It's time for the 2020 Nice Things Thread!:

My partner gave me my annual one-card-per-month tarot reading for the new year, then I read his cards in the same spread, and they fit so well together, and it looks like we have so much to look forward to. (Also: mulled cider.)

Moved to tears—twice!—by the book I'm reading. Presents from my bestie. Hearing that my cute parents did something nice for their anniversary.

Cold avocado smoothie on a sore throat.

Surprise brunch with bestie. Also we loaded ~1500 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies into our meeting space so GET READY TO BUY

We watched GOOD TIME and I love being able to look at my partner and say "Can you make me a GIF of that??" at any given time.

My friend sent me a video of herself using a gift I'd gotten her, and my heart absolutely swelled.

First Girl Scout meeting of the calendar year and I got verklempt looking at them, some of whom had growth spurts over the break and look more grown-up. I've known some of these lil peanuts for four years, like 40% of their lives. I have such love for them.

In a staff meeting, every member of my team complimented me on my work on a little project I did, a project which was not a super heavy lift but was some of the most fun I've had at work in a while. Then: I roasted perfectly crispy Brussels sprouts for a hearty winter salad.

Going to see LITTLE WOMEN with @frumpenberg tonight was such a joy.

Saw Amanda and Caitlin at @Tmoms and now I have a Dumdum in my coat pocket for later.

Went to a house party and dominated at Cranium, and then had rescue pizza.

The barista recognized my FUTURE CORPSE hoodie as an @OrderGoodDeath product and we chatted delightedly about it, which is an upgrade from the last time someone commented on it in public, when they acted like I was wearing something that was a personal attack.

I went to Little Women (again lol) with Val tonight. I like Val a lot but making friends as an adult is hard and you're never quite sure what level you're at. But during the movie I was sobbing and she reached over to pat my arm and it was very tender! Treasure platonic intimacy!

1/14: First @womensmedfund Board meeting of the year and the new cohort is a bunch of keepers!!

Borrowed a car to bring home moving boxes and realized that meant I had the ability to leave the office for lunch!!!

Buds came over to watch VPR. Everything I've wanted adulthood to be

A few weeks ago I got to pull off a quick, creative little project at work, and today it was all put on display. I got a ton of positive feedback on it—and all just as self-appraisals came due.

Hollering—HOLLERING!—about Terminator: Dark Fate, while drinking cocktails designed from the least-full bottles from my bar cabinet in an attempt to use them up before I move, and vehemently asserting that they are all girlfriends.

Movie night at Lansie's and Andrew's! Also: dog nephew.

I started today with a bunch of bad-dream stress, spent the middle part relaxing with boo, and ended in a burst of productivity. A lot of go but I'll kill it at this pace!

1/21: I worked really hard at Scouts tonight getting orders out and getting my tracking spreadsheet to do math properly, and then I gave myself the night off from packing to indulge in leftover enchiladas we made with Lansie and Andrew, and to curl up with a very snuggly Dexter.

1/22: had a really productive therapy session where I was able not only to look at the progress I've made, but also to identify room for growth without shame.

became a homeowner. AND saw these two beautiful geniuses in conversation for @frumpenberg's brave new book baby.

1/24: used a gift card I'd nearly forgotten about when I was in the right neighborhood to use it.

1/25: did some good packing; parents came (in the rain!) to help me get furniture; we found a serendipitous set of chairs that match mine; was surprised by how exciting it was to get even the most mundane things (a plunger! hardwood floor cleaning solution!) from Home Depot.

There is a little alcove in my new bedroom that is so narrow that not much can fit in it, and yet deep enough that you feel like something SHOULD fit in it, and: just look at this. I'm so smug about this.

I felt really really sick after work so I cancelled plans and made soup and took a hot bath and it made me feel better. And I STILL got some packing done.

I think I might have the flu AGAIN and Nick came over and drew me a healing sigil.

I've been rewatching New Girl and I truly think Nick Miller is one of the most underrated sitcom characters of our time.

Successfully talked down my internet/cable bill by $35/month and the customer service rep still seemed to LIKE me.

Tried my new bus route home and it was really convenient. Also today's @replyall was so good and I NEED TO KNOW THE MYSTERY GOO.

