Thursday Thoughts - I had to find the passage back to the place I was before

Curbside pickup forever, folks

Wishing my sister in law Aubrey a happy happy birthday today. Love you!

Wanting democrats elected to the senate and White House would do one goddamn fucking thing right now aside from whining about what republicans are keeping them from doing. At least the House is moving some shit along. No need to chime in, GOP friends. Your people are upholding an insurrection and you should deal with that

Whyyyy is this me

Sending peace. The world is a lot right now. Sending virtual ice cream sandwiches too because yes. We all deserve one.

Loving when my friends know me. From Beth.

And from Pam! This package was lost among the Christmas shuffle and unearthed. Thanks Pam!

Making good ol' ga-gung ga-gung chili today

Rest In Peace Ronnie Specter. I loved your voice. 

Saving my Jim Gardner sads for true retirement. I am much more apt to catch him on the 6 so I make out for the remainder of the year. I have never watched local news outside of Action News since the time I can remember news being on in any house in my family. I love Rick Williams and wish him well on the 11.

Feeling super fucking sleep deprived. Eyedrops every two hours for Mae since Saturday for her deep corneal ulcer. No sleep has been brutal. She goes back for a re-check late morning today. Fingers crossed she has progressed as they would like and maybe we can pause overnight drops or do less and sleep more. I am not a person who can wake up and go immediately back to sleep. I didn't have kids for many reasons and that is one.

Taking some arctic feeling walks. If the wind isn't acting a fool and I'm wearing the appropriate gear, I actually love walking in teens/20s weather. Fleece pants or fleece lined pants are the real MVP.

Getting those five servings of veggies in however I need to

Unsure how many people are affording food with any nutritious value right now. Or food and household items in general. And yes, inflation and all, but what is it called when a company manufactures goods, makes record profits in the last half of a year, buys back their own stock to make stakeholders richer, pays C-suite executives many many millions, raises their prices, and calls it inflation? 

Reminding us via @doseofreminders

Watching Some previous season of The Great British Bake Off

Pet pics

Reading Slow going this week, my brain has been tapped. I read the same book from Sunday to last night - one of those 550 pages James Patterson jobbys that could be 275 if they used the spacing appropriately-and since it was a physical copy it looked and felt long.

Hang in there folks. 

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is of course Hotel California by The Eagles

Unusual Technology Gifts for Busy Dads

I am not a great gift giver so I tend to like gift list posts. This one from James Daniels, a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.

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Unusual Technology Gifts for Busy Dads
Finding the best gift for a dad can be a challenge. The traditional fall-back gifts are ties, socks and aftershave lotions. Dads are probably getting a little tired of this type of gift, so the task for any loving offspring is to find something different. If your dad is into gizmos and gadgets, you’re in luck because there are a wealth of unusual things to choose from, and more are added on a regular basis. If there’s one gift area that seems to keep on expanding, it’s technology. Whether you’re looking for a gift for Father’s Day, a birthday or just a gift that shows you care, here are some suggestions.

Golf Sensor
There are plenty of dads that enjoy a game of golf. Take his game to the next level with a futuristic golf sensor. This handy gadget attaches to a golf glove and is a motion sensor device that allows the player to see their swing in 3D from any angle, on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The app that comes with it also tracks a range of different important golfing data such as club head speed, club plane, tempo, backswing, hand path and hip rotation. All of which will help him improve his game.

Minikin Electronic Box
For dads who are into the whole vaping experience, the minikin vaping device has some interesting features. For a start, it’s exceedingly compact. It has a temperature control function, easy to access battery compartment and a rubberized finish. The gadget-loving dad will also appreciate the touch screen and the information it provides. It can be found at many online vaping stores including https://ultimatejuice.co.uk

E-Reader
If your dad enjoys relaxing with a book, he’s going to love an e-reader. Batteries in these gadgets last for weeks and the white screen technology means there’s no strain on the eyes. They are simple to use, comfortable for using for hours on end and the library of books available is massive. Many devices and e-reading software allow users to share books back and forth.

