snippets of the weekend 9.18.2023

The last weekly guest of the season came in Friday, so in the morning we were doing the last minute house stuff which for me included putting out some sheets folks were borrowing, happening upon a mirror that fell off the wall (back hinge to hang it came right out of the mirror, glad this happened outside of a rental), and doing the standard towels out stuff. After work I headed to the beach for a while to read and wave watch surf from the passing Hurricane Lee. I finished Good Bad Girl in bed. 

Saturday I read Everyone Here is Lying in its entirety. We took a bike ride on the boards to watch some surfers and get a coffee from Locals. Greenheads in the afternoon so I stayed on the couch reading and relaxing in advance of a hectic oncoming week.

Sunday was slow - we caught the air show on the beach in the afternoon, with MFD getting whistled out of the water, and I painted my nails and packed up my stuff throughout the day and evening for a return to Philly. I read another book through completion, Athena's Child. 

weekending reels on Instagram - current favorite weekend look back mode.

Today is my oldest friend's birthday - happy happy Jen! And happy birthday to my youngest brother Sean and oldest nephew Drew tomorrow!

snippets of the weekend 8.28.2023

Friday we finally went to lunch, which I've been wanting to do for months. It was a cluster with no money for tip and no MAC cards and we had to go back twice LOL. But it was good! Solid weather day. I strolled Asbury for a bit after while MFD drove home to get the forgotten MAC card and cash. An afternoon layabout and reading, and an evening walk down to the bay rounded it out.

Saturday was our last official summer season checkout (two rentals in Sept) and we were the cleaners. Friends, it was a fucking crime scene. The End. Fam arrived as we were finishing up. Tomato sandwiches and beach soon after. 

Sunday I did some walking chores to the hardware and corner store, and it was a slow and easy start. An earlier beach day, a delicious Sunday dinner a la Mindy and Maureen with lovely company of Patty and Ray, and a ride down Ocean Drive with views of our wedding spot clear as day from the bridge.

The destination was Sea Isle, where we remembered my mother in law in the place she loved the best, where we all spent a lot of time with her. Her best friend supplied the roses and bubbles, and it was a beautiful night. 

We were treated to a gorgeous sunset on the way home, and we closed out the day with ice cream cake from A La Mode for Aly's 18th. Happy birthday Aly! 

weekending reels on Instagram - current favorite weekend look back mode.

Miscellaneous shit from the past insert period of time here

The third installment no one's been waiting for that's been in draft since the beginning of June, at which time it was the past two weeks then past few weeks and now insert time period will suffice. It remains easier for me to just dash off some photos and thoughts on Instagram stories vs putting together something here. ANYYway hello and how much do I love this mug from Forged & Found Pottery? This is my second piece from her. And the coordination with my ombre orange nails, so good.

Like the coordination of my shades and textures of green bedding at the shore with the walls painted in late spring. Chef's kiss. It would be better if you could see the green muslin blanket topper but just imagine it because we work with the pictures we've got.

My hydrangea is stunning this year.

Mae is all of us on a Tuesday.

I saw Elin Hilderbrand at the Newtown Bookshop! Super well organized event with a quick moving line. The Newtown Bookshop women are pros at author events. My mom came with me and took me out to dinner at Iron Hill after, where we ran into longtime family friend Laura and her family!

I order my essential oils that I use to make hand soap from Your Gypsy Wagon on Emerald Isle and she always packages so nicely and includes extras, which I love. I got away from making soaps in the main shore house during rental season but I'm going to return to it. I hate buying hand soaps.

Absolutely unprepared for peri-menopausal periods. I assume the world speaks about this in hushed tones for the comfort and convenience of men? You know what is uncomfortable and inconvenient regarding periods throughout life, but especially now? How long do we have?

Wawa in Ocean City finally got smart and started making more than one pepperoni and provolone bagel. For the people!

Recent dinners have been veggies and dip and this nachos a la MFD. Summer, and the living's easy.

Wearing some oldie but goodie tees recently

The audacity of people to hate women so much but support a grifter conman hobgoblin person who is under several zillion indictments or a rising Floridian Fascist. Call me when we're ready for the actual revolution.

Philly scenes from the last time I was at my office which is about a month ago now. Time flies.

One of my favorite places to grab lunch on the go or for the beach in Ocean City is The Farm Stand at 14th. If you're coming to OC this summer, try it! It's on the street directly off the boardwalk at 14th (same corner as Bob's). greeneggs from Philly has taken over brunch at the Chatterbox and the food is just as good as it is in town. We had breakfast there with Dad & Carol at the beginning of June. Go!

