Friday, August 07, 2020

Day 146

Day 146, self quarantine:

Friday, August 7, 2020

Omg it’s Friday AND Eric’s here AND there was pizza.

I made everyone pose for this selfie at midnight after Eric drove here 12 hours straight from Nashville and I woke up from a nap on the sofa after trying to stay awake but do you think we were happy to see each other after seven months or what!

Okay, let me take care of some business first.

Today is Bandcamp Friday.

That means there’s a way to support musicians out of work due to Covid-19.

Any purchase you make today goes 100% to the artist, and many are offering one day only special purchases.



Today you can grab Eric’s new record over at Bandcamp before its official release next Friday.


Julie is offering a very special record today as well.


“I Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore 2020” is Julie’s latest... I am thinking it includes her incredible performance of The Fish from Saturday night.

I don’t think I have to remind anyone my kids have been unemployed this year.  I’m pretty proud of how they’re handling everything, but I know how devastating 2020 has been for them and every other musician.

Bandcamp Fridays are a great way to help.

Anyway, I’m too excited with Eric here to spend time writing this morning.  I didn’t even wake up til almost 7:00 today and Eric fell asleep on the sofa.  Jake remembered Eric is here, and that’s actually how I just woke up - Jake was hanging over me, waiting to fly down the steps to see him. Since Gary is snoring like he’s going to sleep until noon, I am coming to you from my office in Julie’s bedroom.

I have a lot to talk about, though, including a new book I just got yesterday that I started reading and couldn’t put down...

And Donald...omg where to begin but I will leave it at Oh yeah, I used to smoke Thigh sticks in the seventies 😂

Congress apparently took a recess without passing relief packages for 40 million Americans out of work, including the $600 federal weekly unemployment that expired last week, so Donald PotusVirus is going to sign executive Orders himself today.

Donald, if you’re listening, how about one of your grandiose, Adderall infused Orders where you give every unemployed American $1200 a week through December 31?  Because that’s what a person needs to survive with dignity in 2020.

Do you believe those Republican bastards are denying and begrudging people $600 a week, $540 after they deduct taxes, for food and shelter?

These are people who pay that for a bottle of wine with dinner without flinching.

I hate those motherfuckers so much.

So Donald didn’t resign, Joe didn’t pick his Vice President yet, and federal unemployment is still not resolved.

But Eric is here and that’s the only prediction I made this week that would have broken my heart if it didn’t happen so all is wonderful in my world.

And today isn’t over yet.

You never know what can happen.

How about that $1200 a week, Donald?



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Thursday, August 06, 2020

Day 145


Day 145, self quarantine:

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Eric is coming!  Eric is coming!

Eric will be here tonight and really, that’s it, that’s my post for today.

Okay, there’s a few other things.

NJ Attorney General Letitia James has a major announcement coming at 11:30 a.m. this morning.

This announcement followed on the heels of yesterday’s New York Times stunner letting us know Deutsche Bank has finally supplied NY prosecutors with Donald’s financial records.


I’m gonna sum it up for you in the most basic language:

The President of the United States is a money laundering criminal, in bed with unfriendly foreign governments.

What’s money laundering? See the pic for a quick and easy lesson.

Trust me, PotusVirus is guilty.

Woo, he was still awake after midnight last night having a spectacular unhinged meltdown on Twitter.

So this should be a fun morning.

There is another possibility about this announcement.  AG James has been investigating the NRA so maybe some of their people will be indicted and that’s fine with me, too.

They can all go down, and not in the good way.

I tell you this because I am still shocked by how crappy local news is.  None of this has been mentioned this morning.

Nor is there any mention of the $600 weekly federal benefit that ended Friday. There’s literally going to be 40 million people in America without enough money to eat.

There’s a reason much of downtown Philadelphia is still boarded up.

But okay, tell us again about Escort Barbie I mean Melania’s Rose Garden renovations.

Oy, okay, I hate these people so much it’s ridiculous and I don’t like this toxic feeling first thing in the morning so that’s enough.

For now.

Back to Eric.

Gary and I were nuts enough to listen to Nashville radio all day yesterday and heard Eric’s song six times!  Then the DJ did an hour of music by Eric’s band, Dr. Dog, which Eric curated.

