Hello and happy Memorial Day weekend! Today is my first Summer Friday! TNP gives us alternating Fridays off during the summer, one of the best perks of working there. But it’s chilly and rainy, so no beach for me. I don’t remember how long it’s been since I went a week without blogging, so I’ll make up for it with a chonky (as the internet kids say) post.
Last Saturday, WM and I met two of his former students for brunch. Brunch. In Philadelphia! We went to the Red Owl Tavern and while the service wasn’t great (I had part of a mimosa spilled on my back) it was tasty and I missed the city very much.
I’ve been doubling down on my CAE reading this week. I also finished Hood Feminism, which was a terrific read.
And I had beer from a tap for the first time since possibly January of 2020.
Today NJ lifted the mask mandate for fully vaccinated people. Of course, those who aren’t vaccinated will go unmasked too because of [reasons] and that can’t be stopped. Me? I will respect the rules of local businesses. If they want me to mask up, I will. If not, I won’t. But if someone else wants to continue wearing a mask, they shouldn’t be mocked. Some people are insinuating that vaccinated people not wearing masks are being selfish and not showing compassion to those who for [reasons] are not vaccinated yet. I politely disagree. I did the best thing I could for the herd’s public health, and that was getting the vaccine. If my not continuing to mask means I’ll only score a 97% on the Internet Covid-19 Purity Test then so be it. NJ’s case rate trends are looking great, so I’m going to continue to trust the science.
Time for the Friday 5! This week’s theme is “Aha!“
- When did you most recently find money?
My father sent us cash for Christmas and I tucked it so deeply into my wallet that I didn’t find it until I was switching wallets earlier this month. It was a great surprise. - When have you lost something and got it back because someone submitted it to a lost-and-found?
I left a lunch bag on the train a few years ago and someone turned it in to Lost and Found! - What did you discover about yourself at your favorite place of employment?
While TNP is hands down the best place I’ve ever worked, The Disney Store will have my heart as my favorite. It just paid poorly and didn’t offer any career path. It was many years ago, but I discovered that I am NOT a person who would accept being paid a pittance to do what I loved, even if it meant a 50% Cast Member discount off of rooms at Walt Disney World. Pay me my worth so I can pay my bills AND go to Disney. - What was the last thing you peeled?
This morning, I peeled a fruitfly/gnat trap from a stack of sticky traps to insert it into one of our plant pots.* A downside of having a lot of indoor plants is fungal gnats. We’re treating some of the plants now which includes spraying them with a peroxide/water mixture to kill the larva/eggs, and using these traps to kill the adults and prevent them from laying eggs. - What was the most recent gift you unwrapped?
My mom always makes sure to get me a Mother’s Day gift, which is lovely.
It’s raining now and going to rain through Sunday so while my rain barrel refills I’ll be indoors reading books, watching the Friends Reunion show, and resisting the urge to ruin my summer by restarting World of Warcraft, etc.
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*not sponsored, and even if someone was willing to pay me, I’m not willing to be the face of flytraps.
I had a similar experience to your Disney Store one.
It broke my heart more than a little but I don’t regret leaving.
Love, Love, Love the sunglasses
Thank you! They are from Amazon and a bunch of my goofy internet friends bought them too. I bought them as a joke but they’re wacky and fun and I think that’s what I need right now. My mom also has a pair.
I have never cared much for bars, but in the weeks leading up to my first shot, it seemed all I could think about was getting to one or more of the local dives and just sipping a cold one while scarfing deep-fried anything.
Two weeks after the second shot, that’s what I did. About six times in the next twelve days. I’m back to going walking in the evenings now, which is a much better choice, but I’m still going out for beers maybe once a week. Strange to have missed that when I never really did it much before.
Fresh french fries, hot from a restaurant fryer, are LIFE to me right now.