TWTW - the one where I don't have the brain for a title

Friday night I was in a troll-ish mood, which means no one is safe. I came home, locked the door, finished a book, had ice cream for dinner, hugged my dogs, and watched a bunch of episodes from season one of The L Word.

Saturday morning Geege insisted on getting up early, which he never does, so I hopped out of bed and put shit out front for Vietnam Vets to pick up.

Debbie brought coffee over and we headed to Grounds for Sculpture. It was an awesome day outside, with lunch at Rat's on the grounds to cap it off. More on Grounds for Sculpture later this week. 

We hit TJ Maxx after - I bought this plastic storage basket and was complimented on it twice in the store as if I made it myself. An older lady said, "you could put a baby in that basket it's so pretty!" I did that high laughing voice reply, "hahaha but I wouldn't! I wouldn't!" Seriously, I wouldn't. In any case, high five for a great find, Maxxinistas. Debbie headed home and I went to Sam's, then on to babysit my awesome niece Lola Jean. 

I was dead tired when I got home and was asleep by 11. Glamorous life, baby! The Ahole Wakeup Committee was at it again on Sunday and I was up and moving by 7: fresh sheets on the bed, sheets and towels through the wash, groceries unpacked, blah blah. I did the food prep early, drank a shit ton of coffee, moved some stuff around on the walls, sat around with the dogs, fussed over this week's splurge flowers, and I was on a Woman's Caucus call for over an hour in the afternoon. I did a face mask while that was going on. 

Weekly food prep: Breakfast is a spinach/tomato/cheese egg bake; lunch is salad from Wawa;  snacks are granny smith apples, mangoes, and CheezIts; and dinner is baked chicken with mushroom casserole (recipe coming) or veggie beef soup with rolls. Sunday night, with all that lovely home cooked food in the fridge? I ate ramen and finished off the pint of Talenti because I do what I want. 

Other Sunday things: picking up the house, laying out clothes for the week, fretting about MFD being on time to the airport in North Dakota because he always cuts it too close for my comfort when I'm not with him, unintentionally repping PP all over the place (yesterday, today, and all the tomorrows), reading mags, drinking tea, doing some research for the tattoo I'm going to get to cover up the one on my back that I hate, and watching all of Santa Clarita Diet. 

Favorite day tomorrow! Show Us Your Books!

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

Thursday Thoughts: summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

1. A little over two weeks ago, I began the switch from liquid shampoos and conditioners to solid all natural shampoo soap. They say it can take up a month for your hair to acclimate. So week one...hair was trying to work out the residue left by normal shampoos, appeared to be a wax helmet in pony tail formation, felt terrible. I reached fuck this shit o'clock very quickly and kicked week two off with a baking soda clarifying treatment followed by shampooing followed by an apple cider vinegar rinse. While an infinite improvement over the wax helmet, I woke up yesterday with wild, enormous, sort of curly hair that felt like hay. My hair has never held a curl even with an implement. Yesterday I walked past LUSH looking for solace while keeping it solid. Is prayers for hair a thing? Also, if you see me, pretend I don't have hair until I get this sorted out. Thanks.

2. Dog days of summer. Pic from MFD. I'm happy we haven't been to the shore in this horrendous heatwave. Geege in particular struggles badly in the heat and I have to carry him much of the way around the block. They're looking forward to fall at the shore with cooler air and a return to beach access once the summer crowds have gone.

3. I finished an advance reader copy of A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles on Tuesday. Such truly beautiful writing. Have you read Rules of Civility by Towles? If not, put it on your list, and also check out A Gentleman in Moscow when it's released. It was the 75th book I read this year. Sometimes I feel like throwing book parties in which I am the only one in attendance. 

4. See above? That's the Kindle paperwhite screen (yellow portions were highlighed in picmonkey). I'm pleased to report that I can read it outside in full sun wearing polarized sunglasses and be able to see everything just like I'd see a page in a physical book. I was having a terrible time doing that with the Kindle Fire, even with the anti-glare screens and turning the brightness of the screen itself up.

