Mar 152023
 

Today was one of the least annoying days I’ve had in a bit. Too lazy to blog for real but I will give you a little succinct update spotlighting the two points of good news:

  1. After chooch got his MRI on Monday, the results were emailed to us and of course Henry and I were googling “how to become an orthopedic doctor in 5 minutes.” The results seemed…not great? I saw things like TEAR and DEEP FISSURE and EDEMA and other things that sounded like fancy ways to expand the syllables of OUCH. But today the surgeon called after reviewing and his explanation was basically BAD BONE BRUISE. I did not know that was a thing but I googled it and it sounds like a not great thing. But!! The upside is that he thinks it should heal on its own and recommends that Chooch continue to wear the brace for another 4 weeks and he’ll have a follow-up appointment at the end of March too. My big question for doc is WHEN CAN HE RIDE ROLLERCOASTERS AGAIN? Now? Is it now? Hmm? Did you say NOW??
  2. Tickets for the Cure’s North American tour went on sale today. The verified fan thing was pretty messy but I did get us two seats and those two tickets combined still cost less than half of what I paid for one ticket to NCT Dream and even lesser than NCT 127 but let’s not talk about that. Let’s just be thankful that I got two reasonably priced tickets to see my favorite band of all time even though they said that their 2000 tour was going to be the last one and here we are, 23 years later and this will be my…7th time to see them? Don’t make me count. It’s relax-y time. Kara checked in with me today to make sure I was alive and more importantly, obtained tickets. Happy to confirm!

I told Henry I should find someone to take with me, someone who might actually propose to me. I think he said, “go ahead” which harkened back to the time I briefly dated this guy Erik and then some random guy named … Kevin? I dunno his name, I had literally just met him at a gas station and invited him over to party lol. Ok so Kevin asked Erik if he could have me and Erik said BE MY GUEST.

The best/worst part is that I have this on VIDEO somewhere.

I’m writing this in bed and have to go now because the man who won’t marry me is snoring and I need to lodge my knee firmly into his ass.

Ending yet another blog post apropos of nothing, we are.

Mar 142023
 

I am going to see NCT Dream in Chicago, you guys! I did the whole Ticketmaster Hunger Game Fiery Hoop Jump Blood of My First Born bullshit exercise on Friday and managed to get an ok seat, I’m happy. For this tour, the floor is standing room only and I am not too proud to admit that I am no longer flirting with a season of life that sees me comfortably enduring a sit-in outside of an arena for god only knows how long in order to get a good spot by the stage and then stand with wobbly legs while being pushed and shoved all night, praying I don’t become involved in some catastrophic crowd crush. Sorry, but concerts scare me now.

I don’t want to die for ANY band.

So I got a seat in the very front row of a lower level section and I will be content, I will go and scream and leak a mixture of joyous and crazed tears. I will swoon over Renjun and Haechan. I will wave my NCT lightstick. I will be the best 43-year-old czennie that NCT ever saw.

I bought these patches a few mths ago and never did anything with them so I felt inspired to buy a new pair of Vans over the weekend to put them on. They’re not glued down yet but this picture is as good an example of any how it will look! And I bought myself a new shirt to wear too. I asked Chooch to make me NCT barrettes or a headband with his 3D printer but he wants no part of this.

You guys though – it took me hours to calm down on Friday after the ticketing ordeal before I could finally let myself be happy. Please someone save us from Ticketmaster. I was so stressed on Friday that Nate tried to prevent another coworker from adding me to group chat, knowing she would likely compound my anxiety but she still did it anyway and I accepted out of reflex but then didn’t participate because I was numb to everything that day. Literally I could have stress-ate an entire box of donuts if someone would have presented them to me that day. So pathetic.

I’m so stressed out about Chooch’s knee (MRI was yesterday, should know something tomorrow), work, life, neighbor situations – things like this are a privilege, a respite for my sanity, a rare opportunity to experience joy these days, and I’m so grateful.

Anyway, this has been my OMFG NCT DREAM FINALLY Interlude!! Now I just need to convince Henry to buy himself a cheap nosebleed seat!

Mar 092023
 

I have so many things to say about Toronto (THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY CRYING AT THE KPOP CONCERT) but I am still recovering because that’s what it is like when you road-trip in your 40s, I guess.

Also, my back fucking hurts, man. I can’t remember the last time it didn’t, though.

Ok so instead of doing a full recap right now, or writing about last weekend’s pizza party which I just realized I had forgotten about already because I guess that is also what it’s like to be in your 40s.

