Her husband is always saying, ‘How were you guys raised in the same household?’ We could not be more different. She’s into watching Harry Potter, while I’m more Homicide for the Holidays. My dad calls me a ‘free spirit’, while she is neither free or spirited LOL. So I love it when we find common ground 👭🏻
sombr was my #1 artist on Spotify this year. He had 4 shows in LA, but they were all right after I moved. He’s on an international tour right now, then coming back to the US for Coachella, but I’m not about that life. I’m hoping he does other festivals or comes back to SoCal. Or anywhere in the US! I love traveling for shows, and so does Pammie.
The devil in your eyes
Won’t deny the lies you’ve sold
I’m holding on too tight
While you let go
This is casual
When you lay awake at night
Do I ever cross your mind?
‘Cause you still cross mine
If anyone could’ve saved me
It would’ve been you
How come we never even dated
But I still find myself thinking of you daily?
You’re on another path
While I’m stuck in the past
You’re on another path
What’s good can’t ever last
The stroke altered my speech. I used to see a speech therapist, but it wasn’t covered by insurance, and the weekly sessions were costing me hundreds of dollars, so I only went for a few months.
Even though my team worked from home after the pandemic when I lived in LA, my work bestie still had to go into the office every day. She drove all the way from OC, and the office was just a couple miles from my apartment, so I’d have lunch with her almost daily. It gave me a reason to get out of my house everyday, and was also good for my speech development bc it helped to have conversations. She would ask me all the time, ‘Did you do your tongue exercises today?’ bc I obviously wasn’t doing them (apparently, my aversion to exercise extends to the speech kind as well LOL).
Now that I’m back in SD and still working from home, there are spans of days that I don’t speak. Of course I chat with my coworkers over Slack on the daily, but I mean talk out loud. I don’t ever have meetings or anything. I’ve noticed that when I do talk to people now, whether I’m in the elevator with neighbors when picking up a package from the parcel locker in the lobby, or trying to tell a story to friends or family that I’m visiting over the weekend, that my speech is regressing a little.
Before the stroke, I remember being at a John Mayer concert (by myself, of course LOL), and there was this beautiful moment during Stop This Train where the crowd sang a part of the song in perfect harmony.
Stop this train
I wanna get off and go home again
I can’t take the speed it’s movin in
I know I can’t, ’cause now I see
I’ll never stop this train
I had bought a single ticket, and I remember the guy standing next to me who had also bought a single ticket looking at me afterwards with eyes as big as saucers like, ‘Did that just happen?’
I still go to concerts, but I don’t sing out loud anymore post-stroke. You guys, I used to have a beautiful voice. I was in show choir in high school before it was cool (just kidding – it was always cool! 🤪). I have the nude character shoes and sequined costumes to prove it. And I’m sure there’s a VHS tape of me floating around somewhere of me singing Edwin McCain’s I’ll Be in my high school gym.
After the stroke, my singing voice sounds something more akin to this:
All that to say, after the stroke, I just accepted that this is what I sound like now. But I’ve seen incredible videos of deaf people who speak as if they’re not deaf bc they practiced sounding ‘normal’. So that is my new goal – Keep practicing until I sound closer to how I used to. I find myself biting my tongue a lot, even when I have an anecdote to share, bc I’m embarrassed about how my voice sounds.
I was recently telling Shi that I remember being on a long drive with my ex and I was talking the entire time. By the end of the ride, I noticed I was the only one talking, and I was like, ‘How come you haven’t said anything?’ and he replied, ‘Well, I couldn’t get a word in.’
My bad for being so engaging and such a fucking delight to be around!
My ex married one of Shi’s high school friends, and my sister is in a fantasy football league with his wife and our old high school friends. My cousin was his wife’s nurse when she stayed at her hospital – HIPAA laws didn’t allow her to tell me more than that, but she did mention he was there, too LOL. He also lives near my sister, and we ran into him once at the local farmers market in their neighborhood. I can’t get away from this guy 😆 We’re still connected on social media, and there’s no bad blood between us, but we don’t need to be besties 😅
The last time I remember having dinner with my ex, we were already broken up, but we still had mutual friends. I was sitting across from him and his new gf just minding my own business when he reached over and ate the mushrooms off my plate like it was no bigs. My bad, I didn’t know we were still fucking? We were all looking at him in horror, and I’m pretty sure he and his gf had a fight that night – They’re both married now (to other people LOL).
Anyway, I’m free Sunday night if anyone wants to hang out nowhere near 7th & B 😆
I love watching cocky muthas get knocked down a peg. At the beginning of this Christmas Cookie Challenge, this b kept saying, ‘I came here to win. I’m a home baker from Chicago. Ask about me!’ She got knocked out after the first round bc she tried to be too ambitious and ran out of time, so her cookies looked like shit.
Actual footage of me watching this smug b lose:
In a world full of bitch ass Natashas, be a Luca 🥹
This is the second Christmas in a row my friend’s 7-year-old kid has asked for Emotional Support Nuggets 😅 I gave him some last year when I saw we both circled it in Amazon’s Toy Catalog LOL.
Just bought tickets to the Padres’ first game against the Dodgers for Spring Training since we’re gonna be in Arizona that weekend for Innings Fest 🎶⚾️ We’re selling our VIP Sunday wristbands bc I don’t really care to see Blink-182 – they’re a hometown band, but I don’t think they sound good live 😅 I’d rather go to a game. Don’t worry, I’ll be reppin’ the Padres, ofc – I gave my Freeman-lovin’ mom all my Dodgers gear when I moved out of LA – well, everything except this shirt – She don’t need to be wearing that shit 😆
I told Pammie I’d make her more dairy-free zuppa toscana bc she and her husband ate it up last time! Since I’m still not eating pork, I couldn’t partake bc I haven’t been able to find italian beef sausage, but I tasted it to make sure the potatoes were cooked through and it was a delicious bite 🤤
My dinner? A personal pizza with turkey pep and olives with a side of Throat Coat 😅 What has become of my life???
I woke up this morning trying not to swallow (what else is new? LOL JK). I had a sore throat, and it felt like I was swallowing glass. I instacarted some meds and went back to bed. By the time I woke back up, he had delivered my order. I was supposed to meet him to show him my ID bc of the meds, but it looks like they were refunded bc they were sold out. Ugh. Like, it doesn’t have to be that exact brand. But he didn’t try to replace it, so I guess I’m just treating it with Throat Coat and Emergen-C 😅
I can count on one hand how many times I’ve gotten sick since Covid. I left my apartment Tuesday to drop off some goodies at Pammie’s before her surgery, and I left for not even an hour yesterday to go to the bank. Going to the bank downtown sucks, man. It was a 5-minute drive, but it took me 20 minutes to find street parking, 5 minutes to walk to the bank once I did find parking, the bank was inside a financial building that a security guard had to buzz me into, and when I went to the teller window, we were separated by bulletproof glass 😳 I haven’t had any physical contact with anyone all week, but I did roll up all the cash I got at the bank for coke Christmas gifts, so maybe it was from there.
