This Saturday is so annoying already. FIRST! I had an 8AM appt at LabCorp for my annual blood draw for work (incentive to get premium health insurance at the lower rate or something; I can’t remember but I know there is a reason I have to do this every year along with pretending to watch health videos and then taking the pop quiz at the end).

So, typically I would go to this one LabCorp much closer to my house. I’d schedule the first appt of the day (usually 7am) so that I could beat morning rush hour and still have plenty of morning time left before logging on to work. But the last 3 years, there has been this AWFUL ginger bitch there. Late 20s maybe, super asshole demeanor, 0 personality. Last year, I was so fed up with her that I left a scathing review.

Then I was like, “Oh shit, now I need to go to a different LabCorp.”

Luckily, I found one that’s not TOO much of a drive and they have Saturday hours! So I scheduled that for today and Henry said he would drive me so that we could get breakfast afterward since I always fast for these things and act like I’m going to pass out.

But then we forgot that it’s also the stupid race that goes past my house this morning! They always block the roads off but we left early enough that it wasn’t an issue—-until we got about a street away from home and I realized I left my stupid lab sheet here so we had to turn around and in that short amount of time, A COP HAD ARRIVED TO BLOCK OFF OUR STREET. Henry just drove around him but even that was enough to piss me off and I muttered, “Asshole” as we drove by.

So then we get there and I’m maybe 10 minutes early, yay maybe they’ll take me back early an a reward. SOMETIMES THAT HAPPENS. But not today! There were already three other people in the waiting room. One of them was sitting on a bench right up against the check-in kiosk and I was like, “Srsly” because there was an entire room of empty chairs but yes please sit in the most inconvenient spot for everyone entering. Even better was that it didn’t recognize my ID for some reason so I had to MANUALLY check in with my arm pit hovering over this bitch’s head because WHY ARE YOU SITTING HERE WHERE PEOPLE NEED TO CHECK IN, YOU STUPID FUCKING IDIOT.

Oh I was ready to go through the roof.

Then!! I sat down and immediately realized how deathly quiet it was in there—no waiting room music was playing, are you kidding me?! Where’s my Richard Marx and Phil Collins?! GINO VANELLI?

Because it was so quiet, I immediately homed in on the guy across the room who was bring so wetly that I started to squeeze my hands into fists. Literally, he was being SO performative with his breathing like he wanted to remind us all that he had been sitting for a while. Then at one point, he made a big production of stretching and then whipping his head back in slumber?! Buddy, please.

Finally, a patient emerged with his arm all gauzed-up and said, “She’s getting there, guys!”

WTF does that mean.

Shortly after that, the oldest working phlebotomist cracked the door and called back the next patient. Shit. This was definitely going too take a while.

I finally got called back around 8:15, so not overly outrageous, but when I say that this could have been Henry’s mom about to draw my blood, I am not being even a little facetious. She looked WELL past retirement age, all hunched over and wearing gigantic glasses. I was very scared.

So, when you’re getting blood drawn pretty much the last thing you want to hear after the needle goes in is the phlebotomist making an “oh shit” gasp.

“…is everything OK?” I whispered.

“Yeah, um…can you just straighten your arm a little more? I lost the vein.”

“……..”

“Does that happen to you a lot?” she asked.

“Um, no, not that I know of,” I chirped like a doomed bird on the edge of a predator’s jaw. “Do you need to start over?” I suggested, looking at the opposite wall while noticing with alarm what felt like a fishing expedition going on inside of the crook of my arm.

“Uh….no. Nope, I got it. We’re good.”

BRO. It’s been hours and I cannot unbend my arm. I’m walking around like it’s in an invisible sling, I am so wounded.

Henry thinks this is all so amazing and asked me after I got back into the car if perhaps I was leaving an acting class and not actually getting blood drawn I guess because of the way I was staggering toward the car, one arm outstretched, swaying from blood loss, like a Final Girl. Wow, ok, thanks for your support.

Honestly this is only several notches down from the CHAINSAW INCIDENT OF 2022.

Then we went down the street to Our Little Secret Cafe which has been there for years but for some reason I thought it was only catering and also it used to be what Lisa and I lovingly called HOME COOKIN’ and I haven’t wanted to go back since that version of it closed IF WE’RE BEING HONEST.

(It was actually called Russitano’s Diner but there was a sign under it that advertised “home cookin'” and for years that is what we thought it was actually called and refused to change our ways even after learning the TRUTH.)

They brought us out a “nipple board” to enjoy while waiting for our breakfast, which I thought was fucking adorable.

OK, calm down.

My favorite part of the experience was when an older gentleman in the booth behind Henry got up and started rummaging through the jelly on the empty table next to ours. “You guys don’t happen to have strawberry over on your table, do you?” he asked, and Henry ONLY GLANCED at the two that were sitting on top and said NO.

I was like, “You dumb bitch, you didn’t even look at what was underneath!” so I started rummaging through all of them and FOUND ONE which I promptly took over to the guy’s booth and his whole breakfast party was like, “OMG THANK YOU. YOU MADE HIS DAY!” and it was so funny—A REAL FEEL GOOD MOMENT that Hallmark is welcome to purchase the rights from me if they knew what was good for them—but the best part was that HENRY didn’t get to be the hero for once. It was me, precious little angel baby ERIN.

SUCK.

IT.

My avocado toast was OK.

Overall, it was a great experience until someone’s fucking idiot bitch baby started SHRIEKING and they did NOTHING about it. Like, take that fucker outside! Some of us have just had a traumatic blood letting experience!!!!

Afterward, we walked over to Michaels: boring.

Then Fresh Thyme. I RARELY go grocery shopping with Henry so I had to spend a lot of time perusing all the new-to-me fancy teas and cold brews and health drinks in the cooler by the door and Henry was like, “Yeah you can tell you don’t come here often” every time I’d coo, “Ooooh, what’s THAT?” Flashy packaging will get me every time. He spent probably double what he normally would because of all the excess PRETTY COLORS stuff I threw into the cart like some blood orange drink that I got solely for the reason that the Luna Park face is on the can.

Last stop: Petsmart to procure picky Penelope pâté.

COULD NOT PASS UP THAT ALLITERATION OPPORTUNITY.

Well, that was all before 11am. Hopefully my weekend gets more exciting, lol.

Gah, Jodie and Tim-Tim, you guys know how long I have wanted to go to Coney Island. I don’t know WHY it took me so long to get my fat ass there but props to Henry and Chooch for, as usual, dropping everything to attend to my Birthday Girl Needs last week.