Before we left Toronto yesterday, we made a quick stop to Kensington Market for vegan baked goods but then also walked around a bit because we needed to find a toy-snack for Chooch (literally his response any time we ask if he wants something). There was some store with an array of goods from local vendors and at a glance I thought it was going to be your standard artisan soap bullshit but it was actually a pretty wide selection of stuff, some might even say SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.

It was on the way to the register that I saw it.

I screamed.

I BET IT IS LIKE $7383!!! I said to myself.

BUT I HAVE TO HAVE IT!

I grabbed it with a tender touch and carried it gently over to Henry.

“I want it,” I hissed.

He gave me that disappointed frown-smirk mash-up that I hate so much.

“It’s only like $20USD!!”

Yeah I know – I couldn’t believe it was that cheap either!! Skull Studio is really underselling themselves.

Anyway, look who came home with me!!!

I need Henry to make me a small floating shelf over in Clown Corner for this babe. What should I name him?? I’m getting big Charlemagne vibes.

I’m fully obsessed with him. I GOT NO REGERTZ.

Mar 072023
 

I’m starting a live blog just in case things heat up but so far, it’s just us in the car listening to WDVE and eating a pathetic Sheetz breakfast. (Mandarin orange slices in a cup and unbuttered toasted croissant for me; some gross meat stick and a cookie for Henry. Mm.)

It’s 10:13 and we’re in Erie, only Erie ugh. There is snow everywhere up here and I’m not used to it!! We had been having such mild weather in Pgh!

You haven’t missed anything aside from us having a heated argument over why I get emails for other Erin Kellys- I’m telling you, it has something to do with the dots in gmail addresses but Henry keeps saying it’s an issue with all the places that are sending emails to other Erin Kellys, for instance, one of them recently signed up with Duolingo and I kept getting her PRACTICE YOUR IRISH reminders so I UNSUBSCRIBED her and Henry blamed Duolingo.

I actually got annoyed that I snapped, “I AM ENDING THIS CONVERSATION NOW BC YOURE GOING TO MAKE ME BREAK SOMETHING” and bitch, it’d likely be his glasses.

10:46am: Literally if I didn’t start conversations we would just drive in silence forever. The only time Henry ever talks out of turn is to say something stupid like, “look at the plane” and I’m not going to look. I’m just not.

Now we’re arguing about the border already and we’re still like 60 miles from it. I said that he’s going to get all nervous and stammer like he does every time when they ask us what brings us to Canada (NEVER FORGET WHEN WE GOT SEARCHED BC HE WAS BEING SO SHIFTY) and he said, “IM SORRY BUT I WOULD PREFER TO BE IN CHARGE WHEN IT COMES TO TALKING TO AUTHORITIES BECAUSE GOD FORBID YOU SNAP OUT AND LAND US IN JAIL.”

Wow. Actually I did have a scenario play out while I was washing my hands in the GetGo bathroom back in Erie where the border person asks us why we’re going to Canada and Henry says “UH UM C-C-Concert” and when they ask who we’re seeing and Henry wipes the words “Kang Daniel” from his lips along with all of his panic perspiration, they go, “oh is that one of the members of BTS?” and I get out of the car and flip it over in rage.

That’s the scenario.

11:04am Ugh I just opened the Ticketmaster app to double check the start time for tonight and SAW THAT NCT DREAM TICKETS ARE GOING ON SALE THIS FRIDAY and now my nerves are sizzling. Please pray for me on Friday.

11:26am: pee stop at what used to be my fave rest area in NY but now everything but the convenience store is closed??!!

Struggled with the sink as per yuje.

11:55am: here we go!

Henry did it! That took less than 4 minutes total! We had a nice lady who asked us rapid fire questions, which Henry answered with hesitation yet somehow she felt that he wasn’t hiding explosives up his asshole so she said ENJOY and now here we are in Canada, eh.

1:07pm: at Odd Burger!! We chose the location in HAMILTON because I knew I couldn’t make it to Toronto without lunch.

ok what a great experience!! First of all the Odd Burger guy walked me through the whole menu when I excitedly blurted out ITS MY FIRST TIME HERE which wasn’t necessary but a nice touch! I made Henry add a tip because of that and he grumbled but did as I said.

Anyway, I made Henry order the Famous Burger because it’s what I really wanted but knew it would be too much. It’s supposed to be a vegan take on the Big Mac and I would say that they succeeded. That shit was GOOD and actually made me realize that I must miss McDonald’s on some subconscious level.