GPS Sports Watch
For the dad who is a fitness buff, a GPS sports watch will mean he never gets lost when out on a run. As well as GPS, a sports watch will be able to monitor his heart rate and provide real-time metrics to help him understand what’s going on with his body while he’s exercising. It should also be able to track time, distance, pace, speed, and calories burned.

Buying gifts for dads can be a challenge, but it’s always going to be worth the effort. Finding a gift that he’ll be able to use for years to come is bound to be rewarding. To help you find the best possible gift think about what he enjoys doing. There are so many gifts to choose from you’re bound to be able to find a gift he likes. When he opens your gift, he’ll be able to tell the amount of work that went into choosing it. Which will make it all the more special.

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Do you have any to add? 

Thursday Thoughts - neon sign on the horizon rubbing elbows with the moon

1.  Last night I got to see Lola Jean and Baby Seeve (as she says) and get peanut butter eggs Carol made that I then ate for dinner like a rabid child in a specially handmade frock. Only I was in my car outside of Target.

2. Bruce loves toilet paper like it is a glorious gift from the universe put on earth just for him to attack.

3. From the I Am An Idiot File: the lease on my car is up in May, and having never leased a car before, I thought you turn it in right at the end and had no idea why they were contacting me in advance. Wait, the inspection is up a month before the lease? Cool. Cool. Mad dash to make a switch this week. I need to pay better attention to when things expire as if they’re dairy, which I’m vigilant about.

4. Related: I hate cleaning out my car, and every time I have to trade one in, I vow to not store things in there next time like I live in it down by the river, then I break that vow the first day I have it.

5. Good: getting this awesome gift from Sara, it made my whole week. 

6. Sad: Linda Brown, the little girl at the center of Brown v. Board of Ed that ended legal segregation, died. 

7. Bad:  No charges in the murder of Alton Sterling. Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal (explained with a simple diagram). Your president's silence on Stormy Daniels is deafening. People attacking Parkland kids who lived through a school shooting. Lowest of the fucking low, you guys. Seriously.

8. Local friends, consider this a personal invite to MFD's campaign fundraiser on Friday, April 13, near our house. Adults $45/pp, kids 13 and under $10/pp. Can I count on you to be there? You don’t have to live in the district, vote like us, or vote period to attend. I would love to see you. Please RSVP by clicking here and entering the corresponding amount (ie one ticket $45, two tickets $90, two tickets plus a kid $100), then choosing pay at the door if you can, or completing it via card online. Thank you for your consideration. We need to get a head count in soon.

9. Reminder:

10. E-card of the week:

TWTW - the one before the turkey

Friday

A quick stop at Sam's then on to Jimmy & Jackie's for our annual Friendsgiving. They had their house all decorated and Jimmy even set up a lounge out back with lights and heaters. Everyone brought an app or dessert and it was nice to be able to linger longer than if we were in a restaurant. We're not all in the same place a lot but when we are we laugh like mad. I’m happy and grateful to have had these friends for over 25 years but the stars of the show were Wyatt, Lucy, and electronica music. Just kidding on the last one but totally serious about the first two. We didn't get home until 1:30 and I was up until after 2 but it was worth it! Also, exhibit A of the fucking terrible graininess of the 6S or whatever version of the 6 iPhone I have now. It's like they want to force an upgrade.

Saturday 

Bruce DGAF what time you go to sleep, he still gets up at 6. I went back to sleep from 7:30 - 10:30 because I knew I had to be out in public later and didn't want to be Bitcherella. When I finally got up I jumped right into action cleaning out and reorganizing the coat closet (but not painting it, which it has needed since 2009) under the watchful eyes of all three dogs. I also went through my drawers and closet and culled a bag of clothes. Aside from making bacon mac and cheese bites for later, that took up most of my day. FYI people: Target is beta testing restock, which seems designed to compete with Amazon Prime Pantry. I ordered at 3 pm on Friday and my stuff was there by 11 am Saturday morning for $1 less shipping than Prime Pantry. Your move, Amazon. 

Saturday night was Aubrey's sprinkle. My nephew will be here so soon, I can't believe it. I can't wait to meet him! And yes, all I ate this weekend was cannoli cake and I'm not sad. 

