Snippets of the weekend 9.6.2023

Friday was MFD's 46th! He was out boating and fishing all day while I took care of shit around the house. We went to dinner at the Tuckahoe Inn with my dad & Carol and Cindy and Jamie, froze out back having a nightcap, and went back home for ice cream cake with the fam. 

Saturday Dad & Carol made a big breakfast. Lunch was Farmstand on the beach. Frank and Amanda and Eva joined the crew and we had a grand old beach day. AJ and Kim came over later and we all hit the boards which were crowded AF. I expired early after several nights of shit sleep and nearly murdering MFD for his driveway music volume. 

Sunday was more fab weather. Drew joined the crew, and AJ and Kim and the kids in the afternoon. We stayed late on the beach and had our Fourth Annual Great American Smokeout with driveway party games from our Activities Coordinator Carol and her assistant, my Dad. We all had suggestions for next year as we'll do a Best Of for activities. Jared also did a blind taste test of six foods and he was a great sport about it. 

Monday was another burner with brutal sun, a land breeze, and absolutely ferocious blood sucking green heads even Deep Woods Off could not deter. We packed it in before 4 due to that but a great day for the water and boogie boarding! Everyone took off except Dad and Carol. I did a Target pickup, we got all the trash out, pizza delivery for dinner, and I was in bed by 8:30 pm. 

Tuesday I was off. Even the dogs were beat from the weekend. Dad and Carol and I did our new Tuesday after Labor Day tradition of lunch at Kessel's Corner. 

They headed out and I lay in a dark room all afternoon reading to escape the heat and land breeze, then we went to the beach at 5:30. 

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

I had planned to go home Wednesday or Thursday but got an email Tuesday night that sent me back earlier than planned, so I got back to Philly around 10 on Tuesday night and slept in the basement since the air was off throughout the heatwave and that was the coolest place once I turned it back on.

Snippets of the weekend 5.29.2023

Here we are catching up on Memorial Day weekend well over a week later LOL

I made the drive up to Lori's on Thursday night with the three dogs and we got settled in. Bruce loves the seats there.

Friday I had planned to work a half day at best but ended up past five with an external deadline looming the next week but if you have to work on a Friday afternoon overlooking the lake is not a bad place to do it. We started the morning with a beautiful charcuterie board Lori's neighbor made, and we got donuts and picked up some groceries. You know you are in rural PA when the shop is called Donuts & Ammo. The donuts were delicious.

Friday night reading and just enjoying the outside. I saw an Eagle pluck a fish out of the lake, full wingspan out. It was amazing and I'm so glad I saw it. We lit the fire table for a bit and retired early. I started a new book after doing some internet searches on a seo company san diego for a work item hanging out there I didn't want to forget over the long weekend and furniture installation companies near me. I happened upon Mes Amis Barbershop in my interweb travels and read through damn near the entire site. 

Saturday we set off to do some small business shopping that included Feick's Vintage Finds in Meshoppen, Hometown Finds & Friends and Chocolates by Leopold in Montrose (and another little store I forget the name of and a new bakery opening up!) and a fantastic place to soothe the central nervous system - Cold Creek Gardens in Wyalusing. I love it there so much - the layout, the gardens, the owners, what they stock, the mimosas you can enjoy while shopping. We also stopped at a new to me little nursery across from the castle gas station. It was a very nice morning and afternoon.

We also popped in to see Dots and Win and Layla (only video of her playing ball no still shots LOL). We've been solely at the lake for visits the past few years and this house reminds me of Gus and his best big friend CJ there so much. Geege too but that was Gus's favorite. You can really feel them there.

MFD brought Billy Cat up for his first time at the lake. He did better than I thought he would. We saw a beaver out beavering on the lake and he came close in to where Mike was fishing. It was cool!

Sunday was a lot of relaxing and reading. Jack and Mike went fishing. I love spending time up at the lake with Lori! We all do.

I read three books (these and a Megan Miranda not pictured) and actually read the magazines I brought, did a lot of grass walking and breathing and relaxing. It was great. 

I left Lori's at maybe 10? At home I unpacked, did laundry, picked up some groceries mostly so I could have a sundae later, and ran errands. MFD arrived home later and we watched the last four episodes of Succession. What a show!

weekending reels on Instagram 

 

Memorial Day weekend renters at the shore were a fucking mess. I hope this is not how the season is going to go.

Snippets of the weekend 2.6.2023

Weekend started bright and early on Thursday with a 9 am flight to Atlanta after two nights of very little sleep. I saw an old train co-commuter douche causing issues on the flight there with very high maintenance white man shit and my blood was boiling. Gwen's flight landed around the same time so we met up at the Marta and took the train to our hotel (Marriott Marquis) to drop our stuff off and grab lunch at Gibney's Pub. It was raining and that was close. They had no lemons, fries, or White Claw, but we made it through. Mimi arrived soon after and we relaxed in the room then hit Kuts steak house for dinner, also very close due to torrential rain. I was very happy to go the fuck to sleep and slept 10 freaking hours.

