Thursday Thoughts: Consider this the Hint of the Century

1. The world feels right again in some aspect, at least. I liked the campy fictionalized reunion of the cast years later. I wasn’t expecting the show to pick up where it left off so for me this was a good compromise of them referencing the show and just being back together. LET ME HAVE THIS. Also I will never be over Luke Perry’s death. 

2. Fresh to death. I love to spend a lunch hour relaxing with a book while getting a pedicure. It doesn’t happen often anymore but I love it. My feet were trash. I am perpetually barefoot at the shore and sand and sea destroy the feet even more. 

3. When you're holding John Bender while wearing John Bender and drinking out of a Breakfast Club mug. Dorks R Us, founding member. 

4. My first Dropps subscription order arrived. I got the laundry detergent pods in clean scent and fabric softener pods. It's not as good smelly as I like, but I have to sacrifice some shit for the good of the environment. They do a good job of cleaning (I had ordered the sample pack previously), no waste packaging, the pod encasement dissolves in the laundry, cruelty free. If you decide to go for it and use my link, you get $10 off a subscription. 

5. I'm thankful for the tremendous body of work Toni Morrison left behind.

6. This speaks to me. Come to my house and see my weird things.

7. Currently reading. Show Us Your Books is Tuesday.

8. Some things for your consideration: Malcom Jenkin's post regarding the Galveston mounted police leading a black man on a leash behind them; this series of tweets from Ericka Hart presented on Instagram on the ways white supremacy devalues human life (click the arrows to read them all); this series of tweets by Ijeoma Oluo presented on Instagram on the violent patterns of white supremacy (click the arrows to read them all). Our mass shooting issue can't be separated from our country's white supremacy issue. They are fueling each other and both must be addressed with urgency. Seeing mass murderers apprehended without a scratch after they've killed over 20 people and injured over 25 like in El Paso just adds salt to the wound when black men are killed for selling loose cigarettes, or gunned down in their family's yard with a cell phone in their hand. I see one zillion comments from people desperate to cling to the system that has white at the top by default, people who have never considered being anything other than white. It is up to us to break this and help build systems that are even and equitable for everyone.

9. Reminder:

10. Ecards:

That'll do for today.

What appears after the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts is a song lyric to whatever I'm listening to when I start to write the post. This week is Losing My Religion by REM in homage to Dylan and Brenda's breakup song

Thursday Thoughts

1. B&BW candles burn fine for me about halfway down...then they burn like this. It makes me rage. Anyone else? What makes them start to burn like assholes?

2. This week I got in a FB back and forth with someone I don't even know who was basically saying that of course Cam Newton's behavior after the Super Bowl got more media air time than the Flint water situation because that has happened before and will happen again and Super Bowl 50 only happens once and the NFL is popular. I felt like screaming. The NFL is more popular and hence more important than access to clean water? Is this what most people think? We do realize that football is a game and that clean water is a basic fundamental thing we take for granted here in America, right? And that we have a realistic expectation that the water our government is watching over for us is not going to poison us and cause developmental problems in our children, right? But we care more about a quarterback not answering questions about a game he lost? One million comments on an immature 26 year old millionaire (if you have never met an immature 26 year old, let's talk) seen in my newsfeed on FB, but very few things about what's going on in Flint. We can say "I come to FB to laugh" all we want, but that's not really true. We are only tired of outrage when we are the ones that are not outraged. We share what is important to us, and since this is not happening to us, I don't think it's really hitting us the way it should. This is pretty fucking important. Do we not pay government officials to work for us? Being all yeah this is our government it is what it is is not going to do jack shit for any of us. It's time to hold these employees accountable in this instance and in many other instances in which they are looking out for the interests of big business or their own pockets and not acting on behalf of their constituents. We've let it get to this point. It's up to us to bring it back. Thank god for the Virginia Tech research team and some other crusaders who fought for what was right for the people of Flint and for not giving a shit that they were dismissed and ridiculed by government officials.

via

3. At this point, should this just be a rant post? I'm in my normal February slog and I feel snarky. I'm annoyed because the soup I made Sunday? I haven't felt like eating it once. Dinners have looked like this instead...and honestly Monday night dinner was cake. No fucks given.