I’ll just be at home drinking my Throat Coat and watching The Great British Baking Show if anyone wants to come over and be the big spoon.
So long till I
Can hear your name again
And not connеct to all the pain
Around the way you left mе
New music by Kevin Garrett 💔
Kevin Garrett – Factor In
I miss you in the worst way
But I keep remembering when I
Built you up, and then it caught fire
My whole world is burning now
Kevin Garrett is so underrated. When I lived in LA, I would see him whenever he’d have a show in town. I even saw him in SD once (at the venue across the street from the apartment I live in now!).
He was signed to Jay-Z’s label, Roc Nation, when I first discovered him nearly a decade ago, and he wrote the lead track on Beyonce’s Lemonade album. Fortunate to have seen him live at smaller venues (The Echo, The Wiltern, Troubadour, Hotel Cafe, Quartyard), but I’m still waiting for him to get the flowers he so deserves 💐
The devil in your eyes
Won’t deny the lies you’ve sold
I’m holding on too tight
While you let go
This is casual
Deftones – i think about you all the time
All of my life
You’ve been the same
All of our days
And we’ll never change
Isabel Van Gelder – Die For You
Patiently waiting for time to heal wounds
That are torn right open when you walk in the room
Wish I was indifferent, but I can’t deny
That I’d die for you
Maren Morris – this is how a woman leaves
This is where it’s gonna end
Not gonna try to be your friend
All I want is you to get
Out of my heart, out of my head
This is how a woman leaves
Even though it’s killing me
I’ll make it look so easy
That even I believe me
Ellie Banks – Dive (Ellie’s Version)
So don’t call me baby
Unless you mean it
Don’t tell me you need me
If you don’t believe it
So let me know the truth
Before I dive right into you
BLACKPINK – Tally
I say “fuck it” when I feel it
‘Cause no one’s keepin’ tally
I do what I want with who I like
I ain’t gon’ conceal it
While you talkin’ all that shit
I’ll be gettin’ mine, gettin’ mine
Cigarettes After Sex – Cry
I need to tell you something
My heart just can’t be faithful for long
I swear I’ll only make you cry
You guys, no matter how old I get, my cell phone battery life will forever be under 10%.
If you thought I was gonna doordash The Grinch Meal from Mcdonald’s, you weren’t wrong 💚
Our family Christmas party this year is Grinch-themed, partly bc we like wearing matching pajamas, but mostly bc Grinch jammies were on sale at Marshall’s LOL
Update: My mom’s baby sister always collects the Mcdonald’s Happy Meal toy sets, so I can always count on her for tradesies 😆
Pammie has a lumpectomy surgery later today. After a mammogram, biopsy and MRI, they ruled out cancer 🙏🏼 But they still wanted to remove some pre-cancerous lesions they found as a precaution, hence the lumpectomy.
She only took a day and a half off of work bc she has an important meeting where she has to present on Friday 😵💫 So I wanted to bring her some goodies to make her life easier while she recovers:
It’s no secret that I love empanadas (and hate raisins in them) 😆
One thing I miss about living in LA is the food. There was this great little resto by my apartment in Redondo Beach – The Empanada Shop. All the empanadas I’ve had there were good, but my absolute favorite was the Potato Rajas Cheese one.
I wanted to try recreating it at home, but with minimal effort 😅
IDK if y’all remember that Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee show on Food Network than ran in the early 2000s (I hardly remember the awful food she made, but I remember all the cocktails). You guys, I am Sandra Lee – I love vodka the less prep the better! If I can buy it already chopped, triple washed or canned, I’m doing it.
I had to buy whole potatoes bc they don’t come cubed and boiled anywhere, and I would’ve bought canned roasted poblanos if I could find them! I had to roast that shit myself 😅
I cubed and boiled the potatoes, mashed them with my immersion blender, and mixed in shredded Mexican cheese and diced roasted poblanos. I spooned some filling into pre-made and pre-cut empanada dough, and sealed them with empanada press molds. I brushed the tops with egg wash and baked them for 30 minutes at 350°.
These empanadas came out amazing! Or shall I say, ‘mmmpanadas’ 😋
One of my favorite ‘healthy’ meals to make is chicken apple sausage with brussels sprouts. I adapted the recipe from paleomg.com – I omitted the bacon since I’m still not eating pork, and used homemade ranch vinaigrette bc Tessamae’s has since discontinued their Zesty Ranch dressing.
I don’t remember directions or street names, just landmarks. When I used to go into the office, it was less than a 10-minute drive to work through residential streets. I knew to turn left at the house with the white picket fence. One day, they took down the fence, and I drove right past it! I did it a couple more times that week before they put another fence back up. I still don’t know the name of that street 😅
My new building is super secure, and you need a code to get into the property, a code to use the elevator, and another code to get into my apartment. The codes were assigned to me, and I still haven’t memorized them even though I’ve lived here a month now 😅 I always have to double-check the codes on my phone. I can assign people temporary codes when they visit, and delivery people like doordash and instacart temporary codes that only last a couple hours.
The girls were visiting for the first time the other day for friendsgiving. Jessie called me from outside, and the uber dropped her off at 13th and Market. There are a few entrances (all needing an access code), and I was trying to direct her to the entrance closest to my apartment. She was like, ‘I’m on 13th and Market. Where do I go?’ I was like, ‘Walk towards G, then towards 14th. I’m not sure if it’s left or right.’ She was like, ’14th is east of 13th.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, walk in the opposite direction of the ocean. The entrance is on 14th across from the Albertson’s and you’ll need the code to get in.’ She was like, ‘What’s the code?’ I was like, ‘Uhhh it’s in the group chat. Let me check.’ After longer than necessary, she finally made it to my apartment 😅
Christine had a hard time getting into my building, too. At least that answered the question they ask me every time they see me – ‘Who you fuckin’???’ Apparently no one, since I can’t give good directions to get them into my building! Jessie was like, ‘I used to live at 1501 Front Street in Little Italy, and the code to get in was 1501! It needs to be that easy if you wanna get some dick up in here!’ 😆
I considered changing the gate code to my birthday so I wouldn’t forget it, but then anyone could easily guess it.
I want you in the worst way
Is the gate code still your birthday?
Christine gave me the idea to create a festive holiday hallway. The girls were supposed to help me when they came over for friendsgiving, but we were much too inebriated to get on a step stool and string some lights 😅 So Pammie came over and helped me last night, and I’m so pleased with how it turned out!
Put up the Command Clips on the ceiling. Make sure the open hook part is facing the edge of the hallway. We used Nano tape instead of the command strips that came with the hooks, bc they had a stronger bond and are still removable without destroying your ceiling. With just the command strips, the clips kept popping off once we added the ornaments. We spaced them about 1 foot apart.
String the fairy lights in a zigzag pattern. We used more Nano tape to stick the battery packs to the ceiling. They’re clear and you can barely notice them with the light flickering, so you don’t have to worry about it ruining the aesthetic.
Add hooks to the ornaments and hang them on the string lights.
I don’t have room for a Christmas tree in my studio, but I like how this looks even better!
