Snippets of the weekend 1.2.2023

Friday I was up, showered, and out early to return shit to Kohl's, pick up a few groceries and some fresh flowers to end the year on a pretty note, and back home. I painted my nails quick & sloppy (OPI Verde Nice to Meet You and Zoya Charli). We picked up lunch and visited MFD's Gram who turned 94 Christmas week. Home to have a lie down before heading to Stephen & Aubrey's. 

We met up with Chris & Diana, Stephen's work friends, and Mike at Tired Hands then proceeded across the street to Ardmore Music Hall for the Stop Making Sense show, a Talking Heads cover band. The production was really good and they played long so I was super happy to have done the afternoon lie down LOL. MFD popped in at Uptown and we got home after 1.

Saturday NYE I did some purging and organizing, changed sheets, did a face mask, ran to Marshalls, finished a book and started another, and at night we did appetizers - roasted asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, pigs in a blanket, mac & cheese balls. Dessert was angel food cake with lemon curd and mixed berries. We burned a bayberry candle and others down to the nubs and called it a year. I trusted the year would flip at midnight without me watching and I definitely did not make it until 10 pm

Sunday NYD MFD was gone to mummery early. I did laundry, made pork, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and ate none of it. 

My brother picked me up and took me to my other brother's house where we did eat that meal. The pork was outstanding. We walked over to see MFD and Uptown come back from the parade and hung out until about 10:30. Follow Evan Leslie Images on FB for more photos of Uptown in costume and of course if you are looking for a photographer for life's big and small moments or for any corporate/product needs.

Monday was a lazy day in observation of the new year and devoted entirely to eating leftovers and watching season two of Succession.

weekending reels on Instagram 

Back to work after 10 days off is what we're doing today aside from wishing my BFF Laura a fantastic birthday.

Thursday Thoughts - Autumn comes for a time, but autumn sways

Streets Dept Walls To the  Polls 2022 murals are up in LOVE Park and they are worth seeing.

The birthplace of American independence from the British is showing out against fascism. Hopefully you show out against fascism too. Election deniers are fascists. People against bodily autonomy are fascists. Fascists are anti-freedom. Anti-freedom is anti-America. People in PA, if you vote for Mastriano, he is an Election denier and that makes you... What are you? Let's stop dancing around shit. If you vote for people who America would have been against in WWII because of their "beliefs" about elections that have been disproven in courts ad infinitum and bodily autonomy which is a human right for all people, that's voting for fascism. If you are an elected official and you support someone who is an election denier, you are supporting fascism and you do not belong in office. If you can't bring yourself to vote for a democrat don't vote for that position on Election Day. Just you and yourself in that booth. No one else needs to know, but your heart will know you didn't vote for fascism. 

Monthly massage at Blossom Bodywork on Tuesday - you need to get in with Sarah if you are in Northeast Philly/Bucks County. Trust me. Monthly massage for wellness is so good for me. It's good for you too, and you should do it.

I hit up my acupuncturist too. Which is also so good for me and my wellness and I need to get back on the monthly rotation versus every three to six months. My acu is amazing for many reasons and shit like this hanging in their window is one.

Best good boy

Must be Fall Family Event season. 

Have I ever told you MFD eats old people food? Here's an example.

Two days in the office this week did me in. So weird to think I used to do that all the time. We're still putting the Philly house back together after the bathroom project. When I finish getting my artwork for that I'll share photos. Construction dust is still everywhere and will be for a while but MFD is working on eradicating that in passes. 

I'm pivoting to the big bathroom at the shore, which will be undergoing a mini transformation soon. I need to pick a paint color and order my canvases for that too. 

Happy Thursday! It's gray here today and a good day to sink into the couch with a book (I'm reading Mad Honey, Jodi Picoult's newest, and it feels like old Jodi Picoult). But alas we must participate in the capitalism. Cheerio

 
What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Autumn Comes by David Gramberg

Thursday Thoughts - it's like glass when we break

1. Perpetually under construction. Dead stop traffic at every and all times of day. I'm always shocked there has not be a serial killer triggered by the traumatic events of traveling 95 through Philadelphia.  

2. I got one front flower bed cleared under the cover of darkness and two left to do. And the weeds. Always the MFing weeds. Mums from Jen's girls' dance fundraiser are out and some Halloween stuff. MFD cannot locate my hanging skeletons in his shed of disorganized horror. 

3. At the shore, he missed trash day on the rug and has added a second chair to his driveway living room. I am not amused.

4. Billy Hicks is very interested in the driveway living room and outdoor happenings. Disregard the glass door that has perma sludge from humidity and salt air.

5. Since we are falling into longer pants, I thought it would be a good time to review my non-fashionista stance on 

• jeans: no, not at any time
• Jeggings: yes, pull on only not stretchy jeans with button and zipper masquerading as jeggings
• leggings: yes, and definitely under dresses instead of tights...and while I am looking forward to the LulaRoe documentary I would like to say that their solid black leggings are still king and I own multiple pairs with no regrets. Also into these garment died ones from Old Navy. I can never find navy so these please me very much.
• bootcut pants: Yes if they are the Duluth Trading Company NoGA Boot Cut Pants
• joggers: fuck off out of here, no

6. My mom and Rich were at the shore this week and before they left they dropped off the triple threat from Johnson's which is carmel corn, buttered popcorn, and cheese popcorn. I learned about it from Aubrey and shit is it good.