4. Yesterday I started the 40/40, the challenge I've been doing for the past few lenten seasons. I don't participate in lent by giving anything up, but I do pick this up: 40 minutes of activity a day for 40 of days of lent (taking off on Sundays is permissible). Any type of activity will do. This really kickstarted me last year to a pretty solid walking and weights routine I kept going for many months until I said fuck it in the summer. I'm hoping I enjoy a similar kickstart this year. My pants are tight and I need it.

5. This is what I'm doing most nights: laying with the dogs and getting in bed by 9 to read.

6. Tuesdays with Lola. My niece is the best. I look forward to all the adventures we'll have.

7. Being a landlord at the shore has been really interesting and a huge learning experience, and no one has even slept there yet. It has also taught us that it will take a while to settle into being business partners. LOL. July and August are fully rented as well as a week in June and some weekends in March and May. In March work begins again to get it ready for the spring.

8. I walked to the library yesterday. It's been a while.

9. I jacked this from a friend's FB page and keep looking at it because it makes me laugh like a hyena.

10. E-card of the week...I hate passive aggressive shit so this made me LOL

Does that answer your question?

Sincerely yours,

The Breakfast Club. 

I mean

Life Lately...March

What I'm doing lately...

Drinking...one of these every once in a while. I drink water with lemon all day every day and coffee for a lot of the day. I like to sneak in an iced tea or one of these and shake shit up.

Keeping a list...of possible long weekend trip destinations. I always like to travel to new places, and I always like to have a list of possible destinations in my back pocket. Do you have any ideas, Philly area friends? Short/cheap flights or driving distances of under 5 hours?

Still on a high from...Dirty Dancing on stage Tuesday night. Carol and I went with Michelle's mom, two aunts, sisters, and cousins. Thanks to Aunt Cathy for securing the tickets! We had dinner at Bellini Grill before the show. I was super jazzed to see they sold merchandise, and I bought a zillion things because I'm insane. I've had the time of my life indeed. I really enjoyed the show because honestly? I love all things Dirty Dancing. However, I do think it was a hard translation for a much loved movie to go from screen to stage. I thought Baby was awesome and looked and sounded a lot like Jennifer Grey. Johnny was a little off, forced or overacted maybe? Then again, no one comes close to The Swayze. I really liked seeing how they worked around some of the limitations of the stage, and how they incorporated the music without relying solely on the soundtrack. The two main singing cast members were very good. I appreciated how they stuck with the main frame of the story and made sure to include well known dialogue but were a little more interpretive in some scenes. I went into it with no expectations - I knew it couldn't be a replica of the movie I love so much so I liked what they did well and wasn't bothered by what they didn't. Was it a technical masterpiece or an award winning show? Probably not. I think it's a show for true fans so in that regard, I loved it.

Looking forward to...seeing The Breakfast Club on the big screen tonight for the 30th anniversary re-release. Yes, I will be the dork in the John Bender tee-shirt. Look for that on Instagram, I'm sure it'll be up there. It's like a freaking 80s revival in my life this week.

Reading...The Bullet by Mary Louise Kelly. Mark your calendar for the next Show Us Your Books link up on April 7.

Finishing...My March Relationship Theme goals for Choose Your Own Adventure. The link up is a week from today on April 2.

Regretting...That not everyone knows this. It's important.

Playing...a lot of Amy Winehouse.

Watching...Very little TV. Phase 1 of Give Comcast Das Boot has commenced.

Loving...being back in touch with my old college friend Jana, who you likely know better as Jana from Jana Says and the lady with whom I peddle the aforementioned Show Us Your Books linkup. She trekked into Philly yesterday and we had lunch at Continental Midtown. We haven't seen each other in 15 years. Can you believe it? We're going to make it a monthly thing. I'm so pleased to have this relationship revived.

Needing...to get my shit in check. Birthday month eating has gone way off the rails as you see from the lunch time dessert above.

Appreciating...My parents.

Nodding at...

What's life like for you lately?


Linking up with Kristin and Joey for Stuff & Things

Diary of a hunkered down hausfrau

A chronicle of two housebound days courtesy of Sandy

Monday

SEPTA wasn't running and the office was closed. Excuse the mess of the nest I made. Monday's office setup and coworkers:

Small pleasures: a leisurely eaten bagel out of your own toaster on a rainy Monday.