Got to give my Aunt Ellen presents at her surprise birthday party, and then: COSTCO RUN.

We built a daybed! I officially have a guest room!

I was walking to my friend's house when I ran into her on the street out walking her dog, and the dog got so excited to see me he bounded over like a Muppet and flopped at my feet keening in glee.

No big but today my coworker complimented my outfit by saying I looked like "a walking poem." TOP THAT, WORMS

I treated myself to a cocktail at a bar after therapy where I say reading a book. In retrospect the cocktail was not great but it was great to have the opportunity to sit by myself in a pretty place out of my own life for a bit.

Thanks to some prep, I managed not to be late to 6am yoga, which set a nice tone for my day.

1/7: let myself sleep in under the weighted blanket.

Hung out with my new pal Alice holding hands, sharing stuffed animals, playing on the jungle gym, and looking at pictures, and watched her throw a tantrum when it was time for me to leave.

2/9: we got a giant new trash can. I’m a person who now gets really excited about getting a giant new trash can.

Stumbled upon a vending machine that was stocked with one of my favorite pre-bagged snacks of all time, which was discontinued 3-4 years ago, and somehow the bags were not expired. I bought four because that’s all the cash I had on me.

Saw @Remember_Sarah (and @allikatz and @jljosselyn!) at @kellywritershse, then at dinner I saw no fewer than THREE people that I DIDN’T want to talk to, and managed not to talk to any of them.

Came to a stopping place with my packing, so I let myself relax and took myself on a solo pizza date to read TOPICS OF CONVERSATION. And then the bar had @ANXOcider. And then the server noticed my lock screen with delight.

Jenny Offill at the Free Library!

I moved into my house today. We unpacked more than half of my boxes. The cats are already at home. We feasted on Los Gallos, getting a reservation at the last second despite that it was Valentine’s Day. I am so tired and I’m here.

My kitchen is entirely unpacked! I got flowers! We watched dumb movies and both of my cats curled up against me!

Perfect Sunday: bagels in bed, built bookshelves, a phenomenal salad, a cozy afternoon nap, and a movie.

My folks came to help run some moving-related errands, and then Lansie and Andrew and Henson came over to eat cheese and watch bad reality TV!

Today was stressful tbh but Lansie sent me flowers, I got to give her a Valentine's present, and then I got to see the gang for our biweekly Vanderpump Rules hangout.

Whoops this was supposed to be in the queue

https://twitter.com/thewordunheard/status/1230348770447101952?s=21 https://twitter.com/thewordunheard/status/1230348770447101952

Tonight I went home and sat in an armchair with an ottoman to read a book, and that felt like an enormous luxury. Also I've got a really good bedmate tonight.

Was going to run an errand after yoga and then realized it wasn’t urgent, and it was cold, and I was allowed to just go home, so I did and then I made tea.

Today we started playing WORLD OF HORROR, a 1-bit indie RPG that is influenced by Junji Ito. It slaps.

Galentine's brunch!

A year ago I found an abandoned toy Spider-Man. Nick glued magnets to its feet and sticks him in increasingly absurd places for me to find. I came home blind with a migraine today, on the verge of tears, and laughed when I opened the door and saw it stuck to the ceiling.

A true highlight of today was realizing that I'm named in the acknowledgments of @oureric's beautiful book. I love you, friend!!

Tonight was the... 10th? 11th? Sensible Nonsense Project. So grateful that people buy into my weird little celebration of kid lit. (Also later I came home and put together a bench that did NOT come with instructions, and felt pretty smug about it!)

I know this is an @oureric-heavy thread this week but like...

2/28: grabbed dinner at an old haunt, Banana Leaf, after a late night training.

Met @born_spinster's ratty bbs.

3/1: came home after a long day and tucked into all the snacks. (Did you know about Trader Joe's savory banana trail mix?)

3/2: I made pozole rojo, and hibiscus simple syrup, and put them in the fridge next to a pitcher of peach nectar, and now my fridge has all kinds of lovely warm colors in it.

Our Girl Scout troop decided that they don't so much care about badges and just want to do stuff together, and tonight's meeting was basically just a spa day. I painted so many tiny 5th-grader nails!

