TWTW - the one on beach time

Friday I had off, so MFD and I piled the dogs in the car Thursday night and set off for the shore. I worked until about 11 and put out the new plates we got for upstairs. My brother and Aubrey were down with the kids, and my Dad and Carol and Aubrey's parents were down as well. I ended up working until after noon on Friday, so not really a day off, but still at the shore and it ended on the beach so all good. My dad had to be picked up from the Nissan dealership because his car's transmission went. Thank God a dealership was less than 15 miles away. 

We went to the boardwalk at night and hit the arcade, there was hot sauce tasting in a new store on the boards, rides, and I went out on a limb to get peanut butter and mint. The highlight on the way home was the performance of MFD and Aubrey as they sat in the Virtual Reality seats - they drew a crowd. 

Saturday 

I got up to see the sunrise, but there wasn't one. I made greek orzo salad for dinner for dinner and my dad made a big breakfast, then we took a bike ride on the boards with a pit stop at the beach. I took a snooze and then we hit the beach for a few hours. 

Back at the house we discovered a leak in the shower. Of course, so close to the season. My brother grilled but I couldn't eat because I was stressed out. We sang happy birthday to him and had some ice cream cake from A La Mode. I rallied and we had a fun time on the boards, meeting up with Frank & Amanda & Eva for a little, MFD the talk of the town in his Fart Loading tee. 

We collected nine slices along the way home and Aubrey ran a pizza blind taste test for us. It was fun! Then we had a drawing contest Lola ran and rigged. 

Sunday 

Started with new silverware upstairs and the discovery that my bike was stolen overnight. Not locked up, what can you do. Between my dad's transmission, the leak, and the theft, that's three things so we should be good. My dad’s car is being worked on, we think we have a temporary fix for the leak that will get us through the season, and Carol and my Dadare buying me a new bike. I also misplaced my kindle for most of the day so no beach reading of the new book I started Saturday night. Instead I relaxed and played and after we were done on the beach took an outdoor shower and hit the boards with Stephen & Aubrey and the kids (and sans phone) one more time before heading home with MFD and four very tired dogs. 

Weekly food prep: breakfast is breakfast burritos from the freezer. Lunch is egg salad. Snacks are strawberries, cantaloupe, and bell peppers. Dinners are grilled sausage and peppers and I don’t know what else yet. 

It was another awesome weekend. My niece and nephew are the funniest best kids ever. 

Kimmy Foo Foo's birthday was Saturday, we'll be celebrating together next weekend!

TWTW - the one where the crowd thinned

I love when work days start with a sunrise over Dog Beach. Bruce is not the only dog who goes to Dog Beach because he's the favorite. He's the only dog who goes to Dog Beach because a) he can be trusted off-leash b) he was socialized from jump with strange dogs and doesn't go after them c) he likes to run and play. Gus and Mae still go to our beach off-season but they don't really like other dogs and are too set in their ways for Dog Beach.

Work work work work work and lunch errands. Blue Lotus for soap, L.E.H. Soap to pick up a gift for guests checking in Saturday, and the used paperback book store to trade books. Fun fact: The Shell Seekers was one of Gamma's favorite books. 

Friday night I worked late, started a new paperback, painted my nails (OPI Gelato on My Mind) and toes (OPI Purple Palazzo Pants), did a face thing. and had dinner in from Bennie's Bread. 

I also pimped my ride (remember that show?), a hand me down bike from Carol. I gave my original yellow bike away and hope this one rusts less. I am going to clear coat Rustoleum it Labor Day week. 

Saturday I said goodbye to my favorite family, but no worries they're coming back next year. They wash my towels and leave me gifts and I love them. I also attempted to clean the ceiling water marks from the toilet overflow situation last week that came down through the floor. I was not super successful but it's hard to do it right in a four hour period with one zillion percent humidity. Nothing dries. Incoming guests were returning also and they didn't care at all, they were just so happy to be back. I love this family too. Thank God for great people. Meanwhile, knowing my ceiling doesn't look great and needing to inspect it more to see if it can just be painted or needs to be removed and repaired eats at me and I fretted via text to MFD but it is what it is and it'll get dealt with after weekly rentals are over next Saturday. Of course this is the year I have all September weekends being rented or used, my husband is an absentee shore owner due to running for office, and my Dad is laid up with a regenerating new fake knee. Bruce was insane and overtired and peed on the bed and I said fuck it and took off to the beach to chill the fuck out, jump in the ocean, eat ice cream, and cry a little. I came back, showered, ordered dinner from Randazzo's, and fell asleep on the couch with the dogs. 

The population is way down in town starting this week - see all the empty space on the beach around me on a sunny late Saturday afternoon - and that is always nice. I was up in the middle of the night twice to walk the dogs, lord give me strength. So I way eased into Sunday with coffee. Then I spent over 1.5 hours weeding the street weeds, including the big mama ones in front of my neighbor's house who I haven't seen in two years and were awful and gross. I went to Rite Aid and the library, made shower spray and foaming hand soap, cleaned out the cabinets (since it's so humid and sea-levely here the smell of mold and mildew is a constant fight), and hung out reading with los perros sleeping. 

I took a late afternoon walk on the beach. I go to the beach every day I'm here, whether it's nice or not. It's essential to my well being even if I just go stand in the water for five minutes. 

I left around 8:35 and was home doing laundry a few minutes before 10.