Laundry, laundry, and more laundry.

My third, fourth, fifth and SIXTH calls to Comcast within two days over billing issues. As the winds howled, I chipped away at their criminal resolve and they are crediting our account the $178 they owe us which was a mere $60 on Sunday before I did more math. Math is hard, you guys. You thieving bastards will never get the best of me! COMCAST DO YOU HEAR ME?!?! Sworn enemies for life.

My dogs won't go outside alone. The wind is scary and lifts their little ears up.

DVR and TV catch up:
-The Good Wife: Lamont Bishop, you showed vulnerability. I liked it.
-Jersey Shore (two episodes): Roger, don't do me and JWoww like that.
-Up All Night: Will Arnett singing along to The Cranberries was perfect.
-CSI: Thank you Ted Danson and Elisabeth Shue for making this show good again.

At various points during the day, we have arguments over Gold Rush, Up All Night, Star Wars (one of those assy Clone ones that I have no time for), incessant weather coverage, and how the other person should not watch it. Par for the course for those of us lucky enough to have power and cable through the storm. And we are lucky. One by one our friends and family update their statuses on facebook to include being powerless, seeing transformers blowing on the street, blue sparks coming from their own electric, trees coming down on or around their homes. Arguing over the TV is a luxury many don't have at this time.

Less than 24 hours after they were purchased, the cookies bought at Sam's on Sunday are gone. This is bad on many levels. We blame Sandy and wind fear.

Gus slept like a fat little sausage most of the night. Geege was like MOM when will this be over this wind is scary!

I got an email from Amazon saying that due to Sandy, delivery of my rainboots was surely going to be delayed. Poor timing on the rain boots.

Photo from Amazon.com

I fall asleep thinking dear large trees around the house, please hold your ground. And that I never want to hear hunker down again. Ever.

Tuesday

Commence unhunkering.

Our Sandy damage consists of some downed tree branches and broken yard items. I am so grateful to be so lucky. My thoughts are with those that were not. We check in on our family and tell those without power that they are welcome at our house. Mother nature is a scary bitch.

We're are so saddened by the devastation at the Jersey Shore and are thinking of anyone with a home or business down there. If you grew up in the Philadelphia area, chances are high that you spent part of every summer down the shore. It is part of your personal history, and to see it knocked down is traumatic. This is the Deauville Inn where we had our wedding, one of our favorite shore spots. I love that the photo (that I lifted from their FB page) had the caption "will be ready for next summer though." Coming out strong, it makes my eyes well up. Damage to the Deauville from Sandy - on the left.  According to the owner Lynda the deck, awning framework, docks and patios need some work. On the right is a photo of my Dad and I walking in on my wedding day on one of the docks. You can see the deck, other dock and awning as they normally are. We'll see you next summer Deauville. My heart is heavy for the people of NJ and NY and those right in my backyard with no power, down trees, destroyed homes. Again...feeling lucky.

Coffee with Ron Swanson and The Breakfast Club.

Washing the couches. Washable couches are an utter dream. Here are the boys enjoying clean couches and the elaborate sheet and blanket system we employ to keep them off of the actual couch cushions when we can.

Tuesday's office. Less dog hair and more structure.

My sister and brother-in-law and their kids stopped in to get some hot food and heat since they were without power. Jax was kind enough to visit my dining room office. The dogs were not pleased with the new location.

The boys napped the day away.

Then these happened - pumpkin gingersnap parfaits. 

Essie Demure Vixen nails

Watching the past two episodes of Nashville. Rayna James, you should be with Deacon. If not...Deacon, call me.

My electric-less brother arrived to eat, shower and spend the night.

And on HER day off, Debbie put together a facebook page for her jewelry called Debbie Rae Designs. Please click on that name, visit her page and like it, and check out her stuff. As the owner of many Debbie Rae pieces, I highly recommend them.

This concludes two housebound days. Mesmerizing, wasn't it?

Today? Civic engagement - yours truly has jury duty.

Happy Halloween! And happy birthday to my uncle Perry and my good friend Jimmy G.

TTFN.

Linking up to Rolled Up Pretty for Whatever Whenever Wednesday.