7. I've been reading one book all week. A few times a year I go into the declined requests section of Netgalley to make sure I've added what I want to Goodreads, and I am pleased in a petty way when I was denied for a book that has like an average 3 review. Bye. I've been reading one book since Sunday. My brain was tapped out Monday & Tuesday. I have library books on deck next. 

8. I shared this on Instagram yesterday but wanted to make sure I put it here for the last day of Recovery Month. I was a trash person who said junkie in the past and used to ask people why they weren't drinking. Know better, do better. If you didn't know, now you do. 

9. Reminder, 

10. Ecards

I'm reaaaalllly looking forward to Friday. 

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Am I Wrong by Love Spit Love. It's the 90s up in here this week

TWTW - the anniversary one

Friday The day looked promising with coffee on the porch and a trip to Dog Beach at lunch where Mae started to flag, so we spent the afternoon at the emergency vet (UTI and dental coming). I caught some sunset action from the house. I was in bed by 10. MFD arrived with Gus and Billy Hicks at some point after.  

Saturday I was up so I hit the beach for sunrise, it is still way too peopley on weekend mornings.

MFD got me my desired pepperoni bagel from Wawa. He was working so I hung out and read until about 1 and also did some sorting and fall shit in the house upstairs. We spent the afternoon at the beach and the weather was perfect for us to spend the day reading and fishing and doing nothing to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. We topped it off with topo chicos on the porch, Gus pooping requiring clean up, and we both fell asleep on the couch. Very on brand all around for us. 

Sunday I was up at 5 then went back to bed. I was roused around 9 and we had breakfast at the OC Surf Cafe for the first time since 2019. It was our second time eating inside a restaurant since March 2020. We hit a new thrift store - O Sea Thrift - on the way home, then porched it upstairs in the afternoon. I made breakfast burritos to freeze and took off with the dogs for Philly around 4. Back there, I cut all the shit out of the flower beds, put a few of the yard Halloween shit out, then picked mums up from Jen's girls' dance fundraiser & chatted for about a half hour before heading home and re-potting those. I did a few loads of laundry, ate the coveted Trader Joe's hatch chile mac & cheese, and fell asleep on the couch around 11 to accommodate the old man dog. 

That's that on that. 

How was yours? 

Birthday jam

Happy 44th to the person who gets up with the dogs, deals with animal poop the most, finds serenity in fishing, does the outside chores (that’s hosing down not peeing in that photo…carry on), has better hair than me, runs for political office twice without my approval, live carves a pumpkin in the driveway every Halloween, gets excited over Christmas gifts but lets them sit unused for months, gets his ass handed to him on patriarchal matters less and less as the years go on, accompanies me on numerous walks intending to get around the point at the South End even when he knows we will not complete them because of the wind or old dogs, meticulously brushes sand off of his flip flops before getting in the car, has taken over all my headbands, is always up for trying new things, makes the gravy, speaks a hybrid Chewbacca dog language, stops and poses for the picture with only minor grumblings, embraces silliness, is a doer of grand gestures, delivers cats, likes to surprise me even though I hate surprises, makes me laugh, annoys the shit out of me, still takes it right past the line after all these years, promotes the Moon Pod, will go out and get treats regardless of the hour or weather when there are none in the house we want, and makes most days interesting.

His birthday fundraiser for Advocates for Homeless & Those in Need is here if you are so inclined. 

Happy birthday to AJ and his brother Drew, Debbie, and Griffin too!

And happy first day of school to so many kids this week, but specifically today to my niece Lola Jean on her first day of kindergarten. 

Thursday Thoughts - Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels

1. Shit MFD has done this week: Taken Mae into Wawa. Bought king size Twizzlers for a road trip like we'll be traveling in the Willy Wonka mobile. Put ketchup on his hotdog...you are with someone for 19 years, you think you know them, then one Tuesday night they calmly put ketchup on their hotdog and you are questioning a lot of things. MUSTARD ONLY! Mustard only. Our friend group is fiercely divided. Which side are you on?

2. Sunsets have been meh this summer - like around 6 there seems to be a layer of cloud that takes up residence closer to the horizon and the sunset is washed out or a lack of clouds anywhere in the sky which to me leads to the least interesting sunrises and sunsets. Tuesday night's was amazing though.

3. I crammed a desk and desk chair into our tiny shore apartment because my body could not take working from the couch anymore. Bruce, who normally sits on top of the couch cushions (see last photo), has used this time to explore a future in nude modeling for dogs. 