It worked out so perfectly that we could just swing by Philly and scoop up Chooch after his last class on Thursday (my birthday, bitches!) and that he doesn’t have classes on Fridays. So, no selfish impediment on his college education from Needy Mommy. (He was annoyed though because as usual he forgot the itinerary and had booked a ticket for an advanced screening of Spiderman for that night and had to miss it—if you don’t know this about Chooch, he is a HUGE fan of the Spiderman franchise. Sorry, Chooch! You can see that ANYTIME. Coney Island with MOMMY is once in a lifetime. OK, not really, but you know what I mean!!)

We got in around 7:30PM, checked into a Best Western that was mostly OK but had the WORST bathroom lighting so I felt like I was leaving the hotel looking a freak every time. Google maps said that it was a 30 minute walk to Luna Park from there, or a 26 minute subway ride (??). We decided to just walk and it only took us about 15 minutes past a ridiculous amount of autobody shops.

Our first order of business was eating. There is a very slim window before I turn into an asshole so we chose the first pizza place we saw and look—we are not foodies by any stretch of the imagination and weren’t looking for AN EXPERIENCE or whatever, but Chooch and I knew as soon as we all walked into a completely empty Pizzaria that perhaps this wasn’t going to be the best of the best. So, expectations were low.

I just got a slice of cheese and had immediate remorse when I tried the white pizza that I conned Henry into ordering because it was actually pretty good compared to the below basic slice I was saddled with. I mean, it wasn’t TERRIBLE. There are plenty of school cafeterias in the country churning out way worse pizza. Henry and I ended up splitting each other’s slices but I’m pretty annoyed with myself for not just going back up and getting my own full slice of white.

Still, it was a pleasant experience overall because we were all getting along, there was no attitude, I liked the grungy vibes of the place, and I had Chooch there to take pictures of me where I actually look like myself and not Jay Leno’s daughter. (Henry is terrible at taking pictures of me! I know that this is largely because I’m Queen Ugz but come on bro, use your words and direct me into poses and positions where I look at LEAST homely rather than something dragged out of the holler on a humid July afternoon after a rain storm.)

Oh look at my little Lomography half-frame film camera there! I used up a whole roll and anticipate 99% of it coming back as developed trash.

P.S. I had an eye doctor appointment two weeks ago and the new, young eye doctor who I instantly adored goes to me, “Erin, is your favorite color pink?” and with no hesitation I said YES with my whole chest but this is not actually true!? Purple is my favorite color! Anyway, she asked me that because I was wearing like 5 different shades of pink all the way down to my shoes and now looking at this picture I realize, wow, I actually do wear A LOT of pink A LOT of time.

He apparently still plays Pokemon Go. Not sure if that’s what he was doing here, but 9/10 times I nebbed at his phone screen, he was doing Coney Island Pokemon Go things.

This place definitely had a cool vibe. Just, you know, probably a tourist trap. Two people did come in while we were there to get pizza to go so maybe it was just a slow night? There weren’t a lot of people out in the park or the boardwalk either.

I like that the train runs right over it. Also, perhaps we should have went to Taoxi instead.

We weren’t going to be doing any of the rides until the next day but now I kind of regret not paying $10 to ride this that night when there was no one there. It was a station wait for us the next day but I wanted to ride it again at night and there was somewhat of a line—-not even an outrageous one but after riding it earlier that morning, we got a taste of the slow-AF ops so Chooch said, “No, I refuse to wait in that line, it’ll take hours with the rate they send the train.” Ugh, he’s more of a dad than Henry sometimes.

But yeah, even if you’re not a coaster thoosie like us, you perhaps still might know that Cyclone has a ton of historical relevance in the coaster scene. It’s a legend! One of the main reasons I wanted to get out there sooner rather than later because you just never know. Luna Park I feel like is “on the verge” of closing more often than not. Currently, it seems stable ever since the amusement ride manufacturer Zamperla bought it.

One of the Luna Park entrances! The great thing about this place is that like some other boardwalk parks, you don’t have to pay to enter. So, we were able to stroll around and check it out before coming back to do the actual riding the next day.

OMG Henry was obsessed with that apartment building in the building because there was some guy standing in the top balcony, the one with the light on, and he was dancing or watching whatever local baseball game was being played on the field down there, who even cares. Henry, apparently, because he was trying to use his phone to zoom in to see what the guy was doing and Chooch and I were like, “Get away from us, you creep.” I would NEVER do something so invasive!!!

NEVER!

Come on guys.

OK, maybe I do it less now than I used to. That has to count for something.

I loved the atmosphere so much.

It was the best of both worlds: the beach vs. a big city. I am so much more a “city vacationer” but so enjoy spending SOME time on a beach. I just can’t do the full week slow-living beach vacations. Not for me. I have too much energy and too many things to see and do! So Coney Island is actually perfect for me—I got to walk on a pier, a boardwalk, smell sort-of ocean air, ride a ton of rides, and then take a train into the city for urban stuffs. I was honestly really content and I think it was apparent in the way that NONE OF US ARGUED. And I’m not just talking that evening. I mean the whole long weekend. It was like we were a….happy family.

LOL LOOK HOW HAPPY!

We were on some pier with a bunch of old men fishing right before it started POURING down rain.

We kept goading Henry to get a hot dog from Nathan’s but he never did. Weird.

We decided to go back by subway (bro is it always called the subway or do you call it a train when it’s above ground?!?! It’s all above ground in Coney Island / Brooklyn it seems) because the walk there wasn’t too bad in the daylight but we are tourists and don’t know if it’s safe to be goofing around on foot there at night, you know?

I embarrassed Chooch by making him stop here for a picture lol.

UGH the first evening was so good. I mean, the sleeping part sucked because Hotel Henry somehow snores like 5 Home Henrys combined. Chooch piled pillows on his face in the middle of the night but not even that helped. Ugh.

JFC as if I wasn’t tired enough this week, Henry and I went to see The Odyssey tonight at the Hollywood, god forbid not in elite cinephile IMAX 70mm. Peasants that we are. 

Guys I’m gonna be real. Yes, I’m familiar with The Odyssey for gods sake. So yes I “understood” what was going on. But I thought the movie itself was pretty overhyped THERE I SAID IT. 

I gave it a 4 overall and Tom Holland grew on me by the end, Matt Damon is always amazing in my book, Mia Goth was a pleasant surprise, god bless the CONTROVERSIAL CASTING that had conservatives, racists and bigots qtipping their dick holes, love Zendaya and Elliott Page forever, sincerely can’t stand Anne Hathaway and think she’s so basic, hated that they said “mom” and “dad” and some of the acting in general just felt cheesy. 