Gary and I were kvelling all over the place.

Hearing your child on the radio never gets old.

“Okay, Boomer.”

😂😂😂

Eric has requested a Charlie’s pizza for dinner tonight.

Charlie’s Pizza is an institution in the Philadelphia neighborhood (Olney) where Gary and I grew up.  It’s been around over 60 years and Gary used to drive there once a week for pizza all during the kids’ childhood.


I’m more of a boardwalk pizza gal but I’ll never say No to Charlie’s.  It’s thicker than I usually like - a Charlie’s pizza weighs like ten pounds - but it’s damn good.

I think it’s sweet that Eric asked for that.

He does have fond memories of us after all. 😜

Tomorrow night he requested Gary’s infamous breakfast for dinner:  Egg, potato and (mock) ham hash with biscuits.  Eric doesn’t know it yet but Gary is baking the newest version of his biscuit - he adds a cup of grated cheddar and a ton of cracked black pepper and serves them with honey butter.

I probably talked about those biscuits here before.  They’re pretty deadly.

After Eric requested that, he texted, “I may even cry when I eat it .”

After which Gary and I both cried.

So here’s a question:  Do we wear masks during Eric’s visit?

Oy vey.

Eric was tested for the virus this week and is negative.  We haven’t been tested, but other than a trip for corn on Sunday to an outdoor market and Trader Joe a week ago Sunday, we’re strictly quarantined.

How are you guys handling this?

Jfc this is weird.

So...I’m not even going to be able to hug Eric?

Okay, I’ll stop.  I’m not happy unless I’m being neurotic.

Note to self:  Work on that.

Speaking of work...

Nah, let’s not.  I’m over work.  I’m going to use my vacation at the end of the month for huge decisions 😎

So that’s it for now, I’m going to run around like a mad woman straightening up Casa Slick today.  I clean on Saturday so you can imagine what this place looks like by Thursday with both of us home and one of us an unbelievable slob.

Behave yourselves today, okay?

Or not 😎.






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Wednesday, August 05, 2020

Day 144


Day 144, self quarantine:


Yo, Semite!


Well, you know I had to say it.

How fucking stupid is he?

Rhetorical question.

And here I thought he was saying Good morning to me.

😂😂😂😂😂😂

The Axios interview, in case you missed it yesterday, confirms he’s an idiot, mentally ill, and likely cognitively impaired and/or dementia ridden.

You need to see this.


Feh!

Okay, now on to the really important stuff.

Today is the United States radio premier of my son’s new single, Closer to Heaven, and it’s song of the day on Nashville’s Lightning 100.  It will be broadcast 8:30, 10:30, 12:30, 4:30, 8:30 p.m. That’s Nashville time so move it up an hour for eastern, i.e. 9:30 a.m., 11:30 etc.


So that’s exciting.  For Gary and me, anyway.

And Eric will be here tomorrow night!

Thank god he didn’t come yesterday.  What the hell was that?  Isaias wut?  It was like the end of the world out there, raining sideways and who needs electricity, right?

Woo that storm was so 2020.

I’m not liking what I’m reading about the east coast and hurricanes this season. Apparently Isaias is the first of many.  


Yay.  Guess we’re stocking up on candles and batteries at Casa Slick.

And chocolate.  

I can’t believe how fast summer is going by.  It’s surreal.

Here’s what else I can’t believe. It’s August 5 and my summer clothes are still in storage.  I have a couple black t-shirts and jeans I wear year round. Any time I get out of my pajamas to go out since quarantine, I just wear jeans and a black t-shirt.  Every couple of wears I throw them the wash.

Omg, I just realized I’ve been wearing the same clothes over and over since March.

Who am I kidding, most of the time when I go out, I wear pajamas but still. Occasionally I get dressed.

What’s crazy is that up until six months ago, I was pretty spoiled and shallow.  I bought myself a whole new work wardrobe every season.

My drawers and closets are overflowing.

Wow.  It occurs to me I should bag all of my work clothes and donate them.  I mean, I’m never getting dressed up in those clothes again.

