Happy Holidays Part 2

 So tomorrow Julie goes home to Seattle and it’s really true, she arrives in a burst of twinkling stars and rainbows and when she leaves, my world goes black and white and dull but okay, I’m good with that, I guess, I’m old. 

We baked literally 1,000 cookies, filled cookie tin after cookie tin, typed mailing labels, made two trips to the post office, and I am happy to say that all of Julie’s top tier Bandcamp subscribers will be receiving their special thank yous in the next couple days.

Other than marathon baking and mailing, I can’t believe what we crammed into a week.

The highlight was Sunday when Eric surprised us with a visit on his way home from a gig in Massachusetts.  Talk about kvelling, I had to fight back serious tears of joy because I knew everyone would make fun of me.

Before they hugged me, that is.

Besides going to a Flyers’ game, Gary and Julie had some really cool father daughter time, visiting a luthier who repairs vintage guitars and of course he knew Adrian so Gary got to do the Dad brag telling him Julie’s been his bassist for 16 years.  Gary has an extensive collection of said vintage guitars and he’s got a 50s Guild that needs rebinding so knowing this trip would include hours of nerd talk, I opted to stay home and watch the Holiday Baking Championship, because I, too am a nerd.

Also, because I do all of my holiday shopping while reclining on my sofa, I had to stay home for UPS.

The following day Gary and Julie went to the Italian Market and bought supplies for homemade pizza.  

Once again, I had to stay home and wait for UPS.  Yay me.  

Julie taught Gary how to make pizza dough from scratch using the recipe she got from Bedia Pizza and now my life is complete.  I’m not even lying, my life is now perfect.

Anyway, I was jealous of no Julie time so today the two of us hung out and it was like the pandemic never happened and she never left Philadelphia.

We walked into town and had a most excellent adventure.  We hit Macy’s to see the holiday lights and play with toys (I wanted to see Santa but can you believe it, you needed a reservation 😂), Reading Terminal Market for some gifts and snacks, all the Christmas Villages around City Hall and Love Park, we had an incredible Thai meal at JJ’s, popped into Long in the Tooth for some vinyl, and we finished with wine, cocktails, and a basket of hot, homemade potato chips at Tria Wine Bar.  I’m sure I’m leaving something out, but whatever, here’s the obligatory photographic proof.

Happy holidays

So we’ve been madly baking the Slick family Christmas cookies and oh my god, for the first time since 2019 and what’s turned out to be a three year pandemic, the Slick family band is back together again!

 I’m the happiest I’ve been since 2019.  Julie had scheduled her visit here so that we could spend a week baking the aforementioned cookies for her bandcamp subscribers but Eric’s surprise Sunday pop on his way home from a gig in Massachusetts on his way to freaking Germany tonight blew our minds!

Today we’re baking yet 1000 more cookies, tomorrow Julie and I are going on one of our old school holiday dates downtown…shopping, five star lunch at an upscale sushi restaurant, drinks at McGillins because McGILLINS https://mcgillins.com/…and then Wednesday morning our coach turns back into a pumpkin and we drive Julie to the airport.

Wah!

But Eric, Natalie and our granddog Herbie will be back for Christmas!  And possibly New Years!  Heart be still, I love my little family so much.

And we have a fantastic Hanukkah party at my cousin Jill’s, where I will be bringing a new joint creation by Gary and me, garlic butter mushroom kugel…so damn good we should have it patented 😎

Everybody just needs to stay healthy.  A big ask these days, huh.

Anyway, to wrap this up, here’s my Christmas wish.  DONALD TRUMP MUST BE INDICTED ALONG WITH ALL OF THE CONGRESS PEOPLE WHO ASSISTED HIS COUP ATTEMPTS.

I hate that motherfucker so much, but even more, I hate the motherfuckers who voted for him.  How can anyone be so uninformed and ignorant?

How can any Christian totally misinterpret the teachings of Christ and support him?

Don’t know, don’t really care anymore.  I just want them all gone.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 😜

Thanksgiving 2022

Happy Thanksgiving 2022. It was just the three of us this year but Julie will be here in less than two weeks and Eric and Natalie will be here for Hanukah so we’re stoked. Anyway, Gary outdid himself.  We had spinach mousse stuffed portobellos, whipped roasted sweet potatoes mixed with coconut cream and maple syrup, stuffing with orange rosemary gravy, brussel sprouts with spicy aioli, and cranberry apple ginger chutney.  Gary had a roast chicken.  We’re supposed to have pie but I don’t know how that’s happening because I can’t breathe but whatever, it’s still early.  What did you guys have?