My mom always asks me to make a digital invitation she can text everyone whenever she hosts a party at her house. I’m like, ‘Have you ever heard of this free service called Evite?’ 🤪
Still here for the sides!
I wore this shirt last year and thought I had lost it in the move, but I found it neatly folded away in my closet along with the shirts I only wear on certain holidays – my ‘Let Joey Eat’ shirt that I wear on the 4th of July or when Joey Chestnut is doing another hot dog eating contest, my glow-in-the-dark ‘Shake, Shake, Shake, Senora’ shirt that I wear when I’m watching Beetlejuice, my Huntrix shirt that I only wear to KPop Demon Hunters sing-alongs LOL. Not any of my horror shirts, though – I wear those year-round 🖤
Tell me you’re from the hood without telling me you’re from the hood – We ordered the turkey from Popeye’s and had street tacos ✌🏼
I’m not a huge fan of turkey – I once was on a bone broth cleanse and accidentally bought a week’s worth of turkey bone broth when I meant to get chicken. This was yearsss ago, and the smell of turkey still elicits my gag reflex.
Luckily, Pammie brought an ice cream turkey cake from Baskin Robbins! It was a hit with the kids and people like me who don’t like turkey.
I love that I have the space to host now. And a dining table that people can eat at! And I can work at. I used to do everything on my bed – work, eat dinner, engage in some light internet stalking 🤪
I finally have a kitchen I can cook in, too! With a full-sized oven. And a fridge that isn’t shorter than I am. And a freezer that makes ice. And a dishwasher. And a double-bowl sink… An embarrassment of riches, y’all 😜
I ordered a pumpkin pie from Milk Bar, and since we have hella dietary restrictions in this crew (I’m looking at you, Pamela) I made gluten/dairy-free mashed potatoes (with Christine’s favorite Garlic Delight Dip from the fair added) and soy-free short ribs from H Mart (I instacarted them, and my shopper was some poor white girl who didn’t know how to navigate an Asian market), and naturally gluten-free rice in case this party wasn’t Asian enough. I got Marionberry Parfait Sours from Harland Brewing Co. (partly bc I like to support local breweries, partly bc it has my name in it, but mostly bc your girl loves a fruity sour), made a festive charcuterie board, homemade sourdough bread, and Thanksgiving gift bags.
For those asking, I got my buttery leather sectional couch from Poly & Bark, and this unique Banquette dining bench from Denver Modern. I paired it with a restaurant table from West Elm, and mid-century modern chairs from Amazon! I have never owned a home, but I’ve always made the rental apartments I’ve lived in feel like home 🏠 Whenever people ask me what my interior design style is (absolutely no one has ever asked me that), I say it’s boho mid-century modern moo deng 😆🦛
When I had my stroke two years ago, I wasn’t sure if I’d still be here, and for that I am thankful 💛🧡🤎
Grateful for everyone who stuck around while I recovered, too 🥹 Everyone else can eat a bag of dicks!
When I went to Relic Bakery with Jess and baby boy, they gave us whipped butter that was perfectly spreadable for our sourdough.
Since I started making sourdough again at home, I knew it would pair well with some room temp butter, so I got a butter bell that stays on your countertop 24/7. You just have to seal it with water in the basin that you have to change every 3 days to prevent the butter from spoiling.
Yes, I have an alarm set on my phone to remind me to change the water. Like my mom always tells me, I don’t have to be married to get pregnant and give her grandbabies I’d forget my vagina if it wasn’t attached to my body 😆
I’ve had an upset stomach since Sunday, so I haven’t eaten much since then. I only ate the spaghetti I made the night before, but my sister’s husband ate the same thing and he didn’t get sick! The only difference is my sister added some creatine to my iced coffee that morning, but I’ve had it before with no issues.
I instacarted some Gatorade yesterday to get some electrolytes in me, but the lady got me orange instead of the fruit punch I requested, so I didn’t drink it 🤢
So today, I’m easing solids back into my diet with some steel-cut oatmeal 👵🏻
Who needs a Christmas tree when you can just throw some lights on a fiddle leaf fig bush?
If you’re driving down G Street in downtown SD, I’m the apartment between 13th and 14th with the hanging santa 🎅🏻🎄
I was 8-years-old when Home Alone was first released 35 years ago today – the same age as Kevin McCalister (do the horrifying math)!
Sidenote: My parents have a steep ass staircase in their house just like the McCallisters, except they have a wall in front of the bottom of the stairs. My sister and I took turns sliding down the stairs on a sleeping bag one day when my parents weren’t home, and Pammie’s big ass foot went right through the wall! Even as a kid, my sister had big ass feet I was handy as fuck, so I patched up the hole in the drywall with some materials I found in the garage. My parents still live in that house, and they never found out about it 😅
I love this quote from Home Alone, but I thought it might be a little racist, and as it turns out, I’m the one who’s a little racist 😅
Who tf besides the host and Jerry knew that ‘yellow’ meant ‘cowardly’?!
Giving food is my love language. So is BBQ. And gift bags. And homemade sourdough. As I’ve said before, your girl’s hella lingual 💁🏻♀️
I made my sister (naturally gluten and dairy-free) chicken sotanghon soup and zuppa toscana (made dairy-free with coconut milk)! And made my parents spaghetti with meat sauce (I brought them some last week and they ate all of it!). They’ve all made (hurtful) comments about my food being too salty in the past, so I eased up on the sodium 😅 What can I say, I like salty meat ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Or do I have early onset Alzheimers? 😅
Just kidding (not that many people have eaten here) 😜
Update: My mom was out with her homegirls when I stopped by last weekend, so I left the food in her fridge. She told me this weekend that she ate all the chicken sotanghon, but it needed more salt! I meannn. This is why I like baking over cooking. It has exact measurements. None of that ‘add salt and pepper to taste’ shit bc I usually oversalt things bc I like it salty! Except this time I undersalted it bc they said my food was too salty last time. Bah!
You guys, I like hockey now. Okay, just the Capitals. Okay, really just Tom Wilson. Anyone wanna go to Vegas next March to see them play the Golden Knights? 🏒
I didn’t read the instructions when I first fed my new sourdough starter last night, so I didn’t realize it needed to be fed again 12 hours after I first fed it. I had to set an alarm bc I knew I wouldn’t be awake at this unholy hour to feed it. Is this how newborn mothers feel? 🤪
Since they’re shutting off the water in my apartment building today for maintenance, Pammie insisted that I stay over at her place in case I need to use the bathroom 😅
At my old apartment in LA, I wouldn’t find out till after taking a cold ass shower that our centralized water heater was shut off! At least this new building gave us a heads up days in advance.
So I’m at Pammie’s today, as evident by Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking on TV, cereal in a Harry Potter bowl, creatine in my cold brew, and flaxseed milk in my cereal. Apparently, I’m not hitting my macros ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yesterday was Señora Cuevas’ birthday, and all she wanted to do was eat good food and play mahjong 😆
My mom and her seesters 🥰
My parents, ladies and gentlemen 🤪
My dad surprised her with a Freddie Freeman Dodgers jersey. To be fair, she’s loved Freeman since he was on the Atlanta Braves. And even though I fucking hate the Dodgers, it was worth it to see my mom so happy.
