Snippets of the weekend 3.20.2023

Friday I ran out to get flowers and made roasted corned beef & sauteed cabbage while MFD took care of the boiled veg. We did mostly nothing all night. Saturday we were out early for Pop's funeral. I cannot describe the minister who officiated - you truly had to be there, and she was perfect for our family. We were laughing like loons, there was snorting and almost peeing and guffawing. There were some tears too but laughter is surely preferred. After that and the burial and luncheon, I painted my nails, we watched The Breakfast Club, and I fell asleep for a bit. We went to a 50th birthday on Rich's side for a few hours and I fell out on the couch again at home. Sunday I read and picked up a few groceries for one million dollars, purged some clothes, listed some stuff on Poshmark, made soup from a hambone I had in the freezer and some dying veggies, cleaned up the main floor, did laundry, read, etc. 

weekending reels on Instagram 

Cancelled all of my original birthday weekend reservations and plans, but life is a series of adjustments, is it not? Some in your favor and some not LOL 

Snippets of the weekend 3.13.2023

Friday I cleaned up my office for the last hour of Friday and I need to get another hour of that done sometime soon. My brother dropped my niece and nephew off. My nephew had MFD's neck collar on within two minutes, and Bruce had it on two  minutes later. Lola was the teacher. I ordered pizza that the place cancelled without telling me so off the four of us went in the rain to Friendly's which they liked and I found disgusting aside from the ice cream. We watched some movie and played school and Star Wars then I took them home. I was back home by midnight and asleep around 1:30. 

Saturday we went to the shore and MFD painted the new window trim while I sorted shit, put stuff away, picked a contact paper for the kitchen island, and hunted obsessively for dining room chairs. We ordered pizza, I took the best friend dogs to the beach, and finished a book and started another. 

Sunday I woke up at 8 then went back to sleep until 10:30. I am a fucking troll on spring forward Sunday and that held true yesterday. MFD hung blinds and I painted my nails (OPI Sage Simulation & Essie Transcend the Trend), cleared stuff up, changed sheets, and we took a walk before packing the car up and heading back to Philly. Leftover pizza and The Office for the night on Philly couches. 

weekending reels on Instagram 

Last night I was up until 4 because as stated I am an infant troll regarding time change.

My Pop turned 92 on Saturday. He's not well at the moment and I'm wishing him peace. 

TWTW - birthday weekend #2

Friday if you have to refer to your photos to see what you did that day…lol at lunch I went to the library spring book sale and grocery store. Guess which one was more fun? After work I did a beach walk, finished a book, and read another one until 1 am.

Saturday started with nails - tried Essie’s  new quick dry polish and didn’t love the application but I liked the polish grew on me as it wore. This is Essie Expressie Trick Clicque with a OPI Mylar Dreams pinky nail. After this scintillating nail appointment was finished, we went to a tour at the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May. It was an hour and it was good. If you are not someone who can pay attention in a group for an hour, this is not for you. The tours are guided at this time and by guided in basically one large room they mean we are going to tell you about Harriet's operations in Cape May. The guy giving the tour was very good. 

We were going to walk around the Washington Street Mall area after that, but there were a lot of people and no parking and I got annoyed very quickly so we headed out and had lunch at the Lobster House on the way out of town. 

Popped in to TJMaxx and Restore in CMCH on the way home, and lolled around on the couch for a while. We had dinner at Kessel’s because Instagram showed me ice cream over funnel cake fries, new this year so we had to try it. I started a new book and we watched a lot of episodes of Hacks. 

Sunday was a slow moving morning. I woke up with numbness in my arm from sleeping on something wrong and it is not going away so I'm calling on chiro and acupuncture this week. I did some sorting of shit up in the house, began the process of removing stuff prior to rental season, cleaned the kitchen, and MFD installed the no drill hand towel and toilet paper holder in the small bathroom. We went for a family beach walk and watched the remaining three episodes of Hacks. Scrounged for dinner and packed a bunch of stuff up, then watched three episodes of Yellowjackets. Hooo boy.

Heading back to Philly for some appointments this week. 

Hope you had a good weekend!