I ordered the Chikun Cordon Bleu because I can’t say no to fake chicken sandwiches.

It was like a 1/3 of the size of Henry’s burger but just right for me. The chicken was so crispy!! I really liked it a lot.

We also split an order of the wingalings with Korean sesame sauce and those were a delight (also the odd burger guy’s favorite menu item – he told me so while Henry was in the bathroom; we really had such a great, deep convo).

Ugh I wish Pgh had anything like this. Pgh sucks.

We’re back on the road and Henry just said that he liked the wings. “The sauce was good too.”

“IT’S MADE IN HOUSE,” I screamed and Henry said, “Yes you told me that like three times already.”

Sorry. That was my big takeaway from the personalized tour I got of the menu.

2:58pm: at hotel. Should I wear this to Kang Daniel?? It’s very cold out and this is cozy. I’m leaving toward YEA vs NAY.

4:45pm: fought for an hour, parked near the venue, took a subway, and now we’re on a streetcar. Henry is on my last nerve.

6:12pm: we’re at Fresh having apps before Kang Daniel because everything else was an epic disaster (fine, hyperbole) but nothing worked out so we came back to where we started (LONG STORY SHORT) and Henry is still annoying but at least Fresh is nice. Gonna post this now because it’s almost time to get in line for Kang Daniel who will undoubtedly save this dreadful evening.

Mar 062023
 

Now that Henry doesn’t have any pressing home projects to finish (well, except for the Seoul subway sign which he is finally able to resume work on now that the attic is done!), and the weather was so nice, we spent a leisurely afternoon out of the house (Chooch didn’t come with us because of the whole “Can’t Walk” thing but truth be told, he likely wouldn’t have come with us anyway because of the whole “Teenage Boy” thing).

Originally, we were just going to go for a walk at the cem, but then I wanted to go to Sugarspell Scoops even though we didn’t partake in the pint preorder, because they were doing a limited run of a special flavor paired with a Limousine Beach flexi disc and I wanted it. I wanted it bigly.

On the way to the cem though, I screamed, “WHAT IS THAT” as we drove past a storefront called VENDOR BENDOR and I caught a glimpse of the writing underneath that spelled out something about INTERNATIONAL SNACKS IN VENDING MACHINES. Henry made a quick turn and found a parking spot right next to it because we are not the types of people to pass up the opportunity to splurge on int’l snacks.

We spent entirely too long there and then only got 5 things lol.

I’m pretty well-versed when it comes to Asian snacks, but I have to admit that I’m not very knowledgeable about IRISH treats, but I have heard of Tayto because it’s also the name of an Irish amusement park! (Well, it was up until 2022 and then the sponsorship ran out so now it will be renamed, which means the POTATO MAN MASCOT will probably also be retired and now I’m sad that I didn’t make it there in time to experience this.)

Anyway, all of this is to say that we got the cheese & onions Taytos and I am a fan, sign me up for the club, here are my dues.

Um, those Big Foots are also straight up magic. The Korean sweet potato treats were delicious as expected but the UK Monster Munch thing was not that good.

Then it was cemetery time!

Henry was being annoying.

I was so excited because after years and years and years of the mausoleum being locked to the public, it was open! We were walking by and I noticed that for the first time in years, there wasn’t a sign on the door instructing people to go to the office for visitation access so we tentatively tried the door and BAM, ACCESS. I got to pee inside the mausoleum like old times!!

THAT NATURAL MAUSOLEUM WINDOW LIGHT, THO.

Then Henry took this dumb picture of me.

Last stop: Sugarspell! I didn’t get anything to eat right then because I knew I’d get a stomachache, but we got a sundae for Chooch (actually it was a banana split-type thing and in his text to Henry, he said, “Make sure they give me a banana” because one time Henry got a sundae there that was supposed to have a banana and Amanda (we’re on a first name basis with the owner, *blows on nails*) forgot to put the banana in it and then realized it later and was like OMG and I was like “who cares, it’s just Henry” and she was like NO I HAVE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT so the next time Henry went in, she gave him a random banana and now it’s like a thing and I thought that Chooch was just being CHEEKY (lol I have never used that word IRL before, only just when I do Austin Powers cosplay in your nightmares) but when we came home, he said, “No. I was being serious. I didn’t want them to forget my banana.”

Wow. OK. Calm down. We have bananas in the kitchen if needed. Sugarspell Standby Bananas.

