If you want me to dislike you

Tell me to smile

Tell me to relax

Tell me that's more of a man's thing

Apply your religious beliefs to others as if we should live by them because you do

Let the door close in my face instead of propping it open for me

Insist on getting off the train before me when you're sitting behind me

Have your conversations on speaker phone

Drive under the speed limit and don't use turn signals

Leave crumbs on surfaces

Leave dishes in the sink

Whine

Apologize for things you should not be apologizing for

Make me wait for you constantly - you can be late as long as it doesn't impact me

Make me repeat myself

Put the victim on trial

Say what about black on black crime?

Attack someone's appearance when you're losing an argument

Behave like a shared public space is your private living room

Act like rules are for everyone except you

Act like you are the busiest person in the world and no one can possibly relate

Shush laughter

Call me on the phone

Try to be something you're not

Refrain from voting

Live your life through your kids instead of letting them be their own little people with their own little lives

Butt in line

What would make your list?

I'm here for the haiku

My brain is a sieve
What day is it? Am I me?
Pass the coffee, please.

Breathe in and breathe out.

Just a toilet paper roll,

Not worth the jail time.

Soft pretzels are art.

Only eat them in Philly. 

Same as cheesesteaks, son.

Shush, loud train talkers.

You are in shared public space, 

not your living room.

Exposed, cold ankles. 

February is not May. 

I should have worn socks.

Great friends are golden

but concealer is crucial.

Girlfriends would agree.

TWTW - the one with the super bowl

Friday like most offices in Philadelphia, we had pre-Super Bowl party Friday afternoon where we all wore Eagles gear so of course I had to get a shirt with a pug on it. I picked up Termini Bros cupcakes from the Comcast Center and got to see one of the nine student-painted Dr. King sculptures around town. You can see them until the end of February.

After that I enjoyed a night all to myself in a clean house since Linda cleaned Friday and MFD was in Harrisburg for a conference. Sweet, sweet alone time after I picked Bruce up from Camp Bow Wow. I started a book and trolled the OCNJ events schedule for the year.

Saturday I was out early to visit Lola Jean and Baby Stephen, followed by a trip to the grocery store, and hit Produce Junction for fruit and $5 flowers on the way home. I got new skin care after trying literally all other things at this point. I spent the rest of the day doing five loads of laundry and putting it away in the same day (second week in a row for this phenomenon), changing sheets, finishing my book and taking 4903493 photos of my dogs sleeping. MFD got home around 6:30 and it was a quiet night for us.

Sunday breakfast, started a new book, painted my nails (Zoya Rikki), and took even more dog sleeping photos. It's an illness that has no cure. MFD was out doing Code Blue bus duty by 6 am, then had showings and took a nap while I went to Sam's and the beer store. Completely inadvisable outings on Super Bowl Sunday.

We spent the first half at Frank & Amanda's. 

The food, company, and decor were awesome and I won $30 in the first half block pool. 

Holler!

Super Bowl second half at Ferko. People were out celebrating after, especially as we pulled into our neighborhood, but it was a lot of beeping and chanting and singing. Flipping cars is not the norm. Climbing light poles is not the norm either, but that is a preferred celebration method here. Lights at 16th & Chestnut and the 16th & Market light were out this morning. As in every crowd, there are a few destructive assholes and that's what you see on the news. Everyone likes to act like Philly is the only town who has assholes. While we have our fair share, Boston had some of their own on the UMass Amherst campus last night. I don't understand destruction period, win or lose.

Weekly food prep: Breakfast is scrambled eggs topped with steamed broccoli. Lunch is PB&J on Dave's Killer Powerseed Bread with a Gala apple and sliced bell peppers. Snacks are oranges and chips. Dinners are the freaking ham chowder from the freezer I've been trying to pull out and get eaten for the past three weeks and leftovers from Saturday's roast pork tenderloin/sweet potato casserole/steamed green beans. I also made spinach dip and bacon wrapped tater tots for the Super Bowl because even when your hometown team is in it the food is what matters, okay?

This entire town needs an Advil. I've had four. It was awesome and I'm not a regular fan. Those people are literally doing a dance into work this morning. It's infinitely better than when the entire town needed an Advil and the Eagles DIDN'T win back in 2005. 

Anyway, how was yours? 

The February Seven

See The January Seven here.

Wellness - this is mind/body/spirit so some things on here in coming months may seem weird to you and if that's the case then it is something for my spirit lol
1. Chiro, massage, acupuncture. Check, check, checkx2)

2. Light arm weights 2x/week. Fail. 
3. If it's not raining or snowing, 30 minute lunch walk M-F for American Heart Month. 40 minutes as it's the 40/40. 
4. Cornell West at the library. I so did not want to go, but I went, and it was awesome. 

