Snippets of the weekend 11.6.2023

My first weekend not hosting or hanging with other people, traveling, or doing turnover shit since well before Labor Day

Friday I picked up some groceries, walked around after work and hit the library and the bay, and finally got Ben to sit on the same couch as Mr. Rooney.

Saturday I did the sunrise with Ben, leisurely drank coffee and had a bagel and read, popped over to HomeGoods, hit the beach in the afternoon, set the house to rights upstairs, and read. 

Sunday I went to another HomeGoods, purged and reorganized MFD's outdoor crime scene of a closet and the under bed tool box, threw out all sunscreen that will expire before next spring, dis some cooking, took Ben to the beach for sunset, showered, did a face peel, and read.

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

Perfect puttering alone time weekend.

TWTW - the one of rest

Friday was a good day - I got a lot of work done, walked the beach at lunch and again at dusk, saw an engagement at dusk, washed my hair, and finished a book I was totally into.

Saturday I saw a pod of dolphins passing quite close to shore as soon as I hit the waterline and that wide grin stayed with me most of the day. I started and finished a book, showered, and did some writing. I was committed to rest this weekend so I fought myself on knowing but ignoring all the things that needed to be done around the house and I won. No zillions of to dos done. We hit the South End for a walk and shelling and to check out the erosion at the end of the day. A cheese & pepperoni plate and a new book at night then goodnight irene.

Sunday I slept in until 7:30, took a walk, did some reading, and did the requirements - pulled couch covers to be taken home to wash, secured porch furniture on two levels, did a walk through of the upstairs, and cleaned the bath/vacuumed our apartment. We took a beach walk in the rain and Bruce & Ben were not happy with me. Too bad dogs, we are an every day is a beach day family. I loaded up the car, made a pit stop at the grocery store as I headed out of town, and was back in Philly by 2:30. MFD made dinner and we watched seasons one and two of Fleabag before catching the end of the shiteous Eagles game.

Weekly food prep: Breakfasts are greek yogurt and granola since I didn't end up eating that last week. Lunches are PB&J on Dave's killer bread with baby carrots on the side. Bananas and pretzels for a snack. Dinners are pasta with veggie meat sauce, salad, fresh bread, and krauty chicken with a side of brussels. No pics because I didn't feel like dragging my computer back out. I had a Chuck's Roadhouse link in the Canadian vacation post last week and for some reason salted garlic bread caught my eye and I cannot stop thinking about it so yesterday's dinner in which MFD replicated it totally hit the spot.

Also since the Canadian vacation post google is showing me TenpointCrossbows.com and Heat-Line freeze protection so winter is coming and there will be food. While the prospect of freezing is not my favorite, I do love that companies like Heat-Line exist to make life easier when outside feels like the frozen tundra. Also come to think of it, I'm not sure if I got the TenPointCrossbows.com ad from the Canadian post or from someone in my neighborhood facebook group talking about hunting deer in a densely populated area and getting the kaibosh from neighbors.

Sunday was also Lori's birthday, one of those people who has impacted my life in a million positive ways and words don't do it justice. 

I hope you got some rest in this weekend. Peace as you begin your week. 

TWTW - the one with the super bowl

Friday like most offices in Philadelphia, we had pre-Super Bowl party Friday afternoon where we all wore Eagles gear so of course I had to get a shirt with a pug on it. I picked up Termini Bros cupcakes from the Comcast Center and got to see one of the nine student-painted Dr. King sculptures around town. You can see them until the end of February.

After that I enjoyed a night all to myself in a clean house since Linda cleaned Friday and MFD was in Harrisburg for a conference. Sweet, sweet alone time after I picked Bruce up from Camp Bow Wow. I started a book and trolled the OCNJ events schedule for the year.

Saturday I was out early to visit Lola Jean and Baby Stephen, followed by a trip to the grocery store, and hit Produce Junction for fruit and $5 flowers on the way home. I got new skin care after trying literally all other things at this point. I spent the rest of the day doing five loads of laundry and putting it away in the same day (second week in a row for this phenomenon), changing sheets, finishing my book and taking 4903493 photos of my dogs sleeping. MFD got home around 6:30 and it was a quiet night for us.

Sunday breakfast, started a new book, painted my nails (Zoya Rikki), and took even more dog sleeping photos. It's an illness that has no cure. MFD was out doing Code Blue bus duty by 6 am, then had showings and took a nap while I went to Sam's and the beer store. Completely inadvisable outings on Super Bowl Sunday.

We spent the first half at Frank & Amanda's. 

The food, company, and decor were awesome and I won $30 in the first half block pool. 

Holler!

Super Bowl second half at Ferko. People were out celebrating after, especially as we pulled into our neighborhood, but it was a lot of beeping and chanting and singing. Flipping cars is not the norm. Climbing light poles is not the norm either, but that is a preferred celebration method here. Lights at 16th & Chestnut and the 16th & Market light were out this morning. As in every crowd, there are a few destructive assholes and that's what you see on the news. Everyone likes to act like Philly is the only town who has assholes. While we have our fair share, Boston had some of their own on the UMass Amherst campus last night. I don't understand destruction period, win or lose.