Friday we walked to breakfast at Atlanta Breakfast Club and it was fantastic - food, service, music, vibe. I got the chicken and waffles topped with peach cobbler. I am not a typical waffles person but the chicken was seasoned amazingly and I'm glad I did it.

We walked back to the hotel - why were we unaware Atlanta had hills? - then off to Cabbagetown to see amazing street art in the neighborhood and through Krog Street Tunnel. I'm sharing here for my own keeps despite some shadows due to time of day. Skip down past a bunch of collages if you DGAF.

We got coffee/beer at Krog Street Market, then drove to Ponce Market and did a walk around and had lunch at Minero's, which we all thought was Miner's LOLOL

Then it was time to lay down for a minute. Gena & Greg arrived and settled in, Tess arrived and her and Mimi went to get ready, and we walked over to the State Farm Arena. I cannot believe how orderly and nice everyone was. Super different experience than events in Philly LOL. Once inside we split up for our seats. Gwen and I loved where we were, and there was a standing/seated table area right behind us and we spent a lot of the concert there singing and dancing. It was so great to see Bruce with the band again. I saw them on their last tour in 2016, then saw him on Broadway in 2018, and hoped like hell Covid did not kill my chances of seeing him again. He played for 2.45, never left the stage. Still great at 73. We all met up after and hit up Gibney's for two nightcaps. Fantastic day.

Saturday we walked to Apache for brunch. I had eggs over medium with fried pork chops and another stellar food/service/music/vibe situation. Loved it. 

We had tickets for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and we did that an hour earlier than planned so as to only do the hill back to the hotel once LOL. An important and heavy experience. To know that it was not that long ago. And how far we have not come.

Back for a period of rest before walking literally next door for dinner at Pacific Rim Bistro. Something Gwen ordered arrived at the table on fire and it was hilarious. We sat in the lobby bar after dinner before saying our goodbyes. This is us in the elevator: 47 floors of a hotel and we were in 3622 and 3621 without planning it at all and checking in a day apart. 

Sunday alarms started going off at 4 and that is just unkind. Mimi dropped us at the airport and the goddamn guy from my train was on the flight again and talked the ENTIRE time and everyone was so mad. MFD picked me up, I had groceries delivered, slept for four hours on the couch, and we ordered cheesesteaks and watched the entire second season of Hacks.

weekending reels on Instagram 

These ladies are my first internet friends that I've known for 23+ years. We used to try and get together yearly, and that spread longer a lot of times over the years for us as a group. Super happy to have weekended with them in May and again this past weekend and we floated Groundhog's weekend next years too, closer to Gwen this time. I was also happy to see Tess in person for the first time in years and meet Gena's man Greg in person, and he fit right in with us. A great weekend with forever friends I adore. 

 

Snippets of the long weekend 9.7.2022

MFD turned 45 Thursday! We went out on a boat (his choice obvi) and I did not vomit in the bay. I did ask to get dropped off early though. 

I also got a manicure and pedicure and did some time-sensitive work organization there, picked a wine for a work event (Two Vintners), looked up drone info for a project (click here), and researched funding for start ups for a friend. We hit our beach for a little over an hour, then showered and went to dinner at the Tuckahoe Inn, a favorite of ours. 

Wedding Day for my brother Sean and Nicole on Friday, so we made a work errand for me pit stop in Margate then drove up to Philly. My vertigo was activated from the Thursday boat ride but thankfully I got it under control. We picked up Aub and headed to Malvern. We had a great time! Table 17! Hit the hotel for a bit after then back to Philly.

We were meant to leave for the shore at 8:30 but pharmacy hours were against us, then MFD mowed the lawn, and we hit ridiculous traffic. Finally got to the shore near 1 and did a late beach day - love lingering in that late light - and Aubrey ran the Boardwalk Blind Pizza Taste Test at night. Jared and Stephen were the pizza runners. This year's winner: NY Pizza at the OC Promenade. Roma was second and Manco third.

Sunday a long hot beach day and driveway party with the annual charcoal Great American Smokeout and games a la our activities director Carol - marshmallow gun not included. We had a great time as usual, and it was great to have Amanda, Eva, and Frank come back from the beach for the driveway party too.

More beach Monday including a boat beached by the Music Pier and a drive by beeping and boating by the Commodore (MFD). Stephen, Aub, Jared, and the kids took off Monday, and we did Boyars and porch. There was a shitload of rain Tuesday, when I was also off. We thank it for waiting out the weekend. Dad and Carol and I went to Kessel's for lunch and had a good laugh over being submerged. I had some HVAC quotes and service come through then drove back to Philly.

In addition to snippets here, I've been doing weekending reels on Instagram if you are interested. 

I read a terrible book most of the weekend and my Kindle was back in Philly so no reads. I started one this morning that was infinitely better.