TWTW - birthday weekend #1

Friday Up early to work early, also folded endless laundry and changed sheets. I had lunch at my Mom & Rich's for my upcoming birthday and Pop's, which was actually Friday. My nephew was there too and my uncle stopped by. It was a nice break in the workday and mom sent me home with cookies and Easter candy and of course my birthday gift. Friday night my brother and Aubrey and my nephew came over. Dad & Carol ordered Chinese food, Carol made cupcakes, and it was a nice end to the week. I got to see my nephew twice in one day and he is a riot and so loveable and smart. We missed my niece but she was out having fun!

Saturday Was absolutely miserable. The weather was cold and wet, I had gotten about five hours of shit sleep the night before, my stomach was off, and I was filling out identity theft paperwork because someone filed a tax return in my maiden name. My credit and identity are locked so that's as far as they've gotten. I opened birthday cards and won $30 off a scratcher from Carol's parents. Whoop! We packed up the car and made our way back down to the shore where nail polish birthday gifts awaited. GBBO all day and night, picked up library holds, unpacked, Randazzo's hoagies for dinner, too many cookies, and I fell asleep on the couch before 7 and didn't get into bed until 4:30. 

Sunday Another frigid day and we are well over winter. I read the newest Harlan Coben that comes out tomorrow, watched endless GBBO, and rested. A total reset and time to re-think who and what I give my energy to. This is required periodically, and if I'm not forced into it by a life circumstance I do it around my birthday. If I don't do it I keep doing things that do not serve me just because I've always done them or because it is what others expect. We took a quick jaunt down to the beach when MFD got home but the blowing sand was too much. I hope that was true winter's swan song. Salad, frozen pizza, and more GBBO to round it out.

Birthday Eve! If you're new around here birthdays don't always mean grand plans, but they do mean doing whatever I want including nothing. And they always include not working on my birthday so I'm off tomorrow. 

Annnnnnd I need to go to Target because I left my wireless keyboard in Philly. Hiss. 

TWTW - birthday weekend #2

Friday The last day of winter! Byeee. My brother, Aubrey, and the kids arrived Thursday night. I had worked late, the house was in disarray as my shit was all over the main floor/MFD had put together a new bed frame on the top floor/old box spring moved to second floor/bathroom wall covering project happening, but it was reasonably contained by Friday morning. I worked, hit the beach at lunch with the best friend dogs, painted my nails (OPI Cozu-Melted in the sun is the light, OPI Meet Me on the Star Ferry the dark). My Dad and Carol arrived at some point, and MFD headed back to Philly to work at some point. Aubrey made excellent stuffed chicken for dinner, my niece walked Gus all by herself while I wrangled the other three, we did some Jeni's ice cream tasting, and watched March Madness. 

Saturday The kids play with all the dogs, even the old ones. My brother got donuts and we had coffee and were off for a family beach walk.

They went to the playground, and we sat around for a bit eating junk food after the kids helped Cici make an ice cream cake.. Then Carol, Aubrey, my niece and I went strolling and shopping on Asbury. As we were making our way back MFD returned from Philly/working. We were hangry upon our return and devoured the entire veggie pizza. Dinner was scalloped potatoes and Aubrey's crab cakes and both were delicious. We were in a food coma after. My brother and MFD went out for a bit. We had a comedic moment when three adults, two kids, and four dogs were on one couch and Aubrey was left blissfully alone for five minutes. 

Sunday After a packed Saturday, Sunday was a slow moving morning. We painted some shells in the driveway before doing another family beach trip (kids and Bruce not pictured). We strolled the boards, I beat Carol and Dad at arcade basketball but not Stephen and Aubrey, and we got ice cream and enjoyed the warm sun. 

We continued that at home on the porch before ordering Randazzo's for dinner and seeing Stephen, Aubrey, and the kids off. We watched Beach Front Bargain Hunt and heckled buyers and realtors then MFD headed back to Philly with the old dogs. My dad is not a dog person but my dogs love my dad LOL. We try to keep them away but it doesn't always work. They love Carol too, also not a huge dog person. 

Another great family weekend with the original quarantine crew. We feel the promise of a good summer ahead and hope you do too. 