She plays mahjong with her sisters every Friday, so yesterday was no different. Except Pammie played and took all their money 🤑🀄
My aunt and I released the girls from boob jail and hung our bras on the dining room chandelier. Can you guess which one’s mine? 😜
I tried to sneak a pic of baby boy mackin’ on some sourdough, and he saw me taking his photo and gave me the cheesiest cheese that ever did cheese 🥰
I guess I could’ve walked there, but I drove 😅
So far loving this neighborhood, except my wifi (Google Fiber) has cut out twice in 2 weeks, and I work from home, so it’s inconvenient and a pain in the ass to keep chatting with customer service. Also, my neighbor above me is moving furniture or doing Zumba or running drills all day! I’ve always lived on the top floor, so I never had to deal with neighbor noise above me, but now I live on the 4th floor of a 6-floor building. IDK whether to be passive aggressive about it and bang my broom on the ceiling, be a b about it and complain to the property managers, or send my sister’s husband up to the 5th floor to see what the fuck!
Everyone’s losing their damn minds over the Starbucks bearista cup, while I’m over here like 💀
Also, these fresh flowers are nearly 2 weeks old and still thriving! Is it the moon water? 😆
To be fair, it’s v cute, but you won’t catch me at Starbucks (or anywhere for that matter) at that unholy hour, or spending hundreds of dollars on a cup on ebay! I’ll just keep drinking my cold brew out of my $5 skull mason jar, thank yew…
I literally had lunch almost every weekday outside in the South Bay for the past 13 years while living in LA and never once saw a show being filmed. Although I did see Weezer and Fred Armisen filming an episode of Carpool Karaoke when I was in Fairfax on a random Tuesday I called off work 😎
My new apartment is only a 10-minute walk away from Petco Park, so we walked there and back faster than anyone could get an uber. I can’t wait for baseball season to start up again 💛🤎
This beautiful ofrenda was right by our seats.
They allowed everyone to contribute, so I added pictures of my grandmas and Rocky 🥹
We were surrounded by the most obnoxious people ever – Dodgers fans!
Deftones – Sextape
Take me one more time
Take me one more wave
Take me for one last ride
I’m out of my head
Deftones – infinite source
Just say you’re down
And pull me close, hold on to me
Face the crowd
Take hold of me, hold me tight
Deftones – i think about you all the time
All of my life
You’ve been the same
All of our days
And we’ll never change
I don’t really know anyone else who likes the Deftones, so I fully intended to go by myself. Pammie decided to accompany me, and even bought our tickets! I’m so glad she went with me, bc this event was really overstimulating (but in the best way). Get you a sister as supportive as mine 🤟🏼
Homemade cold brew latte and pumpkin cream cheese muffin from Starbucks that Kass brought me yesterday when she and Richard came to haul the dresser I couldn’t get rid of in LA. I haven’t doordashed in a week, y’all 😅 I usually doordash breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, but I actually went to the grocery store earlier this week (there’s an Albertson’s across the street from my apartment) and made food! You guys, is this adulting???
Long drive, long night
The best night of my life
With you riding, your hand on my hand
The thought of arriving, kind of feels like dying
I don’t want to go home and be alone
Could we stay out?
Could you drive a little slower, don’t matter where we’re going
As long as I’m with you, we could take the long way
It’s been a crazy week of moving cities, packing, unpacking, setting up furniture, and celebrating Halloween, but I had to make time for my #1 supporter – Jason Mraz. LOL JK, I mean Pammie 😜
She had plans to go to the Mraz show by herself tonight at The Sound. It’s 10 minutes away from her office in Solana Beach, and she usually goes into work on Tuesdays. I bought a ticket last minute bc I know going to shows alone sucks (unless it’s John Mayer, just let me pay $300 and cry by myself). Jason Mraz settled in SD a long time ago, and used to play shows at coffee shops around town. We used to watch him all the time when I lived in SD, and he was the first show I watched at The Rady Shell. How fitting that the first show I watch after moving back to SD was Jason Mraz. Feels good to be home 🥹
Pammie added pumpkins to her Harry Potter hallway, and had the girls carve them at our annual pumpkin carving party at Christine’s.
When you don’t have time to be the spooky auntie this year, so you pick up pastries from the Japanese bakery in your new building, and serve it in a coffin tray with a plastic skeleton 💀⚰️
It’s my last day in LA, and my sister is taking the train up to help me move. I have a laundry list of things at her house (my KitchenAid stand mixer, 3 dutch ovens, all my bakeware, etc.), but all I wanted her to bring was the Halloween decor I had shipped to her house in case in didn’t make it to LA in time.
She was like, ‘You want me to take this big ass skeleton with me on the train???’ I was like, ‘Oh! I forgot you weren’t driving! I’ll just pick it up from your house this weekend.’ We’re supposed to carve pumpkins at Christine’s on Sunday, bc I like to overcommit to things when I’m busy as fuck 😅
Pauly Shore was ordering takeout while we were there. This is the second time in life I’ve ran into Pauly Shore – I randomly saw him shopping at Fashion Valley in San Diego at least 20 years ago. In the 13 years I’ve lived in LA, I can probably count on one hand how many celebrity sightings I’ve had. Yet I know so many people from out of town who spotted celebrities when they were just visiting!
On the way home, it started raining unexpectedly. Coincidentally, it also rained the night I moved to LA 🌧️
My phone and watch are almost always dead or on the verge of dying – even though I work from home, I usually don’t charge them till I have to 😅 And I often go to bed listening to Spotify on my phone and don’t bother to put it on the charger.
I didn’t used to wear a watch, but my sister got me one after the stroke bc it notifies me if my heart rate is abnormally high, and detects if I fall and notifies my emergency contacts.
My watch has been dead for a week, but I charged it up today bc I saw an app that lets me change the face 🎃 So you can thank Michael Myers for my watch being charged 🔪
When I ordered this drink, I expected something much creepier – blood, skulls, a spooky tiki glass… The only thing creepy about this drink is the way the alcohol crept up on me after dinner. That second Creepy Tiki was a mistake 😅
All Chel wanted to do for her birthday was go to the Candlelight Tribute to Justin Timberlake at the Fleet Science Center. I haven’t been there since I went on a field trip in the fifth grade when it was called the ‘Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’ (apparently, it’s been rebranded since I was a kid).
