TWTW - the first one of the last month of 2020

Friday Work work work. I started early to finish early so Bruce could get his booster shots. He was  not okay with it as he had a bad reaction to the initial ones. I took the best friends down to Corson's Inlet to run around while I looked for shells. They came home tired out, I finished a few work things and ate the dinner I had ordered for contactless delivery earlier, and my big Friday night was grocery shopping at 8:30 pm when I was the only person in the store aside from two workers. 

Saturday I unapologetically did nothing. I read a bit, but mostly cleaned shells in batches.  

We headed for our beach walk once the weather cleared. There was like an entire whelk village on my beach. It was amazing. My pickings from that are in the bottom right photo above - all those in under 10 minutes in less than a block. Bruce was not having it. It was cold and he wanted to go home. I understood. More lounging and reading followed. 

Sunday there was a little more life. I put stuff away in the apartment and house, vacuumed the apartment and cleaned the bathroom, cleaned out the dishwasher filter in the house and ran that with vinegar, sorted Christmas gifts, did my SUYB blog, did some beach walking with the best friends. MFD was taking care of stuff in Philly and arrived late with the old dogs.  

I made pork chops in the air fryer, rice, and broccoli for dinner. I also made tuna for lunches. This week the dogs are eating skirt steak, chicken tenders, rice, mixed veggies, and sweet potatoes as a topper for a bit of dry food.

Show Us Your Books tomorrow!

TWTW - the one with lots of outside time

Friday was rainy and cold, but it halted in time for us to get out for a while at lunch. I made chicken, rice, salmon, and green beans (not pictured) for the weekend. My dogs start crowding me when it's time to finish work. I cleaned my apartment, painted my nails (Zoya Annie), finished a book, and started another, which had me up until 1. 

Saturday started with a 6 am wakeup and an hour long walk and a lovely sunrise. 

After that I read with some coffee, showered, went to order doors for the house, picked something up for Michelle's sister, did some small business shopping, chowed down on a pretzel, hit the porch with the best friend dogs, took a long nap, then an hour walk for a glorious sunset. 

Sunday I slept in because it was Sunday and I do what I want. I packed up because I had to make an overnight trip to Philly. I also went to the vet because I thought Ben's checkup was this Sunday and it's really next Sunday. So we bought pumpkins and hit dog beach, then I came back into the belly of the beast AKA the campaign office. Which is my entire house at this point. MFD had a canvas launch with Andrew Yang and our Congressman and another local state rep, pics from his FB page, and I made a pot roast which I actually hate but never remember until I make it. Laundry out the wazoo and we watched Scream which is about the scariest I can go as far as movies go. 

PA friends, this is the last day to register to vote. If you are already registered, please check your registration. If you need help registering or checking your registration, please comment below or email me at lifeaccordingtosteph@gmail.com.

How was your weekend? 

TWTW - last one in June

Friday MFD and the old dogs headed back to Philly early. I had morning calls and work was popping but I escaped at lunch to pick up freaking library books curbside and I was so happy.  I did a fun plate lunch and had a Ben lap dog. I read and changed my recurring monthly donations. 

We spent the evening on the porch and trolling around creeping on other people's flowers, catching a watercolor sunset back at the bay. It was a long walk and we all slept like the dead.

Saturday Unexpected rain showers in the morning had me making shower spray since I located hydrogen peroxide, then having coffee on the porch with the best friends. I hit the beach for an hour and a half, had to tell a group who plunked down too close to move. I got takeout lunch from Farmstand at 14th which was delicious. Verbal altercation with a maskhole there (I did not coin this term, first heard it from Ali, but have seen it numerous places this weekend and it fits - wear the fucking mask when interacting with people working, people!). I also got into it with a lady who let her two dogs approach mine without asking and dropped the leash, causing a major situation on a busy road. Since I was 0 for 3 with peopley things, I retreated to the porch to the afternoon and finished a book. I had the totally underrated fish sticks and salad for dinner, then another long bayside walk with flower creeping. Not much of a sunset but you can't win 'em all. 