I’m being real here. I liked it and I was all in near the end, but I will never watch it again. 

Oh shit, we’ve been home for two days now and I am still so fucking cooked. It didn’t help that we also had a show to go to Monday night, and I hurt my back jumping and today I still feel so run down that I asked Henry to make me SOUP for dinner! On an 85 degree day!.

Happy belated birthday to me! 47! And feeling every year of it, LOL!

Anyway, the injuries I collected are as follows:

• slammed BOTH elbows down hard when I got into the seat for Thunderbolt at Luna Park
• sore thighs from being stapled on various rides
• wrecked toes from so much walking around Coney Island and NYC
• bruise on my knee from some weird boat ride thing at Adventureland (Chooch also hit his knee on the same part when he was getting into his boat!)
• kicked a pole really hard with my shin when I swung my leg over the horse on the carousel at Playland
• SEATBELTED MY FINGER on the same carousel because the ride operator ACTUALLY WALKED AROUND MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAD THEIR SEATBELTS ON. Even the adults. On a fucking carousel. Chooch was fuming—we literally sat there for what felt like 10 minutes before the ride actually started because the guy had to slowly walk around checking everyone and not only that but he was SEATBELTING ALL OF THE EMPTY HORSES, TOO.

OK but the injury Chooch got was worse than all of mine, in my opinion anyway. Of course he was trying to downplay it but here is what happened! Picture it:

Chooch and I are happily on board these dumb little rescue boats, fresh from busting our knees while getting inside

So happy! This ride was actually adorable!

After the ride ended, Chooch decided to be a jerk by trying to splash water on me. Except, when he turned around with his hand raised and splash-ready, he ended up smacking it knuckle-side off that metal bar.

It IMMEDIATELY bruised.

Of course, it gave me jelly legs. I can’t stand seeing even the mildest of injuries. I feel it in my legs every time. One time, Barb said this was because I’m an empath. Then, sometime later, I did a callback to that and she was like, “YOU? And EMPATH? Who would give you that idea?”

Bro, YOU did, Barb. YOU did.

God, I fucking miss her. Like, a lot. :(

Anyway, I convinced Chooch to go to first aid and get an ice pack, but every single person we talked to acted like the entire park had been rearranged that morning and we were given so many different directions. The one person at least said it was in the “City Hall” building by by the bumper cars, but she pointed in the complete opposite direction so we were just roaming around like we were on the lamest scavenger hunt ever.

Finally found it! This was actually on the second time Chooch has ever had to visit First Aid at an amusement park, if you a believe it.

(This was the first time, when he was just a little kid!)

He was super stoked to have to talk to the teenage girls manning the First Aid counter, like, “My mommy says I need to put ice on my boo boo.” Lol.

He acted like he didn’t need it but the Mom MD in me says otherwise.

Family portrait on the train, ice pack reppin’!

Well, I think this is all the injuries we sustained. Henry had no injuries because he did nothing but stand around, holding my purse. I’m excited to recap the rest of the trip, but I want to take many naps first.

First of all, I love how short Henry is with HNC.

Second of all, ONE OF HNC’S JUNKYARD BABIES IS GETTING TOWED? If you recall, he has TWO decrepit vans in the driveway and ONE in his backyard, which was in another neighbor’s driveway for a few years until THAT neighbor’s landlady was, “GET THIS OUT OF HERE” and before THAT it was in the church parking lot across the street for years until new owners took over and evicted it.

You can read more about the sordid history of our parking drama here. It’s a real fan favorite.

Anyway, we have been hearing for YEARS that HNC is going to get these metal rat hotels towed. No really, there are rats living in at least the one that was towed today. Which was partially why Henry had to go outside and be in the mix (or to “oversee,” as Alyson pointed out when I texted her live updates), he wanted to see if an undulating sea of rodents was going to come pouring out when the van was towed.

Alyson made a good point by saying  that what if the rats wait to spill out at their final destination and then HNC will be complicit in spreading pestilence!

Penelope watched a bit before decreeing that this was TOO MANY MANS and ran off to write feminist poetry.

I caught Henry chatting up the tow truck guy at one point so I just now asked him what they were talking about.

“Nothing. We were just talking.”

Um, yes, and that is why I’m interrogating you right now.

I wonder if HNC will break down into tears under the moonlight later, mourning the loss of one of his babies. Literally bro seems so attached to these junkers!

Can we get someone to tow his wife away next?

Back in Pittsburgh and while I’m sad that the trip is over, I’m relieved to be back here with Penelope because I worry so much every time we leave her, and I’m also not too proud to admit that I have always overdone the itinerary in the past by trying to shove in too much and that three nights was the sweet spot for us to actually get along and not burn out. 

If we’re being honest, even THAT was a bit much since most of it was spent riding pukey thrills rides and janky coasters. Chooch and I were both crying like elders, we were so tired and sore. The only thing Henry rode was Deno’s Wonder Wheel, and then the train, one coaster, and a dark ride at Adventureland. And that was only because he had no choice but to pay to get in. 

Today was just driving back home for the most part. Long Island is only about 90 minutes from Philly, so that was nice! Of course we had to drive around looking for a mail box first so I could mail my idiot post cards aka the bane of Henry’s existence on every trip we take. 

I was just really happy to be together again. I think I am slowly adapting to not seeing Chooch regularly now but I can’t help but feel like everything is back to normal again when we’re all together. I feel like we’re maybe a little less annoying to him now too???

Hands down, the best part of the trip was Coney Island. That whole area was such a vibe. I would definitely go back!! Maybe not to ride the rides, but to just hang out on the boardwalk in Luna Park / Deno’s Wonder Wheel park in general, because both are free to enter and the energy is so good and positive. I have so much to recap and so many pictures, but I need to recharge.

I’m just so happy that we did this and that Henry and Chooch still go along with my dumb ideas when I’m sure they’d be happier doing something more chill and relaxing rather than have me (pantomiming) snapping my fingers and saying, “let’s go! we’re running out of time!”

Just checking in – we have had very little down time because this is an Erin R Kelly itinerary after all. 

We’ve been having a lot of fun and Chooch even pointed out that we managed to go an entire day yesterday – and we did A LOT yesterday – with actually no arguing which is a first for our family vacations. Maybe we’re growing up??!!

