Friday 5: Chip Chat

Happy Friday, friends! I’m typing this from the patio, where I have been sitting since 4:31pm when I logged out of the laptop and dashed out of the door.

I’m over working from home every day. Over it. I want my “work mode” bubble back where I’m not distracted by lawn mowers/leaf blowers every day or by my knucklehead dogs who haven’t had to hold their pee for more than 3 hours during the day since 2020. I want to fill my water bottle without feeling compelled to move dishes into or out of the dishwasher, or to take laundry upstairs or downstairs. I’m tired of seeing my work things at home. Blah. BLAH. I don’t want to wish away my summer but come September we’ll be in the office for 2 days and home for 3 and I’m fine with that. Fine.

But we’ll see how the Delta variant goes. (nervous laughter)

I was back “at work” this week and the re-entry could have been better. We’ll leave it at that. On Wednesday I took a ride down to Ocean City for the evening to hit some rides at Castaway Cove with Nephew A, who was accompanied by his entourage. He’s not doing upside-down rides yet, but he’s very close. We had a fantastic time and the weather was perfect.

The next two stops on Kim’s Medical Appointment Catchup Tour of 2021 are set. Behold: my mammogram/ultrasound (I am forever doomed to have both tests now) and my eye doctor appointment are ON THE SAME AFTERNOON. That is A+ scheduling, and all I have to do is make sure I pack my deodorant to apply in between appointments. If you know, you know. My eye doctor retired last year (keening, wailing) so I’m seeing a new one at the same office. I hope I don’t need new glasses, because I love all of the cheap Zenni pairs I have now. Are my breasts filled with marbles? Do I need bifocals? This July, we find out.

---

Here’s the Friday 5 – this week’s theme is Chip Chat and I hope it’s about Doritos.

1. What’s got you feeling chipper these days?
   I broke a promise to myself and created at TikTok account not long ago. When I first logged in my “For You Page” was full of platinum-blonde MAGA moms who brag about smacking their kids around when they misbehave (I am not joking I wish I was joking) but once I started following some hashtags (GenX, gardening, rollerskating*), and liking some accounts, it became a source of joy. People are creative and funny and and talented and most importantly, GOOD.
2. About what did you decide to let the chips fall where they may?
   After angsting a lot over when and where to wear a mask (here in NJ, I’m vaccinated so I technically don’t have to) this is my own cobbled-together personal policy:
   I do not mask outside at all. If a business/office asks me to mask, I will. If I am in a large store (grocery, department, etc) I will not mask while shopping, but I will put it on before I get into the checkout line in deference to the employee who is forced to be close to me. If I am in a tiny store, I will mask. I mask while going through a drive-through. Other than that, let the chips fall where they may. It’s a little cautious, a little compassionate, and a little logical. Your mask mileage may vary!
3. What are you chipping away at?
   We continue to chip away at credit card debt. And do you know that my credit score went down 2 points because I put that new recliner on my card? How crappy is that? Boo, hiss. Hate it.
4. What potato chips did you most recently consume?
   Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream is my potato chip of choice, with Cape Cod Salt & Vinegar chips a distant second. I have to be in a mood for salt and vinegar, because it’s a very “these are awful but I love them so much!” sensation.
5. When did you most recently toss your cookies?
   It’s not frequent, because that’s not the usual way my body chooses to get violently get rid of food. I known it was in this house, so post 2015. It was in the middle of the night after I had nachos at dinner. That part is very memorable. I think about 3 years ago? It took me a long time to eat nachos again, that’s for sure.

---

And that’s it! I have no concrete plans for the weekend because the weather is iffy (it’s thundering now so I moved inside), but I’m keeping my eye on maybe a little food truck fest tomorrow and possibly a trip to Ida’s Bookshop. Show Us Your Books peeps: Ida’s is the sister store to Harriet’s Bookstop, the Black-owned store where Steph buys many of her books from. It’s in Collingswood NJ, it just soft opened and I am excited.

---

Good news! If you’re a regular reader but forget to check in, you can subscribe to a once-a-week email with links to that week’s posts! Click here to sign up!