Sunday I swear there was literally no air to be had on the island in the morning. After dog walk duties, I went to the grocery store, then did some food prep for once (chicken breasts, hard boiled eggs, rice, chopped kale salad), cleaned and organized the apartment including moving furniture and mopping (small space living is totally for me), more dog walking, and general lounging because it was hot AF. I can't read Hood Feminism as a library book, I need to highlight and write in it, so I found it on bookshop at 11:30 pm Saturday and bought it via Harriett's Bookshop, then started back up with the Will Trent series. 

MFD and the old dogs rolled back into town around 6:30. After a walk we headed to the North End for him to fish and me to read. It's relaxation station down there and the sunsets are nice. We were back around 9, ate, dog walks, and fell out around midnight. 

Happy birthday to Kim's Steve Friday, my brother in law Mark Sunday, and my cousin Courtney today. 

Easy weekend and outdoor showers daily. And a four day week since Friday is the observation of the Fourth. My kind of life. 

TWTW - Q4 Easter

Friday I was super in my feelings about not being at the shore with my Mom, Rich, Debbie, Kate & Dan & kids, and Swan this weekend. One of my lowest days in quarantine. It is hard when you are doing what is asked and other people are doing whatever the fuck they want and not abiding by any stay at home only with people in your own fucking household orders. Work work and I ended about an hour early to read. MFD made shrimp scampi for dinner and I took to the couch to get lost in a book. 

Saturday I spent most of the day reading, tracking the Easter Bunny going through the neighborhood, and had a driveway visit from Dad & Carol where Carol dropped off her homemade peanut butter eggs and toilet paper bunny gifts. I then ate a lot of said eggs and sat out back until the wind hurt my feelings. Leftovers for dinner and we watched City on a Hill at night and I read. 

Sunday I was up early to let the dogs out, so I finished a book. The Easter bunny left candy via Target delivery. I drove to my Mom's to get sheets she washed & dried while the dryer was on the fritz and homemade chocolate chips with less chips as we like them. We hung out in her garage catching up. I'd rather be catching up on the porch at the shore. I painted my toes (OPI go with the lava flow) and nails (Sally Insta-Dri Cherry Pink Blink and Cherry Fast). After we ate MFD did some yard work and I sat outside. We watched the bonus episode of Tiger King which MFD described as a check in like we know these people or something.

I had to make deviled eggs because we couldn't be with Debbie for Easter like we always are. MFD did the ham and boxed scalloped potatoes because he likes them and my high standards of no processed shit are low at this time. I made cranberry fluff and steamed asparagus. Dessert was Mom's cookies, Carol's PB eggs, and blueberry pie from Lou's curbside pickup. 

Weekly food prep: we'll be doing Easter leftovers, and I'll be making mac & cheese with some of the leftover ham. Fresh kielbasa on the menu this week too since we didn't eat it for Easter. 

Heading into week five. I don't want to do more holidays in quarantine. I hope your Easter and Passover were as good as can be. Ours was, I just still don't want to do more holidays in quarantine. 

Have you seen the NYT article on how Trump could have seen what was coming on the coronavirus because he was advised on it and continually chose not to act? If we ever want to get out of our houses some states need to buckled down and every single one of us needs to call on our Congress people and this president to get us the fucking tests. Where are the tests? 

See you here tomorrow for Show Us Your Books. 

TWTW - the one at home

Friday the weather was a beaut so I had all the windows open all day, which was not great when the neighborhood dogs were barking making my dogs bark and I was on a call. Two of my zen up my shit candles arrived. I knocked off around 4, picked up the living room mess from the dogs, sat out front and finished a book, and chatted with the neighbors. I made tortellini with sauce from the freezer and pulled rolls from the freezer to make garlic bread. A side salad topped that off. I joined a live chat on Luvv Nation and started Glennon Doyle's new book which sucked me right in.

