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About Last Weekend

About last weekend, I had a blast in Nashville. Technically, we were there for hockey. Unfortunately, the hockey was not nearly as good as our nights out in Nashville. The first game was beyond abysmal. Apparently, the boy had forgotten how to play hockey. Honestly, it didn’t get much better from there on out.

Typically, the hockey is front and center on these trips, but it wasn’t this time. And thank god for that. The hockey was ancillary to all the fun I had with my Mayor and my fellow hockey parents. The hockey will end and the biggest takeaway will be the incredible memories we’ve created. I have more to say on hockey and am on the verge of saying it, but that can wait until my boy is fully done playing. Hockey folks can be sensitive, so for his survival and mine my lips are sealed.

The cherry on top of the shit hockey was the Mayor getting injured in the early Monday game. For some unknown reason, the tournament felt the U-18 teams and their parents should revisit the early morning game hell that usually ends in squirts. To make matters worse, the 5:40 am wake-up call was greeted by temperatures that were barely above zero. You can imagine my feelings when the Mayor was injured early in the game.

List five things you do for fun.

Here’s my list of fun activities:

  • Read
  • Run
  • Watch hockey
  • Yoga
  • Bake
  • And of course play with my dogs
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Busy

It’s been a busy week. My schedule has been altered a bit due to appointments. Consequently, I took a few days off from the blog and my workouts. Fortunately, the appointments went well, but they were lengthy. One of the safety measures our endocrinologist office has instituted is rigorous education for new diabetes patients. Given that the Mayor is only 18, the Hubby and I have an active role in it.

Tuesday we met with the dietician and lead diabetes educator at the Mayor’s Endocrinologist office. It was a long appointment, but we learned a lot. We covered many topics revolving around nutrition, but also navigating life with the insulin pump and Dexcom. There was a lot of information, but it was super helpful. We have a good idea of what to expect next week when he gets the pump and a list of what to bring to said appointment. The new patient education culminates with a day-long symposium.

Due to the appointments, yesterday I had a Telehealth over lunch, I took my rest days this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. Today I would normally spin over lunch, but instead, I did a full body workout in the Sweat App. This also means I’ll have some workouts to log while I’m in Nashville this weekend. The Mayor and I will be packing tonight. He must bring synthetic insulins (long-acting and short-term) on this trip. By the time we go on our next trip, he’ll just be using one.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 16 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

Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

The better question would be where can’t I reduce clutter in my life. That is to say, I think I can reduce clutter in every space of my life.

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Back To It

I’m back to it after a quick Sunday off. Man, oh man, are those one-day weekends short? This morning was pretty productive, but the afternoon, so far, has been forgettable. In fact, the afternoon has been the opposite of productive. Apparently, there is no payment method on Monday. I keep reminding myself that it’s a numbers game. So regardless of how great the afternoon has been this far, I will persist.

I worked Saturday afternoon. It was slow, but not too bad. The weather was a bit dreary Saturday, so working all day wasn’t terrible. Fortunately, Sunday’s weather was pristine. It was a little cool in the morning, but there was nary a cloud in the sky. Sunday’s weather was perfect. In contrast, up in Tally, Jake and Melly found their grass and roofs covered with a light dusting of snow.

We spent Sunday watching football and baking bread. Well, I started the sourdough bread. They’re currently finishing their second rise. Hopefully, they’ll be ready to pop in the oven as soon as I’m off work. They bake for forty minutes and will make a nice addition to our dinner tonight. I’ll be sharing the recipe on the blog tomorrow. It’s so simple and tasty. And now I’m back to it!

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 13 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

Think back on your most memorable road trip.

I’ve been on some memorable road trips. Two that stand out are: our road trip through Norway and the road trip through the Mighty Five. Both road trips came with some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. The company was pretty awesome on both trips as well. It was special to share the Norway trip with my parents, brothers’ families, my grandma, and my aunt’s family. The trip through Utah’s spectacular parks was something Jake and I will always share. I hope my kids look back on these adventures with Mom fondly.