I left with a belly ache from laughing, my heart full, and a 3-pack of remote-controlled souvenir candles to set the mood at my new place 😜
It took me 4 fucking hours to get down to SD yesterday. They closed the 5, so they rerouted everyone to the 15 – I fucking hate taking that route bc it’s boring as fuck. It was 90-something degrees out, and there’s nothing but casinos and outlets along that route. It detoured us through residential Corona for half an hour and through rural Murrieta for at least an hour. Any other day, I would’ve been like ‘fuck it’ and just stayed up in LA, but we had plans to celebrate Chel’s birthday at Balboa Park last night and my sister had an MRI at the ass crack of dawn this morning. Her biopsy came back negative for cancer, but they found lesions that could possibly turn into cancer, so she’s gonna have a lumpectomy to have them removed. The surgeon wanted her to do an MRI first to make sure they didn’t miss anything. She won’t get the results for a few days, but I wanted to be here for moral support 💕
Anyway, if I didn’t already hate this fucking administration, yesterday’s gridlock would have sealed the deal. Driving down to SD from LA already sucks ass on the 5 on a regular Saturday afternoon, taking the 15 route always sucks, but EVERYONE taking the 15 route down to SD??? Fucking kill me. I doordashed a horchata cold brew latte for the road and listened to my Deftones playlist the entire time, but no amount of caffeine or Chino could lift my spirits during that long ass drive.
I’m so glad I won’t have to do this commute anymore after next weekend 😮💨
Just say you’re down
And pull me close, hold on to me
Face the crowd
Take hold of me, hold me tight
I heard this song on KROQ and loved, loved, loved. It might be my favorite Deftones song ever. Def top 5. I’ve been listening to ‘i think about you all the time’ so much that I neglected the rest of the tracks on this album. It’s been on their setlist for their last performances, so I think there’s a good chance they’ll perform it at Dia De Los Deftones. I wasn’t planning on going this year, but I’ll be living near Petco by then, plus I already have the perfect outfit 💀
Who needs to watch the game when illegal fireworks going off outside my apartment tell me that the Dodgers won the NLCS (again) and are going to the World Series (again), and will probably win that, too (again)… They’ve been to the World Series five times since I moved to LA in 2012, and they have won every damn time 😮💨
My new apartment is blocks from Petco Park – Think I’ll see some fireworks for the Pads next year? 🤡
It was already bright as fuck in my apartment bc I had sheer white linen curtains. Then I recently sold my curtain rod and had to take down my curtains, but the thick line of trees in front my balcony filtered a lot of that light. They trimmed the trees yesterday, and now I’m wearing sunglasses indoors like an asshole.
It took us over 2 hours to get to this resto in Highland Park on a Wednesday night in LA traffic 😵💫 (and only took us less than 40 minutes to get home afterwards!). It was worth it, though – The margherita pizza on sourdough was delicious, but the real star of the show was the all-beef meatballs in chipotle tomato sauce. Actually, the absolute star of the show was Chef Miles Okabayashi. He didn’t leave the kitchen, but I caught glimpses of his fine ass through the open kitchen as I savored his meatballs 😜
When I got home, I could hear my next door neighbors fighting. The guy was screaming at the top of his lungs, ‘ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, SHANNON?!’ He was yelling that he ‘doesn’t pick up girls’ and ‘deleted his fucking account’ so IDK if he got caught up on Tinder or what. Also, I didn’t hear a peep from her, so either he was screaming at her on the phone or he killed her ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’m just over here like, ‘Can I eat my leftovers in peace, Shannon? BT-Dubs, are you dead?!’
I shaved my whole body just in case I ran into Chef Miles at dinner tonight LOL. JK I just got a routine eyebrow threading at the mall. On my way out, I saw a sign for the new Apple Cinnamon Bitz at Wetzel’s Pretzel and had to order some even though I was already getting high glucose alerts from the cold brew I just had from Coffee Bean. Just let a diabetic live.
One of the only things I’ll miss about living in LA is the easy access to concerts. If an artist is on tour, they’re most def stopping in LA. And sometimes I decide hours before a show to go and just buy a ticket off stubhub.
Mary is my concert buddy up here, always down to go to shows I wanna go to, even if she’s never heard of the band – She trusts my music tastes and I’ve yet to disappoint 😜
She won tickets to see an Artists Den concert taping of my favorite band, Young the Giant, and she’s done it again with Lord Huron! The show is on a Thursday the week after I move though, and I have too much shit going on to commit. Maybe if I was still in my 20s, I’d rally, but I’m no spring chicken 👵🏻
Besides, I’ve seen Lord Huron live a handful of times before, and I’m seeing them again at Wild Horses Fest in December and Innings Fest in February 🤪
My sister loves Harry Potter (severe understatement), so most of this decor is up at her house year-round (except for that House of Horrors stake that she had me cricut ‘MUGGLES’ over), and this Halloween, she added an ofrenda dedicated to all the characters who died in the Harry Potter movies 💀🥀🖤
Jessie didn’t have her period for years after she had breast cancer, and now it’s back with a vengeance!
Also, I used to get all the shitty side effects of menstruation – migraines, severe cramps, bloating, mood swings… Then I had the stroke, and it’s like it cured all my ailments. I wouldn’t recommend having a stroke, though 😅 0/10 experience.
When Pammie and I did puppy yoga, the golden retrievers were sooo rambunctious. I was like, ‘I want a chill ass dog. These pups have way too much energy.’ And she was like, ‘They’re puppies. They’re all gonna be like this at this stage.’ And I was like, ‘Not the traumatized rescues’ 😅
If they have to take a little Prozac to get through the day, it’s okay bc mama takes Prozac, too. Life is too unbearable sometimes to go through it unmedicated 😆
I Amazon Primed this full-sized skeleton with plans to propel it from my new apartment’s balcony, but I had it delivered to my sister’s house bc I was down there for my dad’s birthday.
I picked the busiest month to move cities – With so many birthdays to celebrate, I’ve been driving back and forth to SD. It’s also MLB playoff season, but the Padres snipped that in the butt real quick LOL
(I can never say ‘nipped it in the bud’ correctly after seeing this LOL)
Anyway, I’ve been busy packing up my apartment that I’ve lived in for 13 years, trying to sell my furniture on FB Marketplace and fielding inquiries from mostly flakes, making all the arrangements so I’ll have wifi and all the necessary utilities at the new apartment, I just found out the most senior web designer after me is going on medical leave, so I’m busier at work than usual, and on top of that, it’s frickin’ Halloween and I’m stretched too thin to be the fun, spooky auntie this year 🎃
When I said I was moving downtown, more than a few people were concerned about the homeless population in the area. IDK if it’s bc I grew up in the hood (Paradise Hills LOL) or bc I’ve been living alone in LA for the last 13 years, but homeless or erratic people don’t bother me. I was at a bar in Chicago with Donna and Pammie, and this crazy homeless dude was being crazy and the bartender was like, ‘You need to leave’ and Donna and I were just sipping our drinks without a care in the world, but Pammie was on high alert LOL. I guess I could be a little bit more situationally aware. I’ve only been at my new building in the daytime, and I saw one homeless person at the bakery on the same block. He was just asking people for food and wasn’t being aggressive, but he was told to leave, too.
You need a code to get into my new building, a code to use the elevator, even a code to get into my apartment (it’s keyless entry), plus there’s security at night.
I’ll be safe, guys. But if you don’t see me blog for a while, check the local news bc I’ve likely been murdered by a homeless person I befriended 😅
My new apartment has its own washer/dryer – a luxury I’ve never had! I’m so glad I won’t have to deal with this bullshit much longer. Sometimes, when I need to wash bulky items like bedding, I go to the laundromat up the street. Last time I was there, some asshole hit my parked car as I was sitting inside of it waiting for my shit to dry 🤬
I might have to rebrand my coin jar and give it to my sister since I won’t be needing quarters anymore 😂
She recently had a Halloween festival at her work where her group’s table was Harry Potter themed (her idea, of course).