Passages, baby.

I’ve sort of settled into this weird new life.  So has Gary. We’re both eccentric and unapologetic.

I mean, I have twenty minutes of video footage of a bird eating in our yard this weekend that I geeked out over while recording.

I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been to get a free taste of retirement.  I fucking love it, and that’s without being able to go anywhere!  Wait til I can hop on a plane anytime I want.

Oy, whenever that is.

Tuscanyyyyyyy...

Ooh, speaking of Tuscany, Gary made a leftover cacio e pepe frittata last night.  It was INSANE.

I need to take better food pics, I know, but I’m always too much in a hurry to eat.

You can’t really blame me.

Anyhow, I guess that’s it for today.

Actually, no.  More Eric news.

Here’s a podcast he did with Natalie: https://t.co/nZoGENEahf?amp=1.  


Okay, I’m outta here.

Peace out, apocalypse dudes.








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Tuesday, August 04, 2020

Day 143

Day 143, self quarantine:

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

We have the remnants of Hurricane Isaias here in Philadelphia today and right now it’s super groovy at Casa Slick, all dark and stormy.

Haha, easy for me to say it’s groovy, I can stay indoors and we still have power.  We’ll see how that goes later today.

I’m keeping my phone charged at 100%.  I have a bad feeling about this.  Sixty mile an hour winds in Philadelphia in August really?

Mother Nature is pissed at us.

Haha I see dementia ridden PotusVirus is bleating OPEN THE SCHOOLS this morning.

Here’s my reply to him just now:

“Only if you send your son, Barron.  (But really, PotusVirus, you should send Eric 😂😂😂) #TrumpVirus”

What an unbelievable asshole.

In case you don’t know, he’s NOT sending Barron back to school because Barron’s school is responsibly CLOSED.


But wait!  As of this morning, the governor issued an Order!


Soooo...what will Donald say now?  You think there’s any way he’s sending his son to school?  

Of course Barron’s school probably has five kids to a classroom and the very best virus testing and contact tracing in place but whatever.

I just hope a reporter asks that question of PotusVirus today at his sham coronavirus briefing that’s really a cheesy campaign rally.

Ugh.  A more repulsive human never waddled on the streets of America.  

Except for the people who like him, that is.  Yikes.

Fox News has brainwashed one third of this country.  The stupid is fucking unbelievable.

Right now they have people thinking absentee ballots and mail in ballots are two different things.  Omfg.

Whenever I have caught a few seconds of Sean Hannity speaking, his mouth literally looks like a talking rectum.

It’s pretty hilarious.  Seriously, next time you see him on television, watch his mouth.

Never mind, I’ll post a pic here.  Forgive me for the instant vomit reflex.



It’s really an anus, people.

😂😂😂😂😂😂

And by the way, regarding mail in ballots, you need to know THIS, because local news isn’t telling you.




Trump is destroying the United States Post Office to cheat in the election.

Okay?  Got it now?  

Donald Trump is the worst person in American history.  

You disagree?  Who else in American history is an accomplice to the deaths of over 150K innocent Americans?

And one reporter from the Washington Post?

Yeah, that’s right.  Khashoggi.  Remember him?

I do.

Okay, enough.

Moving on, Gary and I continue to be amazed by the critters visiting our garden for happy hour.  I actually filmed Georgette eating some birdseed last night but I figured you’d think I was nuts posting it.

I can’t help be enthralled, I am 100% a city person who has lived in downtown Philadelphia for over forty years.  Watching birds is something I’ve never done, and the fact that cardinals are visiting our tiny city garden is blowing me away.

Oh, quarantine.  You’ve taken so much from us, but your gifts are also precious.

I guess.

Okay the birds are awesome but I’d rather see my damn kids.

And with that, I’m off to have some coffee and enjoy the storm.

And continue to meditate on Donald’s resignation and/or...

Party on!


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Monday, August 03, 2020

Day 142


Day 142, self quarantine:

Monday, August 3, 2020

Welcome to week whatever.

Woo, I’m calmer today because I have no choice, but understand why I flipped out yesterday.

This is a country hurting.