Weekly food prep: Breakfast is scrambled eggs topped with steamed broccoli. Lunch is PB&J on Dave's Killer Powerseed Bread with a Gala apple and sliced bell peppers. Snacks are oranges and chips. Dinners are the freaking ham chowder from the freezer I've been trying to pull out and get eaten for the past three weeks and leftovers from Saturday's roast pork tenderloin/sweet potato casserole/steamed green beans. I also made spinach dip and bacon wrapped tater tots for the Super Bowl because even when your hometown team is in it the food is what matters, okay?

This entire town needs an Advil. I've had four. It was awesome and I'm not a regular fan. Those people are literally doing a dance into work this morning. It's infinitely better than when the entire town needed an Advil and the Eagles DIDN'T win back in 2005. 

Anyway, how was yours? 

Confessions: On Being Alone

via

I avoid people who aren't comfortable being alone because I'm afraid if we hang out, they're going to look to me for constant entertainment and want to talk to me the whole entire time. I'm good with some comfortable silence. I need it.

Also, I think you have issues to sort out if you're not comfortable in your own company. Gotta keep it real.

The only person I like to shop with is Lori. We have a similar browsing style and speed.

Sometimes I specifically plan to have no plans. And I get annoyed when someone tries to bust in and fill that time like they feel sorry for me because I don't have plans. I do. I've planned to hang out alone. It's called me time. Get some.

When I'm in the car alone for a long period of time, I sing my heart out like you all do, and I imagine I'm being filmed by MTV singing covers because I'm a famous singer. People clearly have nothing better to do than to watch me drive while singing other people's songs.

I can't recharge if I don't have alone time. It's one of the ways I practice self-care.

Even though I'm very social and I put myself out there on the internet daily on a blog, I'm actually more of an introvert. I'm quite comfortable being alone and enjoy it a lot.

I love to go out to dinner alone armed only with whatever book I'm reading at the moment.

If I couldn't retain my independence in my marriage, I wouldn't be in it. It's odd that a shared value of independence is the thing that makes MFD and I work so well.

Part of what fuels my writing is observations on others and their behavior. Park me by myself on a bench or a beach and give me a pair of sunglasses and a notebook and I'm happy as a clam.

What about you? Do you value your alone time? 

Any confessions to make about your alone time activities? Don't be a perv. 

 Linking up with Kathy for Humpday Confessions 

 Linking up with Shanna for Random Wednesday














Linking up with Liz for Fitness Blondie's Blog Hop:

No apologies

There are times in life when apologies are necessary - when you hurt someone's feelings; when you want to convey your sympathy for the situation someone is in, when you spill red wine in someone's lap; when you forget someone's birthday.

Then there are things you shouldn't apologize for, and the things you know you won't ever apologize for...what are yours? Here are mine:

1. Thinking Beverly Hills 90210 is the greatest show to ever air on television. My car is named Kelly Taylor. That's right.

photo: sharetv.org

2. Laughing in inappropriate situations, or laughing at farts and people falling.

3. Liking something too quickly on facebook. Sorry to disappoint those who think I'm creeping on them. I'm not going to read something and think "Oh, I have to remember to go back and like that later so I don't seem like a creeper now." Live in the moment, people.

Photo: boston.com

4. Being organized, thinking and planning ahead, labeling shit and being prepared. It's served me well, and to those who say I'm anal, I say toodleoo and why do you care if I'm organized? I don't care that you're disorganized.

photo: undeniablestyle.com

5. Demanding silence when I am trying to fall asleep. I need quiet and dark.

6. Being hungover. I drank too much while having an awesome time, what's it to you?

7. Being a feminist. Women don't get paid the same, women are still victims of abuse and rape and discrimination, women's health/safety/reproductive rights are still threatened both here in America and around the globe...we are so far from equality I can't even see it on the horizon.

8. Treating my dogs like furry children, letting them sit on the furniture and sleep where they please, even if it is on top of my head.

9. Refusing to read 99.9% of nonfiction books.

10. Saying no to invitations even when nothing is on my calendar - I am very easily a victim of my own over scheduling, so now I schedule in free-time.

11. Liking my alone time. I love MFD, but I also love being alone in my house to putter and daydream.

12. Calling bullshit on someone.

photo: dailykos.com

13. Liking stupid movies. Keep your fa fa The English Patient movies. I'll take Moving Violations any day.

14. Having my mood be directly related to the quality of the nail polish on my nails.

15. Being me. I am always working on myself, seeking better ways to be and do, vacuuming negativity out of my aura, sucking knowledge in daily, but at the end of the day, I am myself. Warts and all. If you don't like me, that's totally ok. But that's your issue, not mine. Don't expect me to apologize for being me.

I hope you all list #15 as something you'll never apologize for, being you is your very essence. Swim in it.