Had myself a day yesterday - walked to the post office and did all other errands on foot at lunch, stood in the ocean at the end of the work day, sat on the porch reading as a summer thunderstorm rolled over the island, ate veggies and dip for dinner. It really is the small things. And the small things really are the big things. Always. Life is short. I'm going to have myself a day when I can.

Something I've been more cognizant of recently. Again, life is short. 

I've written weekend posts of the past four because that's sort of my life diary, but I don't think I've shared. My brother's 40th weekend, Doyle family weekend, the weekend after that, and this past weekend.

Substack post of walking through the house last week. I thought I'd publish much more observation stuff like that or one to three line musings on the fly there and last posted something in March. The best laid plans. 

34 days until Europe.

Happy birthday to my brother-in-law Mark today! And happy anniversary to Kim & Steve.

Peace.

snippets of the weekend 6.26.2023

Friday monthly wellness with Sarah at Blossom Massage & Bodywork, a dash to Giant in the rain for some produce, working until 8, and zoning the F out in a muu muu from then on and getting in bed early with a book.

Saturday I painted my nails (poor choice of colors this weekend), went to Brenna's bridal shower at Georgine's and caught up with the fam on MFD's side, then came home and did some returns, made an egg bake, packed up and headed to the shore around 7:30. I drove on 95! 

Sunday I spent some time on the beach in the morning, read on the couch in the afternoon, did a Target pickup, walked a lot, and we went up to the boardwalk for ice cream and people watching. It was a good day.

weekending reels on Instagram - current favorite weekend look back mode.

Snippets of the weekend 5.8.2023

Friday my car got serviced $$$$ woof, solid day of work, saw Dad & Carol off in the morning, and we had a family dinner for Rich's 70th (tomorrow) with a rainbow and Sadie joining from the living room. We got home at about 8:45 or 9 and then I drove to the shore. My second in the dark drive in a week. I talked to Kim for about 40 min of the drive which always makes it more bearable.

Saturday I checked out the completed shit pipe repair in the light, built a toilet paper wall, started assessing, sorting, organizing, ordering, and all that jazz for our summer rental supplies and linens. After that I did some of the spring block party real quick - hits this year were bags that have curses on them LOL and this homemade granola. 

MFD arrived later in the day. I took a solo walk to the beach and read a bit. Mark, Sarah, and Harry arrived later. Mark and MFD assembled my second go at a dining room chair replacement that is no good and being returned. I went to bed around 10. 

Sunday I woke up refreshed after a very good sleep.We went to Dog Beach for a while and everyone enjoyed.

Otherwise I got stuff out for Freecycle, pulled everything out from under the third floor beds and reorganized them, assessed what is missing/needs replacing and looked for quilts, MFD worked on cleaning the outside with assist from Mark. I read a bit on the porch. Sarah and I picked up dinner from the Anchorage which they grossly underestimated the timing of. We watched the end of the Sixers game and I was in bed reading by 9 - finished a book and started another. A good Sunday mix of productive and relaxing and social and not.

weekending reels on Instagram 

 

Today is Geege's birthday. He's been gone since September 2017 and I cried really hard about physically missing him just last week LOL. Happy birthday best good boy, I know you are still with me. 

Snippets of the weekend 5.1.2023

Shiteous rain all day didn't stop us from an after work walk to the beach. Blowing sand kept us off of it though. I made pasta for dinner, did some kitchenware and linen cleaning and sorting, started a book, and assed out on the couch early. 

Saturday I expected more rain but it turned out to be pretty nice most of the day. I cleaned and sorted in one of the upstairs bedrooms and removed everything from the back of the house in preparation for sewer pipe repair. 

I also swanned about town so I could visit my favorite used paperback bookstore for Independent Bookstore Day. I got a paper thin scarf to throw over shoulders in European churches this summer and tried a pseudo muffaletta from Capo Strado. Did not like the sandwich (I do like the original Central Grocery muffuletta in New Orleans) but the baked to order bread was fucking incredible. We hit the beach for last day of dogs on regular beach season which Ben celebrated by rolling in the vilest smelling shit imaginable that had us all annoyed on the drive back to Philly. MFD gave him and Mae a bath there. 

Sunday it pissed rain all day, so happy I returned from the shore Saturday night instead of Sunday as originally planned. I picked up a bit around the house then mostly lay on the couch and read, painted my nails, watched The Menu (WTF!) and National Lampoon's European Vacation, ordered sushi and some other stuff for dinner, and watched Succession on time. 

weekending reels on Instagram 

 

Friday Files 4.28.2023

What it looks like on the bay and what it looks like less than 10 minutes later on the windows four blocks up the street. I have spent so much life chasing light without regret.