Did several errands efficiently; got something done I'd been waiting to do for weeks; decided to turn my despair into action. And I made use of that dang lifeline.

I had a really good, affirming, motivating meeting at work, and then I had four lovely folks over to drink dumb cocktails and watch Vanderpump Rules.

We dug through the archives at work and found an old brochure that was so funny I may have lost my mind.

Isabelle came to help me drill things into my walls and also she brought me a stunning jewelry box—which she MADE HERSELF in a woodworking class. I honestly don’t want to defile it with my junky baubles. Here she is with my cats.

Today was gorgeous; treated myself to iced coffee, a few records, a new plant. One of those days I feel lucky to live in this city. And then we unpacked my books, finally!

Discovering @jamieloftusHELP's podcast MY YEAR IN MENSA was a total joy. Also: started a new knitting project!

Got into an argument online today that culminated in someone thanking me for being patient in explaining my piece, saying it helped changed his mind. Rare, satisfying, a shimmering beacon of hope for what strangers can be to each other.

I had a milkshake at lunch because whatever, so long, Earth, thanks for the strawberries and cream.

3/12: new haircut! AND I puta bunch of food into the freezer and got the last bottle of acetaminophen at Target.

My little home office, while uhhh kind of a bummer the circumstances under which I’m using it, is really coming together!

Against my better judgment I went to a wedding and I love them (and looked cute)

Made a big batch of one of my favorite soups to freeze.

More soup batching, and quickly supporting local businesses while I still could. (I got herbs! And books!)

Today was rough but I talked to my dad and FaceTimed with Kristyn.

One perk of social distancing is mandated telehealth, and one perk of mandated telehealth is VIRTUALLY MEETING MY THERAPIST'S CAT.

Today I got plants. Today I got a book delivered to my doorstep from @HeadHouseBooks. Today I took a class they @MahaYogaStudio in my own living room. Today I am willing myself to focus on this.

Last outing, maybe for a while, to pick up an order I'd placed at @PBCulturePhilly, and on the way back we found that a froyo place was doing orders through a window, using gloves. This is a strange equinox.

THIS! Plus Kalaya lunch, sitting in the yard in the sunshine , and Zoom happy hour with @frumpenberg and Anna and @carmenmmachado and Val.

https://twitter.com/thewordunheard/status/1241406141776740353?s=21 https://twitter.com/thewordunheard/status/1241406141776740353

Google Hangout dinner date with @fancywhitebread, Lansie and Nic Cage.

Potato leek soup! POTATO LEEK SOUP!

My big outing today was to walk fifteen minutes to the tasting room of a local distillery where they were doing pickups through their front window for prepaid bottles. I was dangerously low on gin. Getting there was like playing Frogger but at least there was sun.

Bowled over by @lsjamison’s MAKE IT SCREAM MAKE IT BURN and very grateful that @HeadHouseBooks delivered it to me last week.

Got my first delivery from Philly FoodWorks and I've never been happier to see produce.

Today I took a photo of 13th Street—it looked so picturesque, the sidewalks not full of people, just one woman and her dog—and took the pic before I realized the woman was my bestie, and she was stopped in front of our pal's house, so we had an impromptu socially distanced hang.

Today we started the day with Dalgona coffee and chocolate chip pancakes. Somehow, this is the first time my partner and I have ever made pancakes together.

Finally getting around to blocking a boxy sweater I started knitting last year. Blocking is a pain in the ass but at least it will be over.

Finished a book for the first time in what felt like ages.

Unexpected moment of openness and vulnerability from a colleague.

My pals had a Zoom date to watch ballet together and discuss, and it ruled.

Made some vegan cookies using oats and overripe bananas for breakfast, and paced my yard in the sun, and it was a nice morning break from work.

Finished knitting a sweater! It's silly and extremely heavy.

I've been working all day on a beginner's embroidery kit and I? Love it?

We got some really good outdoor time today, wore homemade masks, & yelled a satisfying FUCK YOU at a YouTuber who *pulled down his own mask & came w/in two feet of us* to say he was "doing a segment on living well in the time of Corona" and tried to sell us "wellness kits."