Coworker: Wow, you guys must’ve had a big budget! Pammie: Nah, I just brought some stuff from home 😅
It’s almost impossible to eat anywhere in LA without a reservation (something I def won’t miss about living here, but I will miss all the good food), so I made a res at Wildcrust Pizzeria, partly so I could try it before I blow this popsicle stand, but mostly bc the chef/owner is fine as fuck 😜
If a golden retriever puppy falls asleep on me during savasana, I have to take him home – I don’t make the rules ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Alas, a puppy didn’t fall asleep on me today, but one did pee on my mat and chewed a hole in my leggings 😅
My building manager (Michael Douglas LOL) let me post this flyer in the lobby, but a tracker on the QR code tells me only one person has scanned it 😅 I also listed everything on FB Marketplace, and was able to get rid of one item, despite several flaky people inquiring if multiple listings were still available 😵💫
Random shit I found while packing up my apartment:
My Chargers Merriman jersey – It’s the only football jersey I have! I bought it before Merriman famously choked Tila Tequila and before the Chargers left San Diego, but regrettably not before he got that stupid ‘Lights Out’ tattoo on his forearm.
Relics from Covid – A bag full of masks, gloves, and sanitizer
Joints from my uncle – He has sciatica and grows his own weed
Souvies from The Museum of Broken Relationships in Hollywood (that has since closed down) – A box of matches that say, ‘May the bridges I burn light the way,’ tissues for crying, and a mini notebook titled ‘Regrets’ 😆
Flipbooks from Jessie and Abe’s wedding 10 years ago
Magazines from when Prince and Paul Walker died (2016 and 2013, respectively)
A gift card that my boss gave me for Two Guns Espresso – It’s since closed down bc they’re building a luxury senior village in that plaza LOL. There’s another location, but IDK if the gift card is good there.
Pammie had to come up for a work event in OC yesterday, so she came over afterwards to help me pack. I had only packed two boxes in the past two weeks, and she filled 10 bags full of trash from my linen closet and kitchen alone 😅
I took her out to lunch @ her favorite KBBQ spot from when she lived in OC – Shik Do Rak. We wanted something sweet afterwards, so she looked for a boba place nearby that had gluten/dairy-free options. She found Airoma Cafe, and was like, ‘How about this place? ‘Eye-roma Cafe.’ I was like, ‘OK… but I think it’s pronounced ‘air-oma’ like ‘aroma’. This was like the time we were at a Ess-a-bagel in NYC, and she was like, ‘Order me the egg stacy sandwich.’ I was like, ‘Egg stacy? Oh, eggstacy. Like ecstasy.’ I love a good pun or double entendre, so I usually pick up what they’re putting down, but Pammie always misses the mark 😆 This other time, she went to a Lord Huron show with me and was trying to tag the band in her IG story and was like, ‘How come they’re not coming up?’ I look at her phone and was like, ‘Well, their name’s ‘Lord Huron’ not ‘Lady Huron’ 🤣 I don’t usually like to correct people (even when I know I’m right) bc I don’t wanna make them feel dumb, but she’s probably the smartest person I know, and it’s just so funny when she gets something wrong 😆
I did this while watching a movie with a boy on a train once. I hate that guy now and use wireless Beats By Dre headphones so no one talks to me when I’m wearing them.
Welp, I instacart my groceries and always choose ‘contactless delivery’ so… ✌🏼
I always take an Uber if I know I’m gonna be drinking, going to/from the airport (I would never ask someone to deal with the hell that is LAX – besides I literally live 10 minutes away), or just don’t want to deal with LA traffic when going to a show. I always put on my sunglasses (only if it’s daytime – I’m not a total asshole) bc I hate small talk and would prefer that the driver not talk to me 😅 Uber has a ‘quiet mode’ feature that lets the driver know you don’t want to chat, but I feel like an asshole requesting a quiet ride – I like for them to make the choice for themselves not to speak to me 😆 Anyway, all that to say I won’t be meeting my husband in a rideshare or grocery store anytime soon…
The devil in your eyes
Won’t deny the lies you’ve sold
I’m holding on too tight
While you let go
This is casual
When you lay awake at night
Do I ever cross your mind?
‘Cause you still cross mine
If anyone could’ve saved me
It would’ve been you
How come we never even dated
But I still find myself thinking of you daily?
You’re on another path
While I’m stuck in the past
You’re on another path
What’s good can’t ever last
Love, love, love Sombr (it’s a stylized version of ‘somber’ – all his music is sad, although autocorrect always tries to change it to ‘sombrero’ LOL). He’s probably my favorite new artist discovery this year. He has four upcoming shows in LA, but they’re all after I move back to SD. Also, this kid isn’t even old enough to drink yet, but he sings of heartbreak like he’s been through some shit. Who hurt you??? Virginia from would’ve been you? Caroline from caroline? Do they know you’re 6’7? 😆
On today’s edition of ‘Things I’ve done instead of packing’:
– Watched the Padres shutout the Cubs
– Googled the MLB postseason schedule after the Pads win today to see when the games are tentatively gonna be if they make it to the World Series – my new apartment is 5 blocks away from the ballpark, so I’ll have to go, right? 😜
– Signed up for Puppy Yoga in West Hollywood this weekend – It’s Golden Retriever puppies 😭
– Applied to adopt this dog from California Doodle Rescue bc I don’t have enough going on in my life 😅 I have applied for a handful of dogs at rescues throughout LA, but I never get picked bc there are so many applicants up here.
– Designed a flyer to put up in the lobby of my building so I can possibly sell some of this furniture to my neighbors. A guy came by today who was interested in switching units within the building and told me he liked how I decorated the place. When people ask me what my interior design style is (absolutely no one has ever asked me this), I say it’s Mid-Century Modern Moo Deng 😆
So far, I’ve only packed 2 boxes – my crystals and everything displayed on my shelves, and all the booze off my bar cart. Thinking I should’ve ended with these boxes – I could use the crystals and booze right now 😅
Stay a little longer, take a little longer
To pack up your bags, you’re movin’ too fast
Make me wanna hate you, so I don’t have to miss you
Oh, make a mistake, so someone’s to blame
Please, won’t you stay, stay a little longer, babe?
Tell me that you need me, tell me that I’m loved
Tell me that I’m worth it, and that I’m enough
Don’t know who you think you’re kidding, babe
Yeah, you’re not the same, not the same
If we had good days and light on our side
But you fucked up and you know that I’m right
I don’t know who you think you’re kidding, babe
Yeah, you’re not the same, not the same, not the same
Actual footage of me packing while listening to Rosé:
File under ‘Things I’m doing instead of packing’: Eating cold pizza and Google street viewing my new apartment to see if you can see my balcony from the street, so I can decide whether or not to Amazon Prime that life-sized skeleton in my cart.