Oh, Kroger

 

My husband is laughing at me because I sob like a baby every time this commercial comes on.  I even started crying trying to tell Julie about it on the phone earlier today.  I find everything about it incredibly sad.  Is it just me?

VOTE VOTE VOTE

 

Good morning!  Okay, Gary is already yelling at me to put down my phone and while I usually ignore him when he gets like this, today I know he’s right.  Enjoy this pic of Jasper I just snapped to cleanse your timeline, and I know I’m preaching to my choir here, but get out there and VOTE!  Our democracy literally depends on it.

Odds and Sods 10/31/22

Happy Halloween!  Let’s play ketchup.

On October 23, 2022, we had our 50th high school reunion.  There was a contest for best costume 1971, and too hilarious, Gary won.

Erm…he dresses like that every day.

And yeah, I’m aware we look like what we are.  Fucking rock royalty, baby.

Hahaha or at least the parents of rock royalty.

On Saturday, we had an awesome Halloween dog parade in our hood and Jasper won Mr. Congeniality 😎

Finally, speaking of rock royalty, check out Gary last night.

First, Adrian Belew introduced Gary to Todd as “my bass player and former drummer’s dad and my very good friend.”

Gary and Todd had quite a chat.  Gary shared how the bass player in his first band when he was 17 bought the bass player’s bass from Woody’s Truck Stop in 1970, Woody’s Truck Stop being Todd’s first band.

Then Gary shared that it was our son Eric who interviewed Todd for Talkhouse Magazine and Todd shared he loved it!

https://www.talkhouse.com/todd-rundgren-talks-with-eric-slick-dr-dog-on-the-talkhouse-podcast/

Gary also told him Eric recorded a cover of “Can We Still Be Friends” which got some attention and college radio play.

https://ericslick.bandcamp.com/track/can-we-still-be-friends-todd-rundgren-cover

So that’s what’s going on.  

And now to get ready for tonight!

Happy Gotcha Day!

Morning! Today is Jasper’s Gotcha Day.  It’s been an incredible year.  We call him Pinocchio, it’s like having a toddler all over again, and Gary and I confirmed that we are happiest when we are parenting.

Retirement continues to be the greatest thing we’ve ever done.  I mean, c’mon, we wake up and then we spend the day relaxing.  The Republicans better not fuck this up! 😎 

Woo hoo

 

Woo nothing like some more Monday morning party time.  Party! Party! Party! 🤦‍♀️

L’Shana Tova

L’Shana Tova from my family to yours.  Vegetarian matzo ball soup provided by Chef Gary.  Caramel apple mascarpone kugel courtesy of me, joy provided by Jasper and an unexpected visit from Eric ❤️

Not a fan of the medical profession

 

I need to vent 😎

So I have old lady eye problems that I’ve been trying to resolve since June.

It’s gotten so bad I’m almost blind in my left eye.  Last night after washing dishes, I was trying to put the sharp knives back in their butcher block holder and I had to feel for the compartments because I couldn’t see them.

The entire left side of my body is bruised because I keep banging into furniture and walls.

Anyway, the first procedure scheduled at the end of June was canceled and rescheduled to July because of Covid.

A day before the scheduled July procedure, when I didn’t hear from Wills Eye Hospital as to what time to be there, I called my doctor and uh-oh, I “must have fallen through the cracks.  We’re so sorry.  Can we reschedule for August 17?”

Hell no.  It’s my birthday.  August is my birthday month.  Fuck that noise, I’ll be blind another month, what’s the difference at this point, I’m going on vacation.

Rescheduled for September 20.

Yay!

Except…

Friday I get a call from the doctor.

“We need clearance from your cardiologist for your anesthesia.”

“Okay, I’ll call him.”

“We already did.  You were last there June 1.  We need clearance within 90 days.  You need to make an appointment.”

“But I’ll never get an appointment by Tuesday.  Are you serious?  I did so well at my June appointment, my cardiologist doesn’t want to see me for a year!”

“Sorry.  We have to postpone the surgery.  Call your cardiologist, get an appointment, and call me back to reschedule.”

Anyway, without going into it any further without telling you how much I fucking hate everyone and everything, I was magically able to get an appointment 10/3, called the eye doctor back and rescheduled surgery for 10/10, but not until I learned I need a new eye doctor appointment first because, yep, you guessed it, 90 days since last appointment.

That appointment is a three hour grueling nightmare by the way but again, I will spare you.

Okay, I feel better now.  Other than that, life is grand.  I can’t believe how much I love being retired.

I mean, come on.  I wake up, then I relax all day.  What’s not to love?

Gary is taking me to the beach next week where I can relax and hopefully not hurt myself banging into things.

The weather is glorious right now.

It could be worse.