I got home around 8:30 and read a little and watched some Indiana Jones thing with MFD. I don't think I've ever seen one of them all the way through.

Sunday

After contemplating a plan of attack for the day while the dogs lounged in the style they are accustomed to, I set to work work work work work on Sunday. Stacey picked up a bag of donations to take to Mitzvah Circle so that had me in the mood to get rid of more shit. I addressed some Christmas cards until Bruce decided that was enough, put Christmas gifts in bags (reusable bags for all this year, ho ho ho mother earth, this is my atonement for sending paper cards), was supervised everywhere by Gus who must've been trying to make up for Geege being gone, made chicken for chicken lettuce wraps and scrambled eggs for breakfasts, packed up food/house stuff and my clothes for the upcoming long weekend at the shore, and went through a bunch of shit in the basement and reorganized or got rid of it, including books (thanks Instagram!). I also did seven loads of laundry and put what was mine away. MFD left his laundry basket downstairs for two weeks constantly in my way so I said fuck it and did his laundry too. Sunday night I finished the Christmas cards aside from stamps and a few missing addresses and watched the new Will & Grace. 

My people are awesome. Jackie got us a Geege keepsake, Stacey picked up a reusable pug Christmas bag for me, and my Mom gave me some perfume and a nice note. All the warm fuzzies. 

And soon, all the turkey.

How was your weekend?

TWTW - the first one of spring

Well, Friday sucked the wang. I was at the emergency vet with Gus on Thursday night and only got two hours of sleep so I was snarky to begin with. When I got off the train, heavy snow waited to be cleaned off the car. I was wearing boots but my wool coat was soaked and I was full of raaage. Way to suck, first day of spring. I was in bed by 7 p.m. and everyone was safer for it.

Saturday morning I did my weekly food prep - savory oatmeal for breakfast; hard boiled eggs, apples, and snow peas for snacks; a whole roasted chicken; butternut squash mac and cheese-ish (recipe coming tomorrow); and I began the long process of making bone broth for the dogs using the bones from the whole chicken. Lunches are soup from the freezer and butternut squash mac and cheese-ish.

Forces conspired against me on Friday so I missed my first 40 minutes of exercise in 31 days. Rage! So Saturday I went to the gym and made that up, then splurged on $7 worth of flowers in honor of spring. I usually make a game of seeing what I can get for $3, LOL. I also got my refillable coffee mug so I get 99 cent iced coffee until June. Boom. Thanks DD Perks!

Saturday night we went to MFD's work bowling thing to benefit a local homeless organization. Realtors + homeless charity = good fit.

Then we headed over to listen to Frank play at Dolan's in Burlington, NJ, for a few hours, and in honor of my birthday he sang one of my favorites - Soon Forget by Pearl Jam. I loved it. Thanks Fronk!

Sunday morning I was up and out of the house by 7:20 to get my 40 in for the day.

I met up with my lovely friends AEB and Alicia for breakfast at the Vintage Grille in Doylestown and had eggs benedict over a crab cake along with excellent conversation as always.

I laid around on my ass with the dogs for a while before unloading the dishwasher, cleaning up the kitchen, laying out my clothes for the week, and changing sheets. I planned on being more productive but sometimes you just have to say fuck it, you know? The dogs love when I say fuck it and lay around.

Sunday night we were off to Tacconelli's in Maple Shade, NJ, to have dinner with Michelle & Bob and Amanda & Frank. Holy shit, that was awesome pizza. That white pizza with roasted red peppers? Whoa nelly. I wanted to lick the pan it was served on. Of course dinner was punctuated with lots of laughs. I love my framily. I also had cannoli cake which you can see on Instagram.

And in more birthday news, I got superb smelling lotion from Alicia - local yogis, check out The Prancing Peacock Yoga Studio with gorgeous locations in Langhorne and Yardley - they also offer spa treatments and have a really cool shop. This lotion is from there and I can't get enough of it. I got an awesome sign and blinged out new bookmark and a bottle of wine from Amanda & Frank too. Birthday celebrations continue!

Other weekend things:
-I went out with chipped nails two days in a row and my life did not come crashing down around me.

It's Monday, mon frer. Tell me something good.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending