Henry got me this Seoul skyline ring for Christmas and it is so special. <3

In other news, I made Henry do a Paul Eugene seniors aerobic walk to the oldies workout tonight because god love Paul Eugene. We were doing low kicks when Penelope walked into the room. Henry jokingly pretended to (gently) kick.

Right then, Paul Eugene said, “Don’t kick the kitty!”

I really needed that moment of levity so much today!

Anyway, this has been a general Tuesday in the life of Erin.

New Year’s Eve was relatively boring and lowkey which is really all I wanted because I wasn’t feeling celebratory by any means. Henry and I just watched kpop stuff and had like, 1.5 drinks. We go hard.

But then Chooch started messing around with stuff on his new phone, for example, he made an emoji that looks nothing like me by putting in “woman crying” because that’s me.

Then he showed me a picture he made of his friend Zakk as a farmer using Apple AI and I was like OOOH MAKE ONE OF JANNA HOLDING POOP IN HER HANDS AND IT’S BEING SQUEEZED THROUGH HER FINGERS!!

I laughed so hard that it turned into a really painful wheeze. Apparently poop is a banned word so he had to use manure.

This was supposed to be Janna sick and slurping Robitussin.

But he said it wouldn’t accept the sick command and he had to get creative with Robitussin, nevertheless Corey knew exactly what it was supposed to be and died along with me when I sent it to him that night lol.

LOL the nose specifically is so accurate. Uncanny.

this was supposed to be in Korea holding a lightstick but all variations of SK and Seoul are banned, but it took the lightstick portion very literally!

I tied this is a few weeks ago in Instagram but it wouldn’t give me any results for “Danny Bonaduce dressed as a clown on a toilet” so I quit.

We were in the middle of having a holiday party to celebrate South Korea and their food and culture when the Jeju plane crash happened. The irony is not lost on me.

Seeing that news alert come through on my phone was a sickening jolt. It made me feel a real icky type of way to be smack in the middle of a party with Korean food on the table and Kpop videos playing on TV.

South Korea, being an empathetic country, are currently in a seven day mourning period. Entertainment broadcasts and schedules have been postponed or canceled. As such, I am going to wait until the weekend to post about Chingumas 2.0 here and Instagram.

So here are two pictures of Chooch instead. I have been loving having him home and really don’t want to take him back to Philly on Saturday. :(

I got him those pants for Christmas because he’s a college kid so living in PJ pants is now part of who he is.

I made him come downstairs because some of the YouTubers that were on that coaster trip with us OVER A YEAR AGO are still posting content from it so I begged him to watch the latest one with us. He came down but teased Penelope and then did phone stuff the whole time but at least he was sitting with us! It gave me time to pelt him with questions, such as DO YOU LOVE US ARE YOU HAPPY DID YOU HAVE A GOOD CHILDHOOD DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A FAMILY IF SO WILL YOU HAVE KIDS AND TAKE THEM TO LISEBERG* IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD.

Breathe, Erin. Breathe.

*(Liseberg is a theme park in Gothenburg, Sweden and was the YouTube vlog we were currently watching.)

Well, it’s New Years Eve. I think we might start watching Squid Games 2 tonight. T.O.P. formerly of BIGBANG is in it and I want to see him. Also really excited to say goodbye to 2024.

I’m really grateful that Corey offered to host Christmas Eve at his house this year. We put way too much money, time and effort into the planning of Chingumas 2024 and I think doing Christmas on top of that would have broken us. Granted, Henry still spent most of the day cooking but at least we didn’t have to set up and clean too, etc.

Oh!! I forgot to mention that a fucking HAWK came to hang out in the backyard THREE TIMES during the day. It was so maddening and took up a large part of the day, our amateur efforts to chase the fucker away.

Without hurting it, Chooch was pinging the tree branch with pennies from his window and Henry was trying to distract it with a laser pointer while I was trying to make sure he didn’t set his sights on any of the squirrels who were BLATANTLY frolicking around until they finally realized what was going on.

It’s probably a bad thing (ok it is and I know it) but the squirrels have a Pavlovian response to me and immediately started prancing around me thinking I had peanuts. I was HISSING, “Guys, be careful!!! Do you want to die!??”

Aish!! So annoying and stressful!! But Henry eventually scared it off when he tapped the laser pointer against our car – he could tolerate objects cruising past him in the tree but a TAPPING sound was far too much.

Buhbye motherfucker.

Corey’s famous spinach dip! It’s a running joke because this was all he could handle making when he hosted for the first time two years ago and he was sending me (of all people!) frantic text questions from the grocery store like I have a secret Julia Child gene waiting for that precise moment to present itself.

This time, he texted me the day before because he COULDNT FIND THE ORIGINAL RECIPE HE USED BEFORE! Luckily he found a substitute (they’re pretty much all the same though right??!!).

Apparently our dad gave him a wholesale quantity of paper plates so Corey’s been trying to use them up. Hence, these festive day of the dead plates (why did our dad have these in the first place????)

Everything was great! Henry made a vegan shepherds pie which I admittedly thought was just mid that night but in leftover form, it was fantastic. There was some red wine action going on in it and it was like the gift kept on giving as days went on.

My mom made some savory cornbread-ish casserole which was my favorite thing that night. She also brought her famous potato casserole which I loved since I was a wee one but Chooch was like THERE IS HAM IN THIS SUDDENLY and I said NO U MUST BE MISTAKEN SHE WOULD NEVER and Henry was like I CAN CONFIRM THAT SHE PUT HAM IN THIS.

I was lowkey moody about that.

Corey had this non-alcoholic option on hand for Chooch and kept plying him with it. HAVE MORE PUNCH! he kept saying, popping around corners, from under tables, hanging from the rafters with the bottle in hand. Chooch was like “what is the deal with this punch?!” OK, Uncle Jim Jones!

I was trying to go easy on Henry by suggesting that we just buy a pie to bring but after a few days of frustrating searching, he decided to just make a pie after all. Instead of something fancy and outrageous like I usually throw at him, I said he should hat keep it simple and make a sweet potato pie. As he was scrolling through recipes, I yelled, “Stop! Does that say PATTI LABELLES sweet potato pie?! That’s the one.”

Corey is mildly obsessed with the retro footage of Patti Labelle singing at a Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in the 90s (I can’t remember what it was specifically but the Clintons were there and it was nationally broadcast, so not some podunk town’s festival or anything). She doesn’t know the words, the cue cards aren’t in the right order, she doesn’t have her backup singers and repeatedly yell-sings, “WHERE MY BACKUP SINGERS” – it’s a mess but soooo funny and she actually handles it pretty well considering. I’d have swan-dived off the stage into a nest of electrical equipment if that happened to me.

I want this to happen to Halsey now.

Anyway, Corey really appreciated this!

Conversation during dinner ebbed and flowed – when Corey and I were telling stories, everyone was laughing, but if Corey and I aren’t talking we’d probably go through the entire meal in silence. I eventually started peppering our brother Ryan with questions about Las Vegas (he goes A LOT and his trips are next level, is all I’m saying) and once you get Ryan talking, all is well.

But it does make me sad. I shouldn’t feel so uncomfortable around my family especially since we were all relatively close when I was growing up, but I just kind of feel that no one really cares about my life, what I do, etc. and you know, it is what it is.

Chooch found an old receipt for a picture that was taken somewhere in the pocket of this coat that I haven’t worn in years – we spent entirely too much time that night fixating on it and googling, but chooch and Henry came to the conclusion that it must have been from Dutch Wonderland when we went there in 2010.

What a seriously lame mystery.

Then me, Corey, Chooch and Henry played … Ugh I forget the name of it but it’s like the commercially packaged version of the lip reading game that Kpop idols always play. Henry and I were a team and we killed it – Henry is obviously really good at reading lips because he can barely hear but I think I’m just naturally good at everything in general, as expected. Just that I was born that way, you know.

Then the three of them played Scattergories. I retired from this game because when you always win at something, it gets old. You probably don’t know what that feels like but trust my word ok.

Apparently, Chooch has learned a lot from me because his answers were so questionable that I had to step in as a judge numerous times. Then Henry went to the bathroom and they didn’t want to wait so I was tapped in as his substitute and immediately blew Corey and Chooch out of the water, you’re welcome for the victory, Henry.

Afterward, Chooch began rifling through old historical answers that were still in the box and he goes, “oh this HAS to be one of yours” as he read off hysterical and alliterational made-up answers.

“No wonder people don’t want to play this with you anymore,” he said. Whoa whoa whoa where did he hear that from?!

(My mom brought a bag of old pictures over from her house and that’s what Ryan was doing in the background while my mom was watching TikTok videos or something probably.)

Apparently Chooch is really into the Seahawks?! When Ryan asked me a few weeks ago what he could get him, I was like “he’s randomly into the Seahawks for some reason” and Ryan was like, “the SEATTLE Seahawks? That is random but ok” and then proceeded to gift him a Seahawks starter set basically lol.

Corey got me this candle (lol) and I got him a “now-playing” sweatshirt with Avril Lavine’s I’m With You on it because that’s another thing he’s obsessed with and he sends me reels about it every now and then (it was more like “very frequently” there for a while lol).

And I got Ryan a set of pint glasses that have the street grid of Las Vegas engraved in it.

Ryan got me a bunch of Erin-centric thing including this balloon dog sculpture which is one of those things that I always say “ooh I want that!” when I see it in online shops but I never buy it for myself. Anyway, I was dying when we came home and put it on the beverage buffet because I realized just how perfectly placed it really is:

And that pretty much wraps up Xmas Eve! It hit me later on that this might be the last Christmas in this form for a while because next year, Chooch will be doing his co-op and he won’t get a traditional Christmas break. Whether he gets just Xmas Day, or also Xmas Eve, etc will be dependent upon the company his co-op will be at. So we might be going to Philly to spend Christmas with him there next year. Who knows.

Ch-ch-ch-changes. I can’t stand it.

Drama on Pioneer

(Copy-pasta’d from my text messages to my brother because it’s over a week at this point and I have blog apathy.)

Around 630 I was exercising and someone KICKED THE DOOR OPEN really hard – I have boxes behind the door with Christmas stuff for goodwill and the door opened so forcibly that it smashed the boxes.

Corey: OMG???

I thought it was chooch coming home and being his typical dick self so I yelled WTF in my mom voice. Went outside and no one was there.

Henry was in the basement and came running upstairs to see what it was bc he heard it so he went outside to look and was asking our neighbors with the dog Zeus if they saw anyway bc their door is always open but they didn’t. So then Henry called HNC and they were like prowling around together out there like real American heroes but didn’t see anyone. HNC said he heard noises in the backyard a little bit later and they both went out again. HENRY WAS WEARING HIS HEADLAMP THING LIKE A DORK.

Hours went by and nothing was going on. Then around 9pmI was upstairs in the bathroom snd I heard commotion in the driveway. I thought it was HNC throwing his garbage out and didn’t think anything of it. THEN HNC’S WIFE CALLED ME

Corey: OMG!!

Apparently someone was also kicking her door!!!!! So she called the police. Meanwhile Henry turned on the police scanner because he’s That Guy and the dispatcher was in the middle of profiling a group of 6 kids.

HNC’S WIFE sent the cops here!! I AM DRUNKISH?! And had to give a statement lol

Henry said I was slurring and was embarrassed. Anyway it’s apparently kids and the cops have gotten a bunch of calls. They said I probably really scared them when my door was actually opened. I was like “man they were fast!!!” Then they told me to lock the door and left lol. It actually was very scary though when that happened because my door came FLYING open. I was like “I was just hoping it was a Friday the 13th thing” and they were like “yeah, that’s exactly what it is” and they seemed so annoyed to be dealing with this lol.

My favorite part was when HNC’S WIFE called and said NOW I HAVE TO PUT MY ROBE ON like it was my fault when she was the one who called the effing police!!!

Henry was pissed because I went right back to exercising after seeing no one was on the porch. He was like are you kidding me?? Maybe they got scared because they saw I had weights in my hands haha.

A Sad Saturday

The husband of one of my co-workers recently passed away so I went to the funeral home last Saturday for the viewing. Wendy and Sue were also there, thank God, because I am so fucking worthless in these situations. I just smile sadly, nod, and quietly repeat what everyone else is saying.

Of course it was unbearably sad. I am not close with this co-worker – she moved to our department during the pandemic so we had to train her virtually which is not great. And then when I was going into the office every Tuesday, I would see her then and we would chat a bit. But I still felt as though I should show my support in person. I’m glad that I went and got to see her, but it made me extremely clingy to Henry for the rest of the weekend and I am currently still in the throes of a mortality crisis.

Later that night, Henry and I went to the movie theater in Robinson to see the “live broadcast” of Seventeen’s concert in Osaka. It was being broadcast in 1500 theaters across 64 countries so I think in some places, it actually was “live.” But for us, it was about 12 hours after the fact. It was still really cool though because Seventeen acknowledged the fact that this particular concert was being recorded / livestreamed so it felt super meta every time they added “and the Carats watching in the movie theaters.”

It was essentially the same concert / setlist that we saw when they were touring the US but their Asian concerts are on such a larger scale, with a full band, etc. Plus, they performed their new Japanese single and I sat there with big fat tears rolling down my cheeks.

Not Henry pouting because he wasn’t the only Kpop Dad in the theater haha.

The only bad thing about this evening was that there were two girls and a mom at the other end of our row and the one girl NEVER STOPPED TALKING AND GIGGLING through the whole thing. I could hear her over top of everything and it was so rude and obnoxious. First of all, these tickets were $20 a person (am I just old or is that A LOT for a movie theater??) so kindly STFU. Her cackling was going right through me. What could she POSSIBLY have to talk about throughout the whole 3.5 hours of this?! TAKE A BREAK, KID.

I’m really glad that we went to this. We both love Seventeen so much – yes, Henry too. I was annoyed when I came out of the bathroom afterward because I caught the tail end of a conversation he was having with some girl who was also there for the Seventeen concert broadcast thing and she apparently called him a “trooper” for “sitting through the whole thing” and instead of being like, “I like Seventeen too” he played the exhausted martyr card by saying, “Oh, this isn’t even the worst I’ve done for kpop” or something. Ugh.

Sunday Is For Housework

Henry finally finished patching the giant hole that we’ve had in our ceiling since 2019, you know the one that our slumlord ignores even though he has seen it in person when he walked through our house WITH AN INSPECTOR a few years ago.

We were going to try to buy a house once Chooch left for college but our financial situation with that changed considerably so now I believe we will die in this rental duplex.

It is what it is, as they say.

The rest of Sunday was full of quality time with Penelope and counting down the minutes until the VIP packages for Taemin’s upcoming US tour went on sale.

^^^ This was basically me after spending almost 2 hours in a queue, KNOWING FULL WELL that everything was going to be sold out, but seeing it out to the end because I felt so invested at that point.

It was such a cluster. Taemin fans across the country (and in Europe too) have been so pissed about how this tour is being handled. Taemin left his original agency (SM Entertainment – one of the “big 3” agencies in Korea) for a very small company and I think they grossly underestimated his popularity outside of Korea. I also am trying to be understanding of the fact that they don’t have the same kind of $$$$$$ to throw into a world tour but damn, it’s been a terrible experience so far.

“Oh no,” Chooch monotoned when I told him I didn’t get VIP. “Now Taemin won’t glance at you.”

(One of the perks is the ability to “wave and make eye contact with the artist from a close distance” LOL.)

Well, that’s a recap of the main events from last weekend. Oh!! And I watched the new Lindsay Lohan Christmas movie – “Our Little Secret” – on Netflix, lol. It was cute and helped calm my “impending VIP cluster” nerves.

Seven years ago today, I woke up and looked at my phone as is the A.M. tradition for all of us in the 21st century. The first thing I saw was a news alert from Korean media saying that Jonghyun of SHINee had been found unresponsive in his apartment and rushed to the hospital. I remember thinking that no, this was wrong. It must be someone else. But as I got ready for work, I continued to check my phone until the news eventually broke that he had died.

I still feel the same way about this as I did that morning. Sick. Gutted. Devastated. This was the one celebrity death that really took me out and continues to upset me. Knowing that he felt that he had nothing else to give, couldn’t hold any longer while being the source of happiness for millions of people. Depression is such a silent killer – on some levels, I have felt similarly and knowing that he felt this way and worse breaks me. He was such a talented and bright light for so many people – I wish that could have provided him the hope that he needed.

Today always serves as a reminder to me to just be nice. Ask your friends and family how they are doing. Take time out of your day to really listen. You never know who around you are quietly suffering inside. <3

• “There’s nothing to eat in this house.” x26278344 throughout the day.
• Walking into the kitchen in the morning to a sink full of dirty dishes even though “there’s nothing to eat in this house.”
• Towels all over the bathroom floor.
• Globs of toothpaste in the sink.
• “I’m bored.” x1728383949 throughout the day.
• Maniacal laughter and screaming well into the night as he plays his dumb computer games with his friends.
• Household expenses ⬆️.
• “I want….” x373848484 throughout the day.
• “I need….” x383849494 throughout the day.
• Annoying YouTube videos featuring grown men screaming playing in the background while I’m working.
• “There’s nothing to do.” x9992827737 throughout the day.
• The rise in my blood pressure when he has an eye appt and I give him my insurance and HSA card and he OF COURSE leaves the house without it and then texts me angrily from the doctor demanding me to “take a picture of the insurance card” so I do and then I go back to work and about 30 minutes later he texts again this time needing my HSA card # and because it took me a whopping 10 seconds to retrieve the card, he then texts THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING. Well yeah and good for the doof who WAS PROVIDED BOTH CARDS IN ADVANCE BY A RESPONSIBLE PARENT yet STILL LEFT WITHOUT BOTH.
• A text sarcastically thanking me for not telling him some road is one lane due to construction.
• Being in the middle of writing a work email while a rant about “and why did I have to pay anything anyway, isn’t that what insurance is for?!” is being tossed around behind me. Welcome to America, sonny boy. (It was a $10 copay but still, he was S H O C K E D by this.)
• Being told throughout the day that everything I do, say, an(d like is dumb like it’s my life’s theme song (omg is this how Henry feels lol).

But other than that, it’s been so nice having him home! 😆

Earlier today, I was trying to get Henry to show off his Seventeen member knowledge to Chooch and he refused.

“Then I’m not talking to you for the rest of the day!” I cried.

“Can you not talk to me too?” Chooch asked with faux enthusiasm.

Just in case you were wondering how “absence makes the heart grow fonder” is working out for our family.

Somehow, some way, I had good luck on this Friday the 13th and managed to get tickets to TAEMIN’S FIRST US SOLO TOUR.

The venues for this tour were only just announced the other day and when Henry showed me, I felt instantly sick. I already knew there were only going to be 5 cities, but out of those 5 cities, 4 of the shows are being held in theaters with capacities between 3,000 and 3,800.

For Taemin.

Of course, LA’s is the KIA Forum which holds 17,000 so it was less of a bloodbath for them I imagine.

Tickets for the NYC show were being sold fire through the theater’s website, so our strategy was that Henry would try for that at work while Chooch (who arrived home last night via Amtrak and has been bitching up a storm ever since) and I would try for Chicago.

CHOOCH WAS BASICALLY NO HELP. He just stressed me out even more because he woke up at the very last minute, came downstairs in a huff, spat, “WHAT DO U WANT ME TO DO AGAIN??” and then put on some loud, screamy YouTube channel.

THEN right when it was time to enter the waiting room, TICKETMASTER WAS ALL, “HAHAHA WAIT UP WE NEED YOU TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD JUST FOR FUNSIES EVEN THO WE JUST MADE U DO THIS 2 WEEKS AGO TOO ISNT THIS IS A FUN GAME?”

I was SEETHING.

The same thing happened to Chooch.

But then, miracles of miracles, when I was put in the queue, there were only 600 ppl ahead of me??!!

“Well, there are like 5000 ahead of me, so no use in me trying, bye” Chooch said as he DITCHED ME! Super big help.

AND THEN I GOT IN and was able to actually get decent seats before the dynamic pricing entered the chat?! What sorcery…??

The way I was shaking. The way my Fitbit was like “hello rapid heart beat detected are you having a heart attack?” The way I burst into tears when the “you got the tickets!” image popped up on the screen.

Taemin has been my #2 ult bias since 2017. He has brought so much joy into my life. I sit next to a cardboard cutout of him everyday when I’m working at my home desk. He is so brilliant, my dream idol, a source of so much of my happiness. And now I will get to see him in Chicago in two mths.

I can’t even believe it. I feel so grateful.

Meanwhile I had the NY theater’s website open and I was 8000 in the queue with a wait time of over an hour. For fun, I let that play out and of course it was sold out. I am sure there is a logistical reason why Taemin’s agency booked such small venues, or maybe they underestimated his popularity in the US, but I really feel like they did him and his fans dirty.

Almost 2 hours later, Chooch came downstairs and asked if I got the tickets.

“Yes! Didn’t you hear me screaming?”

“I tend to block you out,” he said with a half-shrug.

Wow.

Anyway.

This year was rife with many losses, but this was a win that I really needed and I fully know how lucky I am. I am so happy!

YOU GUYS IM GOING TO SEE LEE TAEMIN!!!! Am I dreaming???

It’s so funny how all these years we all thought I was just born to hate beer but here it was because people kept serving me swill. Now that I know I have a SOPHISTICATED PALATE it’s like a new level to my life has been unlocked. I’m having such a fun time with this! I like also that I’m not drinking to get drunk. I usually only have the equivalent of one or two beers which I split with Henry because I don’t like drinking full beers – I get bored and want to move on to something else.

Henry said this is probably just my latest phase and he’s probably right but let’s just enjoy it while it lasts because I’m still in the “ooh that’s a cool can let’s get it”‘ phase.

We procured some Korean craft beer from an H-Mart outside of Detroit yesterday and sampled two of them last night to make sure they’re good enough for our Chingumas guests. We liked both! Unforch, we are not rich people so we only got about 4 cans of everything we saw. (There wasn’t much to choose from. Maybe someday k-beer will be as easily accessible here as k-everything else.)

(The one I really wish I could find is from a Korean brewery called Magpie. Henry had one of their beers at our favorite vegan restaurant in Seoul – Plant – and I really liked it too which was a surprise because this was prior to my beer identity reveal.)

I recently dove headfirst into IPA-ville and some of my friends have been shocked snd awed over the speed of my advancement. I’m telling you – I just didn’t have the right people holding my hand down these hoppy paths all these years.

Chooch just came home from Philly tonight and as he walked by to immediately leave again, I cried, “chooch! Mommy likes IPAs now.”

“Great,” he said drily.

Belgians still have my have heart though. This my 2024 collectors Duvel glass! I think part of the reason why I like Belgian beer so much is the GLASS COLLECTING ELEMENT.

Ever since the bartender at Aston taught us about triple IPAs, I have been obsessed with trying more. We got this one last weekend at Duffy’s and I was actually really mad that I had to share it with Henry, it was THAT good.

Apparently, Smiling Moose has IPAs! The Smiling Moose is a local bar and at one time, in my pre-Kpop era, was one of my favorite music venues. I used to see so many shows there, solo, that I became on friendly terms with the bouncer. Wow, so cool, Erin.

Anyway, not surprising but this was great! I know the grapefruit bitterness is why people who don’t like IPAs, you know, don’t like IPAs but I’m obsessed with it. I mean, I also love grapefruit in general, just digging right in with a spoon, so…

And then a trio of more Belgian notches to the belt. I loved all of these! Janna is supposed to get me the St Bernadus gift shop for Xmas so I can have another glass for my collection – WE WILL SEE IF SHE COMES THRU.

the end.

Henry, first thing this morning in the hotel: Are you watching the videos you took from last night?

Me: ofc

——

Roadtrip food interlude! I would remiss to not give the vegetarian restaurant we ate at this morning a shout-out in its own post. Henry found this place when he was looking for nearby H-Marts in the Detroit area (we are still trying to build up a k-beer stock for Chingumas, so annoying like a treasure hunt).

Even the name – Spacecat V-stro – is fun!

Full transparency, I originally found myself hovering above the DANGER ZONE which is where I am hyper-focusing on stupid shit – did I gain weight, do I look ugly, should I start a fight, should I punish myself? Why am I like this. I came so close to being like, “just forget the original plan, let’s just go home.”

But I fought with myself quietly behind the scenes (i.e. in my head) and just kept my big mouth shut so that we could just for once have a good morning. I know I’m difficult. I can’t always control it but if I can, I will. OK?? Leave me alone.

Spacecat can be found on a really cool, Pride flag-prominent street in Ferndale, also in good company with cozy-looking bars that probably have beers I can actually enjoy unlike Harry’s, indie gift shops, and a plant store that I would have popped into if it was open.

We also had a pleasant encounter on the sidewalk with a doctor (HE WAS WEARING A DOCTOR COAT; maybe he was a doctor for Halloween and really grew attached to the jacket but I really feel like he was a legit doctor guys, so stop asking me questions about it) regarding the hours of street parking while Henry was trying to download the parking app. I tried to point out that it said right on the parking kiosk that parking was 11am-12am or something but no one listened to me and it was just like the time Henry and I went to this haunted adventure trail where we ended up losing because Henry and some other cis white male ignored me and my correct solutions to the quests but it’s not like that happened in 2003 and I still dwell on it 21 years later because that wouldn’t be like me at all.

Anyway, it was 8:45am when we eventually went inside while Henry was still fussing with the parking app. There was only one person there – presumably the owner – and she greeted us so casually yet warmly as though expecting us, and I immediately knew it was going to be a good experience.

She told us to have a seat anywhere and then asked with a friendly eye brow raise, “You ready for some coffee?”

BET.

Most of the artwork was CATS. Fully my style. And the soundtrack was a great retro punk mix.

When the Spacecat lady came over with coffee and menus, she noticed Henry struggling with the parking app and said, “oh you don’t need to worry about that until 11!”

Mmmmmmm. YA DONT SAY, HENRY.

Now, about that menu! It’s almost predominately vegan but they DO bill themselves as a vegetarian restaurant because some of the things do have eggs/dairy. Others are naturally vegan, and then the rest have the option to swap out dairy cheese with vegan cheese.

I like their transparency!

I also like that all of their protein is made in-house, so no Impossible or Beyond products being used there. I appreciated this because I feel like it’s a cop-out to just add some toppings to an Impossible patty and then charge $20. Granted, I think Impossible burgers are delicious but I almost never order them while out because they kill my stomach and make me feel overstuffed.

Even the chik’n here was housemade with tofu, similar to how Zenith makes their tofishy sandwiches. I came so close to getting one of the chicken sandwiches (yes, it was 9am but who cares) but ultimately Henry ordered the chk’n and waffles so I just stole some off his plate – it was DIVINE. Henry, an avid disliker of tofu, fully approved of how the tofu had transformed into fried chicken.

And as for me, I was torn between several items on the brunch menu and the weekly grilled cheese special, but ultimately asked our Spacecat tour guide what their favorite of the two veggie burgers was. She steered me toward the Red Dwarf because it has “more going on” as opposed to the other burger option which was a more traditional patty melt. I also opted for the vegan cheese.

It was HEAVENLY. SPACEY even. The party was made from beets (and quinoa I think) and carrot “bacon” and the most deliciously tangy homemade sauce. I got it with a side of warm garlic kale and I could not have been more satisfied. It left me feeling full but not gross and bloated.

This food is made with love (they’re actually closed on Mondays and Tuesdays to make all of the food for the week) and even though it was nutritious, it still had that “restaurant cheat meal” edge to it.

Even Henry was raving about how much he enjoyed it.

And again, while I would have given this place a solid thumbs up regardless, the way the owner (?) was so down to earth and genuinely interested in where we were from, what brought us to Detroit, what the veg scene is like in Pgh – it just made it so much more memorable. I’m sure we will be back at some point to visit Jessi and Bill and when that happens, I am making them go there with us!

This just really set the tone for the day, in the most positive way possible. Literally the rest of the day – hunting for Korean beer at HMart, stopping at Biggby for coffee, and just being in the car together as we made our way back home – was so enjoyable and pleasant. No complaints. I can’t say that every often!

9:08am good morning – we are currently in the Liberty tunnels attempting to leave Pgh for the third time this morning. First, we only made it down the street when I wanted to go back and say goodbye to Penelope (hate leaving her even for just overnight now that she’s an Only :/).

Then we made it about 10 minutes away when I realized I left my purse/wallet at home. Between me and Chooch, we are hopeless with our wallets!

Henry ran back into the house to get it and right as we were pulling out of the driveway, I shouted “WAIT! My poca holder!” So he had to go back in and get that too and now it is attached to my hip where it belongs.

Then just now it occurred to me that I should check to see if my light stick works and the batteries are DEAD. So now we have to do that before the concert at some point. Glad I checked! (I also emailed the venue to make sure lightsticks are allowed since this isn’t a kpop-specific concert and they said YES. I saved the email in case there are ISSUES.

10:49am: obligatory rest stop selfie

Looking haggard, my signature style for 2024.

Nothing much has been going on except for spending an hour trying to get today’s Spotle which was FOLK ugh. I did eventually get it but it was an annoying process of elim.

12:54pm: I thought we were there because we crossed a bridge and I saw a city but it’s just TOLEDO ugh fml.

2:32pm: Just left Brooklyn something where I had one of the most mediocre vegan meals of my life.

Vegan oyster mushroom po boy, no thank you. There was something weird about the sauce, I dunno. I did not enjoy it.

Henry got a house made veggie burger and it was also mid.

The servers were annoying. Our original server forgot about us. This was after she tried to offer Henry FAYGO who was like “yeah that’s just what I want to drink” (HE WORKS FOR FAYGO IN CASE U DIDNT KNOW.)

However, on the way inside, I made friends with a black squirrel and then the cook resembled Henry so all was not in vain.

However, I will never dine here again if ever in Detroit.

2:41pm: Now we’re checking into some Motor City casino hotel thing. It’s a vibe.

The lady checking in the people next to us asked if they were going to a concert and they said Justin something and she goes oh I thought maybe you were going to Jingle Ball and I legit leaned over the counter and , my arm shot up into the air, yelled, “We’re going to Jingle Ball!” And she was like “oh yay!” But our check in lady was like mmmmm. But then she explained the shuttle to us so there’s that.

3:10pm: view from the parking garage.

3:16pm: view from the elevator ceiling

We need batteries for my lightstick and Henry said he is going to ask at the front desk where is close by to get batteries and I was like NO THEY MIGHT THINK WE NEED THEM FOR A VIBRATOR because that is the first place my mind went obviously so why not the front desk people too.

UGH he still asked anyway and did it while LEANING into the counter toward the lady and paired it with the creepiest WINK WINK grin whyyyyy. She said the store in the hotel should have them but they’re sold out because everyone else needed them for their vibrators too.

3:46pm: Went to Walgreens where Henry had to push a CUSTOMER SERVICE button for someone to COME TO ELECTRONICS and unlock them for him and somehow I have actually convinced myself that we really are procuring batteries for some disgusting XXX action wtf is wrong with me lol.

4:52pm: the hotel and casino

We are currently walking to the venue because the casino bar is dumb.

5:16pm: Now we’re at Harry’s and Henry is being so annoying.

I’m an IPA girlie in case you didn’t know.

5:25pm: I made Henry check-in his beer with my lightstick in the background hahah.

He’s trying to be an IPA boy but it’s a struggle. He just has the palate of a plebe.

You guys. Why do I think coming to bars is ever a good idea I’m such a dumbo.

6:32pm: Got in line for Jingle Ball and immediately met other NCTzens and they gave me a Renjun pin <3

Effortless entry. Great venue so far.

6:58pm: Um hello

Signing off!!!!

Every time we have visited Korea, we stumbled upon protests nearly every day. There were elections happening during our visit in March so we encountered a lot then too and when I say that I never felt unsafe, I mean it.

Koreans are so resilient, strong and savvy. The ongoing protests to call for their president’s impeachment make me wish that our country could also come together in such peaceful, uplifting and safe ways, while also using humor and engaging in literal kpop sing-alongs. This is what community and unity looks like. I really hope Americans are paying attention.

The footage of citizens singing G-Dragon’s “Crooked” together at night gives me actual goosebumps. I love this country so much and I hope that everything turns out ok. I generally try to stay out of other countries’ politics but you know how much Korea means to me.

This was my memory of the day, Barb and me after dinner at Gianna Via’s in 2017. Barb insisted on wearing her sunglasses for the picture and I am positive that I am in the middle of mocking her here. I really really really miss her and her not being here still feels wrong, fake news, just a bad dream.

Henry performed some sort of emotional probe on me late last night which I guess I really needed because I started sobbing uncontrollably for a good hour, just so much death this year, the guilt of not being able to save Bambi weighing on me every minute of every day, the faking it until I make it because I feel like my window of time to talk about these things closed many months ago. And so on and so forth as my first grade teacher would say.

I really don’t know what else I need to be ok at this point. I’m in therapy. Time has passed. I cry every day. Every time I feel like maybe I’m getting better, I have a bad day that sets me back.

It’s not quite as bad as it was over the summer where I spent every day wishing I was dead and the only reason I didn’t act on it was because I was afraid Chooch wouldn’t go to college. I admitted that out loud last night for the first time and then wanted to throw up.

But I will say that I still feel like a shell, I feel like a visitor in my own skin, nothing is familiar. I wake up in the middle of the night feeling panicked. When does that stop.

Then today, one of my Buddys was killed on the street in front of our house. Henry picked him up off the street and buried him, and I really love him for that.

Fuck everything lol. I know–it could be so much worse and I should be grateful that it’s not but I can’t get a grip on these feelings, believe me, I’m trying.

1. Sister Hangs!

Henry and I had Monday off and it just so happened that my sister Amy did too! So we met up with her and Dick at Aslin in the Strip after our original choice in Lawrenceville was NOT open contrary to the hours posted on their website (UPDATE YOUR FUCKING WEBSITE/SOCIALS, JACKASSES). Aslin was a better choice, anyway, so eff off Lolev.

I like hanging out with Amy and Dick because Henry actually comes alive and participates in conversations, ESPECIALLY if the topic of THE SERVICE comes up. I tried to make him tell them about how he went AWOL but he shot that down super quick.

Apparently “early discharge” is something different.

“And it was only TWO MONTHS early!” he shouted. “BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CONFLICT.”

Wow, so “kicked out because you’re no longer needed” is better than “AWOL”??

OK, I am still in my beer discovery era and enjoyed everything I had that day, but this pizza stole the show. Squash, beets, creamy cheese, sweet sauce, and pillowy crust? Yeah. The pizza of my doughy dreams.

It’s my IPA season of life. Henry told me for YEARS that I wouldn’t like IPAs, you know why? Because HE didn’t like IPAs. But now that I like IPAs, he suddenly does too? Hmm.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how wonderful and sweet the bartender was – super patient (Henry went up to the bar FOUR TIMES with questions on HOW TO ORDER FROM THE QR CODE, get with the times please) and friendly.

Don’t mind my dopey-ass smile. I swear I wasn’t even drunk yet still somehow resemble a wino that they called over from a trashcan fire.

I would definitely go back here – it had a much better vibe and selection than that Chimera place Janna and I went to. EVEN THOUGH IT IS LIKE A CHAIN APPARENTLY. I am learning about breweries, too.

Also, Amy and Dick recently came back from a 2 week Italy trip with Perillo and now I am dying to go back there.

2. THE SECRET LIFE OF TEENAGED JANNA

NO FURTHER EXPLANATION NEEDED.

(Except that this conversation started because CHOOCH THE BRAIN got a 100 on his Calc exam, no sweat, etc.)

3. SPEAKING OF CHOOCH THE BRAIN

In therapy this week, we talked about the three states of the mind and it became HYPER APPARENT that Chooch and I butt heads all the time, not because our personalities are similar and that we are highly competitive (ok maybe those things too) but because we are on opposite sides of THE MIND SPECTRUM:

SADLY, you all know who is in the center. UGH even I can’t deny that.

I really, really, really hate how accurate this. Also, now when I accuse Chooch of being a sociopath, maybe you will understand why?!

4. K-Drama’d My Face Off

I started watching Family By Choice yesterday before work and the first episode made me cry so uncontrollably that I spent the first hour working through swollen eyes and shuddering breaths. Korea goes HARD when it comes to driving home emotion and trauma. Jesus Christ. Otherwise, this is super light-hearted and cute lol.

The kids who play the younger versions are so goddamn adorable and you know I don’t like kids so this is saying something.

5. Bambi’s Bias <3

Bambi’s bias The 8 released a video for his new single the other day and I have been watching it over and over. First of all, the song is perfection and “Spell” vibes, and secondly, his dancing. Jesus Christ. The 8 is such a captivating performer (even though Janna doesn’t like his hair, or his name).

6. Viridis Redemption Meal

After our lackluster Viridis-catered Thanksgiving, I was still somehow willing to give them a second try when they spammed my feed with pictures of their “chicken” sandwich. I LOVE chicken sandwiches made with mushrooms, therefor, resist I could not.

My phone has been taking shitty shots lately but this sandwich was everything I wanted and more. Pickle-heavy, tangy sauce, mushroom perfection. The only thing I could have done without was the strips of limp lettuce – whatever kind of lettuce that is. I would have preferred just regular lettuce.

The matcha pistachio donut was also delicious but not quite as good as Vegan Doughnuts in Cleveland.

Ugh, now I want to eat this again.

kbye.