“You are not always right. That is the cost of mortality.”

Weekly Recap!

After this week I hope you do not have to hear me talk about painting for a long time. 😅 We still aren’t finished but we’re getting there. We even had a little electrical side quest!

Steve took down the ceiling lamp on Monday only to instantly call out my name. As always, every little thing you touch in a 100+ year old house falls apart. In this case the light was hooked up to the original electrical wiring - wiring so bad that it was disintegrating under some sketchy black tape job by a previous owner. Look how scary this was!

We texted and called a couple of electrician friends who advised us to sit this one out and hire a professional. Steve even dropped our dog off at his mom’s in case the house caught on fire while we were sleeping. We thought the walls might have to get ripped out to replace all the wiring in the room. Thankfully that wasn’t needed but the electrician who came the next day was not pleased when he saw the mess.

A couple of hours later the “situation” was replaced and the painting resumed. As I mentioned in the previous post, we are color drenching the walls: all the same color but flat paint for the ceiling, eggshell for the walls, and an oil paint for the trim, windows, and doorways. Two experts at the paint store told us not to use traditional oil paint but a new version known as an “Alkyd” semi-gloss. It looks great BUT IT NEEDS 8 COATS. I wish I was exaggerating. It goes on like goddamn a water color so I’ve spent the whole week laying on the ground painting the same trim over and over again, touching up with teeny tiny brushes. A day or two more and we might finally be done.

Currently Reading

While painting, I blew through the graphic audio books of ‘Red Rising’ and its sequel ‘Golden Son’ by Pierce Brown. I understand why this series has such a cult following. The world building and vast array of characters makes these books an immersive experience. Brown is ruthless with these characters though - don’t get too attached because he is not afraid to break your heart. I started the third book in the trilogy, ‘Morning Son,’ last night and I’m amped up to see how it plays out.

There’s even 3 more books after this original trilogy, so I guess I’ll be in the world of Darrow and his Howlers for a couple more weeks. Once I’m done with painting I’m looking forward to spending time physical reading the stack of books I got for my birthday.

Currently Adventuring

On Saturday my mom wanted to go into the city for Mother’s Day so I spent a glorious Spring day with my mom and dad in New York City. We started off at the American Museum of Natural History where we saw everything from the Hayden Planetarium Space Show to the Cosmic Splendor: Jewelry from the Collections of Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition.

Afterwards we had dinner at La Pecora Bianca and then coffee and dessert at the Starbucks Reserve in the Empire State Building. Ever since my mom fell in love with the city last year (finally!) she loves getting an affogato at the fancy schmancy Starbucks. Growing up in NJ right outside of NYC, my Dad worked in the city for 25+ years and I lived there after college. Steve and I still plan on moving there or at least getting an apartment there at some point. I love Asbury Park but Manhattan is always where my heart truly feels at home.

Currently Loving on TikTok

I’ve loved following the story of the NJ Firefighter who calls out his cheating wife at his own 40th Birthday Party 😂😂😂 What I love the most are the videos of people breaking down what happened and even digging up their wedding video on their photographer’s page 3 years ago!! I’d be better off canceling cable because TikTok is free! In these fucked up times, I’m grateful for creators who can make me laugh until I cry.

What are you guys reading or watching this week? Let me know in the comments, I always need a good deep dive before I fall asleep.

Until next week!

*Title quote from ‘Golden Son’ by Pierce Brown.