalso, if I'm ever whiny or tired, I flop down like Randy so...

I'd also strand myself with a wish that there was a Christmas reunion version of Dirty Dancing. Now that would be a true gift.

What three Christmas movies would you take with you to a deserted island?

Linking up with Mix & Match Mama and A Little Bit of Everything

TWTW - fa la la la la the first one in December

It took me about five minutes to remember what I did Friday night, so you know it wasn't that scintillating. I stopped at Lou's Farm Market, made brussels sprouts, and laid around in my pajamas while MFD W. Griswold did up his front Christmas window. The tree was up but not plugged in. Poor Geege was ready for his close up too.

Saturday morning I was surprised by a visiting nurse taking blood and pee for a physical...MFD swears he told me about the appointment but he certainly did not. This made me late for breakfast with my ladies AEB and Alicia at The Hattery in Doylestown. Lots of good talk and coffee as always. I stopped into a new to me Marshalls on the way home for a stroll down the aisles, some boxes for under the tree, a new sweater for Mae, and an unnecessary but perfect mug.

Saturday afternoon we went to Crystal & Drey's wedding in a gorgeous church, then celebrated that night. Crystal looked amazing and we had a great time.

Sunday afternoon I went to Lauren's LulaRoe pop up party and did some damage. It was nice to catch up with some lady friends while browsing a lot of prints and eating delicious snacks. I got (L-R) two Carly dresses, a pair of leggings, and a Sarah cardigan. All the prints next to each other make me want to puke but alone they're lovely.

When I got home I did eleventy billion loads of laundry, hung out with the dogs, picked up around the house, and compared planners to see which one I want to use in 2017. Options are an At-a-Glance that I can no longer find online but was $17, a Sugar Paper bookbound for $13, and a Sugar Paper for $15.

Weekly food prep: power breakfast muffins to freeze (shown here pre-baking) - I hope they last and are not bricks as I forgot about them in the oven; turkey taco mix for multi-use: 1) as lunch over a bed of baby spinach, 2) to stuff into peppers with quinoa from the freezer for a dinner, 3) to stuff into a taco and into my piehole for a dinner. Breakfast is breakfast burritos from the freezer. Snacks are honey crisp apples, navel oranges, and honey mustard pretzel things. Sunday dinner was oven baked pork chops, green beans, and brown and wild rice.

Last week MFD booked a ticket to leave for North Dakota today to deliver supplies to Standing Rock. Yesterday afternoon the Army Corps of Engineers announced that they would not approve the easement for the pipeline to go through which is AWESOME. Not the end of the war by any means but a large battle won, He still flew out this morning to get whatever they may need as next steps are taken and deliver it to them or just to work as they need and donate to their legal fund, but it's under much less questionable circumstances now. Continued prayers to the water protectors who have been out there for months. This is a great lesson in why it is important to exercise your right to assemble and to stand up for what you believe in, even if people tell you you're doing something wrong, or that you don't stand a chance of stopping whatever's coming your way, or act like you're a burden on them and the resources of the government, or insult you and question your contribution to society...even if the media doesn't tell the full story and even if your own government turns water cannons and rubber bullets on you...right is right. Stand by it. 

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

Grinch List

Let me preface this by saying that I enjoy the Christmas season. I like to deck my halls, share good cheer with those dear to me, send and receive cards, sing Fairytale of New York at the top of my lungs, marvel over ugly Christmas sweaters, sit on the couch and admire the glow of our tree, put reindeer antlers on my dogs, donate toys for tots, bake Christmas cookies, watch Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story, see everyone's tree and Santa pics, the whole nine.

But there are things I don't like too, and I'm probably not the only one. We rarely mention the stressful dark side of the holiday season for fear of being branded a Scrooge. Even though this is a season cloaked in magic, there is a reality to it, like there is to everything. Not loving everything about the holiday season doesn't make me or you Scrooge. This year my gift to myself is acknowledging that.

So what don't I like?

Doing the Christmas tree. I like it when it's up, but putting it up? No. Thankfully I'm married to MFD W. Griswold and he does it start to finish. And he does it very well - he clips it lovingly with scissors, he places each ornament carefully. He has an eye for symmetry and our tree is always beautiful. I usually have to take it down, which I also hate, but I'll take it. And, pine needles. Insidious vacuum hose ruiners.

Christmas music 24/7. Or that Christmas Shoes song, ever.

The attempt to cram a year of cheer into one month. By 12/26, I'm tired.

Seeing Christmas decor in stores at Halloween (I'm looking at you, Kohl's), really irks me. It takes away some of the rush. I remember when nothing was up in stores until after Thanksgiving, and it seemed like magic happened overnight. Now it's the sales that happen overnight. It puts me in a bad mood. I feel like greed and consumerism take over a lot of the season.

Expecting shiny happy kumbaya love circles because it's the holidays. Not everyone gets along or likes everyone else, and that's okay. That's life. Pretending for December is awkward.

Scheduling Christmas Day. Have I timed it right? Are we spending enough time everywhere? Someone is invariably disappointed and I am always anxious about it in advance. Why is it harder to keep in mind during the holidays that if you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one?