Anyway, I’m leaving this picture here of the first thing we did after getting to Luna Park yesterday. Usually this Slingshot thing is an upcharge so that’s always been my easy out but with the package we bought for just me and Chooch (Henry was being a lame non-rider), it was INCLUDED. It wasn’t even 11am yet and Chooch was like, “oh well I guess we’ll just have to do the Slingshot since it’s right here” because the first coaster we went to was still testing. 

Yeah, I had so many regertz while we were getting strapped in but the ride operators were so sweet so that helped. 

Henry didn’t get a video because he fails as Vacation Mom (I was pissed because I recorded him when he rode this at Wildwood with Chooch!!!) so I had to buy the $15 on ride video which is just me screaming bloody murder, muttering about hating Chooch, saying “ok this isn’t that bad” and then “why are we still up here though” and looking generally listless like a rag doll ready to bypass Goodwill and go straight into the trash. I literally could feel nothing after that launch. 

I have to go. Henry just got beeped at aggressively because I’m not paying attention on his behalf. Ugh. 

ETA: Now with video, LOL:

Hello from Coney Island! We’re winding down from a long day of driving so here are the pictures I took with my blessed baby Charmeras (I brought both!).

Vacation journal in the car. :)

We were early getting to Philly so we stopped at Madis for matcha and cold brew while Chooch was in class. This matcha was pretty good!

Henry didn’t like his cold brew, but he’s a bitch so who cares.

LOL this was after I went out a different door and he couldn’t find me.

CHOOCH SIGHTING!!

Chooch was embarrassed because I was taking pictures of “nothing special” from traffic, tourist that I am.

He was only smiling because he was laughing at whatever movie he was watching. Yes, he started watching a movie immediately after getting into the car. No, sorry—he devoted a few minutes to bitching about everything wrong in his life first (he lost his right AirPod, he broke his phone cord, etc).

Some bridge. I don’t know if we were still in PA or NJ at this point. Big apologies to my bridge fetishists out there. I’ve let you down.

STORM CLOUDS.

I dunno, I just thought this was cool and retro looking.

If you don’t have legs, you’re fine.

Henry almost wrecked on the bridge right after I took this because he didn’t realize traffic stopped. It was actually terrifying and he burned rubber.

Some gross ship.

I was trying to take a picture of this cute cat outside of our hotel that reminded us of Penelope but then he/she started to jump, lol. Chooch got a normal picture with his phone though:

Walking to Luna Park! We’re actually going there for real tomorrow but we wanted to get something quick to eat and possibly ride the Wonder Wheel at the other park to get that out of the way.

Every time Chooch tried to get out of a picture, I would remind him that it’s my birthday (and so is tomorrow and Saturday).

Bro, I remember when we went to Long Island for Enhypen, we saw Luna Park in the distance and I said, “That’s probably the closest I’ll ever get to it” because I have wanted to come here my whole life!

I can’t wait to ride this!!!

Then we came to some place called Surf City for a quick slice and knew it was going to be mid as soon as we walked in NO ONE WAS THERE but we didn’t care at that point. We were hungry and weren’t trying to be pizza snobs (although I did remind them that I had voted for taking the subway to somewhere better but no one wanted to do that, so…).

It’s amazing how Chooch is able to take normal pictures of me when Henry makes me look like chungus every time.

The mid pizza in question.  

There was some kind of baseball game happening.

Oh yeah, Deno’s Wonder Wheel park closed early because it was about to rain so we’ll have to do all of that stuff tomorrow. 

LOL this is supposed to be the water lapping against the beach, you didn’t know?

Then it started pouring so we had to stand under a roof thing for a few minutes.

Took the subway back to the hotel.

Well, that’s all for day 1, Charmera-wise!

“Didn’t you just see him like last month?” Chooch asked when I sent him his favorite text that goes like this, “GUESS WHO I’M SEEING TONIGHT??” And no, it was almost exactly a year ago when I last saw Anthony Green (and Geoff Rickly!), thank you very much, Chooch. And because of that close proximity to the last show, I ALMOST sat this one out. That would have been such a mistake. Don’t sit the shows out, guys. Go to the shows. I have been seeing Anthony in one form or the other since 2005 but I still felt like there might be a REGERT there if I didn’t go. Especially because I follow him on Instagram and was so excited to see the clips of him opening for MCR at WEMBLEY. THE WEMBLEY. So, he was starting this next leg of the tour right off the heels of that. Incredible.

This show was last Friday. That same week, we had the clown show at Glitterbox and Kennywood because I have us on a fast track for burn out. So when Henry was anticipating a quiet evening in, I reminded him, “We have Anthony Green tonight….” and he was like, “…fuck.” LOL. Then I had to remind him that HE was the one who actually told me about this show in the first place!!

I’m so glad that we got the leg of the tour with Geoff. <3

We had some time to kill, so we walked down to Burghers for a pre-show beer. I had a red ale there too and I’m telling you—that is my style! One is enough, it’s satisfying, they always taste good, I don’t feel like I’m drinking beer, and I don’t feel like shit afterward. Plus, I have also learned that I am a one-beer-and-time-to-go girl. Bars and breweries are “pre-whatever-event killing time” things for me, and not somewhere to waste an afternoon or evening—I can’t hang like that. This was my third time at a Burghers and I have not had a bad beer there yet. Plus, the people are always so nice! This time, we sat at the bar and talked to the Burghers people about Anthony Green so that was amazing since usually people are like “who” when I tell them who we are going to see, lol ugh.

Myrna, can you believe that I have not been to Mr. Small’s since pre-pandemic!? It’s crazy how much time I spent there over the years and then stepping inside last Friday felt so foreign to me.

Plus, it’s changed so many times over the years that I can’t even remember what it was like the last time we were there. Or even, when I was there. I think it was just Chooch and me, possibly to see Emarosa?!

Henry is always the holder of my merch.

Also, I had to bite my tongue the other day because I’m so sick of correcting people, but someone insinuated that Henry was going to a show to see someone he didn’t know and this is so infuriating to me. Henry has been there since the beginning, when I loved Saosin, then obsessed over Circa Survive and listened to them almost exclusively on my cemetery walks while pregnant with Chooch, when I shyly met Anthony outside of the Grog Shop in Cleveland summer 2005 and he signed my CD, all the different bands we saw him performing with at various Riot Fests, taking me to Philly to see The Sound of Animals Fighting—-come the fuck on. Give the man some credit.

My favorite was actually  the last Riot Fest we went to in 2023. We were standing by one of the stages waiting for the next band to come on and Henry was like, “Who are we waiting for?” and I said, “Just wait, you’ll see.” The band came out and he was like, “Wait….is that Anthony? But what band is this? Is he in ANOTHER BAND?” Lol, it was LS Dunes.

