Saturday, wait

This week kicked my ass. It started off tired since we had a wedding Sunday night. Tuesday Kim was in town so we did HomeGoods together and stayed up past midnight talking. The title of this post is of course from Friday I'm in Love.

Wednesday I was in the city for a full day in which I got very little computer work done, but did have meetings and lunch with coworkers and walked over three miles. I was dead on my feet when I got home and zoned out watching The Goldbergs. 

All the trees are up in Center City, which prompted me to ask about our tree at home and thankfully we discovered that last year was the end year of our tree, it went to the curb with lights out. Whew. I got another ordered for a good deal so I was happy.

I also had a heinous dentist appointment Wednesday and after over a week of excruciating tooth pain, I was expecting the worst. No tooth crack. No root canal. No cavity. Intense clenching of my jaw from subconscious stress is causing insane inflammation in the connective tissue around my teeth. Fucking tooth fibers! Have you ever. I’ve been going to her since 2010 and this is the first time she’s seen it in me. All the shit we’ve been through personally since 2010 and this never happened…I blame the fucking government and Brett Kavanaugh. Seriously though not sure why this is happening now. To mitigate, I’m trying Plackers to start, motrin, indica gummies before bed, stretching, and massage. Otherwise overall sort of puzzled as to how to combat it  - I don’t feel personally stressed daily, haven’t stopped any wellness practice I have in place to combat normal stress, and had no idea I was even doing this. My dentist said at least it’s not your heart or stomach.  A good reminder that the body does keep the score.

I went for my monthly wellness massage yesterday and it is always one of my favorite days of the month. I was especially glad to go after I knew what was happening with my face and jaw so she could focus on that. It's fantastic to walk in, tell someone what is wrong, and they work through that with you and you leave feeling relief. Go see Sarah at Blossom Bodywork - I'm sure she will arrange a gift notification if you want to give a massage as a gift this holiday season.

Speaking of holiday season, I am pumped for Thanksgiving. I am heading back to the shore today after I run 498 errands. This week has been chock full of errands. I’ve been everywhere and twice. No, seriously, some places I have purchased things and returned in the same week and they are mostly dog jackets and I feel fine about that. 

One of those errands was for a new shore apartment couch. We are having a door installed in place of a window and a window added and our furniture cannot stay as it is now for that to happen. So the current couch which is just over two years old must go, and since the doorways are a nightmare, we got a modular. I’m really excited for this reconfiguration but was worried we wouldn't find something that worked for us. We went to Lovesac, caught their Black Friday event, and got 0% financing which sealed the deal. We got a dark amethyst fabric because the one I wanted was too much extra but maybe in the future because you can order additional cushion covers.  It's a light blue but I also love the light peach. We did not get the large sac chair MFD wanted.

Also. Who made Black Friday like a month long event? What is happening?

Nancy Pelosi does not exactly align with me, but I appreciate her leadership and service through some big, de-stabilizing events over the past 20 years. I am sorry she was and is a target for extremism and violence. Thanks for holding the line, Madame Speaker. I look forward to a younger crew of leaders in the House. Let's go.

Speaking of Houses, PA democrats won control of the state house for the first time in 12 years. There was a measure in place for state GOP leaders to ram a ballot measure through for an abortion ban in the state constitution. Every single election counts, every single fucking vote counts and the people of Pennsylvania stopped that. 

I struggled through a book most of this week, flew through another, and hope to settle in with some favorite authors this week. I'm off, allegedly.

donald trump running for anything. Biden running for re-election. Fox News. Twitter. elon. Billionaires. Racist dog whistles and owning the libs over legislation and actual work. When I run out of coffee. People who ran on inflation making investigating a non-government official named Hunter Biden the first order of business instead of combatting inflation, which they were never planning to do but a lot of you fell for anyway

Pets. And a visit from my mom and nephew. 

Yes.

Have a good weekend, miei amici.

Thursday Thoughts - Autumn comes for a time, but autumn sways

Streets Dept Walls To the  Polls 2022 murals are up in LOVE Park and they are worth seeing.

The birthplace of American independence from the British is showing out against fascism. Hopefully you show out against fascism too. Election deniers are fascists. People against bodily autonomy are fascists. Fascists are anti-freedom. Anti-freedom is anti-America. People in PA, if you vote for Mastriano, he is an Election denier and that makes you... What are you? Let's stop dancing around shit. If you vote for people who America would have been against in WWII because of their "beliefs" about elections that have been disproven in courts ad infinitum and bodily autonomy which is a human right for all people, that's voting for fascism. If you are an elected official and you support someone who is an election denier, you are supporting fascism and you do not belong in office. If you can't bring yourself to vote for a democrat don't vote for that position on Election Day. Just you and yourself in that booth. No one else needs to know, but your heart will know you didn't vote for fascism. 