I made focaccia!

We conducted our first Zoom session for our Girl Scouts and that’s how I found out that these 10yos are all expert level shitposters.

A friend reached out for help with her grief, and being of use to someone kept me from being too lost in my own.

On the Gal Pal FaceTime we all decided to wear red lipstick.

I had to do some holiday shopping, which was stressful, so I treated myself to a potted hyacinth. The woman bagging groceries took longer than I expected to finish up, and I realized it was bc she was tamping down the dirt in the pot to help my flower stand up straighter.

Zoom seder with @frumpenberg et al was an absolute balm.

I handled Passover stuff this week, and this morning I opened my eyes to Nick already awake and ready for me to look for our Easter baskets, which he'd meticulously assembled and then hidden.

4/13: got to sleep with the cats, which happens only rarely now.

Got up early enough to read in bed before work; enough morning light now to enjoy for a while before having to get moving.

Got a little money I didn’t think I had coming, and sent it on over to @womensmedfund to fund abortion. Think I’ll do some bail fund donation tomorrow too.

Finished a big project at home, and as I was putting on the finishing touches, I came downstairs to Nick making "pulled pork" tacos out of our grey oyster mushrooms

Fetch! The! Bolt! Cutters!

Chicken stock bb

Today was incredible because we took a long lovely walk to @hermanscoffee to get cold brew, snacks and Chemex filters (and saw @AmyLeighP!) then realized we could get takeout margaritas from Cantina on the way home, and drank them in the yard watching The Righteous Gemstones.

Surprise postcard from @malty_k and a delivery of fabulous perfume samples!

We took advantage of @budandmarilyns’ genius move to offer games and puzzles alongside their takeout fare, and ordered a jigsaw puzzle that we are already SLAYING.

Got a new lil flower baby on my purple clover! And spent the sunny part of the evening cozying up with my cats and finishing a good book.

4/23: we did a surprise video call for our buddy’s birthday.

YEEEEEAAAAHHHH

Today was finally warm enough to assemble the patio furniture and crack a beer and have a meal outside in the sun and now I am single-minded about needing garden plants and cafe lights so I can live out here

We had a really nice languid morning taking our time getting out of bed, and then making a simple but decadent breakfast.

FaceTime with Juni and JoJo.

Went on a walk at lunch to pick up some new plant babies—a rex begonia and a string of dolphins—and felt so good about being in the sunshine, stewarding new life.

Started hardening off my herbs! Because I learned that that’s a thing!

I had a challenging workday and my partner ordered me a pizza.

I met a neighbor!!!

I told him I missed farmers markets and coffee shops so he made me a farmers market coffee stand

Got a text from @FancyLansie previewing the little container garden she’s growing me

Speaks for itself. @LeahLikesDogs is a dang gem and I miss her.

Made excuses to take the walk to the end of the block to mail postcards three separate times today, and those outside breaks totally broke things up. Also, I was worried about my basil plant but I tried something and it bounced right back!

An extremely good mail day: a patio umbrella, a postcard from @nahhhlina, and a book from @future__ghost.

Made a soup tonight that used up four different pantry items that were on the brink of becoming unusable. (This is the before stage.)

5/8: Nick surprising me with a puzzle of Annecy.

5/9: impromptu movie night with Lansie and Andrew.

Today we had lemon cake and chatted with my family (I even put on earrings and a dress!) and then we made the most delicious mushroom pizza and watched Little Women (Nick's first time, my third) and I cried at all the usual spots.

I was so tired and overwhelmed this morning and Nick told me I had to eat, and I promised I'd eventually grab some cereal but he went downstairs and brought me crispy eggs and toast

5/12: moderating a webinar was a first —we even had a technical failure halfway through and I did not panic and recovered, and everyone on my team was complimentary

Today we got a surprise package from @the_barnes containing a surrealist puzzle, which was a gift from @born_spinster—at her request, a Barnes staffer had included a handwritten note on her behalf, and I could cry from both the generosity and the worker's personal touch

Hey @the_barnes, that was a really sweet thing to do and you should be giving whichever worker who did it the appropriate accolades and compensation for their stellar job!!