4. Speaking of work, two things: a) yesterday was my 13th anniversary with my company and b) I have no external deadlines this week for the first time in quite a while so I've been a whole ass person, easing into my mornings, taking lunch breaks, and doing things at night that involve logging off at 5. Like going to the beach and seeing sunsets and creeping on other people's flowers. 

5. In case you've not spoken with me face to face, I sound like this:

6. I'm down with my body, my choice being applied across the spectrum. If you don't want to get a vaccine, don't get one. You don't want to wear a mask, don't. I'm also down with unvaccinated and unmasked by choice people not being allowed entry into restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, stores, schools, work places. There's something going around the internet this week that explains it well, and I'm paraphrasing here but it's basically this: Being denied service or entry for something you can change is called a rule, which is a standard that goes against your sense of convenience. Example: no shirt, no shoes, no service; jacket or collar required in restaurant; must wear shoes in a factory. Being denied service or entry for something you cannot change is called prejudice, which is a standard that goes against your humanity. Example: being Black, gay, having a disability. The latter is a violation of your rights. The former is not. Don't get your poor choices twisted. 

7. Believe women even when the politician going down for being a gross sexual harasser is on your own side of the aisle. Andrew Cuomo must resign immediately and fuck off out of here. He does not belong in a position of power anywhere. 

8.Show Us Your Books is Tuesday. I've been surfing a swell of meh books. I hope that's not the same for you.

9. Reminder:

10. Ecards: 

A mini one, but still. What's new with you?

Happy birthday to my college roommate Jody!

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to or most recently heard when I'm starting this - this week is Both Sides, Now by Joni Mitchell while listening to Ina Garten's Road Trip playlist

TWTW - the one that felt five minutes long

Friday was a fire drill all from 8 am on, broken up by a delicious grilled cheese. I tore out at 4 to get my eyebrows cleaned up for the first time in 11 months. It felt human and normal. And honestly nice to not worry about my breath since I had the mask on. LOL. I also went into Target for the first time since November I think, I usually order for delivery or do curbside. Of course my first big day out off the island in a while and it was a wintry mix of BS weather so the drive home was not as carefree as I like. When I got back I said fuck it to dishes (aren't we all saying fuck it to dishes right now?) and ate jalapeno poppers on paper plates leftover from Thanksgiving even though for personal use with no  gathering I am anti-paper plates. Aren't these amazing though? Carol found them. 

Saturday I slept in until 9, 8.5 hours of straight sleep that were fucking amazing. After walking the dogs and showering, I cleaned, purged, and organized our apartment. MFD and the old dogs arrived just after noon. We went to the beach and walked down to see the Playland fire. He also found what we think was a fox skull on the beach and wanted to bring it home and hell no.  

 I went to ACME, MFD picked lunch up at Bennie's, and he watched Gold Rush and napped while I read. I made taco meat for dinner, finished my book and started another, and we were all done pretty early.

Sunday No one wanted to get up, which has been a theme on Sundays. I don't mind, I stayed in bed and read. We eventually got up of course, and I finished a book, went to get Gus's CBD, took the best friend dogs to the beach, ate leftovers for lunch and started a new book, threw together dinner (sauteed mushrooms, potatoes in the air fryer, artichokes/chicken/tomatoes/EVOO/balsamic/seasonings in oven), MFD started the small bathroom wall covering project we're doing, and we watched Nomadland.

In the middle of those things, we stopped and did a family sunset walk. Zero out of four dogs respected the order to avoid the tide pools and all four came home wet. My discerning nose detected a hint of spring on the underside of the air, so we've got that going for us.

I guess we're doing this again. Monday. Is it just me or do weekends feel all of an hour long? 

Here we go. 

TWTW - February times

Friday Who likes starting the day with an internet visit? Not me. I did paint my nails while it was down so all was not lost. Lunchtime beach walk with the best friend dogs, and I tapped out of work at 4 after the week from hell. I finished a book and started another. I did chicken in the air fryer and MFD supplied mac & cheese and carrots. Bruce and I did sunset, then I read while MFD watched more Gold Rush, which I cannot stand. 

 

Saturday Up around 5 with the old man dog so I was busting out by 9 to go to HomeGoods, gas up my car, and get myself some grocery flowers. It was so nice to be out of the house alone for hours, driving and singing and the sun shining. In the afternoon MFD and I took all the dogs to the North End but the wind was something so we didn't stay long. They were enamored with tiny marshmallow treats back at home. We ate apps for dinner, more idiot Gold Rush while I read, and then I fell asleep on the couch. Woke up at 12:45 and walked the dogs, then stayed up until 3 finishing a book. 

Sunday We slept in due to the 1 am dog walk/my 3 am bedtime and woke up at 10 to rain. I got bagel sandwiches from Dead End Bakehouse, started a new book, showered and did a peeling solution, then we took B&B to the beach when it was snowing. Saturday 45 and sunny, Sunday snow and cold. Dinner was ordered from Randazzo's because I was feeling unapologetically lazy. MFD and the old dogs left around 8. 

Meanwhile projects pile up around me and I think of them and say next weekend. 

Show Us Your Books is tomorrow! See you back here for that.