Monthly massage at Blossom Bodywork on Tuesday - you need to get in with Sarah if you are in Northeast Philly/Bucks County. Trust me. Monthly massage for wellness is so good for me. It's good for you too, and you should do it.

I hit up my acupuncturist too. Which is also so good for me and my wellness and I need to get back on the monthly rotation versus every three to six months. My acu is amazing for many reasons and shit like this hanging in their window is one.

Best good boy

Must be Fall Family Event season. 

Have I ever told you MFD eats old people food? Here's an example.

Two days in the office this week did me in. So weird to think I used to do that all the time. We're still putting the Philly house back together after the bathroom project. When I finish getting my artwork for that I'll share photos. Construction dust is still everywhere and will be for a while but MFD is working on eradicating that in passes. 

I'm pivoting to the big bathroom at the shore, which will be undergoing a mini transformation soon. I need to pick a paint color and order my canvases for that too. 

Happy Thursday! It's gray here today and a good day to sink into the couch with a book (I'm reading Mad Honey, Jodi Picoult's newest, and it feels like old Jodi Picoult). But alas we must participate in the capitalism. Cheerio

 
What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Autumn Comes by David Gramberg

Thursday Thoughts - Within the glow that weaves a cloak of delight there moves a thread that has no end

Forever mood in tee form from yesterday

Forever mood in mug form from Tuesday

Forever mood in regards to Confederate flag and pride

Recommend: Colored Girls Bike Too doing work on the ground in Buffalo after the murder of Black people grocery shopping last week. Access their white supremacy culture resources here. We can either get comfortable being uncomfortable as we sit in the tension to destroy this or we can support white supremacy and racism. Those are the only two choices

Recommend: deprogramming and civics/government education. These people are from absolute hell and care not a fucking whit about what they have convinced you they care about. If you say anything like "Biden's FDA" you do not know not who is responsible for what in government and what actual agencies like FDA have domain over. 

Recommend: bar keeper's friend for so many things. This was rust on a tile floor. 

I'm partial to this photo from last weekend.

Partial to purple too, as you can see. 

Voters gotta vote. Turnout in the PA primary tells me people don't know we're sliding into fascism or do not care, which is going to be a shame when we are fully there. The Republican candidate for governor is for treasonous overthrowing of elections, suppressing the vote, and banning abortion. Why in the shit fuck would anyone vote for anyone of any party who has proven they would not accept the result of democratic elections? Do the recount or whatever, but if ya lose ya lose. Fascist treasonous anti-American anti-Democratic fucks who participate in stop the steal chicanery should not hold government office. For that reason and others, we'd all better vote for the democrat candidate Josh Shapiro, who is honestly republican lite in many ways but will absolutely safeguard the right to abortions. Abortion is healthcare and it is a private matter. If you don't agree with abortion don't get one, but stay out of other people's bodies. No matter who is the republican Senate candidate, the choice is Fetterman. He's not endorsed by democrat politicians because he's not establishment, he's for the people. Republicans allegedly value that so place that value in the box in the form of your vote for Fetterman in the November election. 

Pet pics of the week. It's the Billy and Ben show. This is why we will spend time and money tracking down a no longer sold BarkBox sheep. He got one from Treat Lady and I got him a backup. How cute is this. Ben also matches my car perfectly. The outside is white and the inside is Ben colored.

Huge congrats to our friend Frank who got his masters in Ed from Rutgers this week. You all know Frank from his annual birthday blogs in July, of course. Frank is going to kill it as an elementary school teacher! 

Happy birthday to Laura's MBD tomorrow! 

Second girls weekend this weekend with my original met you on the Internet friends of about 22 years now. Out of office tomorrow! Second four day work week in a row. 

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is All of My Love by Led Zeppelin

Thursday Thoughts - I think you're sweet like rock candy

Essie Expressie, recommend. I hate the brush, but cannot deny the love I have for the punchy colors and the way it wears. This is my second time wearing the pink and it is perfection. Sometimes you need a quick dry polish, and this wears better than Sally's, which was my top standard for a quick dry. I have it in Trick Clique and just got it in the red this week, so I'm excited to try that. 

Don't you forget about me. 

End of dogs on the regular beach season tomorrow. We are sad. Dog Beach is only 10 min away, but in season we will go less because it's more of a pain to lose a parking spot, and the insane crowds over there mean it's like a 6 am or 7 am trip which I am not as keen on these days. If Ben didn't really love to run I wouldn't take them nearly as much.

Spackled several spots that I've been meaning to spackle for three years. Victory. I'm not great, but I'm passable, and I'll slap a coat of paint on it this weekend. I'm also an absolute fucking mess with things like this because I do not cover anything or remove anything I just start things and leave myself with a lot of cleanup.

Ben is happy for a laundry basket ride. Only when it's dirty.