But no, you’re right, Henry has no idea who Anthony Green is.

The show opened with Keith Goodwin, of Good Old War and long-time Anthony collaborator.

Anthony came out and played drums on one song, and then came out again to sing on another.

It was a really nice, mellow opening.

After Keith’s set, Henry went to the bathroom and came back with our pal Jason Pettigrew! I was JUST lamenting earlier that night that we never run into anyone we know when we go to shows, like how is it possible that I have no friends who like anything I like, I don’t understand. (And of course after I said this, I remembered that we saw one of our Sugar Spell ice cream friends at two shows in the span of a year and actually one of those shows was the LAST Anthony Green show!).

It’s been A MINUTE since we last saw Jason and it was amazing timing because he and I had just recently been going back and forth on Threads about how needed to catch up soon. A loud venue wasn’t necessarily the best environment for a chat but it was still better than nothing! He hung out with us for Geoff’s full set and then we made tentative plans for an avocado pie night at our house in October. #fingerscrossed

But OMG, Geoff Rickly. Once again, I’m so glad that we decided to come to this show because he is just a gem, such a legend. And I said it last year too,  that he could leave his guitar at home and just sit on a stool telling us stories and I would be just as enthralled. He’s an amazing musician and songwriter, but his story-telling skills are also top notch. And he somehow super hilariously wove references to Charlie Kirk AND Taco Bell into the evening. Ugh, he is SO GOOD and I’m very grateful to his sobriety because he is someone we need on this earth for as long as possible. Just a genuinely cool guy.

And then Anthony. OK, so I don’t know what was going on with me last year when we saw him: maybe I was still depressed and dead inside, maybe it was the venue, maybe it was just weird timing. But it didn’t resonate with me emotionally. In fact, I kind of felt like an outsider, like maybe too much time had passed and I wasn’t meant for this scene anymore. I can’t explain it but this time, it felt like NO TIME had passed, like it was 2005 again, like I was listening to Circa on some shitty mp3 player and shitty headphones, tears mixing with sweat, cemetery groundsmen looking at me like wtf is wrong with this broad.

I FELT THINGS AGAIN. I clung to every little piece of information he shared with us between songs. I smiled like a fucking acolyte. Man, Anthony Green. I am so sorry that I fell off the wagon there for a bit. I’m sorry I missed even a single Pittsburgh performance. I’m extra sad that I didn’t even know The Sound of Animals Fighting played shows last fall!!

Henry took pictures too!!

Anthony posted on Threads that he felt this was the best show he’s played in “Pitty” and I was so glad to have been there. It really did feel like a very special show. The crowd was good. The venue was perf. Everyone, in all of the bands + Geoff, sounded SO GOOD. It just felt personal, like they wanted to be there performing their songs just as much as we wanted to be there listening to them. I really don’t have a single complaint about the night and I will end it by saying that I am fully back on the wagon and have been listening to all iterations of Anthony Green ever since that night and just absolutely FLOATING in nostalgia.

SETLIST:

1. So It Goes
2. I Don’t Want to Die Tonight
3. Babygirl
4. She Loves Me So
5. You’ll Be Fine
6. Trading Doses
7. East Coast Winters
8. Pets (Porno for Pyro cover)
9. Seven Years
10. Strange Terrain
11. Act Appalled
12. Reconcile
13. Don’t Dance
14. Dear Child / Like Magick / Fucks Me Up
15. This Song Won’t Save You
16. Get Out
17. Devil’s Song

It’s been a minute since we did a Monday Music post up in this bitch! And it’s a good day for it because I am still recovering from the weekend and my mind keeps circling back to my current faves on rotation in my head, in the car, on YouTube, everywhere there’s a speaker.

1. Royal Coda – We Slowly Lose Hope for Things to Come

My appreciation for Kurt Travis grows annually. I’m so stoked to see Royal Coda next Monday!

2. WONHO – Don’t Wake Me Up

I’m still bereft that Wonho’s fall North American tour was canceled last year. :( But this comeback is cheering me up!

3. Minelli x INNA

I still fall back on Romanian pop when I need comforting background music. Who knew I would love Romanian music so much after visiting there? OK, you knew. We all knew.

4. Hayley Williams – Kill Me

OK her most recent solo album has made her THAT GIRL to even more people but the live version of this song especially makes me FEEL SO MUCH and I just scroll through Instagram reels watching and liking and rewatching and spamming Chooch with every live version of this from her current tour IT IS SO FUCKING GOOD. Ugh, I have loved Hayley and Paramore since way before they blew up but always knew, I fucking knew and said it all the time back then when I used to listen to their debut album on my freaking ZEN mp3 player, that they were going to be huge. I am so happy that I get to live in the same timeline as Hayley Williams. I don’t care, I will argue anyone on this, but my opinion is that she is one of the greatest singers of our generation.

5. Picheolin – Love Sick

Carats (Seventeen fans, come on, Betty, please keep up) were divided when it was announced that Dino would be releasing a solo album under his fictional trot singer/producer character Picheolin but I was like, “SIGN ME UP, BROTHER.” I love love love Dino’s Picheolin. But then when this song dropped, I was extra shocked because it doesn’t have the tongue-in-cheek, jokey vibe that I was anticipating. OMG I love this so much! It’s like, if LiteFM played Korean slow jamz in the 80s. THIS SOUNDS LIKE THAT. Like something that could have been playing right after Gino Vanelli in my Pappap’s kitchen while I sat at the counter eating a late night grilled cheese made for me by Aunt Sharon after a long day of swimming and Saturday night Golden Girls / Empty Nest / Hunter watching in the den.

Wow, I just made myself burst into tears, LOL.

6. Maye – Yours

This came up on one of my synth playlists and it just feels like the perfect summer night, I don’t know. I just loved it immediately and had to save it for future reference.

7. Moxy the Band – You Feel It Too

I heard of this angelic band because of Michael Franzino (seriously WHAT is in the water in Sacramento? The BEST music comes out of there not to mention an ENTIRE GENRE #swancore) and wish they were still together (I don’t think they are??).

8. Hyolin – Check

OK but is it even summer if our summer queen Hyolin hasn’t released a new song?!

Well, 8 is a random number to stop on but I’m cooked. L8R!