Instead of actually doing stuff on my checklist, I photoshopped a checklist so I can check off all the easy shit I already did 😅 Anyway, I’m doordashing pizza tonight and wearing no pants if anyone wants to come over and keep my ass on task.
You guys, I learned how to swim here as a kid! A Scare Trail through an abandoned amusement park from the 80s? Can’t be scarier than the Terrifier Haunted House at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, right? 😅 I heard you can choose between a ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ path this year 😳 Ya, I’m moving the week of Halloween, so I think I’ll be too busy to choose any of those paths 😅
You can barely walk in Venice Beach without tripping over a scooter that’s been haphazardly left on the sidewalk.
My balance has been off since the stroke – I fell at the Heart & Stroke Walk last weekend before the walk even started LOL bc I was trying to take a picture next to my name that the kids put on the Tribute Tree, but they put it so low to the ground 😅 Although, I’m not sure if I couldn’t get that low bc of the stroke or bc I’m not in my 20s anymore – These can’t be the same knees that brought me to the window and to the wall 🤣 I would never get on an electric scooter when my balance is so questionable!
Pammie’s husband’s childhood friend died yesterday after an e-scooter accident. She was in her 40s, the youngest of three children and the only daughter. The accident happened last week, and she woke up the next day feeling off. She went to the ER and was told she had a brain bleed. My sister’s husband just visited her in the hospital last weekend and she seemed fine… She had surgery, and they just couldn’t stop the bleeding 😔
I remember years and years ago, my friends and I rode bicycles downtown. This guy, Mark, was wearing a helmet, and Trace was like, ‘Helmets are for nerds!’ and he was like, ‘Helmets save lives.’ In California, adults 18+ are not required by law to wear a helmet while riding a bike or scooter. Please wear one if you do get on a bike or scooter. You might look like a nerd, but at least you’ll be a nerd who’s alive…
Update: I always share my work chats with the girls. ‘Panties’ is where I draw the line, y’all. Contrary to popular belief, your girl does have some boundaries 😆
This does not bode well for my move exactly one month from today 😅
When I first moved into my current building (13 years ago!), the one elevator wasn’t working. I hired movers, so they had to deal with carrying all my shit to the top floor. The landlord assured me the elevator would be fixed soon, but I ran into a neighbor who told me the elevator had been out of service for THE PAST TEN MONTHS 😳 I went to take a shower later that day to wash off the grime of moving in, and I had no hot water! My asshole landlord (yeah, I’m talking to you, Leonard!) let me move in to an apartment that wasn’t ready. I had to shower in a vacant unit on another floor on the other side of the building for two weeks while they fixed my pipes. After the elevator kept breaking down, my landlord was too cheap to fix it, so he sold the building and my new landlord was great! He had the elevator fixed, removed the popcorn ceiling from my unit, upgraded my bathroom, replaced my ceiling fan, microwave, refrigerator… He even told me, ‘It has always been a pleasure working with you. I wish you nothing but the best in your future!’ when I put in my notice earlier this week. He probably just ChatGBT’d what to say when a tenant puts in their notice, but it’s more than my previous landlord ever did.
The east side elevator on 14th St is actually closer to my new unit than the main elevator, so I was gonna have the movers use that elevator anyway. Silver lining 😅
I’m abandoning my clear obsession with Mid-Century furniture (JK, I’m just moving to another apartment and buying new Mid-Century furniture that fits the space better). Anyone interested in buying some of it? Everything comes fully assembled, if that helps sway your decision at all – If you’d rather test your relationship by trying to assemble furniture together, I’ll just pray for you, I guess 🙏🏼
Full disclosure: All items are pick-up only in LA (Redondo Beach). I live on the third floor of my building, but there’s an elevator. You’ll need a second person to help you carry most of this shit to your car, so please bring a friend bc I ain’t the one 😅 Prices are already heavily discounted and firm.
West Elm Mid-Century Adjustable Curtain RodSOLD!
Price: $60 (retails for $149)
Condition: Like new. Put it up once and never touched it again. Smoke-free home.
Dimensions: 44″-108″
Finish: Carbon/Antique Brass
West Elm White Sheer European Flax Linen Curtains, Set of 4
Price: $100 for the set of 4 (retails for $436)
Condition: Like new. Smoke-free, pet-free home. No stains. Freshly laundered.
Dimensions: Each panel – 48″ (W) x 89″ (L) (originally 96″ L, but professionally tailored to 89″ L with tags kept on)
Features: Woven from premium flax and washed for a luxe, lived-in look. Adds lightweight texture to windows. Soft drapery lets in bright, gently diffused light. Crafted in a Fair Trade Certified™ facility.
Nathan James Tamlin Wall Light Fixture (comes with light bulb)
Price: $40 (retails for $75.99)
Condition: Like new. Smoke-free home.
Features: Renters rejoice! Meet Tamlin, our plug-in wall light perfect for reading nooks, living rooms, and bedsides. Extending from a circular wall plate is an elegant vintaged brass finish metal arm with a matte black round bell shade. Its articulating feature allows you to direct the light left or right and is dimmer compatible, for those nights you can’t put your book down. This wall light is a must-have for small spaces, apartments, and townhomes and can be placed in your favorite spot without worry thanks to the included cord cover.
Finish: Antique Brass/Matte Black
Boho Driftwood Macrame Wall Hanging
Price: $40 (retails for $70)
Condition: New. Never been used.
Features: Hanging length is easily adjustable
Dimensions: 32″ (W) x 15″ (H)
Ikea Mongstad Mirror
Price: $80 (retailed for $200 – now discontinued and highly coveted according to the internet)
Condition: Like new. Put it up once and never touched it again. Smoke-free home.
Dimensions: 37″ (H) x 75″ (W) x 2″ (D)
Features: This large versatile mirror can be used in several ways. You can lean it against a wall or hang it both vertically or horizontal. I hung it horizontally with two screws and a prayer, and it has stayed up for 13 years through several California earthquakes.
Walker Edison Xuma Modern Armless Low Back Counter Stool, Set of 2SOLD!
Price: $60 for set (retails for $159)
Condition: Like new. Used mostly for decor only.
Features: Upholstered in high-quality synthetic leather for a stylish and easy-to-clean finish. Sturdy steel legs provide reliable support and enhance the modern design.
Dimensions: 34 1/2″ (H) x 19″ (W) x 22″ (D)
West Elm Curved Terrace NightstandSOLD!
Price: $100 (retailed for $199, now discontinued)
Condition: Like new. Smoke-free home.
Dimensions: 24″ (H) x 19″ (W) x 15″ (D)
Features: The goes-with-anything Antique Brass finish is easy to integrate into modern and traditional decors alike. This airy nightstand’s bottom shelf is mirrored, reflecting up toward the wide, tempered glass top.
Opalhouse Mid-Century Touraco Dresser
Price: $100 (retailed for $260 unassembled – now discontinued)
Condition: Top wood has imperfections on the bottom right where my iPad got stuck to it on a hot summer day 🤪 (shown above), but you can cover the top with a cool Mexican blanket like I have 💃🏻 Otherwise in great condition.