Birthday weekend #3 coming with family over Easter! We'll take a break next weekend to do some shore chores. 

TWTW - birthday weekend #1

Friday Up, showered, working, and doing laundry by 8, Target order delivered by 9, car loaded to go back to the shore by 11, meeting, and I expected to be on the road after a noon meeting but alas I got backed up and didn't leave until 7 which is fine, less time alone for the old dogs as MFD was out working. I took B and B with me, arrived a little after 8:30, unpacked everything, and fell into bed where I was up until close to 2 reading. 

Saturday Since I was up late, I slept in until close to 10. Pre-pandemic, I would have set an alarm and forced myself up but I'm not about that life anymore and guess what? I still showered, dropped library books off, dropped recycling off, and picked up my deviled egg bagel order from Deadend Bakehouse before 11. The dogs were co-pilots on errands, and we also picked up CBD for Gus and took a long walk on Dog Beach. Back at home we cleaned up a bit in the house, put new cushions out which I will surely soon regret as they have white in them, sat on the porch for a spell so Bruce could Gladys Kravitz the neighbors, and I painted my nails (OPI sweater weather is the dark green, OPI Pre-Pair for Summer the light). 

MFD and the old dogs arrived around 4 and we went OUT to dinner. INSIDE at one of our favorite restaurants here that has just reopened for the season. Our first time eating inside since we left Aunt Carrie & Uncle Jim's on 3/16/2020. I know people have been doing it, and that it's been safe and restaurants have done a great job ensuring that it is, we just haven't. Most of that was a mental thing for me and I'm glad we went. It did feel like we were doing something wrong, and I also felt panicky when it was time to leave, but everything was amazing as it always is at Luigi's and it felt good to see them in person. They were safe and sanitized and obviously masked up, and we masked up when they approached the table. After we went up to the boards for our first Kohr Bros of the season and ran into Lauren on her way out which was nice. It was fucking cold so we wolfed down our Kohr Bros (obvi moved away from people and removed masks to eat), we beat it home to lounge and watch I Care A Lot on Netflix. It was good. 

Sunday we eased into the day, reading and lounging. Otherwise we had Yianni's for dinner and pie for Pi Day. 

Our big Sunday outing was to the South End where we once again attempted to walk all the way around to Corson's and once again were thwarted by westerly winds. We brought the wagon specifically for Gus to ride in and he did, for about 10 minutes out of over an hour. It did come in handy for the little dogs so they could hide from the gale force winds blowing the sand on the way back. Lord. They're so low to the ground it's hard for them when it's blowing like mad. I did take my socks and boots off and walk back in bare feet, my first time grounding myself into the earth since November. It always feels so freaking good to do that after a while of not.

Monday I slept in until 9:30 due to Gus being up. MFD picked up breakfast from Hooked on Breakfast, which we meant to try all last year as it opened during pandemic season but we never got there. I never get pancakes but I had to try the cannoli pancakes and they did not disappoint. Then I did what middle aged women like me who are not away on vacation do on their birthdays: dropped packages off at the post office (which I did in sneakers I bought last year and never wore and my RBG mask for a big ups to my 3/15 birthday twin who is no longer with us), exchanged a non-functioning lamp at Target, read, and wanted to eat dinner senior citizen early but refrained. MFD picked up from The Crab Trap and it was delicious. We hit the beach for a family walk after, and that's about that. I typically have reflections on the night of my birthday, and I've been posting them on Instagram it seems the past few years. 

Yes, it says Birthday Weekend #1 because I will be celebrating again next weekend, which is almost here by now since I'm posting last weekend's shit on Wednesday, and again Easter weekend. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'll be making a corned beef, I'm not sure how I'm doing it yet. Probably roasted as I prefer it that way - like this. I've got no Guinness though, so I'll probably use coke. Happy birthday to my Grandmom, who made the best corned beef, boiled version. Here's the last lesson she taught me. 

Friday Five 3.12.2021

1. MFD was on dinners a few days this week and since it was nice they were grilled - ribeyes and steamed asparagus and then hotdogs and bratwurst that he served with Redner's potato salad. I am anti-store potato salad because I rarely like it but theirs was really good. It was called Philly-style. I don't know what that means. 