5. LAST book thing today. On this week's episode (out today or tomorrow) of The Armchair Librarians, Jana and I are joined by her daughter to discuss Dork Diaries #2 - Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl. Parents, do your kids enjoy this series? It's been a long time since I've read a kid's series book. It was a nice change from the murder and mayhem I'm usually reading about. FYI, Jana & I are taking the podcast down to every other week since we've been fumbling to fit it in every week. We currently have no books we're co-reading. Is there something you read that you think we should read and discuss? Is there something you haven't read but think sounds like it might be a good book for discussion? Hit me up with any suggestions.

6. I let my pedicure go too long so I was relieved to freshen up yesterday with OPI She's a Bad Muffaletta...and then walk around town with the toe things still in. tra la laaaaaa

7. I've officially reached the point in the summer where I'm wearing the same five things with no regard for anything else in my closet. I need to think about this and let some things go clothes-wise. I'm gearing up for a big Vietnam Vets pickup, so the time is now. Especially since I just bought a few replacement items at GAP for some of my basic stuff that's seen better days. I'm looking at you right now, v-neck t-shirts. I tend to replace in waves. This year since spring I've replaced all of my v-neck tees (I love to catch sales on those at GAP and LOFT). Last year I replaced all of my tank tops. The year before that, non-work pants. 

8. I could not tell you the last time I looked at a magazine. That shit keeps piling up. Most of the time I pass them along to my mom after I've given up and realized I'm not going to get around to reading them. I think I'm cancelling everything but Real Simple and in the future will just buy one when I want to read one instead of having them pile up around me in a useless and dust collecting manner. I never thought I'd be a one magazine type of lady, but here I am, driving towards that toll. 

9. Reminder. 

10.  E-card of the week: Me to 99% of people on the train right now. 

TWTW - the one about nothing

Let me preface this post by saying I did basically nothing this weekend and it was glorious. We've been on the go a little and it was nice to not leave the house at all from Friday until Monday morning.

I celebrated National Love Your Pet Day Friday - sorry for the double share on Instagram and here.

I kept up with my 40/40 - zumba on Friday night, walking/weights/stretchy band Saturday, and active rest on Sunday - slow walking, abs, and stretching.

I kept up with my use a new nail polish every time thing - I've been going bright so it was nice to go neutral with OPI Bubble Bath.

I read a shit ton of magazines and watched a Parks & Rec Treat Yoself marathon all weekend.

I stayed in Saturday with my people.

I cooked. Salad, steamed brussels sprouts, and blackened salmon for dinner Friday night. No bake energy bites for the week. Filling for breakfast burritos to freeze and quinoa and ground turkey to use for stuffed peppers. Turkey meatloaf, garlic mashed cauliflower, and roasted asparagus for Saturday dinner. Egg muffins with sausage, mushrooms, and spinach for the week. Healthy bananas foster in the crockpot with homemade greek vanilla frozen yogurt. Not pictured - ham taken out of the freezer and mashed sweet potatoes. Lunches are leftovers from dinners.

I hausfraued in the general upkeep style. I did laundry and put it away the same day - that never happens. I also wiped down baths, cleaned the kitchen, etc. Same shit I do every day.

I watched the Oscars. I was going to do a post on it but then I just felt like vegging out in a blob-like fashion instead of hunting down images of Oscar fashion so that's what I did. I was jazzed to see Reese Witherspoon share the #ASKHERMORE hashtag on Instagram & Twitter to get interviewers to ask women on the red carpet more about their work and less about their dresses. I adore that. YOU GO REESE.

I also loved speeches from Patricia Arquette, Graham Moore, Common/JohnLegend, and Eddie Redmayne and performances by Lady Gaga, Common, and John Legend. The fashion was meh.

Marching towards spring. Inch by inch. Even though I almost busted my ass this morning on black ice on the way into work.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

Taking a page out of US Mag.

This post is modeled after US Magazine's column 25 Things You Don't Know About Me...only they use famous people and I am not famous. Discuss amongst yourselves if reading US makes me shallow, vapid, and part of the problem with pop culture.