I can’t believe this happened, but I somehow failed to bring either of my two Charmera cameras with me on Friday so this will just be a Saturday and Sunday Chameradump I guess. :(

Saturday’s coffee break led us to Redstart in the East End. I didn’t realize until we pulled into the lot but in 2019 when Jiyong and I used to meet up every Saturday, we came here but it was called something else at the time. All I could remember was that it shared a space with Schoolhouse (the lighting company) but when I googled it, “The Bureau” is what came up, which didn’t seem correct AT ALL.

So I consulted my blog, and yeah, it was the same place. I remember very well being INSIDE but the name rings not even the tiniest bell buried in the recesses of my corroded mind. I did have fun reading the blog post that mentioned it though, which has us meeting Tommy and Jessy for lunch somewhere in Butler that also rings zero bells in my mind but Chooch’s sick burn near the end of the blog post had me gagged. I sent him a screenshot yesterday and he said, “Lol wow, got him.”

(RIP Jessy though for real, ugh.)

Anyway! This place had the most quiet vibes. It was mostly people there alone to either read a book or work so this is the atmosphere I was looking for on my Baby Girl Goes to the City Alone day earlier this month. (God, it was still July yet it feels like that months ago at this point. How is this summer going by so fast but then these weird time lags are also happening!?)

I got the coconut latte and Henry got pandan but then I made him swap with me after I tried his. We also split a vegan sea salt chocolate chip cookie. Overall, great lattes and the cookie would have been better if it wasn’t shared. The barista was also a super nice guy who didn’t make us feel like we were encroaching on holy grounds. (OH COME ON YOU KNOW HOW SOME OF THEM CAN BE!!)

I would go back. Good job, Redstart.

Before we went home, we stopped at Bodega Film Lab to pick up some film for our little mini trip coming up later this week.

The guy who helped us was super nice and also didn’t act like an elitist so I was happy about that. I love photography but I love it on my terms and by that I mean I know zero of the technical aspects of it so please do not ask me what kind of ISO I’m looking for and if you even START to say aperature, just know I’m already tuning you out on the first syllable.

Later that night, we watched the Italian horror movie Torso, and it was excellent.

Sunday (today!) I met Sandy and Nate at Palm Palm for brunch! I haven’t seen them since February so it was a nice little catch-up sesh. They brought me a birthday bouquet :)

We were all smitten with the water carafe that looked like a volcano.

Not Charmera, but I got the coconut pancakes with yuzu marmalade and the most delicious whipped topping which ended up being my brunch AND dinner:

It was so good but I am excited to eat something savory today, lol.

And here’s a better picture of Sandy and Nate too:

It was such a great brunch! And I loved Palm Palm (they even have matchbooks which to me is such a great touch) and already can’t wait to go back.

Later in the afternoon, Henry and I went to my mom’s because she is moving out slowly and I wanted to not only poke around and see what things of mine are still there, but we also needed to send Chooch some pictures of my brother Ryan’s old bedroom set because he (Chooch) is moving into a new place this September and has no furniture. I asked him if he liked it and he was like, “Well, I have nothing so I’m relying on Val’s donation here.” LOL I guess that’s a yes.

Meanwhile, I found some really good old shit—LIKE MY FIRST PUBLIC DIARY FROM FIFTH GRADE!!! So, I was pretty happy about that but overall felt kind of weird. I haven’t been in my mom’s house in probably over 15 years if we’re being honest here, and it made me sort of sad to see my old room which used to be so cool, I’m not getting, it was so fucking cozy and ambiant, but after I moved out one of my brothers took over and killed the vibe.

But, I digress. It’s just really weird that both my childhood home and my grandparent’s house on the same street are basically just…done.

So after we left there, we stopped at a local pizza shop / brewery called Truss to have a “we were just sweating in an attic” beer.

I had a red ale and it was SO GOOD, but not only that, we chatted with the owner and he is so cool and down to earth. He was encouraging us to sample everything but once I tried the red ale, I was like, “No need, this is the one.”

Henry got the CAR WASH COMING SOON summer wheat which is based on an inside joke with the community because there are so many car washes on one small strip of highway that runs through, that every time a new one pops up, people get so triggered. Anyway, one guy took it to the next level but having a giant “car wash coming soon” sign printed and then he hung it at Chick-fil-a on a Sunday so the community Facebook page popped of with, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME, CHICK-FIL-A IS TURNING INTO A CAR WASH???”

Anyway, long story still long, that guy is friends/friendly with the Truss owner, and when the Truss guy went on vacation, the CAR WASH COMING SOON sign ended up in front of the brewery, lol. He told us that he came back from his trip to Mexico with his inbox full of concerned messages about Truss closing. So, the car wash beer was born. IT IS SO GOOD, TOO! I stole some sips :)

Then I read aloud from my 5th grade public diary and Henry was like FML. SHOULD THIS BE MY FUTURE CLOWN ACT!?!? Just, me in face paint sitting on a stool and reading pages from my journals??

Hilariously in the same vein, Henry was digging around on some old computer drives and found an audio recording of the time I read an entire haunted house review for LiveJournal. (It was the infamous IGOR’S FRIGHT SHACK review!!!)

Well, that pretty much sums up the weekend, minus Friday which will be a separate post. CIAO FOR NOW.

Borbo/Prism is an eponymous duo of artists. They hail from Bushwick, Brooklyn- famously memed for its colorful cast of characters- where they work extensively in the DIY experimental performance art scene.
Prism’s (they/she) work is focused on visual storytelling, with a heavy reliance on folkloric imagery. Having come-of-age in the Appalachian countryside of Ohio, their works’ themes often reflect on the conflicting reality of tradition and personal identity. Prism practices mostly in the mediums of conventional “feminine craft” (sewing, embroidery, applique, textiles). They then force new meaning onto these heavily connotated mediums by enmeshing them with the performance art practices typically overrun with male artists (puppetry, noise music, clowning).
Borbo (it/its) is a queer non-binary percussionist, performance artist, and noise clown. It draws inspiration from a wide range of genres, including psychedelia, free improvisation, and jazz-fusion. Anything it can strike, scrape or shake is a potential musical instrument – drum sets, found objects, toys, and self-made percussive sculptures are all fair game. Borbo has also been observed using live electronics and contact mics as an electro-acoustic tool to augment its percussive sonic palette. A natural buffoon since birth, Borbo rejects self-seriousness in favor of whimsy, queering its own reality by transfiguring clown from performance art to lifestyle and gender.
The duo is currently on their Rust Belt Tour. Blending their typical acts with the essence of the road, the themes have a bit more of a bite to them than they would in Brooklyn. Through this journey, they hope to continue to curate a unique and whimsical craft to share with the world. You can connect with them on Instagram at @borbo.the.clown and @maximum_security_prism.

