Rebecca

8:09am - woke up. it's sunday and 8:09am is too early to wake up on a sunday! i was out last night celebrating my stepmom's birthday so why am i up right now? i should go back to bed?? instead i rot my brain on tiktok. i also think about how badly i need to get a new phone. mine 1) can't hold a charge, 2) takes horrible pictures, 3) moves very slowly, 4) can't support the newest ios, AND after january 20th a new one will likely cost a zillion dollars. i was supposed to do it this weekend but i've been putting it off. i should really get it done today. i eventually get up and shower, and start the day.

10:04am - joined mom in her new dining room/sunroom for coffee. well, i drink coffee. she drinks caffeine free tea. we drink out of her favorite pair of mugs. i study the way they were thrown so i can make her a couple more at black hound south.

the sunroom is a really big deal for us - it’s been about 15 years in the making and mom was finally able to get it finished. it’s really lovely. one favorite part is my granddad’s mini orange tree that my mom has kept alive in the same pot since i was a kid. we sit across from each other at the table my grandma built in her 20s. it’s stained and scratched and some of the wood is starting to split, and it’s beautiful and solid and feels all buttery when you glide your fingers over it. she passed right before my birthday last year and it’s been hard for my mom, so it’s important to spend our time around things that remind us of her. i’m trying very hard to stay present in our conversation, but i’m also very in my head. all of my parents are having health issues at the moment and everything in the world feels deeply out of control, and it’s hard for me not to catastrophize. i try to remind myself to enjoy the moments as they come. we chat around the table until it's time to head out.

10:50am - i'm supposed to pick up my friend aaron across town at 11 so we can head to philly. i'm gonna be slightly late, but not so late i feel the need to send an update. i say goodbye to mom and hop in my car. i spend a long time in the driveway trying to get the dongle to connect so i can listen to my stupid smutty audiobook. i finally get it to work and drive off.

11:07am - scoop up aaron and we start our trip. surprisingly there's very little traffic! we chit chat and aaron DJs.

11:55am - we drive past m&t bank stadium and in a rush i explain this project and ask aaron to pretty please take a picture of the stadium for me. the eagles will play the ravens here this afternoon. i'll be seeing that later!! now that we've passed my baltimore landmark, i turn on the gps to make a pit stop.

12:03pm - we pull up to a neighborhood in south baltimore. as i park, we see a van full of eagles fans getting ready to drive off. aaron tells me to do “the thing!!!! you know, go birds!!!!” so i roll down my window and yell “go birds” but then i feel embarrassed so i quickly roll up the window and look away before they can see me. i miss their reaction but aaron says they liked it. it feels more fun when other people do it, idk.

we see my friend fiona and i give her a big ol hug!!!! i hand over the blanket i made for her wedding this june! we’ve been besties since we were 3 and there’s no one else i’d do a project like this for. it took me forever and i didn’t particularly enjoy the process of making it but i think it looks good and i’m very happy fiona and anthony like it. (fiona pictured here in a scarf i crocheted her a few years ago! a perfect model.) another hug, a wave to anthony and their dog, and we're off.

12:29pm - DQ stop! we've been dreaming about stopping at dairy queen for about a week, so it was time to make the dream a reality. we are both lactose intolerant but luckily aaron brought the lactaid and we ate a reasonable amount of butterfinger blizzard, so no tummy problems. extremely responsible if you ask me. i send kyle this picture of aaron to brag. he drove to maryland with us when we first discussed DQ, but not back up. big mistake.

3:25pm - get into philly and drop aaron off at 30th street station so he can continue his journey north. as i'm driving home i realize i forgot to take a pic! luckily......

aaron, pictured in a UNITE HERE! hat, actually works for the UAW. his staff union (UAW staff united) is going on strike TOMORROW, dec 2!! to learn more and find ways to donate and support, check out uaw staff united.org. you might even see him on the front page!! a treat!

3:34pm - i receive a warm welcome home from my bf josh and my favorite lady. josh cleaned and the house looks very good. thanks josh!!! ok lay down time!!!!! but first i make plans to drop off a late bday present later this week. my phone is at 8% and dropping. i really need to buy a new one. i think about that and this post and lose track of time.

4:29pm - ahhhhh time to watch the eagles game with josh and our roommate david. there's the field i drove by earlier - heyyyy! our friends mal and phil come over. we all watch for a while, the wifi struggles, i make an instagram post of fiona, we sit in the same room watching but also doing our various activities: playing magic the gathering, reading on a kindle, finishing a spreadsheet, etc etc. mal and i spend a long time trying to remember what happens in each sisterhood of the traveling pants book. we both refuse to read the last one. no spoilers, but what the fuck!!! simply won't be reading that!

get a text from kyle that he and the (b)rat i knit him have made it home to nyc. yay!!!! love to see it.

7:29pm - GO BIRDS BABY. game's over, eagles won, and we all check our fantasy football scores. this is the third year my friends have been in a league together and i still don't completely understand how it works. it's known that josh does all the work for my team. looks like i'm gonna lose this week, which is a bummer and also fine. ok, bye mal and phil!!!

7:57pm - josh and i take mabel on a walk. it’s so cold! seasonally appropriate but still. my phone camera is so, so bad. it'll be better when i get a new phone, which i should really do.

8:11pm - josh and i watch somebody, somewhere and eat dinner. it's the best show on television that no one is watching. i think everyone should give it a try. we finish the episode and i go upstairs while josh gets some work done. i think about how it's actually time to buy the phone. check my bank account and see that, actually, i can't buy it until some venmo deposits hit. oh well, nice try.

9:40pm - check the fantasy app. turns out i won! thanks josh, and sorry to Dreaming of Roman Ship Fighting. a valiant effort. gg 🤝🏽

11:28pm - more audiobook and scrolling time before bed! ok goodnight! byeeeeee!

rebecca enjoys people, places, and things. she spends much of her time watching motion pictures, reading, petting her dog, and dabbling in arts and crafts (seen on insta at @rhl_makes).