Features: Decorative 3-drawer dresser keeps things stored in style. White and brown colors create an eye-catching look perfect for any space. Neutral colors blend seamlessly with any color scheme.
Condition: Barely used, was mostly for decor only, wood has normal wear and tear
Features: Molded plywood shell crafted from natural real veneer Walnut. The molded shape is designed for comfort, with dense 1″ thick foam pads providing extra comfort with a low profile. Padding is upholstered in genuine Harris Tweed in Sunshine Yellow. The base is made from welded steel fabricated in-house, powder-coated in satin black. The solid wood rocker skids are durable and crafted from solid wood for a smooth rocking motion.
Dimensions: 35″ (H) x 30″ (W) x 30″ (D)
Mid-Century Modern Side Table
Price: $60
Condition: Like new
Features: Made in LA. Brown wood with 12″ hairpin legs made of welded steel.
Dimensions: (Overall) 19″ (H) x 20″ (W) x 14.5″ (D)
Condition: New in opened box, never been used. Smoke-free home.
Features: Large 31″ Round Frame – This spacious round wall shelf lets you display photos, candles, and plants without clutter, helping you keep your room stylish and organized. Natural Bamboo & Wood Build – Crafted with eco-friendly bamboo and wood, this boho wall decor adds warmth and texture while providing durable wood wall storage. Versatile Home & Office Use – Whether mounted in a bedroom, living room, or office, this round wall shelf enhances any space with charm and practical functionality. Two-Tier Storage Design – With two wide shelves, this bamboo shelf solves the problem of small-space storage, giving you plenty of room for daily essentials or decor. Timeless Boho Style – The handcrafted woven look and natural brown finish offer a unique boho wall decor piece that effortlessly uplifts modern, rustic, or eclectic interiors.
Dimensions: 31″ (H) x 31″ (W) x 5″ (D)
LG Smart Dual Inverter Portable Air Conditioner with 10000 BTU Cooling Capacity, 500 sq. ft. Cooling Area, in White with Sliding Door Kit
Price: $300 includes sliding door kit (retails for $649 without sliding door kit)
Condition: Like new
Features: Saved my life during The Great Heat Wave of 2022. Works fast to cool down my 500 sq. ft. studio. The LG DUAL Inverter air conditioners are the best in cooling innovation. This ultra quiet unit operates at 44 dB in sleep mode, almost as quiet as a library. In addition, the DUAL Inverter allows the unit to operate efficiently saving you as much as 40% on energy costs. 3 cooling and fan speeds and a 24 hour timer allow you to create a cooling schedule to suit your needs. The auto-swing air vent helps direct the flow of air where It is needed most whether cooling, dehumidifying or just circulating air. If there is a power outage, the auto restart feature will automatically turn your unit back on when power is restored. Other features include a remote control, easy rolling casters, removable/washable filter and a check filter alert.
Dimensions: 30.43″ (H) x 19.41″ (W) x 18.11″ (D)
Ikea Kivik Sectional Sofa
Price: $300 (retails for $1399 unassembled)
Condition: Used, but still firm. Some light discoloration in the fabric on the bottom right corner of the chaise (pictured)
Features: Very comfortable. Guests say it’s more comfortable to sleep on than most beds! Can be disassembled for easier transport. The chaise can be separated from the two-seat piece, and so can both arm rests on either side. Since chaise can be separated, it can go on the left or right side of the sofa, whichever suits your space best. Fabric covers are removable, machine washable, and can be changed. Pet and smoke-free home.
Dimensions: 32 5/8″ (H) x 110 1/4″ (W) x 64 1/8″ (D)
This is how the sofa arrives if you order it unassembled from Ikea. You’re welcome.
My mom asked me if the bestie texted me to join their Survivor pool, and I was like, ‘WTF? No!!!’ The way they play is they just draw names before the season starts, and if one of their players win at the end, they win the pool. I once won the Survivor pool without ever watching a single episode 😅 My mom actually watches the show and has joined their pool several times before, and they only needed one extra person, so I didn’t make the cut this season (my mom is the only non-relative!). Oh, well. Joke’s on you, bc when I logged into Paypal to pay my mom’s dues (I haven’t used Paypal in years, probably, and even had to reset my password bc I didn’t remember what it was), I had nearly $900 in there! I don’t even know where it’s from bc you can only check your transactions from the past two years, and it was from before that 🤑
I gloss over my stroke, but I hear so many stories of people both older and younger than me who weren’t as lucky. I’m fortunate I can still speak (albeit delayed), walk, drive, work (design on the computer), shower by myself again, cut my own nails… things I def took for granted. Before the stroke, I’d never stayed overnight at a hospital, let alone a whole week, and my doctor visits were few and far between. I’d never had surgery, and I had two that week – one on my birthday! S/O to Nicholas at Torrance Memorial who sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me on the operating table, right before he shaved my chocha 😅 Now I see my PCP every few months to make sure i’m not regressing.
Anyway, I’m (mostly) happy to still be here 😅 Pammie has been my biggest advocate since the stroke, and took care of me for over a year while I recovered. She works for iRhythm – a company that detects cardiac arrhythmias through a medical device, and her work participated in the Heart & Stroke Walk this morning. She invited me to join to celebrate being a stroke survivor ✊🏼 She surprised me by making us shirts (Jessie came up with the tagline bc everyone knows I love Young the Giant – Christine suggested we wear The Strokes band shirts LOL, but Pammie thought it wasn’t very PC – next year!), and they all surprised me by showing up this morning 🥹
I don’t really tell anyone about having the stroke unless I have to. It’s not something I ever posted about on socials for sympathy. Unless you’re one of the 3 people who still reads this blog after 20 years (hi, Shirley May 👋🏼), are a relative, a good friend, or someone I’ve seen in the past couple years since the stroke and I felt compelled to explain why my voice sounds like this now, you wouldn’t really know about it.
Labs and More Rescue (where Jess and Abe got Milo) had a booth with the cutest pups up for adoption 🥹
Post-walk pan dulce cart and chilaquiles (@ Cocina 35)
To everyone who has been a part of my road to recovery, whether it’s making sure I eat better, go on walks with me, sent me flowers, or simply just asked how I was doing, thank you 🙏🏼 To everyone else (who knew about it and said nothing), eat a bag of dicks!
When the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was nearly destroyed by a fire in 2019, people donated almost 1 billion dollars for its restoration. I was telling Pammie about it, bc she never knows what’s going on in the world – she doesn’t watch the news bc shit is depressing most of the time. I also had to explain to her what happened in Waco, you guys. Anyway, I was telling Pammie that almost 1 billion dollars was raised to restore Notre Dame, and she was like, ‘1 BILLION?!’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, 1 billion,’ and she was like, ‘Srsly, 1 BILLION?!’ and I was like, ‘Yeah… 1 billion,’ and she was like, ‘1… BILLION?!’ and I didn’t want to keep repeating myself, so I raised my pinky up to my mouth like Dr. Evil and we were laughing for 100 years 🤣
So now, whenever I see this Austin Powers reference being used, I always send it to her:
