Friday Five 3.5.2021

1. I spend more time resetting passwords, I fucking swear. 

2. If I'm using jarred sauce, it's some iteration of Rao's or Bottaro's if I can get my hands on that.

3. New Orleans nails in the house. MFD walked all dogs this morning so I spent my pre-work time doing my nails - OPI Rich Girls & Po-Boys is the blue and OPI Spare me a French Quarter is the pink. 

4. I'm sure this shoe got taken out with the tide from someone's beach set up or went over the side of a boat. Or there's the explanation that is in all of my serial killer books. 

5. My deaf and mostly blind old boy is still the cutest. He's disoriented up in the main part of the house at the shore so I try to settle him into a bed as soon as he comes up.

If you've got some spare coins today, head over to Bourbon & Lipstick to see how you can help Kentucky flood victims. This area has been hit extremely hard with weather related disasters piling on top of one another over the past month. 

Happy Friday! One week closer to spring even though today is a cold one. 

Thursday Thoughts - and when you're looking for your freedom, nobody seems to care

1.  I was out here killing it on Monday - I felt like a magical unicorn, accomplishing things personally and punching out the workday. Naturally Tuesday I got stuck in a creative quagmire where I worked on the same shit for hours because I couldn't get the graphics exactly right. All the eyerolls. Wednesday was more Monday-ish work-wise. Hoping for another Monday-level brain today and tomorrow to close the week strong.

2. People, we are 11 days until my birthday and 16 days until spring. I am jubilant over both. 

3. Yesterday was 50 and it never felt so fucking good except for the very moderate feeling 38 it was this morning. Wednesday we were at Dog Beach for the first time in a long time and we were out again after work. Honestly though, being back on the beach to end the day felt great in the cold on Monday and Tuesday too after being in Philly last week. Except I do hope that Tuesday night was the last time my face will be frozen this season. I'm also quite done with my large Randy from A Christmas Story coat. 

4. We're basically chasing the sun around all day and putting ourselves in its pockets. 

5. 4. My days have been rather later-rinse-repeat this week, even for Corona Land. I did make the switch to showering at night though, and I like it. Mostly because I've done it before I've gotten to the too tired/fuck it stage. I get up, walk the dogs, get dressed, do the vitamins, work, make the eggs at 10 am, walk at lunch, eat and read, work, walk after work, eat and read, shower, read. Eight hours of sleep every night and that's been grand. Ben likes the parts where I sit and read the best. 

6. Have we talked about cauliflower gnocchi in the air fryer? It is amazing. Stinky, but amazing. It also requires one of my favorite tricks, which is to freeze what I'm not using sauce-wise in the ol' ice cube trays. That and another super quick dinner have rounded out my week thus far: Trader Joe's chicken piccata (strongly do not recommend), steamed cauliflower and broccoli, and some rice I had already made & frozen. I'm doing a bit of freezer clean out, and the rest of this week's meals revolve around that plus ordering out one night. I am sick to death of thinking of dinners. 

7. I'm happy vaccine production will be ramping up and I'm looking forward to getting mine. Largely unhappy with a lot of other Biden administration moves (or non-moves as it were) and not afraid to say it just because he's a democrat. We need FDR New Deal magnitude, moves, and energy in this country right now and yes, right out of the fucking gates one month and two months in.  Also no, I'm not sorry I voted for him over the shitweasel grifter who just left the office. I will criticize Bide. as I see fit as I did with the person who recently squatted in the White House for four years. I mean I guess least he's not Greg Abbott, who has to be the biggest fucking asshole around right now, lifting a mask mandate when we are so close to being in a better place than we've been in a year. Was that to, like, take the heat off of him for his shiteous response to the storms in TX and the entire power grid debacle? Or did he just get up and say let's put more people at risk today? Also STFU about Potato Head. Truly. Do something valuable in regards to gender issues like reading this article: the real threat to women's sports isn't trans athletes. It's sexually predatory coaches. 

8. Show Us Your Books is Tuesday! The God of Library Holds delivered for me this week. 

9. Reminder

10. E-cards: 

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Take it to the Limit by The Eagles

When to let your child pierce their ears

Written for the Life According to Steph audience by Maggie Hammond. Proud mama to two little people, and has one too many furry friends. Passionate about alternative medicine, education, the great outdoors and animal welfare.

Getting their ears pierced can be a monumental occasion for many young people, and can feel like the first step into maturity. This milestone can be scary for parents however, and thus the following is a guide on how to safely and appropriately have your child’s ears pierced.

Communicate with Your Child 

If your child has been begging for a piercing, or you are curious to know if they would like one as a gift, it is important to have a conversation first. They should understand how long it takes to heal, which ranges from individual to individual but can be estimated at four to eight weeks. They should also understand their role in cleaning it, and that it may hurt during the process. Having an honest, but not off-putting talk can inform you both about whether your child is ready to have their ears pierced. 

Pick the Right Salon 

It is crucial that you choose a location which will be sanitary and experienced in piercing your child’s ears. Check out the reviews of your local beauty salon to make sure the people they have pierced are happy with their service. A trusted location we can recommend is utopiabeautique.com, as they deliver high quality piercings with safe and professional staff. This is perfect for parents and children compared to tattoo parlours which may feel too adult to pierce a child at.

Be Familiar with the Process

For lobe piercings, either a needle or a gun are the usual tools to pierce young children’s ears – but guns should only be accepted on the lobes, as anywhere else can damage cartilage. Usually the child will be placed in a chair and the area will be sanitised. Then the piercer will mark on both lobes with a pen where the piercing will sit on the ear. Most piercers know best where the placement should be, but ultimately it is up to the customer and don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. Next, with either needle or gun, the piercing will occur, and this should be a fairly quick procedure with not a lot of pain involved (although obviously this will depend on the individual). Finally, the newly pierced ears will be shown in the mirror to gain your approval, and your child will have lovely adorned ears for the first time!

Ensure it Heals Properly

In order for a piercing not to get infected, it needs to be cleaned regularly for the first few weeks with saline solution – this can be purchased at the shop or made at home using salt and boiled water. It is also recommended that you shouldn’t touch it with unwashed hands nor sleep on it until it is fully healed. As a parent, you need to inform your child of this and make sure they take responsibility for their health.

This is a comprehensive guide to the steps that need to be taken when your child is ready for an ear piercing. We hope this advice is helpful in your journey, and that both parent and child are happy with their decision!

Things I feel like doing

Some I’ll do soon, some later, some never, some only sound good in theory. 

Going to a party - like show up whenever, eat, make the rounds, eat, make the rounds - a normal fucking backyard party where no one tells me how much sanitizing they’ve done. One where I fear a line for the bathroom because I have stopped to talk to too many people on the way there.

Throwing a party, making a bunch of food I won't eat because I made it, and only inviting people who know to help themselves to everything and do whatever because those are the only people I still have around in this life that Id invite to a party anyway

Winning the lottery

Laying down at 3 every day

Going swimming in the ocean

Boarding a plane

Planning a trip

Talking to Stevie Nicks on the phone

Visiting people

Never having to donate to another Go Fund Me for someone's medical care or to ensure they have housing or food because I live in a country that will not let anyone die, live in the streets, or starve over lack of money

Sitting in a circle on the beach with framily

Having a month where there’s not a new natural disaster or humanitarian catastrophe and actually addressing some of the persistent human crises we’ve let go too too far for too long in this country 

Painting all of my rooms except someone else cleans up after my messy painting

Eating at a restaurant once a day every day for a month and doing no dishes

Buying a lot of Boy Smells candles

Feeling the warmth of the sun on my bare arms because it’s pleasant enough to sit on the porch in a t-shirt

Getting rid of all the shit I don’t use

Returning to my former mental me instead of the unpredictable coronaland headspace. Also truly being totally fine not pandemic fine. I don’t want a return to a lot of things but I want a return to those. 

Reading the afternoons away

Nuking the Senate filibuster myself  

Never thinking about what to make for dinner again

Burning all of my masks except the few I'm keeping when this is over for any future illness needs

You? 

TWTW - the last one in February

Friday I did a trip to Trader Joe's in the afternoon, which did you even go to Trader Joe's if you didn't get the flowers on the cheap, and worked late while MFD made dinner. I don't get to TJ more than a few times a year - I really like some things but otherwise am not a super fan which I think is verboten on the internet - but I always leave with flowers because they're beautiful and not that expensive. Our nephews were with us overnight while their mom was working so that was nice to spend time together. I also painted my nails (OPI Puerto Vallarta Violeta with two OPI Outback Aphrodisiac accent nails). Excitement abounds. 

Saturday I got an in person visit from Beth! And awesome birthday earrings! I also left the house for the second day in a row! I dropped an Amazon return off. It ended up being quite nice by afternoon for a late winter Saturday. I also did a picky cheese lunch, listed stuff to sell on Poshmark, put laundry away, did some cleaning, made dinner (Trader Joe's spatchcock chicken and broccoli and cauliflower saute), finished a book, and we watched Judy.

Dogs want in on this.

Sunday I got up early to let the dogs out and feed them, then went back to sleep. I purged some jewelry, shoes, makeup, furniture, and moved a bench from a spare room into our room. We’re making some changes to the upstairs so lots of work to do. I threw a load of towels in, then made the drive back to the shore with B&B in absolutely miserable weather. Whenever I get in my car my maps want me to go home to the shore. LOL

I unpacked, read a prose book, made cilantro lime chicken in the air fryer and had it over chopped salad with some tomatoes and tortilla chips, and started a new book. 

Birthday month in the house! Holllleeeerrrrr.