Snippets of the weekend 1.30.2023

Workday spent with Mae and Billy while the best friend dogs were upstairs with MFD. Fresh nails (Olive Ave Pisces - dark purple - and Essie below zero). Knocked off at 4 to head to Cape May Courthouse to go to ReStore and TJMaxx on the hunt for a new side table for the shore main living room. Check, and check on two of my favorite candles that are no longer made, and check on a collapsible sled MFD purchased for...I don't know why. We are 46, do not sled, and in fact have seen no laying snow in Philadelphia this winter. We followd up with a dinner at the Lobster House. I got baked stuffed shrimp and did not like them but not because they were bad, just personal preference. Closed it out staying up late to finish a devastating book.

Since I was up late, I slept in and slid slowly into the day. I packed up some returns and dropped them at the post office, then headed up to the boardwalk to take a walk around. I saw the theater getting ready to make a comeback, which is super exciting. Those of you who grew up going to Ocean City boardwalk movie theaters on a rainy day or during a night of vacation know!

I also checked out the beach replenishment project which was at 11th from the Music Pier, then headed back home to sit out on the winter dirty porch and air out the apartment. MFD went back to Philly to work, and I made slaw for carnitas tacos - pulled the meat off the bone for those as well. I read throughout the day, puttered around, took a long walk with the best friend dogs, and sacked out on the couch at night.

Sunday we had a little lie in and MFD decided he wanted to go home to watch the Eagles game on a whim so we got our shit packed up and cleaned up, took a walk, and headed home. I started laundry and dropped him off at my brother's for the game while I ran errands through the first half - returned a bunch of shit and picked some random needs up. I watched the end of the game outside there and we came home and watched a bunch of Yellowstone episodes. 

weekending reels on Instagram 

As you know, I don't fuck with sports much period, particularly the NFL, but I do love many of the Eagles players, everything about Jalen Hurts including his game day outfits, the story of Jordan Mailata, Nick Sirianni's F bombs, both Kelce brothers and their podcast snippets (not a full podcast listener), how much Philly people love being from Philly and how hard they go for their teams, when players on said teams truly understand what the city and its fans are about, and the humming energy and shared excitement when one of our teams is on a championship run. And of course also football food so looking forward to Frank & Amanda's Super Bowl party already. 

 

Sing us a song, you're the piano man

Billy Joel's show last night at Citizens Bank Park did not disappoint as a reunion between me and him. And 20,000+ other people of course. It had been 20 years since I last saw him in concert, and it was MFD's first time seeing him.

It was a beaut of a night - no humidity and a soft breeze coming through the ballpark. Billy was in a great mood, throwing cigars out to the audience and handing them to the veterans who came out on Goodnight Saigon as well as showing the crowd a photo of his new baby on the big screens.

Gavin DeGraw opened for him, and I am so behind the times on music that I had to text Laura and ask if Gavin DeGraw was famous. Whoops. I recognized some of his songs after that.

I love how he asks the audience to choose between two songs. New York State of Mind won out over our wedding song Just the Way You Are, but them's the breaks. Other highlights for me: Allentown (I have an awesome video but my nasal voice singing along is too much even for me), Goodnight Saigon, Don't Ask Me Why, Say Goodbye to Hollywood, This is the Time, and We Didn't Start the Fire. Piano Man is never a favorite of mine, but singing it along with so many other people in an open air arena is a pretty freaking cool experience. He played one song that got a hard no from me (No Man's Land) but the rest were fan favorites and I enjoyed even the ones I don't love like Still Rock and Roll to Me.

We had seats in section 139, the last section they sold on the lower level. That left us free to move over into those empty partial view seats and have a lot of room throughout the concert...especially after we moved away from the habitual farter and the girls who talked throughout like they were at the nail salon. Including the one who kept saying so he sings AND plays the piano? Are you kidding me lady? He's the goddamn Piano Man. Yes he sings and plays the piano. Anyway, moving next to an entire section of empty seats was awesome. We had so much room which is usually in short supply at concerts.

Thanks for a great show, Piano Man.

MFD would like everyone to know that we stayed until the very end and got out of CBP in five minutes and were home in 25. I'll give it to him, it was excellent post-event timing.

It's a long delicious slide into the weekend from here. Enjoy it my friends!