Andplusalso, everyone on my facebook newsfeed is all "Fa la la la la my house is fully decorated for Christmas, welcome Santa and tiny baby Jesus in your golden fleece diaper, we are so ready for you" and I'm all, "It's December 1, I have no kitchen, my entire house is chaos from this kitchen remodel, everything is dirty with a fine layer of drywall dust, early darkness makes me want to be a slug like Randy from A Christmas Story and lay on the couch not moving, and I feel stabby because I know Clark Griswold will be making a grand mess decorating the shit out of the house on December 22 since we're hosting a Christmas Open House."

Ahem. Back to the 25 things.

1. I don't like to run out of anything. My house is always stocked with at least one backup of everything, specifically canned goods, paper products, and cleaning tools. Relax, it's not like extreme couponer stock piling. I have one extra mustard, not 173. I get this fear of running out of something from my mom's side of the family. If there is ever any type of disaster and you can't get food from a store, we could live off of my pantry for a while. And clean.

2. My handwriting looks like a serial killer's. I was advised not to address any of my wedding correspondence, and I have carried that over to my Christmas cards. Thank you Michelle for your label making prowess and always taking care of me when you do yours. Laura, I am waiting for you to come over and re-label all of my shoeboxes with your P-Touch since my handwriting makes you cringe.



Ted Bundy? Did you write this?

3. I prefer cold beverages.

4. When I am concentrating or exercising, my tongue is always out. When I was little, I took gymnastics at Joel Baba and they constantly told me I was going to bite my tongue off. I quit gymnastics for unrelated reasons.

5. I prefer lukewarm or cold food (even if it's supposed to be served hot) and I put salt on everything without tasting it first.

6. I love the laughing Buddha. I have a bunch of them throughout my house.

7. One of my favorite toys as a child was a girl doll that I called The Boy. It is a frightening and awful doll that lives in our spare bedroom. I can't throw it away. Caveat: MFD suggested this one. This doll legitimately scares me as an adult, I dislike dolls anyway and this one looks like it was resurrected from Pet Sematary. I took a picture of The Boy against my better judgement. If this haunts me, we know who will pay.

Please don't come alive at night and kill us in our sleep, The Boy.

8. I don't like the top of my toes to be touched.

9. I love to sing along to the sweet sounds of the grocery store soundtrack even though I have an awful singing voice.

10. I'd rather be at the shore than anywhere else in the world. However, I disagree vehemently with paying for beach tags. This land is your land, this land is my land. I'd rather pay a fee to enter town.

11. Sometimes I reply "Your mother" to any question someone asks me, then I laugh like a maniac. Every time.

12. I don't do math.

13. I don't give a rat's ass about the NFL or NBA. The salaries and insane celebrations they participate in after doing what they are paid one zillion dollars to do really chaps my ass.

14. When I get really frustrated, I cry.

15. I love how heels look, but am past the age of caring to wear them. They kill my feet and it's not worth it.

16. I don't eat beets, coconut, very spicy foods, Indian food, bread or rice pudding, or overcooked meat.

17. I can't function in chaos. I need to create order. Naturally, I like my pantry neat, but not Sleeping with the Enemy neat.

18. I've never broken a bone or gotten stitches aside from my wisdom teeth.

19. I often think in song lyrics to describe things. If a night is very starry, "we drove out to the desert just to lie down beneath this bowl of stars" will pop into my head immediately.

20. I only watch Channel 6 - Action News.

21. I love mosaic glass and would have it all over my house if I could do so without coming off like a crazy glass-whore version of Miss Havisham.

22. I name all of my cars. My first car was Wheeza (Ouiser from Steel Magnolias). My current car is the fabulous Kelly Taylor.

23. I carry two cell phones. I am not a friend of Jason Bourne. I don't have unlimited texting on my work phone, and that is my preferred method of communication.

24. I adore quotes. In junior high I started quote notebooks, and I wrote in them through college. I still have them. I believe I spent 97% of my ninth grade biology class crafting my notebook.

25. It was hard to compose this list.

Inching towards grinching,

SMD

p.s. Thank you MFD for bearing the brunt of this kitchen bullshit.