This Is One Of Those Currently. . .Posts: Mid-Summer Edition

I’m doing one of those “Currently. . . ” posts because I want to and it feels good.

Currently, like right this second, I am on PTO.

This is no resting vacation, this is a working vacation. We’ve got a list of DIY projects that can’t wait another winter.

Like my friend once said, maintaining an old home is like keeping an old person alive. Jake and I aren’t particularly handy and we don’t come from handy lineages. These projects are knocking the wind out of us.

The man we bought this house from completed a lot of his own DIY projects that we’re  having to redo. For example, he painted our deck with some type of strange, interior paint. Trying to figure out how to re-stain it has been our latest adventure.

I am coming to peace with the fact that we completed as much as we could, and might have to continue the projects over the upcoming weekends.

Things I’m watching and listening to:

• W. Kamau Bell’s new Netflix special: It’s funny, poignant, heartfelt, well-crafted. I loved it.
• Zabrena’s Historically Accurate Make-up Tutorials on Youtube: These are certainly not new videos and I’m probably late to the party. I am having fun watching her tutorials featuring research and recreation of looks from time periods including Queen Elizabeth, 90’s grunge, the 20’s, Medieval times, etc.
• The Bachelorette: I haven’t opened this Pandora’s box for years for if I catch just one episode, I’m sucked in through the finale. I’ve been following this season of The Bachelorette. I wish Becca would let me  just hand out the roses for her. The whole thing with  Garrett is just gross. Am I am going to stop watching, well no.
• My Favorite Murder: Someone needs to be my Karen to my Georgia (or vice versa) this year for Halloween. No one at work will understand my costume on October 31st or even realize I’m dressing up, but that’s ok. It’s mostly for me.

Things I’m Eating and Drinking

• Heirloom: We enjoyed post-DIY drinks and snacks at Heirloom in St. Paul. This was our first visit. On Mondays, they offer an all-day social hour. One thing to know is that they do not serve hard liquor or tap beers (at least no tap beers when we visited). The wines come in half and whole glasses. I loved the two half glasses I tried. We also shared a couple of bar snacks ($8 each). Each snack was a generous small plate; Brussels sprouts served over a homemade, slightly lemony tahini sauce and thick toasts spread with the smoothest chicken liver pate topped with beautiful veggie and pickle garnishes were all excellent. Hoping to return soon for a full dinner.
• Thai Coconut Curries. I can’t eat enough of them, not that I ever have been able to. Our go-to for years has been Bangkok Thai Deli (pick-up only). Here are a two more places I liked recently: Delivery via DoorDash from Sawatdee. Everything arrived piping hot in less than an hour and packed carefully. I ordered the red curry at the highest level (5) and it had a pleasant heat but did to touch Bangkok Thai’s. Overall we’d order delivery from Sawatdee again. I really liked the curries I tried from Ginger Hop. The portions here are large and reasonable priced. The yellow curry and red curry stir-fry were filled with fresh, perfectly cooked veggies that we shared for several meals.
  
  
  

  Delivery from Sawatdee

Mock duck red curry stir fry.

• Happy Hour at W.A. Frost.

Happy hour is called the “Mid Day Menu.” W.A. Frost offers it every day between 2-5 p.m. The food seems to be offered at regular prices but is fairly casual. The drinks are reasonably priced with classic cocktails costing between $5-7.50. For me, the compelling point is the big, beautifully landscaped patio. I loved my drink, liked my food, and really enjoyed spending time outside on the patio. It’s a happy busy place.

Things I’m Looking Forward To: 

• An August trip to Door County, Wisconsin.
• The MN State Fair
• Resuming infertility treatments post miscarriage.

Things I’m Over:
A lot of the blogger/social media mania. The oversharing, the giveaways for likes, humble bragging, boring sponsored posts, sponsored posts that don’t disclose they are sponsored posts until the very end, Twitter chats, describing or selling anything as “Instagrammable” Pinterest which has literally gone to hell in a hand basket (each time I look at my feed its promoting “Make-up Tips for Older Women!” posts at me), the strange algorithms, nice guy Twitter creepers, Facebook MLM product parties, link sharing, link dropping. . .

I don’t know if it’s getting older or hindsight or all that’s been going on in our lives recently, but I’ve lost patience with it all.

I write this blog because I love food, travel, and sharing stories through writing and photos. It’s connected me with people who have made my life fuller. I work hard five days a week and I love spending some of my free-time in this space that I’m so passionate about cultivating however I wish. I don’t want to quit blogging, but I want to figure out how to continue in a way that remains fun, feels safe, is personally fulfilling, and authentic.

The great thing is that blogging can be whatever you want to make of it.

How’s your summer going? What’s your “currently?”