There are NONE of us who haven’t been affected by this virus.  We either know someone who had it or someone who died from it.  If somehow you don’t, then you at least know someone who lost their job or a business that closed.

Whether your life has been turned upside down or you’ve merely been inconvenienced, you’ve been affected.

But while forty million Americans out of work are having nightmares about the abrupt end of the $600 weekly federal lifeline, and, the virus raged unchecked, this weekend PotusVirus went golfing.

And when he wasn’t golfing, Donald tweeted horrible, divisive comments that created chaos and anger, where a real President, a real person, not human garbage, would be a calming force, someone who cared about all citizens, not just the ones who “like him” and would try to allay our fears and work with the House and Senate through the weekend 24/7 until whenever a deal was reached so that no one out of work would have to worry about food and shelter.

Or dying.

I just don’t understand the cruelty.

I never will.

And in the name of Christianity.

Mind boggling that Evangelical Christians don’t see through his hypocrisy.

Well, on second thought...they’re PFS (pretty fucking stupid)

😂😂😂😂😂😂

So Gary, Jake and I went for a drive to get out of the house before I imploded.  Here’s the obligatory pic of Jake and me while we waited for Gary to buy fresh corn so he could make corn fritters for dinner.

Because comfort food.  Omg.  So good.



At the beginning of quarantine, I had a hard time getting Jake to sit still for the camera, now he’s like yeah, whatever, how’s this pose?

When we got home, the bird bath and feeder were here so we set them up all excited, put on the hockey game — yay Flyers — and kept watching out the screen door.

Lou and Georgette stopped by, but they only ate birdseed on the ground and didn’t use the feeder or swoop by for a drink at cocktail hour.

Those birds better eat and drink at Casa Slick at their newly refurbished expensive digs or I’m never gonna hear the end of it from Gary.

Steve and Eydie, however, dined at their picnic table all day.  It’s freaking hilarious.

Maybe Gary can pick them up some dinnerware next time he’s at Aldi.

Gary’s actually pissed at those two wacky squirrels, he thinks they’re scaring off the cardinals.

Oy.

I can’t believe all this drama in my little garden.  Nature is so amazing.

So this is a big week.  Biden is going to name his choice for Vice President.  I’m happy with everyone on the short list.  I admit to favoring someone but there’s no one who’s a dealbreaker.

And Trump is going to resign. I feel it. 😜

And I guess...if any Republicans want to get re-elected...this week will also bring some sort of deal on a federal unemployment stimulus package.

You realize my entire family was receiving those benefits.

My kids’ living has been ripped out from under them.

So yeah, I’m a little emotional.

That, and every day for the past month, all of my Facebook memories are Gary and me and the kids at the beach or Gary and me at concerts seeing Eric, Natalie and Julie play. Every time I see a photo my eyes tear up.

Also, seeing Julie Saturday night “live” streaming just made us miss her all the more.

Damn,  that concert though.  “The Fish” was so brilliant.

Oh to see Julie play that in
person.

This virus has taken so much.

Anyway, in better news, as long as Philadelphia doesn’t get slammed with a hurricane or anything else, Eric will be here, staying at Casa Slick, Thursday-Saturday.

Gary and I are so excited it’s almost heartbreaking.

This is when working remotely really pays off.

So, to recap:  This week will bring news of a great female Vice President, full extension of federal unemployment, Trump’s resignation, and, a couple of days with my son.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Happy Monday.
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Sunday, August 02, 2020

Day 141


Day 141, self quarantine:

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Happy Sunday, I hate Trump so much I have never meditated on someone’s “resignation” so much in my life.

I’ve got a voodoo doll and some ancient curses. He’s out of our lives soon.

If you haven’t done so recently, take a look at his Twitter feed.  It should be required reading for all Americans as a matter of national security.

He’s batshit crazy with either dementia or unchecked venereal disease, I have no idea, but it’s something pretty terrible.

He is not normal.  

Get him out of the White House before he kills us all.

God knows he’s trying.

He doesn’t acknowledge 150K dead Americans or 40 million Americans out of work.

He has NO PLAN.

$600 Federal unemployment and eviction moratoriums ended Friday.

He has NO PLAN.