Saturday I set up my white board for the day, made calls to seniors in the district for a city councilman to check in and make sure they have all they need, MFD and Vincent delivered meals for Caring for Friends, I got part of my shipment from Harriett's Bookshop (if you're shopping right now, please shop small if they're shipping- Harriett's is new, small, local, woman, and black owned and we need these places to survive), I made a cake and a dip, and then I spent much of the day lost in a book which I really needed. I fell asleep on the couch as MFD was watching Tiger King which he has been talking about relentlessly since and I never went up to bed. 

Sunday was a gray day, perfect for doing a lot of nothing except picking up a prescription for steroids for my hives, then changing clothes, doing laundry, showering when I got home. Thanks SWIFT MD, you only need to make a phone call and not go in anywhere. I sent pictures of hives, boom, done. I cleaned up the kitchen, organized the pantry, started another book but didn't get far, just sort of zoned out for the day and talked to my brother and Baby Steeeephen, my Dad, and Laura and texted with a slew of my people. Philadelphia was issued a stay at home order because people are still out in groups everywhere. Thanks, dicks. So you can look forward to books and dogs and weird shit you don't want to see or care about until this gets lifted. Still, do your best to remain as hopeful as Bruce does sitting before every food item a human is eating. 

Weekly food prep: Not batch cooking breakfast or lunch or dinner at this time. Cooking is soothing to me so I'm making eggs every morning, making sure to stop work for lunch, throwing dinner together. This weekend I made pickle wrap dip for #yearofthedip, an apple sharlotka to use up apples going bad that was a fail in appearance but was completely devoured regardless, and tonight is . I also made croutons for this week's salads from the Friday night garlic bread. 

Week two on the interior. Still doing lunch time check ins on Instagram stories (MFD made an appearance yesterday) and a book/reading post between 5-6 every night (except Sunday I think) for #quaranreading talk. Join me! 

If you have an requests for blog content, now is the time. 

Of course I spent a lot of time arguing with people on the internet this weekend. Mainly in my neighborhood. 

If your town or state are shut down with all non-life sustaining businesses closed like we are in PA, or directed to stay at home like we are in the City of Philadelphia, shit has hit the fan. If you do not know people infected, it’s only a matter of time. I know two confirmed positives and one presumptive positive and they are not the sixth degree of separation and none are over 50. People need to know this is not only for older or immune compromised people. Popping into the grocery store daily for a want and not a need has to stop. Anyone could be a carrier and not know it, and the more you expose others to you and you to others the higher the risk that it will be carried to someone who will not survive it. Wants are not needs and the only people who should be going frequently are the people that can't afford to buy what they need for the week+ at once. If you go to a store and they're out of chicken, you're not eating chicken this week. Also, stop hoarding things like chicken. Fucking relax and let the supplies regenerate. No one who is worried about missing chicken is going to starve, but check on your neighbors who are not as flush to make sure they don't because stores are out of a lot of WIC items. If your store is out of a non-necessity, try again next week, don't go to three more stores looking for shit which is what people are doing. Not sacrificing a little is a slap in the face to every healthcare worker at work without PPEs, all police/fire/EMT without gear, grocery store workers keeping us all fed, postal/delivery peeps, and everyone else who is essential right now and out working when they might have an elderly parent or someone who has a compromised immune system living with them; not to mention all the people out of work with no say in it because of city/state shut downs who do not make money if they are not working, especially those who are small business owners themselves or independent contractors and cannot collect unemployment. Be a good neighbor and community member and STAY HOME. 

TWTW - the last one in Philly for a long time

Friday I worked from home with my daytime outing being playing lite brite with Amelia while Michelle was at her conference and picking up a donut after, so good start. After work I got a pedicure for the first time since freaking October. I made pizza and salad for dinner, purged the china cabinet, lined the it with contact paper until I ran out and had to order more, and read at night.

