Friday Five 12.18.2020

1. Just a gentle reminder that no is going to die if a Christmas present is late. Please do not rage at small businesses for not getting you something on time, or contact them asking where your package is when they can only see the same tracking info you can. Certainly do not ask them for a refund for something that is entirely out of their control in a season where businesses like theirs are literally dying on the vine because the federal govt has not responded appropriately to support them through a global pandemic. Please do not rage at the US Postal Service - they are absolutely inundated with packages and have been throughout this entire pandemic not to mention the regular mail oh and the volume of mail in ballots going back and forth in a major election year where many voted from home due to said pandemic. All while trump and his lackeys attempted to cap the entire institution at the knees and defund them. If you can afford to do so please tip your postal worker! After all we've handled this year, some late gifts are literally nothing. We've got this. We can wait. It's not about the gifts anyway.

2. It is rude AF to send a jury summons in a pandemic, Philly. 

3. One week until Christmas and I could not care less. I do care about the 11.5 day break from work that is coming with it this year since I didn't use my vacation days like I normally do. The status of my brain and the fact that I resemble the Steve Buscemi Mary Poppins tells me maybe I should have. 

4. The best thing I ate this week was also the simplest - two eggs over roasted root veggies. Freaking delicious. 

5. I think it is instinct especially for women to lead with "Sorry" and I know I am always consciously working away from that. It feels weird not saying it sometimes, like we're leaving a void, but ladies, especially in work comms in general men are not filling any void in communication with sorry followed by a statement. Let it sit. You don't owe the world perfection, stoicism, an explanation for why you're not spending your time how/where/with who they think you should, or a reason for saying no. And most of the time you don't need to use the words "I'm sorry" for things you're using them for. Use them how they are intended. Likewise, we don't have to tell people we're not sorry either - not saying I'm sorry for something implies that we're not. LOL

Bonus inclusion - I love a post-storm ocean when she's roiling, not when she's flat. The sea spray off the tops of the waves was magnificent yesterday. I do not love the amount of masks I've seen on the beach this year. They are the new plastic bags. 

Well this unintentionally turned into a Thursday Thoughts junior. I will not apologize, see above. 

Anyone doing anything good this weekend? 

Thursday Thoughts - I think you better turn your ticket in and get your money back at the door

1. No words for the glory of Tuesday's sunset. I credit that and a solid eight hours of sleep with elevating my mood this week. 

2. Today is my nephew's third birthday. He loves Mr. Grinch so much so I had my Mr. Grinch ready for our FaceTime this morning. He makes me laugh all the time. He is so smart and so funny, has endless energy and when he loves something he LOVES it. His joy is contagious. I am 40 years older than him and have been buoyed so many times by his joy in this shit year. He is a gift in this world in any type of year. Happy birthday Stephen III! 

3. I do not have any pretty snow photos from Winter Storm Gail to share. The shore got no snow as is mostly typical and totally fine with me, just high winds and flooding after hours of downpours. My dogs had me up at 2:26 to go for a walk since only Ben would enter the down pour to take a pee on Wednesday night. 

4. When your socks perfectly match your pants. Thanks, Tie Dye man. 

5. You all know I'm not into Christmas in general in a normal year. I do have minimal decor out at the shore though (the Christmas 2020 sign is in Philly) and I love my Christmas mugs so 12+ mugs of Christmas happens on Instagram this year. Minimal Christmas decor-wise feels great to me when not much else does. 

6. I've wanted these boots for three years. I got them on big sale earlier this year and they have been awesome in wet weather. I wore them Monday when I was driving all over creation doing contactless delivery to staff. I got to see some people including my soul sister Beth and it was so great but also sad knowing that is not going to be the norm for a while. No company holiday party etc. this year. 

7.  This week has been hard. Harder than in a while. My creativity is largely missing and it's hard to write again, in a time of year in which I really need both on demand for work. I have to work whenever those skills make themselves available, and sometimes that's 11 pm - 1 am. My focus in general is also off and I've made mistakes I'd never normally make. I'm tired and my brain feels fried. This Life in Corona Land year of hills and valleys, man. It's been a while since I've been in the valley and I don't miss it down here. I don't usually take the entire time between Christmas Eve and New Year's off because I like to have a quiet day or two to organize myself for the coming year and just because I find it hard to motivate in January after a prolonged time off. This year I have to burn the days but I need the break anyway, desperately. Just to not be responsible for anything for a while. The canine coworkers are fine either way.

8.  This complete rotten asshole (stole that from my BF Kim who is in education) is utterly insane to think career ed people who actually care about public education will take a damn word of advice from her. Particularly when they have spent the last four years sparring with her as the lead says. She is awful like the majority of this administration from hell. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Or let it. I don't fucking care. Just go. I'm not even going to get into the fucking ridiculous Wall Street Journal Op-Ed sexist patronizing patriarchal bullshit because I nearly stroked the fuck out over it last weekend and I am just not doing it today. I'm sick of all the bullshit and I want Congress to get survival checks to the American people right fucking now. People are suffering and we have the resources for that not to happen. If you can pass an astronomical military budget larger than the next 10 countries in the world combined and tax cuts for the rich you can keep people from hunger and eviction. Desperation breeds crime and then you'll blame that on people when it's your fucking fault. Get to fucking work.

9. Reminder: when you're feeling not great. Everyone is winging it. Everyone. 

 

10. Ecards - this year especially. I need to write it down or it's fucking gone.

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Omaha by Counting Crows - I'd sort of like to turn my ticket in on this year and get my money back

TWTW - the one with the mild temps

Friday was more errands than I’ve run in months for work, and I called it quits a half hour early. MFD and I took All the dogs for a walk on the beach to see the tree on 21st. He went fishing, we got dinner from Boyar’s, he went fishing again, and I was up way too late, falling asleep around 1.

Saturday only to wake up at 4 to Bruce shitting, then again at 7 to Bruce needing to go out. At that point fuck it. I got some stuff together for MFD to take to Philly, and he left for work. I cleaned shells then spent about four hours assembling stuff for work while watching the last of season two of Virgin River and Happiest Season on Hulu. My new clearance Christmas present kettle arrived, I dropped stuff off to the recycle center, sat around with Bruce, took a nap late, and when MFD got back we ate Wawa and chilled.

Sunday Another night of dog shits and insane wakeups, this time Gus and Bruce. I lay back down and snoozed from 7 to almost 10 while MFD was out fishing. It was great. Up and at 'em to drop something off to a coworker in a neighboring town, get groceries, and enjoy the sun and 60s. We took all the dogs to Dog Beach. MFD stayed to fish and I went home to sweep, vacuum, and mop the apartment; make chicken and rice for Bruce, chicken and peppers and rice for us, and freeze leftover chicken boiling water into ice cubes for dogs for later. I fell asleep on the couch and moved to the bed around 2:30. 

That's all she wrote. The weekends fly, man. How was yours? 

Friday Five 12.11.2020

1. I am the cardigan queen, but my entire life I have worn tanks or short sleeve tees under them. This winter in a drafty old shore house is my first foray into long sleeves under long sleeves where I'm not specifically dressing like that with the intention of being outside for long periods of time. 

2. Yesterday I had chocolate cake for lunch

3. And salad for dinner. BALANCE, mofos.

4. There are a few beach trees down here. I took MFD to see the one on North Street Beach on Monday night. So wonderful. 

5. I've had all the dogs at the shore solo from Tuesday morning until last night. I was walking all four at once first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I'm glad my co-walker is back. 

I would be remiss if I did not amend my Lounge Pant talk from a few weeks ago - the Duluth Trading Company NoGa Naturale Knit Pants. I would wear daily, without question. Pockets on the side and in the back. They wash very well, look like actual pants, and are very comfortable. 

Happy happy birthday to Mimi today! Love you Meem! 

Thursday Thoughts - Roots that spread so deep, bring life to frozen ground

1. Joy has been elusive this year, and it might be even more so in this season that is typically joyful. Sometimes it has felt wrong to be joyful this year when so many are in pain, grieving, unemployed, angry, afraid. I came across this Mary Oliver snippet on Instagram the other day and it is a good reminder. There is always room for joy and it is always right to give into it. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

2. This glorious Nebula nail polish from 9th & Maxwell is amazing. Black-owned small business. I can't attest to wear yet as I just applied it. Their polishes are cruelty free and nontoxic, free of formaldehydes, parabens, phthalates, toluene, formaldehyde resin, DBP, camphor, xylene and ethyl tosylamide. Plus, a portion of each purchase goes towards scholarships for minority youth and grants for aspiring entrepreneurs. I bought this and another color/formulation (AKA not a glitter) to test. 

3. Thanks to those who joined Show Us Your Books on Tuesday. I've read nothing since but I have watched a ton of Virgin River episodes. It is the correct amount of cheese that allows my brain to float and not work. It's a little Hart of Dixie, a little Grey's? Something. It's also based on a Robyn Carr series I never read, but some of you might have? Anyway I am comfortable saying I watch things again. Only MFD will come back to the shore and ruin my streak of watching and who knows when I'll get back to it.

4. I've worked in my apartment a few days this week in lieu of going up to my dining room office, so I keep forgetting to take stuff out of the freezer for dinner. I've been eating takeout from my locals. And fruit snacks. 

5.  Bruce has been a real pill this week. 

6. Outside has been cold and beautiful. 

7.  Tweets and memes of the week. This fucking shit sucking Congress can agree immediately on a bloated disgustingly huge military budget but cannot pass a goddamn second economic relief bill FOR THE PEOPLE and the small businesses in month 10 of a motherfucking global pandemic that the lame president is acting like is not even happening as 280,000+ Americans are dead and 265,000 more are projected to die by April 1. Why do they only care about deficit and whine about not having the money when it's for the people? Fuck off out of here. Meanwhile the Tinfoil Hat Brigade is still sharing tweets as proof the election was rigged but only in states trump lost oh and republicans who won races in state houses in those states...their elections are legitimate. The Supreme Court, which these motherfuckers stacked with conservative nightmares...even they said hard no on interfering with a legitimate election. These people are also convinced vaccines track us, which they type into their phones that actually do. PUT DOWN THE FUCKING KOOLAID. You're draining us all.

8.  This is one of the best fucking candles out there. I have only ever found it in small shops, and Lori finds it a lot up near her. Pennsylvania/New Jersey peeps, keep an eye out. I'm mostly done my holiday shopping, we kept it small and light this year. I am in need of a vacuum and MFD is looking around for a good laptop sale to replace his like eight? nine year old one.

9. Reminder: your life. You call the shots. 

10. Ecards -

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Something So Strong by Crowded House - at the bottom of my choices when it comes to Steely Dan, but it was on