Coronavirus is raging across America.



 What plan does he have?

Canceling the election.

Or so he thinks.

Meanwhile, look at his hand in this picture yesterday.

What the hell happened?

No mention of it anywhere this morning.

My God he’s hideous.

People, I’m sorry for this post but local news isn’t cutting it. You need to know what’s going on.

And for god sakes, wear a mask and self quarantine whenever possible.

I want to be able to hug my kids again.

Talk to you tomorrow when I’m not so furious.
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Saturday, August 01, 2020

Day 140


Day 140, self quarantine:

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Wow, it’s August.

I’ve now been in quarantine since March.

March, April, May, June, July, August

My god.

I don’t even discuss or worry about going back to my real office with my boss or husband anymore.

It’s never happening.  I know that now and I’m at peace with it.

Okay, well, let’s just pretend 2020 didn’t happen and we’ll reset in January, 2021.

If only all Americans could quarantine until then, we could stop the bleeding caused by the gross mismanagement of the virus earlier this year.  See:  Donald Trump.

I now call him PotusVirus on Twitter.

What a terrible, terrible man.  

One hundred fifty thousand dead Americans.

What a terrible, terrible waste of human lives.

Six months into this thing and my mind is completely boggled he’s still in the White House and not in prison.

Just incredible.

Anyhoo, enough of that.  

Guess what?

I get to see Julie today!

And so does everyone:


The live, 90 minute show begins at 6:00 p.m. eastern.

Julie will be playing her own music, plus something very special.

Think Chris Squire.

I’m unreasonably excited.

I also got an email that Eric and Dr. Dog are doing a live stream tomorrow but that can’t be right.

Because Eric told me that, assuming the Covid-19 test he took yesterday is negative, he will be in Philadelphia on Thursday and Friday on some personal business.

I know.  “If his test is negative” almost sent  me spiraling into another panic attack but not before I ran around the house excitedly yapping “Eric is coming!  Eric is coming!”

The poor dog thought I meant Eric was here now and he raced to the door, barking like a maniac.

Jake loves his kids.

Anyway, fingers crossed it happens.  Six months without seeing our son has been unbelievable  agony for Gary and me.  I don’t talk about it much here because what’s the point?  

It’s best to be positive and not waste energy lamenting things you cannot fix, right?  Right.

Hey, I always have the news on  in the background and here’s something good for a change...Pier 1 lives!

Haha yep, I loved Pier I since I was a young hippie teenager in the early seventies  looking for cool stuff for my first apartment with Gary.  They opened one of their very first stores in a strip mall in northeast Philadelphia.

Back then teenagers could afford stuff like that.

Truth:  We rented a two bedroom apartment with an in-ground swimming pool across the street from a gorgeous park for $150 a month.

All decorated with candles, posters and hookahs from Pier 1.

As Gary and I matured, so did Pier 1.  They  became a national big box store, and started selling expensive furniture and dinnerware but they kept their funky side and it’s been Gary’s go to place for gifts for me for fifty years.

I should have known how ominous 2020 would be when in December, 2019 Gary said to me, shocked, “I went to Pier 1 to get you some Christmas presents and I think they’re out of business!”

“Right before Christmas?  That’s impossible,” I said, grabbing my phone.

Omg.

Our Pier 1 in Philadelphia was closed and stores all across the country were closing.

Look, I’m old.  I don’t need any more trinkets for the house, I’m attempting to do the opposite.

But it still pained me the store was gone.

Anyway, now it’s back, someone bought them, and they’re going to have expanded online shopping.

So that makes me happy even though I will most likely never buy anything 😂

I wonder, if when all the smoke clears from this pandemic and we resume our lives, if we will see the return of mom and pop stores.

To me, that would be the best silver lining to this nightmare.

Gary and I vowed to avoid corporate big box stores whenever possible but during quarantine, it’s been rough and we haven’t been able to do it.

Oh well, we’ll keep trying.

Anyway, before I start cleaning my house and put on Season 3 of Top Chef, I want to apologize for my vegan remark yesterday.  