When I saw this being promoted on Glitterbox’s Instagram right on the heels of our first real clown show there, I was like, “ANOTHER CLOWN SHOW? SIGN US UP!” Henry, good sport that he is, was like, “OK, I will work on adapting to this latest swerve in our lifestyle.”

I was super stoked because a few days before, Jess texted me and said that she and Shawn were free that night and wanted to join us!! And Shawn ended up bringing his cousin Rachel as well! We had a cohort for the clown show!

But first! Henry and I got to Glitterbox around 6:30 when doors opened and I immediately saw a familiar face walking toward the theater — it was someone from the audience at the last clown show who also got to participate in the skit that Henry was involved in! They were the one holding the “boom,” if you feel like going back and watching the video on this post.

Desperate to braid myself into the local clown scene, I went right up to them and (hopefully not too maniacally) said, “Hi! Were you at the last clown show? I recognize you!” and they were like, “Oh! Yes, I was” and, like a cartoon talking with her jaw fully detached and jittering like a pair of wind-up teeth, I (CALMLY) squealed, “And you’re a clown too right?? I fell down the rabbit hole on Instagram after the last show….” and they confirmed that yes they are a clown but no, they would not be performing that night. Their name is Doris! I made contact with a clown and I am so happy. Doris is so pleasant and was a joy to chat with. Meanwhile, Henry had been trying to cross the street and witnessed this from afar, so he looked very tense when he made his way over to me and had a WHAT DID YOU DO look on his face. He is always so afraid that I’m going to embarrass him.

The poster said that doors were at 6:30 so we walked on in like we owned the place and the box office guy (I LOVE HIM, he is so nice) was like, “Oh! Hi!” because he thought doors were at 7 so it was kind of awkward and I said we could leave and come back but he asked BORBO AND PRISM, still in their civilian clothes and setting up the stage, if they minded if we stayed and they said no! Luckily, Doris came in soon after along with a few others. And then Shawn, Jess and Rachel! Shawn was in full on brag-mode because they were on time, lol. Then I introduced them to Doris! But really I was like, “GUYS WOULD YOU LOOK I MADE A FRIEND I THINK?” I’m trying so hard to be the old me and actually talk. to people in public. It’s….a work in progress. Check back later this year.

The show fully started around 7:30, with local clown AZIZZY. OK first of all—after we left the first clown show earlier this month and I started doing the late night Instagram click-throughs, I realized that this was the person sitting behind me that night who had the most INFECTIOUS laughter, so much so that they made the opening act that night seem exponentially more hilarious to me (that opening act was actually the person who teaches clown courses! I’m learning so much about this community after only just realizing it exists at all).

Their routine was about 30 minutes long and my face hurt was smiling so hard. This clown is A JOY. Hilarious. Endearing. Creative. And their sad face!! I kept murmuring, “Awww” and then looking to make sure Henry the Heartless was having the same reaction.

I am prepared to be the biggest AZIZZY groupie this city has seen.

Before the show started, I was trying to explain to Jess and Shawn about the last one we attended and how it’s not your classic Bozo at the Children’s Party mainstream clown stereotype and while it’s not overtly “scary” like those you’d encounter at a haunted house, there is something dark and sardonic about the characters these Neo-clowns create, and it can even be kind of provocative.

While AZIZZY embodied this description, Borbo and Prism came on the stage to totally flip that description on its head. While they were dressed clown-esque, this was more performance art than comedy.

While Borbo sat at a table and created a soundscape that at times felt like it was actually going to make me go inside (think: lots of repetitive industrial sounds and echoing squeaks of toys, etc.), Prism sat on the floor in front of a projector and played with colors and textures. It was one of the oddest, coolest, eeriest, cerebral shows I have ever sat through and it was completely unexpected. It wasn’t for everyone – one woman walked out. I guess I get it, the sounds were so hypnotic and intense at times that it did feel like we were part of some Clockwork Orange experiment. Like, how much can you handle before your mind explodes into a swarm of chittering plastic creepy-crawlies.

It was uncomfortable at moments and I think that was part of the process. This was meant to be something that you could discuss with your friends after and everyone has a different takeaway. For me, it was just interesting how the jarring soundtrack complemented the experimental shapes and colors projected on the screen. We were literally watching these people play with sounds and sights. Like a live Mattress Factory exhibit. Definitely not for everyone but luckily, we are all super weirdos and artists at heart so we all had positive takeaways, I think.

For me, the best way I can describe it is that I felt like I was sitting in a stationary haunted house—not so much the images, but the SOUNDSCAPE. It was very reminiscent to the sounds that are blasting throughout some haunted houses, meant to make you feel on edge or that you’re literally going insane. So, I felt like I was sitting in a chair while the haunted house was happening in front of me rather than walking through it. And you know how much I love haunted houses. I might not look like it on the outside, but I am 100% the target audience for this type of avant garde art.

The finale was a puppet show, and Prism made sure to offer the disclaimer that this was not going to be “clown” themed and that there might be images projected on the screen that could be considered sensitive to some. I was worried it was going to be animal-stuff but it wasn’t so I was OK!

BUT BRO, that puppet show was incredible.

Shawn’s takeaway was that it was a cautionary tale about beastiality, don’t fuck sheep, and Jess cried, “You needed a puppet show to tell you that beastiality is bad??” LOL.

OMG, I have been yammering on all week about this show. I wish I had better words to explain how completely captivated I am by this entire scene. Like, I’m giddy over it. All three clowns from that night followed me back on Instagram and I am so excited to stay in the loop and continue to support them! I even bought my first clown merch that night!

Borbo and Prism make all of their merch using repurposed shirts so no two are the same, and I love that. I got this long-sleeved shirt and it’s so cozy! I wore it in my work meeting on Wednesday on purpose because Wendy is so alarmed at these latest turn of events (she is th biggest clown hater I know) and she yelled, “NO! TAKE THAT OFF!” lol.

Anyway, I love clowns. I love the Glitterbox. I don’t want to do any kind of performing but I would love to get involved with between the scenes stuff at that theater, maybe volunteer Henry for set design or costume sewing. Who knows, but I have felt so lost since 2024 and this is actually making me feel kind of grounded, like have I maybe found a place where I possibly could fit in and make friends?

Sigh.

Sam. Martha. Thanks for tuning in. Today we will be talking about how I cannot get over the fact that Henry and I somehow seem to be doing more / having more fun at our old decrepit ages than we were before we had Chooch. I am NOT mad about that.