Um anyway, how cool is this collaboration. I love them so much, everything they do is so brilliant and cool! AND THIS FLAVOR IS RUBY CHOCOLATE. 

DE-LEC-TABLE.

Came home and played with my cats and squirrels. That was Sunday. Today is Monday. But nothing happened today except work stuff.

I’m going to sign off now because tomorrow Henry and I are going to Toronto for the Kang Daniel concert and I still have no idea what I’m wearing but apparently it needs to be warm AF because it’s still Actual Winter in Toronto. I was really starting to get used to not wearing a coat, too. Well, hopefully my next couple of blog posts will be more interesting.

 

Feb 222023
 

I love Key. I love this song. I love this choreo. I love the 80s vibes. The only thing I love more than all of those things combined is SHINee.

SHINee’s back will be happening soon and I will be ready!! (Will I, though? I feel like I will just be ready to be a mess.)

In other news, Henry scheduled Chooch’s MRI but it’s not until March 13 so he took him to his pcp tonight and there basically has been no change since he went to the hospital on Friday so try referred him to an orthopedic doctor and hopefully that appointment can happen sooner rather than later.

Waiting for Chooch to come home.

This has been a sucky week.

Feb 142023
 

My Valentines Day was pretty quiet, boring, status quo…

THEN THIS HAPPENED:

I got the vapors. Literally had a hard time breathing. Couldn’t speak. Henry was like OK THAT’S ENOUGH STOP THE DRAMATICS. But no bitch really where’s my fainting couch.

Now I’m just sick to my stomach, preemptively fretting about the WILL I or WON’T I when it comes time to join the Ticketmaster Hunger Games. Trying to buy a ticket to see one of your favorite artists SHOULD NOT BE LIKE THIS.

But it is. And it will be.

I don’t know when tickets go on sale. I will definitely be trying to get a ticket though! Because it’s NCT DREAM YOU GUYS THE MOTHERFUCKING DREAMIES! I have never seen Renjun in real life before!!!!!

But here’s this adorable picture I took of them at SMTown in Seoul! This was when Jaemin was injured so he’s missing from the picture :(

Ugh I feel so stressed out already. I really want to see them, you guys!!

Feb 132023
 

We are so close to completing the attic space and getting our weekends back – I can almost taste it! I want to go out to a greasy spoon for grilled cheese and pie to celebrate.

Here are some things that went down over the weekend, and none of it was Superbowl-related, I bet you’re shocked.

We put a temporary table up there so Chooch can put together one of his little bitch ass puzzles while we’re actually doing work. (LOL ok the extent of my “work” is mostly standing around, arms akimbo, supervising Henry’s work and suggesting new fun projects, but I *was* actually doing something this weekend!)

Saturday morning, I woke up entirely too early (6:50!!) and met Jeannie and Wendy for breakfast at Upstreet We hadn’t had a breakfast club since over the summer, so were long overdue. It’s always nice hanging out with them outside of work and not….talking about work. Did not come up ONCE. They made fun of me as usual for opting to park in a lot two blocks away rather than park on  the street in front of the place (but to be fair, this diner used to be Pamela’s and at that time, street parking was extremely unicorn-ish to come by!) but I have no regrets because I got to feed a Mr. Gray Guy squirrel in the lot and also spotted a really beautiful dark brown/black squirrel that looked like he was made from velvet. I wanted to pet him so bad!

Anyway, while I do love me some Pamela’s, I’m not mad at Upstreet for filling the vacancy over that way. Their menu is an interesting fusion of Mediterranean/Turkish and classic American. I got the spinach feta omelet and it was easily one of the best I’ve ever had – filled with sundried tomatoes (I did panic at first because I thought it was pieces of ham lol) and topped with a melted mop of horseradish chive cheddar. The homefries were really good too! Just the right amount of greasiness.

I was leaning toward shakshuka but I always get ordering anxiety with that because I’m afraid I’ll forget how to pronounce it. Jeannie offered to order it for me and maybe I will take her up on that if we go back there again!

Meanwhile, the joint was having issues with their credit card terminals (is that still what they’re called??? I used to be a telemarketer for a credit card terminal company back in the day lolol). Jeannie paid cash andt hen Wendy and I Venmo’d her, which was how we found out that Wendy has over 100 friends on Venmo because of course she does!

The rest of Saturday was spent working on smaller attic projects – Henry was working on the TV snack bar and I was working on a mural-ish for the closet door up there because I’m sorry, I can’t leave that door white!

Sunday: more of the same!

We took an afternoon BOBA BREAK though so that was nice because Sunday was a pretty nice day, weather-wise. We went to Tsaocaa in Squirrel Hill because they have purple rice as an add-in and I’m lowkey obsessed with it. First though, we went to Panda to procure some snacks for the TV snack bar that was slated to be finished by that night and you know me, I needed to have snacks on hand for photo prop purposes lol. I let Chooch get whatever he wanted and then we left Henry alone at the checkout to deal with the $70 total lololol. TO BE FAIR, he did buy actual produce and things for real meals, as well. We literally cannot go to an Asian market without Henry tossing some produce into a basket.

Then we went to Homewood Cem for a leisurely stroll while enjoying our boba except that Chooch pretended to have a stomachache so that he could stay in the car and watch Community, which he just discovered and is so annoyed that I already watched it in real time and yelled at me because I have to “act like such a hipster about everything.”

Yeah so.

Anyway, I went with osmanthus tea, boba, purple rice. I always get the least amount of SWEET levels, too. It was perfect.  It’s crazy how many boba options there are in Pgh, which usually has barely any options of anything except BREWERIES and SPORTS MEMORABILIA STORES. The first time I ever had boba was in the mid-90s at the Beehive on the Southside, except it was billed as BUBBLE TEA and that is 100% probably the only reason I felt inspired to order it, having no idea what the fuck I was in for. I mean, it probably was not the best boba, but I Had no idea what it was so the novelty was HIGH. I know I was scared at first and wasn’t sure I could get behind chewing a drink, and my friends who were with me were like “that is fully disgusting,” so maybe that’s why I liked it.

Look, I’m doing that hipster thing again lol.

But yeah, I had it that one time in the 90s and then I feel like it was probably at least a decade until I had it again because it kind of just…went away. Unless I just wasn’t running in the proper Chewy Bev circles.

Oh! The cemetery! There was something going on there, not sure if it was SANCTIONED BY THE CEM or not, but there was a huge crowd of super loud revelers congregating by one of the crypts, at least 50 of them and they appeared to be COSPLAYING, I don’t know?! But I was super annoyed because they were shouting and laughing and maybe this is just me being an old fucker, a cemetery hipster, but STFU AND GTFO of my cem, you nozzles. They were being so disruptive! Also, and I say this every time we go to this cem now, but I hate how “popular” cemeteries became as a direct result of the pandemic. Like all these annoying people suddenly realized that cemeteries were good places to go for walks while social distancing and now there are always hordes of douchebags at Homewood Cemetery every time we go there. Even on Christmas Day, in poor weather conditions, here’s all these jackasses jogging and riding bikes.

It really never used to be like this. I used to walk there all the time when Chooch was a baby and it would be us and the groundskeepers, farting around on their landscapingmobiles.

Came home and Henry really powered through the TV project and GOT HER DONE, BOYS. With just enough time left in the night to sit down with me and watch some Whitney & Timmy React to the Hills action. Henry is like REALLY INTO THIS.

So, not the most exciting weekend but super productive, with a much-needed breakfast with friends, and some pretty chill family time.

I also read a lot, but…duh

Feb 122023
 

I am going stir crazy over here in Pittsburgh, where there are no amusement parks open within a 5 hour radius until like April or May. I want so badly to go somewhere during spring break – not for like an entire week but maybe for TWO DAYS – but Henry keeps frowning at me because we have the big trip in August and I apparently am PUSHING IT and ASKING FOR TOO MUCH.

So to stay entertained, I’ve been perusing some of our past park recaps and…now I am even more anxious to put these winter mths behind us! Reposting one of the Toyko DisneySea blog posts from 2019 because this was the prettiest park I’ve ever been to in my whole dumb life.

Friends, foes, family, foresters: I am here to tell you that I have nothing bad to say about DisneySea. Honestly. It was the one day from our vacation where we didn’t fight ONE SINGLE TIME. The park opened, we walked in, and it was like the air was being pumped with happy gas because even though it was 100 degrees, we genuinely liked each other that day.

We’re not Disney people but this park had a huge impact on us! And this might sound like a cop-out, but there is really no way I can illustrate just how magical this place is, aside from sharing photos. So let’s peruse my collection together, shall we?

DisneySea is built next to the Tokyo Bay and has seven themed “ports of call” areas. I’ve heard that this park is billed as the Disney for adults, and even though there is a huge (and BEAUTIFUL) indoor kids area, I can definitely see how this is true. There is one area that made me feel like I was in Cape May and I loved it which is hilarious because when I was a kid, we always took a day trip to Cape May during our Wildwood family vacations, and I was always so miserable about that. I hated Cape May as a kid! All my grandma wanted to do was shop and all I could think about was how I missing out on prime time riding rides on the boardwalk. (Morey’s Piers ftw.)

I mentioned in my last Tokyo post that DisneySea doesn’t use an app for Fast Pass, so when the gates opened, we had to walk-run (there are friendly Disney employees everywhere reminding you politely not to run and I already knew this from watching videos so I speed-walked like a good girl because maybe you don’t know this about me BUT I HATE BEING YELLED AT even if it’s someone just kindly reminding me not to do something I’m doing, I will take this and escalate it in my head and get totally butt-hurt and then I will keep replaying the moment until I’m convinced that I was yelled at.

I’m insane and my issues are plentiful.

Anyway, our plan was to pass up Toy Story because it’s identical to the one in the US, grab a Tower of Terror fast pass, and then speedwalk to Journey to the Center of the Earth for stand-by. This plan worked wonderfully!

Mysterious Island was amazing!! The theming blew us all away.

I was prepared for Journey’s line to be outrageous but stand-by was about 30-45 minutes! That ride was goddamn amazing but my favorite part was when Henry ripped his shorts when he was getting into the car!

(Unfortunetely, his rip wasn’t as disastrous as it could have been, and even though it was large, it was still unnoticeable. Ugh.)

I will have a separate post to talk about the rides and food, so let’s just keep looking at the glorious scenery, shall we?

Seriously, would you look at this area? I think we just ooh’d and ahh’d over everything for the first 8 hours of the day.

 

I’m not sure where all the people went that we saw when the park opened, because it didn’t seem very crowded that day. Don’t get me wrong, some of the bigger rides had really long standby wait times as the day went on (Toy Story and the brand new Soaring were basically big no’s if you didn’t have a fast pass, and we didn’t want a fast pass for any of them), but we weren’t fighting our way through hoards of people on the paths or in the restaurants. It was actually pretty weird.

And whenever we did have to stand in line, it was pleasant because people in Japan are polite and orderly. It really was like being in an Utopian amusement park.

Even though we were able to ride all the rides we wanted to, this park could still easily be a 2-day park, because there is so much to see and eat. The facades were so detailed and the shops in each port of call had different merch. Also, we didn’t see any of the shows because that’s not important to us, but if we had been there for a second day, I definitely would have penciled that in because this park inspired me to care about these things!

…and then we found out where all the people were, lol. There’s a big pirate show that happens several times in the main entrance area and people seemed to just loiter there all day.  Also, it was August 1st when we were there, and that was the day when the new theme and merch came out, so I think the enthusiasts were there just for that. We walked past a lot of people who were hanging out in that area with like 8 bags of merch!

Meanwhile, all I cared about was getting my ears (the process of choosing a pair is painstaking but I went with Oswald and Chooch got Dumbo ears and then instantly had reGERTS because it was, again, 100 degrees that day and now he was essentially wearing a terry-cloth headband, good job, dingus.

Venice Vibes, Very.

Basically just an excuse to sit down.

I wanted to jump into this water so badly that day. Did I mention it was 100 degrees?

Did I mention we were also in Japan?

You think you know humidity in America, but you don’t.

LOOK AT THIS CHILDREN’S AREA!!! It was inside Ariel’s Castle and majorly air-conditioned. We definitely took our good ol’ time strolling through this piece.

And the gift shop was inside a whale!

Again, I’m not a Disneyphile but shit, I wanted to buy everything I saw.

Pompously phallic.

In all serious though, I couldn’t stop ogling the majesty of this castle. The detail was sickening!

Halfway to heatstroke.

If you looked at those tiny tiles close up, you’d find little Mickey ears, Flounders, and other assorted hidden Disney sundry.

I can’t imagine standing before this and not being totally enchanted.

One of our many “should we jump” contemplations. Also, note that Chooch is wearing his Pie Jesus friendship bracelet!

Some areas of DisneySea are under construction and from what I understand, it’s in preparation for next summer’s Olympics. Getting a bit of a face lift, I guess! Some of the coaster enthusiasts I follow on YouTube were super annoyed about this when they visited a week before us, but it didn’t take very much away from our visit. If Journey to the Center of the Earth had been outright closed, then my tune would be very different!

Henry, reapplying sunscreen.

LOOK AT THIS VIEW! Also, that water was making me hallucinate. Or was it the sun. I don’t know, but I was feeling delirious.

(Don’t worry! We stayed hydrated all day and guess what? It was easy to do so because food and beverage prices were CHEAP there! I was shocked. I mostly kept refilling an empty bottle at various water fountains, but I did get tempted several times to partake in flavored drinks because, Tokyo. There was some fizzy grapefruit sports drink that was SO REFRESHING.)

You know a park is legit when even your kid keeps stopping to take in the views. I’m a very GO-GO-GO type of person at amusement parks, but this place made me want to slow down and relax.

My kimono-thing was protecting my skin big-time, yo.

Obsessed with this tree.

The theme for August was Pirates Summer and we were there for the first day of it, so that was pretty cool! I purposely ordered a dessert at one of the restaurants just so I could get a collectible plate, so I guess I’m a Disney person now.

This fountain is iconic because it’s the first thing you see when you walk through the entrance. Also, we tried to get Henry to buy a pair of ears but he is too much of a lamer, I guess. Now no one will believe that he actually had a good time!

Some Instagram models were doing an amateur photoshoot here so then we had to do one too.

Did I ever tell you about how Chooch despises Chip and Dale because they’re so much more popular than Bambi when it comes to Disney merch and sometimes, from afar, he will think he sees something Bambi-themed only to get closer and see that it’s Chip and Dale. So when he saw this Chip, or Dale?, at DisneySea, he had a moment of rage. I wanted him to get in line for a picture but he was like Chip (or Dale?) can go fuck himself.

(Personally, I love Chip & Dale. I had one of their videos in the 80s and it was the kind that came in the giant padded case. I watched it all the time!)

The Aladdin area was so beautiful, I could have cried.

But Mermaid’s Lagoon had my heart. Those under-the-sea aesthetics really snatched me, you guys.

I wanted Chooch to make friends with all these children but he was like, “I just want to touch the water, not make power moves.”

I’m such a Disney fraud that I didn’t even know who Duffy was until I started researching this park.

SHIT YOU GUYS. JUST OMG THESE LOOKS. If DisneySea was a kpop group, then Mermaid’s Lagoon would be the visuals.

Although the Arabian area wasn’t exactly horse face, either.

DisneySea at night is a big fat mood. My heart was actually fluttering.

We stayed until the park closed and yes, we were fucking BEAT but it was worth every second we were crucified by the sun.

****

Once we were off Disney-soil, Chooch and Henry were free to argue over directions and fare machines again, so that was fun.

Feb 102023
 

Trying to stay optimistic! Focusing on the positive! < insert more canned self-help blurbs here >

  • TAEYANG AND GDRAGON DOING THE VIBE CHALLENGE TOGTEHER AND ENDING IT WITH THE MOTHERFUCKING GOOD BOY DANCE ARE YOU KIDDING THIS WAS LIKE 88 SHOTS OF SERATONIN STRAIGHT TO THE DOME. L E G E N D S. K I N G S.

  • The new season of “You” dropping on Netflix.
  • NCT Dream coming back when I was really needing them. Renjun’s sweet voice, sigh. I think Henry was worried that I was going to get more interior design ideas from this video hahaha…I mean…

  • Having a breakfast & 2 dinners with frands on the horizon. Working from home is normal for me by now but I have to remember to keep pushing myself to leave the house and walking to the post office or going to Target with Henry doesn’t count. Lol ugh.
  • My cats and squirrels always be cheering me up! I have been trying to keep the squirrels in the backyard because of the HAWK(s) so now if I tap on the window of the backporch, they come running. It’s the most hilarious and adorable thing. Bring a squirrel mom is a career path that I never foresaw myself walking down but I’m glad life made that turn for me.
  • Having January behind me! Woo, made it! Let’s do this FEBRUDREARY.
  • Less than a month until our first road trip of 2023! Just an overnighted but who cares get me outta here.
  • Remember the DOUG skit from The State? I just said “outta here” like him.
  • Now I’m thinking about Goodfellas DOUG again.
  • Knowing that we’re about the cross the finish line of the attic refresh! Just have to paint the table and then Chooch can have some dumb friends over!
  • This Maniac Mansion shadow box art I bought for the game room! Chooch was like “ok I don’t know what that is, so” and I screamed, “it is the best video game of all time!” to which Chooch made some smarmy comment about how I obviously haven’t played any video games in a long time because that’s not true and I screamed, “I don’t need to play any other video game ever for the rest of my life because I already played the best one and beat it.”

Well, stick a fork in me, guys.

Feb 042023
 

Saturday night. Sitting on a heating pad because I hurt my back exercising. Made some progress in the attic before that. Will it ever get done? Who can be sure.

Today was actually pretty annoying. I’m pms’ing a little and have less patience than usual.

Jan 302023
 

Another miz Monday in the books but the bright spot of today was NCT127’s comeback with Ay-Yo!!

Nothing much else to report for today. Our water heater broke over the weekend so the landlord sent the plumber today but instead of bringing a new water heater, he brought a valve which did nothing to fix the problem so now he has to come back tomorrow with a new water heater and we still have no hot water.

It has been the folliest of follies around here since the bathroom plumbing broke and put a hole in our ceiling before Thanksgiving. Our kitchen pipes were then frozen for about 4 days around Christmas, and then a few weeks after that, our kitchen sink stoped draining so we had to wash dishes in the bathtub until we got that fixed. Now we’ve had no hot water since Saturday. Living that Pioneer life on Pioneer Ave, for real.

Argued with Henry while helping him package a pile of Valentine orders. Apparently I am an hindrance.

Finished a really great book (this has been a great reading month for me, the least January could do).

Then Chooch and I had a huge struggle trying to drag a heavy garbage can up the driveway in the snow while sliding into each other and loudly bickering at 10:30 at night – you’re welcome, neighbors. At one point, Chooch growled, “JUST GO BACK IN THE HOUSE AND FINISH YOUR LUNAR NEW YEAR DANCE WORKOUT!!”

He was off school today and also tomorrow so that’s great – predications for how many times we will argue tomorrow?

I made Chooch go pick up my library books today but he would only do it if I gave him my credit card for CVS, where 1212 told him she hadn’t seen him in so long and that he got really tall and he was like “ok I’m in here like every week though.”

Wait did I ever tell you why we call her 1212?? Oh yes, yes I did.

Truly, I think the dumbest shit is so funny.

In group chat recently, Lauren said something about 12/12 and it triggered me so bad so I started manically typing about what 1212 means to me, in my sad bubble life, and literally NO ONE responded except for Nate because he is a real one so then I felt compelled to send him the video from 2019 that inspired the 1212 phenomenon in my house and he said “you’re right, it is very dumb. But funny!”

Yay thanks!

Well, that’s all for today. It’s almost my BEDTIME.

ETA: I just got into bed, glanced at my phone, and saw what time it was!!!

Jan 282023
 

Here I am, being SUCH a girlboss, waiting until January is nearly over to remind anyone still left wandering amidst the barren, tumbleweed-studded wasteland that is the Wild Wild Oh Honestly West, that serial killer-themed Valentines are still relevant (they are though, right?). Yes, Henry and I still make these cards. Yes, you can still purchase them on Etsy!

***

I’m so much happier with the new backs!

I love these cards so much because they bring back fond memories of Valentine parties in elementary school, when we all got to fuck a shoebox with a glue stick and crepe paper and then run around stuffing Scooby Doo sentiments into everyone’s “mailbox” even if we didn’t like the person because THE TEACHER SAID. My favorite part was the candy and cupcakes though. I was a fat kid.

And then in fifth grade, I was the fat kid with a perm.

AND BRACES.

FML.

But I somehow still got Valentines so I didn’t hate the damn day.

Even now, as a grown as adult, I like passing out Valentines at work. I passed the serial killer ones out one year to mixed reviews. My one co-worker received an Albert Fish one and sent me an email that said, “OMG I just Wiki’d that guy. He was so terrible! Why would you give me that card?!”

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Surprisingly, no one reported me to HR.

Life is all about taking risks, you know?

This set includes 16 different designs! Can you even imagine? They do not come with envelopes though because they’re mini-cards. There are so many uses for them! One of my customers told me that she hid all of them around the house for her husband to randomly discover as he went about life. I thought that was so cute!

The backs include the names of each hellion in case your recipient isn’t as up to speed on their murder shows as you and me. So I guess you could even say that these are EDUCATIONAL TOO!

They could even be used as gift tags! Party favors! (REMEMBER PRE-PANDEMIC PARTIES??)

What are you waiting for?? Go grab a set!

I also have sets for vintage porn stars, cult leaders, Golden Girls, The Cure, and you can find several kpop sets in my KPOP SHOP as well!