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Busy

This past weekend was incredibly busy. We had a diabetes class for the Mayor scheduled all day Saturday. He was super cranky Saturday morning and his blood sugar was sky high. His insulin pod died in the middle of the night and he refused to change it. Consequently, the phone was dinging every five minutes all night long. Needless to say, none of us were well-rested or ready to spend a day in the classroom.

The Mayor was the only type 1 diabetic in the class of mostly boomers. Our saving grace was Winnie a diabetic since 2005 with an A1C of 10. She was the anti-hero of the day because she was such a hot mess, she had us all entertained. The Mayor eventually started chirping her because of the ridiculous things she would say. When the class started, she introduced herself with her A1C like it was AA and not a diabetes education class. She was upset when nobody else felt like sharing their A1C.

Saw Air Force One on the drive home

She was also the antihero because her behavior definitely drove the cost of care. When the nurse educator explained it’s best to eat the protein, vegetables and then the carbs, so the sugar doesn’t spike as quickly. Winnie took that to mean the protein cancelled out the carbs and she could still eat her two pieces of pie. Winnie then scolded the nurse educator for trying to make her choose between pecan pie and strawberry cream pie. The elevator was not making it to the top floor for Miss Winnie.

Fortunately, the nurse educator was able to get through the material quickly. Part of the treatment plan for a newly diagnosed or new diabetic patient practices is one one-on-one nutrition counseling and the diabetes seminar. At first I thought it was overkill, but then I met Winnie. Successfully managing diabetes takes a great doctor, but it also takes a patient who is willing to educate themselves and actively manage their condition.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in-training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading  The Eagle and The Hart by Helen Castor.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

Write about your dream home.

I always envisioned my dream house as a large mansion on the beach with several opulent rooms overlooking the water. This house would have enough rooms, so every person could occupy their own beach front room. Rumor has it that as we get older we get more practical. Now my dream home is anywhere my family and puppies lay their heads.

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End of an Era

It was the end of an era yesterday as the Mayor played his last league game of his youth hockey career. This time it’s for real as he’s aging out of youth hockey. There’s no division after u-18. If he wants to keep playing hockey, it would be Junior hockey. If you know me, you know my opinion on Junior hockey, so I’ll spare you the sermon.

The boys won their last league game handily. They played significantly better this weekend than they did the prior two weekends. Moreover, they were moving the puck well. If they’re going to win states, and they can, they’ll need to move the puck and play skilled, structured hockey. I quite enjoyed myself during the game courtesy of the sour watermelon moonshine that I picked up Saturday. Anyway, the moonshine made the end of an era easier to accept.

After the game ended, we headed to the Brass Monkey for some good food and slow service. It’s a dive bar near the rink that serves amazing food. The team took up their whole dining room and the lunch took the entire afternoon. I enjoyed a hearty bowl of their clam chowder, which is good. By the time we left, I was way too full to eat dinner during the game. I still made the focaccia bread and will have the roast the hubby made for dinner tonight.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading  The Eagle and The Hart by Helen Castor.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?

The first thing I’d do is tell my immediate family – the hubby and kids. After that, I’d call my parents and tell them the good news. Once they know, I’d tell everyone I know including the postman.

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Easy Sour Dough Sandwich Bread

Here’s my easy sour dough sandwich bread recipe. You won’t even be forced to read a dissertation to get it. You’re welcome.

Easy Sour Dough Sandwich Bread

Tools needed:

Ingredients:

  • 100-110 grams of starter
  • 11 grams of salt
  • 425 grams of water
  • 512 grams of flour

Steps:

  • Combine starter, salt, and water using the spatula
  • Add flour to the mixture, and stir with a spatula or your hands.
  • Once the dough is mixed, cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  • Pull and fold the dough by pulling the dough from one corner and folding it over the center, turn and repeat until you are back at your starting point. Repeat this process 2-3x more times. Then cover and let rest 30 minutes. Repeat this cycle 3 more times. This helps build gluten and improve the bread’s elasticity
The dough before the folds
After the 1st fold
After the 3rd fold
After the 4th fold
The folding process
  • After the last set of stretches and folds, place the dough in the clear cylinder. Measure on the side where the dough comes up. Depending on the time of day, you can place the dough in the refrigerator to rest overnight or leave on the counter until it doubles. If you’re resting the dough in the fridge, take it out the next morning and let the dough prove until it’s doubled. I use measuring tape to confirm when my dough doubles. This can take anywhere from 4-18 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
  • As soon as the dough has doubled empty onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two even pieces. I use the kitchen scale here.
  • On the lightly floured surface, shape each piece into a rectangle by folding the top corners like a business envelope and using the pastry scraper to pull the bottom up into the middle. Transfer to prepared loaf pan and shape into a loaf. Rub or drizzle the top of each loaf with olive oil.
  • Set the loaf pans on a baking sheet and slip the baking sheet into a baking bag to keep the loaves from drying out. At this point, you can put it in the refrigerator overnight or you can let the loaves prove on the counter until they hit the top of the pan. (I only use the baking sheet to help easily transport the loaves between the garage fridge and the kitchen. You won’t bake on the sheet.). The second proof can take anywhere from 4-6 hours depending on where you live.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the loaves pans on the top rack and back for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, turn down the oven to 375 and back for another 20-25 minutes. You want to bake until the bread is golden brown and has an internal temperature of 206-210

  • Let cool on a wire rack for an hour before serving

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading  The Eagle and The Hart by Helen Castor.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

The most important invention in your lifetime is…

There are so many incredible inventions that have happened during my lifetime. I would say the internet is probably the biggest. It’s changed the world completely for better and for worse.

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Fabulous

We had a fabulous weekend!! Friday night was spent watching hockey and chilling with the puppies. The Mayor had a “mandatory” practice, so we binged Dexter in his absence. Consequently, we had a restful Friday night, which was the perfect setup for an extremely busy Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday we headed down to Amerant Arena to tailgate with the Kennedys before the Panthers game. For the first time in months, it was actually quite hot outside. The arena was nice and cold. The Panthers took on the Chicago Blackhawks and gave up a goal within seven seconds of the puck drop. Thankfully, it was the last goal they’d give up on Saturday. It’s so impressive seeing Barkov and Tkachuk play in person. Barkov is an absolute magician on the ice.

After the game ended, the Hubby, John and I headed to the casino. Unfortunately, we spent the afternoon losing on the terrace. We decided to try our luck inside but found none. Mercifully, we took a dinner break and enjoyed an amazing steak at Farraday’s. My lemon drop martini was also mighty tasty. After dinner and a double shot of fireball, we were back on the slots. We built up quite the reservoir of credits over a couple of hours but lost it all in a matter of minutes. Oh well, we had an absolute blast.

Sunday we ran to Walmart to get the Mayor some work boots and Dickies for his new job. Afterwards, we crashed on the couch until we had to leave for the Mayor’s game. Last night’s game was one that they should have won. As it turns out, it’s hard to win a hockey game when it’s played as an individual game and not a team sport. Oh well! Learning to lose and lose gracefully is integral to learning to win and to live life. The Mayor’s team is supremely talented, so I’m excited to see how they channel this adversity. Overall, the ending wasn’t great, but the weekend was fabulous.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): Made it into February and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I just finished reading Armadale by Wilkie Collins, which was great. Tonight I am starting The Eagle and The Hart by Helen Castor.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

Something on your “to-do list” that never gets done.

This question is a bit offensive. It presumes that any of my to-do list gets down. Sometimes I feel like my to-do list is like footprints that get erased by the waves. In my case, the waves would be time.

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Made it

We made it to Friday and the end of eternal January! I will tell you what it seemed like this week and the month would never end. Honestly, I am stoked for a weekend without work. Tomorrow we’re headed to brunch, the Panthers game, and the casino. It should be a spectacular day. Sunday the Mayor has his second to last league game at Skate Zone. His team is playing the second-place team, so it should be an amazing game.