I aspire to be a vegan but I can’t or I guess won’t give up eggs or cheese.  Vegans have my highest respect.  My remarks yesterday were meant more as a dig to Gary who brought me home a cake with butter and sour cream and tried to pass it off as vegan when he knows better and clearly knows the difference.  In fact, because I take medication for genetic high cholesterol, Gary always buys me vegan cake because if I eat too much butter, I get sick.

Soooo....sorry if it appeared I was mocking vegans.  I knew about applesauce and mashed bananas because that’s what we use when we bake at Casa Slick 🤗

Anyway, now I’m hungry for banana bread.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

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Friday, July 31, 2020

Day 139


Day 139, self quarantine:

Friday, July 31, 2020

Woo, I am really happy to see Friday.  This was a tough week.

So yesterday Gary came home with a “vegan” cake from the farmers market and I remembered it was 
Julie’s half birthday so we celebrated with ice cream and blackberries, too, because why the hell not.

There’s quotes around vegan because that’s what Gary told me it was.

However, after one forkful...

“Mmm!  This cake is delicious! This is vegan?  It tastes like there’s a pound of butter in here.”  I looked at Gary skeptically.

“It’s vegan!  The lady I bought it from calls herself the Vegan Baker.”

I took another forkful.  Was that sour cream?  This was like the best pound cake I ever ate in my life.  No fucking way was it made with applesauce or mashed bananas or any other plant life vegans like to fantasize taste like fat.

“Where’s the wrapper?  I want to see the ingredients.”

“It’s vegan,” Gary insisted. 

“Sure it is.  Where’s the wrapper?”  I was already in the kitchen, I had it in my hands.

“Sugar...vanilla...flour...butter....sour cream.”

Haha, sour cream.  I’m good.

“Gar, the label says she’s the Vegetarian Baker.”

“Okay, sorry, I thought she said vegan.  She’s a vegetarian baker.”

Now normally I’d make a remark isn’t all cake vegetarian, but having been unwittingly poisoned by banana chocolate chip bread pudding made with bacon fat at North Third  Cafe...

Bacon fat in dessert.  Who fucking came up with that travesty.

I never really got over the trauma.

Anyway, yeah, the pound cake was beyond delicious.

And the ice cream was vegan and the blackberries organic so in the world according to Robin, that mitigated the damage of the butter and sour cream.

“I bet that means there’s no lard in her cakes,” Gary added helpfully.

“Ew, thanks, I never even considered lard.”  Yeah, yeah, I know it makes a flaky pie crust but ew, I can’t, I’ve been a vegetarian for over ten years.

Anyway, I highly recommend having cake and ice cream on a weeknight for no apparent reason though it was kinda funny that I remembered about Julie cos’ cake and ice cream will always remind me of birthday parties.

Speaking of parties, I’m throwing the biggest one in history, even if it’s just Gary and me, when that motherfucker resigns next week.

Oh, it’s happening.

We’re gonna have French fries AND pound cake.

In other news, how do you like my rainbow fork?  Gary came home from Aldi last week with an entire 40 piece service for eight. Forks, salad forks, tablespoons etc.

😂😂😂😂😂

Julie and Eric, I apologize in advance.  I promise I will prepare Codicils to our Wills so you can easily find the good stuff and just hire a few hundred people to remove everything else.

Aw, I kid.  I like the kitschy rainbow Aldi silverware.  It’s been making me smile since he brought it home.

I just know I’m weeks away from seeing an article about someone whose entire house is furnished in Aldi.

Oh god, it’s me, isn’t it.

Haha oh I’m kidding.

Anyhoo...

I’m a little giddy today.  No idea why, I just am, I guess it’s because the new bird feeder and bird bath will be here and as long as it’s not monsooning, I will be outside talking to the birds all weekend.

It could be a lot worse.

I could be Melania.

Ew, no, I could never be Melania, I’d rather be deep fried alive.

Kinda the way her husband’s been looking the last couple of days.

Woo, when caked orange clown makeup gets sweaty wet, it’s all kinds of vomitatious, huh.

Oh well.  So that’s yet another thing to be grateful for.

I am not Escort Barbie Melania.

And with that, I’m off to the paralegal gig 😜

Happy Friday!



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