My shore corner store (Boyar's) is back, baby! I'm super thrilled. I ate meals from their hot case and ordered this week. They got new produce cases and I'm thrilled even though it costs a king's ransom for any of it. In the summer I'll pay it to be able to walk

Seen while walking

Imagine being this dog. A big galoot for a pug who still insists on being a lap dog. His feelings are very hurt because we've been walking for about an hour after work every night and he is a couch dog by now. I used to walk him miles all over this town when he was a puppy trying to get him to be less afraid of people. That didn't work, but it did encourage him to be more at home among pillows and blankets. Ben is the best good boy and would walk with me forever.

Travel is back back back. I did some more refining of Griswold Summer European Vacation trip this week and booked Vatican tickets. I also booked one of my top three must see before I die destinations for February: Morocco. I've wanted to go since I first set foot in EPCOT's version when I was like five or six years old, and it's been high on MFD's radar for the past 10+ years as well so it's perfect. Our travel priorities do not always align LOL. I got an absolutely tremendous deal - the total for flights/hotels/transfers/breakfasts was the same for two of us as I've been pricing out for one of us over the past 1.5 years, and in the pre-Covid years as well. I booked this trip as a one stop shop, where a company books your flights/hotels/transport between cities. I'm comfortable doing that but it's nice to take a break from that too, so when going to countries where I am less familiar with how the transit works - and where there is a language barrier I consider more surmountable than usual - I don't mind having a company do that. Especially when they run insane deals.

If you are free to travel whenever you want, there are some great deals out there for Europe airfare right now.

Speaking of travel...have you ever noticed that most of the complaining reviews of anywhere international - countries, hotels, services, etc - are made my Americans? It's like if it doesn't work exactly the same as it does in America, people lose their fucking minds. I hate it.

I have also ordered several dresses that I do not need for Europe, but want to try anyway. 

Billy Hicks the Creep lording over those of us in the backyard before I left Philly this week

Why I do not buy shit in stores anymore - nor do I buy it online of the stores that have locked every fucking thing up. What the fuck kind of country values corporate profit over health and has its citizens in a position where they don't make enough to cover necessities. 

Not interested in uniting with flag humpers who surely stand for law and order yet park in a fire lane and sit there while behind them the parking lot is a sea of empty spots. If you are with someone who needs door drop off, do that then park your car. 

No, I am not happy Joe Biden is running again. I wasn't happy he was running the first time, or that he won the nomination. Yes I will be voting for him because despite what internet commenters think, no one is going to challenge him. Not because there isn't someone better, but because we do not currently exist in a system where someone from within the party is going to challenge an incumbent president and the main reason we are not in that system is lack of campaign finance regulations and the existence of Citizens United. Get money out of politics, as I have said ad infinitum. And yes, not voting for Biden by simply refraining from the vote or writing in someone who will not win is a vote for fascism. Fascism as conducted by the GOP is unfolding in FL, TN, OK, and MT in ways we have not seen before - in the censure of democratically (the process, not the party) elected lawmakers at the state level. This is well beyond the fascist book bans, anti-abortion, anti-trans, anti-Black, anti-gay methodology we are more familiar with. This is very fucking serious shit and if you care about not living in a fascist country, vote for Biden or commit to the revolution, which will be violent out of necessity because things have gone well too far. Since no one could even commit to a national strike or halfheartedly throw a Molotov cocktail in response to a corrupt court striking down Roe or in response to the gun murders we are subjected to daily, both actions which would be and have been done in other countries for those things and much less, people who think they know in the comment sections can STFU. This is fucking dire. 

Coming to the end of dogs on the regular beach season in Ocean City. We are not okay. We can still drive to Dog Beach, but we are not okay.

The faces of the beach this week.

And the bay...they imploded boiler units on the former power plant that is across the bay from us. The smokestack is coming down in the future too and internet commenters are...lamenting this as a loss in the landscape? Just because it's always been in your sunset photos doesn't mean it belongs there. It is a fucking phallic smoke stack of a shut down power plant,  not a fucking lighthouse! What's to mourn?

Today is super rainy so we've not been out much...we're living on the memory of the previous few days, where we've spent at least an hour outside after work every day walking around.

Have a good weekend! Tomorrow is Independent Bookstore Day - support your local!