January was long and arduous, but it taught me a few lessons. Importantly, I took two key lessons away from our Nashville trip. First of all, the party bus taught me that I need to stretch before I “get low” again. Secondly, I hate the cold. I legit cannot cope with the cold dry air that winter brings or the icy roads. Outside of the Nashville trip, this January I learned that blizzards can come to Florida. Okay, it wasn’t a blizzard by Minnesota standards, but certainly was by Florida standards. January also taught me that while time flies by on a macro scale, the month of January lasted 17 years. I’m just glad we made it to the end.

Goalielocks at the Beach Volleyball Social

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 31 days in and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m currently reading Armadale by Wilkie Collins– so good.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?

I’m afraid to skydive. There’s nothing you could do to induce me into skydiving. I have no desire to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

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Friday Eve

It’s Friday Eve! Thank goodness it’s getting closer to the weekend. Unfortunately, I woke up to the tragic news of the AA crash in DC. As someone who flies and whose family flies a lot, last night’s crash was my worst nightmare. Today my heart aches for the family and friends that woke up to the news their loved ones were gone forever.

I’m so sad for the larger figure skating community that lost many of its own in this crash. We travel all the time for hockey. A lot of sports families travel all the time for their sports. There’s never a moment where the sports parents stop to think they may never come back home with their athlete. So hold your loved ones close and pray for those who lost someone they loved. They’ll need all the support we can give.

Meanwhile, life cruelly marches on. I remember thinking how cruel it seems when the world keeps moving after the death of a loved one. The loss makes time stop for you, but the sun keeps rising like nothing has changed. Anyway, I digress. The Mayor is six days into life with the pump. We’ll do our second pump change tonight. It’s been a smooth ride so far with a few lows in the mix.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 30 days in and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m currently reading Armadale by Wilkie Collins– so good.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What do you complain about the most?

I complain the most about being tired because I’m always tired. I wish there was a lever I could pull that would leave me feeling refreshed and awake. If anyone knows where I can find one, please let me know. And now I’m back to Friday eve.

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Hump Day

It’s hump day. I woke up thinking it was Thursday only to be disappointed by the fact it was hump day. Isn’t that the worst? Just like January, this week is dragging its heels. This girl needs the weekend to rest and refresh badly! Emphasis on the rest part of that equation. I am tired.

I could use a weekend of spa treatments. We have a busy weekend on deck with brunch and the Cats game on Saturday. The Mayor has one of his last regular season games Sunday afternoon. It should be a good game. It’s the only team in the league that our boys haven’t beaten. Last time they played they tied. Having fully enjoyed my day as a hockey mom, including wine and espresso martinis, I may not recall that game at all. Whoops…

The Mayor had his first practice on the pump last night. It looked like his sugar was okay during practice, but there were plenty of low alerts afterward. I’m not sure if those were false lows, which the Dexcom does throw, as I fell asleep before they got home. I’ll chat with the hubby tonight and see. We’d like for the Mayor to be able to drive himself to practice again, but we need to be sure it’s safe.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 29 days in and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m currently reading Armadale by Wilkie Collins– so good.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What would you do if you won the lottery?

There’d be signs. I’d buy a hodgepodge of my favorite things. The first thing I’d do is adopt some puppies and get a bigger space for them to play. Then I’d quit my job to travel the world with my boys and dogs.

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January

Is it just me or has the month of January taken an entire year? Ordinarily, I’d be ok with time going too slow, but January is dragging in the worst way. Or maybe I, along with everyone else is dragging. It’s just this January has felt like a lifetime between the historic weather, inauguration, and fires. This doesn’t even include any of the small day-to-day stuff that piles on the stress.

January has been busy. I haven’t baked bread since the second weekend of the month. In fact, my sourdough starter is feeling neglected, but don’t worry a reunion is planned. I will feed the starter tonight, so I can start a bread over lunch tomorrow. This will give us fresh bread going into the weekend. I will also have the starter ready to bake more loaves on Sunday night, so we have bread for the week. I bought a bread slicer from Amazon so I could slice up the loaves and give the mayor precise carb counts by slice.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 28 days in and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m currently reading Armadale by Wilkie Collins– so good.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.