Community - my neighborhood, my people, the world around me, causes I support, etc.
1. Food pantry donation - I made a monetary donation to Holy Redeemer Food Pantry since I am working through my pantry and only have weird stuff left. 
2. Monetary donation to Higher Heights, an organization harnessing black women's collective political power for Black History Month - I am pushing this to next month since I just donated to them in December. Instead I made a donation to the Real Justice PAC - a one time and a smaller monthly. Check it out. They are working to elect prosecutors who will fix our broken criminal justice system. 
3. Hand out comfort packs at Suburban Station. I didn't take them to Suburban but gave them to two guys who are handing them out down in Kensington. 

Try
1. Making a new bread - hell yes I did! 
2. Clearing out pantry/fridge/freezers - still doing this. I have not bought stuff for an out of the blue meal. I am continually using what I have. 
3. A new restaurant - Parx Grill 

Buy
1. At least one dresser for the shore if I can find it at the thrift store - didn't find any
2. Shore mirrors if I come across good ones - didn't find any
3. No clothes/shoes/books/home decor/products unless one runs out and I have no replacement. Mostly pass. I ended up buying two frames for $12 and prints to swap out photos for $22. That wall update stuff has been hanging over my head since December. I also bought a T-shirt and bumper stickers from Everytown in the wake of the Parkland shooting. I feel okay about the spends. 

Do
1. Change out wall decor Done by the skin of my teeth on 2/28
2. Purge baskets around the house I have one left to do in the bedroom
3. Position things to go back to the shore next month Check
4. Once a month photo Check. 
5. Set up recommendations tab on blog, thanks to Steph for the idea Nope - you'll see this next month

More
Purging - check. 

Less
Acquiring - check. 

The Eagles are in the Super Bowl this weekend and the entire city is in green today. If you are going out Sunday no matter where you are, do not drink and drive. Call a friend or your family or UBER or LYFT or a cab for a ride or stay where you are. Have fun but don't put yourself or others in danger. 

Peace. 

Thursday Thoughts - gonna fly now

1. We have survived the longest month of winter. Can I get a hell yeah?

2. I gathered prints to change out wall decor in January. Here we are, February 1. Same stuff on the walls. Better luck this month? Here’s how I did on my January 7. Good thing I wasn't set to do anything this week. All I've done is read and sleep. 

3. Monday I went to an acupuncturist who specializes in the tender point release technique. The needles go into a trigger point and are manipulated until what is locked up releases and sort of twitches out. It is really bizarre but lord did it help. I cannot believe all the shit jammed up on my right side, having a pinched nerve in my neck since June and not realizing it was a pinched nerve. She is awesome - if anyone is considering acupuncture for musculoskeletal  or sports injuries, you must get in with this woman. I go back next week but just the first visit was a tremendous relief. I forgot what it was like to feel almost normal. I came home and slept like the dead for 10 hours. 

4. About that sleeping...I have a water based pillow, a rolled up towel at the base of my neck, and a pillow under my knees. I am like an un-mummified mummy. When Cameron was in Egypt’s land...whatever, I don't care, I will do what I need to do to maintain pain-free living.

5. Did you know the jury system will now text you that you are excused? I got the text yesterday afternoon with my get out of jury duty free card for today. 

6. I trekked over to South Philly yesterday to pick up an Eagles shirt I was dumb enough to pre-order but not ship to myself. I figured let me go to a part of the city I don't see too often! Fool. Google told me the wrong gaht damn time for the store opening and I was too early by an hour, so I slunk my ass back to Center City. At least I saw some good street art, which I love. And the awesome guy at South Fellini is sending my shirt to me overnight. 

7. What are you making for the super bowl? Cool to have the hometown team in it and all but let’s be real the snacks are where it’s at. We’re going out because MFD refuses to stay home. I will be appearing in lounge attire. I think I'm making these bacon wrapped tater tots as an app and I may be in need of an easily transportable/no fuss dessert. Any ideas? I'm not averse to buying. 

8. No, I did not watch the State of the Union. I do not listen to trump speak because it makes me physically ill. I read the transcript the next day, which is also vomit inducing. Instead I watched Bruce Springsteen chase his tail because that is more productive than the jagoffs in charge of this country. Otherwise, this week in politics, racist rhetoric everywhere concerning immigrants, constitutional crisis with the president refusing to apply sanctions against Russia that Congress overwhelmingly voted into law, Nunes made changes to the memo he sent to the White House without getting them approved by the Committee, and oh, fuck it, I'm done for the week. Except for this Mad TV skit that is how the modern republican party is approaching life and this American Constitution Society for Law and Policy report on how illegal the activities in opposition to Mueller and his investigation are. Okay okay I'm really done. Unless anyone is interested in donating to MFD's State Rep campaign - he is now official and able to take contributions. If we want to keep corporate money out of politics we need to pony up to support people. 

via

9. Reminder: 

10. E-card of the week: 

Any thoughts to share with the class this week?