PA Voters, Monday is your last day to register to vote in the primary. The primary is May 17. Only registered democrats or republicans can vote in it, not independents, because PA is a closed primary. Fart noise. If you are a registered democrat or republican, please make a plan to vote in the primary on Tuesday, May 17 - we have an open Senatorial seat and both parties have an array of candidates up. Make sure to vote for that and all other races - local politics impact your life more than a presidential election any day. Vote twice a year, every year. Believe me, I know that it feels like no one is listening to jack shit but less engaged voters is not the way to address that. For more info on elections and what is on your ballot, visit the League of Women Voters Education Fund site vote411.org - anyone can do this, not just PA voters - you input your address

Yesterday was packed AF and I did it all on five hours of sleep from the night before. I was up by 6, on the train, OPC, set up at my office, dentist appointment at 8, picked up a bagel, work, pick up salad for lunch, work, lyft to acupuncture appointment, killer painful but necessary appointment to address arm nerve issues and numbness, lyft back to work, finish up at office, train, home, eat, more work, return things to two stores, hair appointment, home at 9. Whew. Art outside of Salon Harmony below. Always a fun night with Kristi & Maria even if I am dog ass tired and delirious.

I've missed train reading.

Forever a fan of Philly street photos. 

Looking good, Philly. The news shows so much bad shit, but on the streets to me it feels like a comeback. 

Yesterday's out of home food. A bagel after my dentist appt from Philly Bagels. A chimichurri salad from sweetgreen. 

Home food of the week. Grilled cheese on rye, always a little burnt please. Breakfast burritos to freeze. If you eat bone in chicken thighs and are not making them in the air fryer, what are you even doing? Pre-heat air fryer. Season well. Cook skin side down for 12 min on 380. Skin side up for 11 or 12 on 380. My basket fits four perfectly. Serve with salad, boom and done

Billy Hicks turns 1 next week. I feel like securing a tiny cat hat. He would loathe it.

Testing Password keepers. So far I like LastPass best. It feels the most intuitive. 

For your perusal. The New York Times continues to whitewash right-wing extremism in Chris Rufo profile,  Mainstream coverage adopts Elon Musk's "free speech" framing - despite his anti-union, anti-speech, anti-worker history. 

What else...save public ed. Biden is republican lite. Defending Elon Musk's billions as if you might one day have them is a fucking joke. Close the racial wealth gap. Drink your water and stretch today. If you are woman of a certain age consider taking Magnesium/k Aspartate supplements. Peace. 

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Watercolor Eyes by Lana Del Rey

Thursday Thoughts - A picture of you, holding a picture of me in the pocket of my blue jeans

1. There have been a few beauts this week that came just when I thought that the winter skies have not been giving the magic.

2. Just yesterday I was also saying shelling has been for shit and I was blessed with a whelk day. I got a big bag full of them at lunch. The first photo is a big ass whelk sitting on seaweed from the night before, which should have told me good things were coming. 

3. Poor Bruce is Fat Guy in a Little Coat. He is huge for a pug - tall and solid - and it's hard to get coats to fit him.

4. Not much doing around here this week. Work, reading, getting outside when weather allows. I need fresh air every day.

5. Republican run states are making changes to voting laws with surgical precision to restrict access to voting - we're not talking about anything new related to changes made due to covid, we're talking about removing access that has been standing for eight years in Montana and just insane shit in Georgia - and it is the responsibility of Congress and the federal government to ensure everyone in the country has voting access. All suppression bills are predicated on lies of election fraud, perpetuated and spread by Fox News et al propaganda machines, fed to people already feeling like the white way is closing. Protecting voting rights is non-partisan. Expanding voting rights is non-partisan. Don't wave your flag as a patriot if you support voter suppression. I know Fox allows you to think those things can coexist but they actually cannot. Zero elected officials in the republican party supporting protecting voting freedoms is a departure from how the entire party has functioned and voted in the past. This is a problem for ALL citizens. Call your Senators today and ask them to support the passage of the John Lewis Freedom to Vote act and suspending the filibuster to make this  happen. 

6. Back to being bored with cooking and food. MFD threw this together this week - shrimp, broccoli, pasta, olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese. What are you eating? 

7. I finished a stellar book and the next one is mediocre at best so I'm experiencing a book hangover. One of Philly's indie bookstores - Joseph Fox Books - is closing after 70 years and I am sad. Please please buy from local independent bookstores, and if you can't get there, please buy from them online or via bookshop.org and choose them as the beneficiary. Amazon does not build community. Local bookstores do. If you used to work in a city and are now WFH, if you can shop and eat in the city centers to support those businesses who rely on office workers to stay open, please do. 

8. My favorite is waking up to a Please Do the Near Impossible in a Short Amount of Time ask via email. Isn't it everyone's? Insert upside down smiley face

9. Reminder via mirrorsreflectyou

10. This made me laugh.

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Jolene by Ray Lamontagne