The holiday season tests my desire to keep a good life balance. I want to do everything and be everywhere and see everyone. I have to remember that I can't do it all without getting totally run down, rendering me useless like Randy in A Christmas Story.

This concludes the airing of the grievances and holiday whining.

Next up: feats of strength and holiday posts about pooping candy cane scented sunshine.

Linking up with Helene, Emily and Kathleen for Tell Me About it Tuesday.

Listen up: Christmas Playlist

Before ipods were as common as the cold, MFD and I made Christmas CDs for everyone each year. Then no one used CDs anymore. The End.

Just kidding.

Here's my Christmas playlist for this year without input from MFD, because between this kitchen renovation and mummery we barely have time to talk to each other let alone craft a Christmas playlist.  Some of these songs make it every year, of course. I kept it to 20 songs because you have better things to do.

1. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah the Pariah. Kenny Schwarz is the only person I know who hates this song.

2. Christmas is Coming - Vince Guaraldi Trio. I think Charlie Brown is a weinerwhistle (I know this is not a popular opinion and some of you want to throw snowballs at me for this) but the music is wonderful.

3. The Christmas Story - Dexter Gordon

True Story: This poster hangs in our spare bedroom.

4. Danse of the Sugar Plum Fairies - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

5. Last Christmas - Wham. I sang the shit out of this song in the car on Saturday. It was awesome.

Happy Christmas. I wrapped it up and sent it out with a note saying "I love you," I meant it now I know what a fool I've been but if you kiss me now I know you'll fool me again

6. A Marshmallow World - Bing Crosby

7. Mele Kalikimaka - Bing & The Andrews Sisters

8. Purple Snowflakes - Marvin Gaye

9. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Jackson Five

10. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes

11. What Christmas Means to Me - Stevie Wonder

12. 2000 Miles - The Pretenders

13. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues. It was Christmas Eve, babe...in the drunk tank. I love love love love this song, always have and always will. My favorite unconventional Christmas tune.

14. There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays - The Carpenters

15. Father Christmas - The Kinks

16. Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton



Merry Christmas Dolly. I love you.

17. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - BNL and Sarah McLachlan

18. Here Comes Santa Claus - Willie Nelson. God love you Willie Nelson. I hope you get a fat bag of weed from Santa.

19. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

20. Please Come Home for Christmas - The Eagles

If you're not familiar with any of these, I hope you check them out and enjoy them as much as I do.

Keep a good thought for us as we race to the finish line on this kitchen reno. We currently don't have a useable sink/garbage disposal, and our water is not hooked up to the fridge. Back splash would be a nice present under 12/20's tree. And we have one sad wreath up as decor. Clark is not well. I did buy him a t-shirt that said Go Griswold or Go Home. hahahah ho ho ho ho

HO HO HO mofos!

SMD

p.s. I just ordered Christmas Vacation, how the hell do I not own this already? Thank you Amazon.

Ninjas and other Wednesday Things

To kick off Wednesday Things, I will discuss Tuesday. It must be done. I hate Tuesdays, always have, they suck the life out of the week and serve no purpose. So I am always surprised when I have a Tuesday that sort of rocks. Yesterday was one of them. Thank you Universe.

All of my Christmas shopping is done and everything is wrapped. Thank you tiny baby awful wrap job jesus for gift bags. Kiss my grits bitches!

You can walk on my kitchen floor again, and we have some walls. From what I hear, we also now have appliances. The rest of the house is still a fucking war zone. I cannot wait to put this all back together after the counter tops are installed on Saturday. When you exist in an orderly space and are plunged into chaos, it screws with your head. Plus my dogs are puking, pissing and pooping wherever they please to show their great displeasure with what's going on. Is this over yet? How do people do longer renovations?

Eleven days out from Christmas we have no tree, indoor or outdoor decorations. MFD, aka Clark Gris, is not happy. Saturday we are missing two holiday parties and a dinner invite from dear friends to set things to rights and make Clark's heart fill with the joy of the season.

MFD and I are hosting a Christmas Open House on 12/25, and I'm plotting the menu this week, which I love to do. If you're hosting Christmas or the Eve, what are you having? Are you trying anything new? I want to try some stuff I've pinned on pinterest or starred on my Google Reader.

Jalapeno Popper Dip, you've made the cut. Congratulations.
You can thank Jessica W. for the gold star after I pinned her pin on pinterest. Say that three times fast.  

The sky was so gorgeous this morning I almost got into an accident staring at it.

I watched a Storage Wars marathon last night. I love that show. I would like to pitch my own show to A&E: Thermostat Wars.  MFD cranks the heat up and turns our house into a floppy sweatbox so he can meander around in shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt all winter. Meanwhile I'm so hot I'm panting and woozy and my skin is so dry it's about to crack. But he questions my need for humidifiers on every floor.  We conduct our Thermostat Wars like sniper ninjas. We don't discuss the heat. I hear "beep beep beep" from wherever I am and I know he's turned it up, so I wait a few seconds before slinking over and turning it down, "beep beep beep beep." A&E, this is a goldmine. I'll be awaiting your call.

And finally, the zit on my face looks like a flesh wound. Am I 14 or 34?

Searching around for some Clearasil,

SMD