One of my favorite family traditions is our Christmas brunch. We have a lot of good food, drinks and company and very little stress. I love my Christmas brunch crew. The other tradition I love is baking cookies both regular and Christmas cookies. It’s something that brings me back to being a child and baking with my mom, my brothers and grandmother. Moreover, it harkens me back to the days of baking with my boys when they were little. In fact, I’ve been craving some chocolate chip cookies. I should probably bake some tonight.

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Sunday Best

Yesterday it was all about our Sunday best. We combined two of my favorite things for a fantastic day. Since my older brother and his wife were in town, we sandwiched brunch with the Mayor’s last youth hockey home games. If you’re feeling Deja VU, that’s normal. We thought he gave youth hockey for juniors two years ago, but he realized the shit show that is Junior hockey isn’t worth the time or money. This time he is aging out. Consequently, my twenty-one-year career as a youth hockey mom is coming to a close.

The Mayor played his first games yesterday wearing the Omnipod. I’m thrilled to report that his blood sugar was much better controlled during the game with the pump. For the first time since his diagnosis, I wasn’t stressed about his blood sugar during the games. He also played great and I think the pump helped. We’re blessed that the technology exists to manage type 1 diabetes effectively. It’s an absolute game changer for type 1 patients and their families.

Back to hockey, his team won both games but insisted on making the second game more interesting. The Mayor played defense for the first game and forward for the second. He scored a gorgeous goal in the third period of the second game. After the dominant six-goal third period it almost seemed silly to quibble over the first two periods. We are all, however, hockey parents and therefore always the critic. In the end, the first two periods were not great, but the third period showed off the team’s resilience, perseverance, and skill. Turns out the team brought their Sunday best.

Brunch between games was the perfect way to spend the day. We met my brothers at the Patio Bar & Grill at the Wyndham on the Beach in Deerfield Beach. The view from the restaurant was second to none. I love looking out over Deerfield Beach and the fishing pier. The waves were beautiful, but it was a bit cold with the breeze coming off the ocean. Our food, as well as the company, was tremendous and I’ll go back again. I love it!

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 27 days in and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m currently reading Armadale by Wilkie Collins– so good.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What books do you want to read?

Right now I’m finishing Armadale and then I’m going to start on a biography of Henry Bolingbroke and his cousin Richard I. I’m looking forward to reading the analysis of their relationship.

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Pump Day

It’s pump day for the Mayor. The nurse educator set the Mayor up with his insulin pump this morning. The training and setup took just over an hour. Once it was completed, he was ready to rock and roll. Now he’ll only need one type of insulin, fast-acting, instead of two. Also, no more injections for him! Instead, he’ll use insulin from vials to fill his pump. We will, however, still need to keep both types on hand in case there is an issue with the pumps.

Obviously, we have no chill about this pump. It’s an absolute game changer for him. Honestly, it should make managing his diabetes and staying in range much easier. For the hubby and I, it should help us get more sleep. My hope is the pump eliminates the high blood sugar alerts in the middle of the night. Those are the worst. We still need to be watchful about the lows, but even those should be less.

Speaking of chill, it is still cold here in South Florida. We may not have gotten any snowfall like the panhandle did, but boy is it chilly. In fact, it hasn’t gotten out of the fifties today. As someone born and raised in Minnesota, it pains me to say I’m cold when it’s 50 degrees. Nonetheless, I’ve definitely acclimated to South Florida’s amazing climate. While we have been in the 50s all week, Minnesota was nearly 100 degrees colder. In case you were wondering, the weather was a driving factor behind our move.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 24 days in and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m currently reading Armadale by Wilkie Collins– so good.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.

I’ve always wanted to visit the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables. It’s fed by an aquifer daily and looks stunning.