2. Grill day #2 translated into hot dog time for dogs too. Always exciting. 

3. This MFing dog is out here doing whatever the F he wants and Brucing things. He is so ridiculous still, and he's going on four now. He'll be a fool for his whole life.

4. Tis the self tanner season. I use a drop of this Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster with my moisturizer a few times a week so I have emerged from my vampire winter. It says to use three drops but I'm telling you, if you use more than a drop you're going to look like Tan Mom. 

5. I picked this up from Lidia Bastianich years ago and there is no other olive oil. I can't find it in the store anymore so I order a Colavita two-pack (affiliate) from Amazon and have one at home and one at the shore. 

I meant to go back to the shore Wednesday, but I got to see Pop for his 90th birthday yesterday, the first time in over a year, so it's been good. I'm heading back to the shore today.

Birthday weekend! 

I mean that's the weekend after too, when my family comes. Then two weeks after we'll celebrate again when my family comes for Easter. Birthday month exists for a reason. I'm off Monday, of course, because I don't work on my birthday if I can help it, and I can usually help it.

TWTW - the one with the birthday

This is a birthday I will not forget both because the world got super crazy and because it was so good despite that. It was wild to be traveling and not at home when Philly started shutting down and to return to an entirely different city and set of circumstances than we left. That being said we could not have been in a better place or with better people - we went down to Hutchinson Island, FL, to visit Aunt Carrie and Uncle Jim in their paradise. We don't get to spend a ton of time with them and hardly any one on one time so it was nice to be together, hang out, have absolutely delicious meals with stellar views, and experience what they love so much about where they are. Aunt Carrie kept saying it's their all-inclusive and they certainly spoiled us with dinners and anything we could need or want. Their spot is calm and quiet, beautiful and peaceful. It was truly relaxing and while traveling back made me anxious AF, I had a wonderful time.

Scenes from their beautiful community, including and most especially their beach less than a three minute walk away and their awesome courtyard with flowers and a constant breeze and a tinkling fountain. 

Delicious food and even more delicious views.

Our only outing was interesting as hell - The House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar, a Florida Heritage site. I had no idea these houses existed. 

Books. Always.

If you know us, you know we spent a ton of time on the beach. MFD did a lot of fishing, I did a lot of reading and shell hunting. We both swam a lot. 

But of course the main attraction was the time we got to spend with Aunt Carrie and Uncle Jim. We're so lucky to have these two, and in a world that up until a few days ago has been go go go everywhere for everyone, it was nice to have a few days carved out to spend together. As a bonus, I got to see my college roommate Jody too, which happens so infrequently.  

I'm going to try to keep things as normal as possible here and across my social media channels. Being socially distant, I am not going to get through this with constant Covid-19 posting or obsessing, and I can't read that from others so I can't contribute to it myself. I am taking this serious as a heart attack but I need to laugh and see things that are not related to the world burning. I hope you'll join me in normalizing as much as we can within this new normal. Allow yourself space and grace to breathe and be human. 

TWTW - the one with the birthday

Thursday I turned 41. Some years I have a big plan on my birthday and some years I remain un-showered most of the day and run errands but the one thing I never do on my birthday is work. This year I got to sleep in, go to the library, drink a zillion cups of coffee, wear leggings, spend the afternoon and evening with our friends and MFD, completely avoid the news, hear from so many good people, and spend the day out worry-free knowing my mom was taking care of the dogs. Thanks Mom, and thanks for the cookies and banana cake and chicken salad and rye bread - it saved someone from dying on Friday as I was hangry and had no food ready.

MFD and I headed to New York to meet up with Melissa and Blane, had a hotdog on the street, ambled around, and had dinner at Bea in Hell's Kitchen. It was delicious and very reasonable, a really cute place.

We did pics outside of the theater before the show.

Then it was freaking time! Springsteen on Broadway. I laughed and cried and felt old and young and inspired and connected and happy and sad and hopeful and really all the feelings. Including strained - I was holding that pose for what felt like 15 minutes as someone took our photo. I'd like to think I'll have it in me this week to do a post on this but the truth is I probably won't - it was not a concert in any sense, I think a lot of people think that. It was story telling and story telling through song. It felt cozy and inspiring and it was fucking amazing to see Bruce in a venue with less than 1,000 other people. We encountered the same psycho fan before, during, and after the show which is always good fodder for conversation.