Saturday I was up at the ass crack, seriously before even the dogs so I got a load of laundry going and did some reading, put laundry away, wrote my SUYB post, purged some drawers, and did more laundry (since MFD was sick with the stomach virus, literally everything that can be washed is getting washed). The two new end chairs for the dining room arrived so MFD assembled those. I spent the afternoon watching Lola Jean and Baby Steeeve and they are a riot. My Dad & Carol came over so I got to spend a few hours with them too. We were outside as the sun was going down and Lola pointed out the signs of spring to me. I stopped at Target to return something and pick up eggs and stepped right into Doomsday Preppers. Remain calm, people who are not immune-compromised. Stop hoarding, leave some shit out there for people who are compromised. 

Sunday I always feel like I'm behind as soon as I wake up on spring forward day. I hate that. International Women's Day and my Mom-Mom's birthday, both good days to remind ourselves that women don't owe you shit. I changed sheets, did food prep early, packaged up donations, and ran some errands - Kohls to return some Amazon things and get a new sun hat, Ross to pick up a rug for the shore, and I dropped off a donation to a locker too. Ben was Ben, destroying new toys and turning over beds to sit on them. New socks from Aubrey & my brother, did some work work and some looking for light fixtures online before deciding to spray paint the existing one, outside sitting in flip flop weather with Brucie, painted my nails (OPI My Private Jet), and MFD prepped and painted the dining room.

Weekly food prep: Breakfast is yogurt with granola. Snacks are baby carrots and hard boiled eggs. I only need three lunches so I'm probably going to scrounge for those. Dinner is salad with chicken thighs in the air fryer and egg roll in a bowl. I also made chocolate chip muffins and Gus's food.

Birthday week is upon us! Three day week, visiting Aunt Carrie & Uncle Jim! Then opening the shore after that, hence the title of this post! Show Us Your Books tomorrow! All the exclamation points too apparently! 

How was yours? 

TWTW - the one in MA

Friday I worked from home before flying up to Boston to visit my BFF Kim, her husband, and my goddaughter. Steve fetched me from the airport, I got 42897 stylings of Libby photos, we had delicious takeout dinner in and lounged on couches which is my ideal Friday night. 

Saturday Kim and I hit DD and Target to kick off the day, then Steve brought home bagels and we devoured them on sight. We did some of the afternoon at a waterfront playground in Charlestown before having lunch at Pier Six. The food, wine, views, coloring book action, and company were delicious. Quiet time before hitting a four year old birthday party and we were in our pajamas on the couch with wine immediately after. I finished a book before falling asleep. Oh and at the party we split a piece of the absolute best ice cream cake I have ever had in my life from Meletharb. Thank you, parents of child I do not know.

Sunday Kim & Libby took me to the airport for my 10 am flight, where I started a new book. I was in my living room in Philly by 12:30. We went to Barnes & Noble for a book signing of The Spirit Projector by a local author/friend from high school, Kelly Deeny (you can buy her book on Book Baby, Amazon, Barnes & Noble) and saw a few other friends from high school as well. We popped into PetSmart after where I wanted to adopt a shelter cat and MFD wanted parakeets and left with nothing. Pier One up there is going out of business so we stopped in there and got a new dining room table to replace our 11 year old one. MFD went to work for a little and I cycled laundry, did some food prep, unpacked.

We went to Sakura for dinner with a Christmas gift card from my bonus grandparents Ruth & Pete. I finished out the night sussing out paint colors for the dining room here and hallway at the shore, did a salt face mask (so unsatisfying to have no mask color), and painted my nails (OPI Cajun Shrimp).

Weekly food prep: Breakfast is yogurt with granola and a side of cantaloupe. Lunches are hard boiled eggs with bell peppers, carrots, cheese, olives. Snacks are oranges. Dinner is salad salad salad and we'll start with baked chicken thighs that I'm making Monday night. I'm not sure what will be after that, possibly pasta.

