Thursday Thoughts: Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do

1. What is personal space?

2. Should we talk about the weather? Or just roast silently? Unless you're in my house, in which case you need blankets once MFD gets in front of the thermostat.

3. The kind people at Maple Holistics sent me their Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo to try in mid-June. You know I never report back on things until I've had them in circulation for at least a month. I like this one as much as I like the tea tree shampoo, and I used the ACV with the tea tree conditioner. The apple cider vinegar shampoo is of course free of sulfates and parabens and is great for color treated hair - it does a great job of clarifying without stripping your head of color. My hair and scalp feel super clean post-wash. And one of my favorite things about this company is their recycling program - for every six empty bottles you return by mail, you get a free shampoo or they make a donation to the environmentally friendly charity of your choice. The returned bottles are chipped, melted down, and re-formulated into new bottles for their products. This.is.how.you.do.it, beauty companies. Come on. Get with this.

4. Steph and I will post about ways we're struggling with sustainability on Wednesday, 7/24, and how we did overall for Plastic Free July on Wednesday, 7/31. If you post about those things on Instagram, use the hashtag #sustainablestephs and tag us! Steph is here and I'm here.

5. I love seeing a Mural Arts project in progress in Suburban Station.

6. Love this sticker I saw yesterday while running an errand at lunch.

7. I've gone back to using old school blue tub Noxema on my face a few nights a week. I slather it on and let it mostly sink in for 15 minutes before rubbing it in and washing the remaining off. Bruce and Ben are so confused when it's on.

8. The demonization of brown people by this administration and the lengths that GOP congresspeople will go to avoid it and regular citizens will go to ignore or excuse it is fucking vile. Go back to your own country...said by a President of the United States, to members of Congress with the implication that it trickles down...while trump holds a rally and American citizens high on hate and what they have been told is righteousness chant send her back. It is so fucking fascist I have no idea how Congress is standing for it and the American people are not alarmed by it. Ugly and un-American too.

9. Reminder:

10. Ecards:

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 Space Oddity by David Bowie

Thursday Thoughts - you try and change me you can go to hell 'cause I don't want to be nobody else

1. I fucking love a riot of color. These trees by my house always make me stop and stare.

2. MFD finally scored a point in this season's Thermostat Wars by freaking out and putting the heat on Monday night. He came in at 73 right out of the gate and quickly fell behind in the game when it was immediately knocked back and then knocked back further when the house warmed up.

3. Philly looking lovely this week on my library walk and at the rally for Trans rights even though people should not have to rally to protect their existence. I am fucking over this bullshit. And any mealy mouth people out there going well they don't HAVE to just, shut up. Shut up. And the people saying nothing but who know trans is a thing - say something. Out loud. Shit or get off the pot. We belong to each other as human beings and we need to stand with people who are having their existence attacked.

4.  The Holocaust Memorial Plaza is finally complete. Swing by and have a look. The statue remains, this is just the addition.

5. About the attempted bombings, I'll share the statement from the Women's March team: "We are witnessing a coordinated effort to enact mass violence against political leaders and staunch critics of the administration in the United States. It is not a coincidence that these escalated acts of violence have followed verbal attacks from Donald Trump on the very people targeted, from Trump’s political opponents to a Holocaust survivor who has long been the fixation of anti-semitic conspiracy theories.

Death threats and rape threats — not to mention actual violence and murder — have become routine for far too many high-profile figures of the resistance, including every woman of color on the Women’s March leadership team. Just months ago, Vermont’s only black state legislator stepped down in a desperate attempt to stop the mounting death threats against her family.

These attempted bombings are part of an ongoing pattern of violence from right-wing extremists. The president’s rhetoric, and the right-wing extremist acts of violence that he himself has stoked, will not keep the majority of people who believe in democracy from exercising our right to free speech and taking action to defend our rights."

6. I worked from home yesterday and at lunch I ran some errands, including picking some stuff up at my mom's before mailing out SUYB prize mugs. Lola took some selfies of us.

7. Signs are in! And a little campaign life humor for you. Local friends, if you're not busy tonight come to the last fundraiser for MFD before Election Day - Thursday, 10/25 from 5:30 - 7:30 at Fergie's pub. Tickets are $35, get them here. Sign up to doorknock Saturday here and Sunday here - I'm pumped because Debbie will be down for the weekend to help, Angie and Rachael will be there, my mom is making lunch, and there will be three fierce progressive women out knocking for Mike Saturday as well - Liz Fiedler, Sara Innamorato, and Kerri Evelyn Harris.

8. When you work from home, you can wear the best clothes, mow the lawn and pick up dog poop while it's still light out, and make an actual dinner on the day you're going to eat it. I also put five bags/boxes out for Vietnam Vets to pick up this morning and started my third book this week. That hasn't happened in a while.

9.  Reminder: stay human. I see a lot of comments out there that let me know too many people are not choosing to keep their humanity. It kills me.

10. E-card of the week: and because of the above...

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 America's Sweetheart by Elle King.

Shit MFD Said Vol 21

After a major spider freak out incident, MFD looks down at his feet

MFD: Meanwhile, I'm wearing these too small pink sparkly flip flops.

Changes flip flops

Me: Those are also mine.

MFD: But they don't sparkle.

MFD: Are you afraid of the garbage disposal?

Me: If I was a person who slacked in many domestic areas, I would probably not ask that question.

MFD: You never use it.

Me: Are you afraid of the dishwasher? Or wiping toilet seats? Going to the grocery store? Should I keep going?

MFD: I was just asking. I think some people might be afraid of the garbage disposal and wondered if you were one of them.

This month in I can't find it so let me contact my wife who is not in the house - please excuse the freaking autocorrects:

This month in Thermostat Wars - MFD insisted on turning the AC on and swore a humidity wave was coming and I woke up to a super cool morning the next day.

All read and approved by MFD before they go live...
Shit MFD Said Vol 1, Shit MFD Said Vol 2, Shit MFD Said Vol 3, Shit MFD Said Vol 4
Shit MFD Said Vol 5, Shit MFD Said Vol 6, Shit MFD Said Vol 7, Shit MFD Said Vol 8
Shit MFD Said Vol 9, Shit MFD Said Vol 10, Shit MFD Said Vol 11, Shit MFD Said Vol 12, Shit MFD Said Vol 13, Shit MFD Said Vol 14, Shit MFD Said Vol 15, Shit MFD Said Vol 16, Shit MFD Said Vol 17, Shit MFD Said Vol 18, Shit MFD Said Vol 19, Shit MFD Said Vol 20

Shit MFD Said Vol 19

Unpacking the new weed whacker
MFD: For once there is cardboard in the house from a purchase you did not partake in. Who would have thought that was a possibility?
Me: Is that a comment on my Amazon Prime usage?
MFD: I think so.

Thermostat Wars: Summer Edition
Me: You do realize that the house is now colder right now than it is in the winter when you complain about me keeping the heat too low, right?
MFD: Let me tell you, it's not...because I'm sweating and clammy. I'm not clammy in the winter.
Me: No. On the thermostat it's the same. What do you have to say about that?
MFD: I'm clammy. The air is staying on low.

Holding up his much loved/worn Eagles hoodie that I hate
Mfd: Steph. I'm throwing this out.
Me: breaking into a huge grin 
MFD: PSYCH! You were so excited. Why would you think I would throw this out?
Me. Because it's gross and you've worn it 470 million times. Who even says psych anymore?
Mfd: Psych! I do.

MFD: That cotton soap upstairs is awesome.
Me: Mmm.
MFD: This turkey with coleman's mustard is awesome.
Me: Your life is just awesome right now, isn't it?

MFD: Aside from a parking brake issue, yes.

MFD: Stephanie, when are you going to make Nutella, peanut butter, and banana snacks?
Me: We don't have any Nutella.
MFD: We do. I hid some.
Me: You did not. I threw it out. 

Me: I want to go out to breakfast. 

MFD: Not until vacation. You know what my breakfast consists of every day?
Me: Boring tears?

MFD: A shake. 

Me: Boring tears.

How we buy cars:

MFD: I'm so pissed off we didn't get to see Taylor Swift. 

Me: Really?

All read and approved by MFD before they go live...
Shit MFD Said Vol 1, Shit MFD Said Vol 2, Shit MFD Said Vol 3, Shit MFD Said Vol 4
Shit MFD Said Vol 5, Shit MFD Said Vol 6, Shit MFD Said Vol 7, Shit MFD Said Vol 8
Shit MFD Said Vol 9, Shit MFD Said Vol 10, Shit MFD Said Vol 11, Shit MFD Said Vol 12, Shit MFD Said Vol 13, Shit MFD Said Vol 14, Shit MFD Said Vol 15, Shit MFD Said Vol 16, Shit MFD Said Vol 17, Shit MFD Said Vol 18

Shit MFD Said Vol 15

10:58 pm

MFD: Look at these. Hands me phone

Me: They look like bowling shoes.

MFD: That's why I like them. Hey! Groupon knows what size I am. Ordered.

Me: You just ordered shoes from Groupon?

MFD: Yep.

After I have thundered down the stairs in my typical morning mood on a Wednesday

Me: Mike! I got NO SLEEP because you had the thermostat on 68 degrees. I CAN'T SLEEP LIKE THAT. 

MFD: Good morning.
Me: AND MAISIE THREW UP.
MFD: Why did she throw up?
Me: BECAUSE IT WAS TOO HOT.
MFD: Ok. So..have a good day!

After he changes the song

Me: Really?

MFD: What's wrong with Cat Stevens?

Me: What's wrong with Van Halen?

MFD: Sammy Hagar.

All read and approved by MFD before they go live...
Shit MFD Said Vol 1, Shit MFD Said Vol 2, Shit MFD Said Vol 3, Shit MFD Said Vol 4
Shit MFD Said Vol 5, Shit MFD Said Vol 6, Shit MFD Said Vol 7, Shit MFD Said Vol 8
Shit MFD Said Vol 9, Shit MFD Said Vol 10, Shit MFD Said Vol 11, Shit MFD Said Vol 12, Shit MFD Said Vol 13, Shit MFD Said Vol 14

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