We dropped Blane and Melissa at their hotel and hoofed it back to Penn Station, making the train we thought we wouldn't make which is always good. We got home around 1:30? And I was too amped to sleep so I was up until 3. It was an awesome day.

As every birthday is, because I share it with The Notorious RBG who is very badass. Speaking of, how awesome is this Badass book Melissa got me? I freaking love it. I want to write in all the pages like a junior high school girl with dreams.

Friday started slower than I hoped, but we hit the road around 10:30 with me in my 50 shades of blue to open the shore house. Bruce has absolutely no car chill, which is unfortunate since he will be in the car a lot. We got our apartment mostly sorted amid dog chaos - I meant to go down a few weeks ago and sort of set it to rights because it is not easy to do it when they're there, but I didn't. I took the dogs down to the beach for a little and saw the sunset by the bay on my way to the grocery store. My dad and Carol arrived and we had Piccini for dinner and watched March Madness. 

Saturday I had my crew out at 9 for four mostly fruitless errands in Somers Point, my Dad removed the mirror from one of the dressers and fixed the drawers, he hung the new organizer in the closet (closet will be painted this year), Carol cleaned the top two floors, MFD cleaned up the outside, we moved photos around, got rid of the lighthouse that didn't fit and replaced it with a mirror, and various other things. It was tiring! In the middle Dad got hoagies from Boyar's and we watched basketball before Carol and I took the dogs to the beach.

While all that was going on I made corned beef two ways (one in the crock and one in the oven), cabbage two ways (one in the crock and one sauteed in butter), potatoes, and carrots; and picked up bread from Boyar's. We had the traditional Paddy meal and toasted my Grandmom. Saturday would have been her 86th birthday and no corned beef I've ever had including my own touches hers. Happy birthday Grandmom! Warm brownies Carol made with ice cream for dessert and a glorious sunset. During which I nearly broke my ass - dropped Bruce's leash, he kept going, I stepped on it, my feet went out from under me, both legs in the air, I landed on my hip then my back, and was laying dazed until I was like oh fuck I need to get him. Thank God the person at the stop sign stopped...then again, wouldn't you be sitting with mouth agape as a lady tangled in three pugs went feet up in the air then had to crawl up, limp, and lurch across the street to get her rogue puppy? Yes, you would. I was stiff and sore and hit the hay early.

Sunday I was up at 6 to walk all dogs, then I took Bruce down to the beach with me. So wonderful to be back in my place of peace. When the house is closed, I do not work to find another place of peace so by the end of February I'm angsty. 

Back to do some chalk contact paper and more clean up before putting Bruce to sleep and packing up the car. Even Mae is sad to see the shore in the rear view. I'm relieved that the house is open not just for personal reasons, but also so everything has been assessed and I know what I need to get and do before rental season. It helps clear my mind and I can plot out weekends of when things are happening and get help when I need it. Thanks Dad and Carol for everything, especially taking home a zillion pounds of trash and card board! 

We were home by 1:30, and coming home from the shore is a drag. I finished a book and dithered around about what to start next, which is unusual for me. I also did a load of towels, ate leftovers, and tried to rest. The Bruce Fall made me really sore. I'm happy I changed the sheets Friday before we left. I was in bed early not moving. 

Weekly food prep: breakfast is egg muffins with feta cheese and onions. I also made a batch of power breakfast muffins but had already put them in the freezer and was too lazy to pull out and photograph, so here's a photo of Gus pissed off because he's in a headlock instead. You guys have seen the breakfast muffins a million times. Lunch is PB&J and cucumber slices. Dinner is corned beef leftovers and then either chicken, sweet potatoes, and broccoli, or pasta with frozen veggie meat sauce. 

Thank you all for the birthday wishes here and on FB and Instagram and via email and text. You're awesome. 

Anyone local to Bucks/Northeast Philly or the shore giving away or looking to sell a dresser? I'm in the market.