My new rule of “doing things on week nights” has been a real game changer. I feel so much less reclusive! We went to a clown show on Monday (post is coming, I’m still floating in the clouds at the memory of it all and need to come back to earth first!), Anthony Green show at Mr. Small’s tomorrow night, and last night we went to Kennywood.

Having a season pass for a local amusement park so that you can blow off steam after a particularly blah day at work IS EVERYTHING. We were only there for about three hours, but who the hell cares because it was better than sitting at home and stewing, right?

It was actually kind of (kind of) crowded for a Wednesday evening but Phantom was still a walk-on. The dad and daughter behind us were saying that it wasn’t the best coaster in the park and I was J U D G I N G them so hard. The daughter was all, “Nah, it’s still Steel Curtain for me, fam” and the dad said his was SKY ROCKET. I was like, “WOW YOU’RE SO LAME.” I mean, I waited until they weren’t behind us anymore.

Then we rode the Whip and it was actually very janky out of nowhere? When did the Whip get so jacked??

After this, the Swingshot made me a little queasy so we went to get a cookie from whatever the fuck they call their coffee shop and Henry ordered a snickerdoodle on behalf of us both and I decided that the night was going too smoothly so I became MAD because I WANTED A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE and he had the nerve to NOT READ MY MIND. So, that created some tension and I walked a few paces ahead of him because that’s what all strong, independent women do to prove a point to cis white males, while he kept trying to offer to share his snickerdoodle with me (no, in this situation, that’s not what we’re calling his weener).

So then–this is my favorite part–I decided that I was going to go in Noah’s Ark but then yelled, “ALONE” in his face and he was like, “OK wow, you are really punishing me so hard right now” and it was so funny when I turned around and saw him leaning against the fence with his dumb cookie in his hand, watching me set off into the whale’s mouth without him, HAHAHA. This is what happens when you’ve been together for 20 million. years and have nothing real to fight about but one half of the couple is a fucking purebred drama queen who runs on bitch fuel.

I was so mad though because the first room I got to, there were three teen girls taking pictures of themselves so I offered to take one of all of them and it was really cute but then I turned around AND HENRY WAS THERE UGH. He can’t fucking stay away!! I was like NO ONE ASKED TO COME IN HERE!!!! YOU’RE NOT INVITED!!!

UGH.

UGH AGAIN.

I walked ahead of him through the whole thing but every once in a while I would slow down long enough to yell, “I HATE YOU” around a corner at him.

Also rode: Thunderbolt (the only time I have ever had a bad ride on this and Henry agreed! We thought we were going to be catapulted out of it and not in a fun airtime way), Race, Sky Rocket. I made Henry ride this as penance for the cookie fuckup because it’s the most uncomfortable ride in the park for him–he hates the seats so much and always bitches about his shins lol. (Also, I canNOT believe that this could be anyone’s favorite coaster in the park,  that just blows my mind.)

Anyway. I got my steps in which is what I wanted, but I was really mad about not getting a sweet treat and pouted most of the way home until Henry stopped at DQ and I got a sundae so then I was content. I needed a SUGAR.

Well, that was it. Oh! I was excited because one of the sections we walked through (near the bumper cars) was playing “Right on Track” by Breakfast Club and I almost NEVER hear that song out in the wild. Then by the Slingshot, some 50s bop was playing, and then after that we walked right into Britney’s “Baby One More Time” — it was like walking through the decades. My favorite part was when some older guy belted out one of high-pitched “STILL BELIEVE” parts with perfect comedic aplomb.

I guess you could say that Kennywood got me….RIGHT ON TRACK.

Gayle from ye old days of the Law Firm texted me last week to say hi and I am firmly set in my “make the plans!!” stage of my life so I said, “No more talking about it, let’s get a lunch scheduled now” and it ended up that we were both free this past Sunday! I love when things work out quickly.

Henry and I drove out to New Castle to meet her and her husband Jeff at Kelly’s Side Door because Gayle and I wanted pierogies. The place we met the last time is closed on Sundays so she suggested this cute little local bar as a substitute. I’m glad she did because it was a great vibe, a nice drive, AND there was a Dollar Tree out her way that had three of the four journals I was searching for!

(Empty Nest Erin is going through a lot of phases right now, although I have been journaling since elementary school, my obsession is now ramped up.)

Gayle made some big life changes in the last few years and she is thriving health-wise. I am so proud of her! She looked happy, healthy, and so freaking adorable too. Talk about a glow-up!

Henry got this burger that was even too big for his manly food pouch to hold the entire thing. Do you know how rare it is for Henry to box up leftovers? Meanwhile, I devoured my ‘rogies like I just returned home from the construction site because all I had eaten prior to that was a snack bowl of cherries.

The World Cup finals weren’t on yet, unforch.

I really hate my face, lol. But really. Lol, ugh.

After my Dollar Tree journal haul, we started to make our home but by this point, I required more coffee. We stopped at some place in Cranberry called Maxine’s and in spite of every instinct I had telling me DON’T DO IT, YOU CAN ALREADY TELL THIS ISN’T THE PLACE FOR IT, I ordered their season rose matcha.

It was DEEEEEEEE-sgusting. From the gross, dirty olive hue of the bargain bin matcha to the gross flavoring they tried to mask the cheapness with, it was absolutely undrinkable. I do love matcha a lot and I can always recognize when it’s low quality, but I am also the type of person who will usually still drink it regardless because often times the added flavors DO mask the low quality taste of the matcha but this? No. I didn’t watch the girl make it but it had to have a been a mix because there is no way that little high school girl was back there whisking my matcha with love, care, and precision.

Ew, then this was on the wall and I noticed the benches were church pews. I started to panic thinking we were in a religious cafe but I googled it and it turns out that the owners’ grandma Maxine was religious and used to tell people “someone is praying for you” and that they are also religious but the cafe isn’t? And they don’t push it on their customers? Whatever, I won’t be returning because their drinks are gross. (Henry didn’t like his latte either.)

We actually fought so much over these pictures because I was suddenly in a bad mood. We drove home in silence, but then I was OK after that and normal Erin and Henry Life resumed. In case you were wondering.

And then Spain won the World Cup! Yay! I wasn’t watching it because we don’t have whatever we needed to watch it, but Chooch and Threads were keeping me updated. Now I feel like I have that post-Summer Olympics depression even though I only watched 5 minutes of one game. I was really enjoying all the drama and memes on Threads and Instagram!

Well, that was pretty much it for Sunday. Aside from Henry pissing me off at Maxine’s and my dishwater matcha, it was a pretty great day!