Birthday month has begun.

TWTW - the one that is not three day for me

Friday I have seldom been so happy to see a week end. I moved the email icon on my phone out of the home bar on the bottom and onto page three for the weekend and it was fucking glorious. While MFD was making dinner I did my in-home walk. He made steaks and asparagus and fries in the air fryer and we zoned out on the couches with Parks & Rec and me with a book. 

Saturday was leisure-tastic. I finished a book, read an entire other one, and started a third. I painted my nails (Zoya Annie and Charla) and did a bentonite clay mask, we did a family walk on the trail near our house with me splitting off early to bring the old dogs home, and I did a super simple dinner of salad, corn bread, and chicken drums in the air fryer. 

Sunday My mom came over for a visit bearing bagels and her delicious baked goods. MFD and Vincent went to Quaker meeting and I did an in-home walk and showered. What else what else. Normal sheet changing and towel washing and putting the house in order. I should have done laundry but I argued with people I don't know online about why Bloomberg is so fucking terrible instead. After years of saying we were going to we finally bought a new sectional for the shore (no ottoman, but the sectional is the ottoman color) and went to dinner at Margaritas since it was right across from there. The service was great but the food was fucking terrible, we had immediate regrets/should have gone elsewhere. I finished reading Just Mercy and whew. 

Weekly food prep: Breakfast is savory oatmeal and a banana. Lunches are salads with a hard boiled egg side car. Snacks are baby carrots. Dinner is spaghetti with veggie meat sauce from the freezer, garlic bread to use up bread from last week, and side salad - MFD is making that Monday night. I'll probably do sheet pan veggies and smoked sausage mid-week. That's one of the only meals I am cool with making the day of during the week. So no pics because the only things I made were hard boiled eggs and oatmeal and cut up some stuff for salads. Oh I lied. Here are some tomatoes. Bye.

Is this just a weekend and books and Thursday Thoughts blog anymore? In this season of life, seems like it. I am not off today, but I do feel more rested than I have in a while.

TWTW - that February flow

Friday I worked from home and switched it up a little. Instead of starting work at 7, I read for a bit and painted my nails (Zoya Madeline). Then I took a break to meet Michelle for lunch at Maggie's, dropped a box off at the post office and returned library books, and picked up a few groceries. Around five I made italian wedding soup for dinner, and dip three and four of the year (dips are being saved on an instagram highlight at the top of my profile with either where I got the recipe or what it is-some of them will make their way here but that’s where they are for now), worked from about 7:30-10 in the basement, and did a zillion loads of laundry (including the couch covers) while MFD hosted a debate party upstairs. I went to bed around midnight. Flexible work schedule rocks. 

Saturday was a leisurely start. I put laundry away, did my walk, then spent much of the day finishing a book and doing some organizing. We went to Dad & Carol's for family dinner and looked through a bunch of old photos and stuff from my Grandmom & Pop, which I love doing. I took Grandmom's dictionary home with me. I started a new book and had to force myself to put it down and go to sleep at midnight, it was so good. 

Sunday I did the normal morning routine of changing/washing sheets, then set up blogs, did my walk, and did some food prep. I meant to take the best friend dogs for a walk, finish working on my basement shelves, make chicken salad, and run to the grocery store in the afternoon but I cancelled life and finished Long Bright River and I loved it. I did manage to get dinner made with MFD pitching in on the mashed potatoes so that was fine. I had to bring my book along to get dinner going though.

Sunday night I started another book and half watched the Oscars. 

Weekly food prep: Breakfast is scrambled eggs topped with broccoli. Snacks are bananas and baby carrots. Dinner is pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and brussels and salad or chicken salad (must make tomorrow) on Dave's killer bread. Lunches are leftovers of everything. I made Gus's super high priced ground beef with organ meat because he can't process it raw, which I was planning on switching him to.

Show Us Your Books is tomorrow! See you back here for that.