Weekly food prep - breakfast is scrambled eggs. I need to figure out lunches (I think tuna) and dinners (maybe Mexican stuffed shells from the freezer).

Local friends, MFD is having a fundraiser tonight, Monday, August 20, 6-8 pm at Fare Restaurant with State Rep Donna Bullock and our BFF and 29th Ward Committee Person and proprietor of Angela Vendetti Consulting, click through to purchase a $35 ticket to attend. Wednesday night is Movie Night at The Newtown Theatre on Wednesday, August 22, from 7-10 pm where our pugs will be taking photos as a goof on the movie The Campaign (suggested donation $10).

And you? Tell me about your weekend that was. 

TWTW - the one with the Fourth

Bruce Springsteen was screaming from my windows as I tore through the dark, back roads to the shore on Thursday night. I worked from there until noon Friday, then ran errands on my bike. An unplanned errand was the purchase of this fabulous necklace from Henry's. Thanks MFD! Errands through, I rewarded myself for not falling off my bike or getting hit by a car in the crazy holiday weekend traffic with coffee & a donut from Drip n Scoop. I set up the porch and sat out there most of the day with the dogs and a book. 

A storm rolled in Friday night, and I rode my bike back along the bay scoping out the awesome skies. At one point it was so dark with a very thin line of pink on the horizon. I am a total sky ho.  

Speaking of skies, Saturday's sunrise:

After meeting up with my cleaning lady and doing some clean up / improvements in the main house myself between renters (I love white duct tape), I hit the beach. MFD arrived around 4:30 and we stayed down there until close to 7. This was actually the first time we were on the beach together this year.

After dinner at the Beach Club with a great view of the ocean and fabulous people watching, we went down to the beach because the water was like glass and the skies were beautiful.

Boardwalk trolling, shopping, and gelato. Manco & Manco is taking over the STRAND space and changing the sign out. I am pissed off and not patronizing them. 

Sunday started off drizzly. We rode our bikes down to the OC Surf Cafe in light rain and had a freaking awesome breakfast. We made a stop at Drip n Scoop for more coffee before riding through puddles down the alleys all the way home. That was fun, I haven't done it since I was a kid. After recording The Armchair Librarians with Jana, I hit The Bookateria Two for a paperback.

Sunday was an exceptional people watching day on the beach. Good thing, because I broke my brain reading and wasn't having any luck in that department, even with a new book it was slow going. We were going to go to Michelle's beach party over past Strathmere but never made it out of town or even out to dinner. Lazy bones day. 

Sunday night porch sitting & a nice visit from our favorite beauty guru blogger and friend Jill & Frank. I look like a troll in this photo and Jill was all I didn't blowdry my hair (neither did I and hers still looks better than mine) but it's the shore, so it's fine. We're fine. 

Monday, the Fourth of July. I got up and I was tired. It looked overcast at first glance. I nearly went back to bad. Holy shit I'm glad I didn't. It was a skies on fire sunrise. When I first got to the beach, it was literally glowing pink. The entire thing was amazing, and once again all the magic (to me) happens at least 15 minutes before the sun actually rises. If you prefer video, click here. 

The bonus was the rainbow coming out of the sea behind me.

I left early and was home before 9 a.m. I spent most of the day doing laundry and resting after going to the food store. I chilled, I grilled, and when MFD got home from his parades, we ate and watched Independence Day. And listened to Geege and Mae bark themselves sick over fireworks. 

Weekly food prep

Breakfast is egg muffins with asparagus and cheese with a side of power breakfast muffins (no pics, no cares). Lunch is leftovers from the Fourth dinner (grilled chicken thighs/smoked kielbasa/organic hotdogs - I know, what? - macaroni salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, watermelon) until they're gone, then salads. Snacks: peaches, plums, cucumbers. 

Assorted snaps that didn't make it in the collages above or Instagram...this is how I document life, after all.

I'm off Friday...three day week, here I am. Thank God, because SEPTA regional rail is in a world of pain right now and I suspect every commute for the foreseeable future will be a big hairy asshole. 

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending &

Bike days

When I was eight, I waited until there was no traffic and crossed Madison Avenue, building up speed on my bike to shoot down Lincoln, the road diagonal from my house. At a certain point I'd take my feet off the pedals and hold them out in front of me, coasting down the quiet Penndel streets under a canopy of trees, hair flying out behind me. Warm air went rushing by with an undercurrent of chill common to early June. Almost twilight, almost time to go home. One last ride around the big triangle that was my okay to ride alone ground.

Some point between there and when I got a 10-speed in junior high, bike riding lost its luster for me. I never rode a bike in high school or college.

I remember being in Key West for my Dad's 50th birthday, renting bikes with MFD and my brother. I had to re-learn how to have balance. I felt a little fear in my stomach. It's just like riding a bike never quite rang true for me, as you might guess. Falling seemed to be a bigger deal as I approached 30. MFD and Stephen were far ahead, MFD circling back around looking at me with concern and also a little how can you be so unsure of yourself on a bike?

That Key West trip was 10 years ago, and in those 10 years, I never got on a bike again until this spring when I took my new beach cruiser out for a cautious loop at the shore. I'm possibly more afraid of falling now than ever, and more unsure of my balance on the bike. Still, I envision myself recapturing the comfort I felt on a bike when I was young. Will it happen? I don't know. But I'm aiming for it.

Even though I've been on a bike twice in the past 20 years, when the weather starts to get warmer, I still think bike days are here again.

What thoughts does warmer weather usher in for you?