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Winter

Well, winter made its appearance here these past two days. It was in the mid-forties when I walked the dogs yesterday. Inspired by the cool weather, I decided to channel a little Minnesota for dinner. Consequently, I baked a hot tator-tot dish. It’s as Minnesotan as pickle rollups and just as good. The Mayor was not buying it and made himself pizza instead. His loss!

Today started cold, but it’s warmed into the 70s. Thank God! I had to wear to sweatshirts when I took the dogs out this morning. When I took them out at lunch, no sweatshirt was needed. It’s perfect outside. This is the weather people move to Florida to enjoy. It’s amazing. Today’s weather is the perfect prescription for the winter blues.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations):10 days in and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: it’s been ten days, but so far so good
  • 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

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

When I was born, my great-grandmother made me a quilt. It was my most prized possession when I was a child. It’s an item that if it were destroyed, there would be compensation adequate for its value. It’s priceless. As of right now, the quilt is upstairs in the closet. It will be handed down to the first granddaughter we have, so it will probably be in that closet for a while yet.

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Still Tired

Well, I’m still tired although we got more sleep last night. The Dexcom alarms didn’t start until 3:00 am this morning. Today’s alarms were of the hypoglycemic variety, which I find quite scary. The Hubby went upstairs to ensure the Mayor ate and drank something to raise his blood sugar. As always, the Mayor was a peach. Fortunately, his blood sugar rebounded nicely and didn’t bottom out or spike the rest of the night.

Next week he has his nutritionist appointment at the endo’s office. I’m sure he’s super excited for that one. Our endo removed his carb restriction, which thrilled him. The following week, he has an appointment to receive training on his insulin pump. I think this is the appointment we’re all excited about. Once he gets the pump, the high blood sugar alarms should, the operative word being should, become a thing of the past.

While I’m still tired, I appreciated meeting my new manager this morning. I’ve worked for Doc before, so I’m excited about this new change. I wish I could say the leads and my production have been as exciting, but I’d be lying. For the past two days I have been riding the struggle bus. Such is life in sales. Anyway, I’m still tired.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 7 days in and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: it’s been two days, but so far so good
  • 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 are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

My great-grandmother lived to be almost 105 years old. She died just months shy of her 105th birthday. She experienced both world wars, the Spanish Flu and COVID, and the move to a world dominated by computers and cars. More than that, she was able to experience several generations of the family she created.

My great-grandmother had a very special relationship with my oldest son Jake. She was his great-great-grandmother. I remember his face as she recounted how Lindy (Charles Lindbergh) used to dip his wings to say hi to her when she was working in the fields. She connected us to our past, while Jake connected her to the present. It was a beautiful connection to witness. Longevity made this connection possible, and it was an absolute gift.

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Tired

I’m tired. I know, know, I’m always tired. Today’s been rough. The Mayor’s Dexcom was going off with high blood sugar alerts all night. His CGM showed his sugar level as over 400, while Accu-Chek showed nearly 300. We gave him a correction dose around 1:30 am based on the accu-chek numbers, but it took a while for the Dexcom to stop squawking. Anyway, my alarm came way too fast.

The Mayor stayed home from school today as the night of high school blood sugar left him feeling nauseous and exhausted. He complained to me that his dad and I woke him up too many times. Meanwhile, the hubby and I could get no sleep as his Dexcom went off every five minutes. His sugar is much better today and has been stable since we woke up. Hopefully, his blood sugar will stay stable throughout the night so we can all get some sleep.

Here’s a nice TBT pic

As for me, I’m fighting the good fight at work. Our department meeting went well. They reassigned my boss to a different department, so as of January 1, my boss changed. I’ve worked for my new manager before and found it to be a pleasant experience. The last several months have been difficult for several reasons, so I’m happy for a fresh start.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 7 days in and I haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: it’s been two days, but so far so good
  • 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 could you do differently?

There are a lot of things I could do differently. One thing that I’ve been contemplating starting, aside from Goat yoga, is the European grocery shopping trend. This involves several small shops at different stores throughout the week. The goal is better ingredients and less waste. Too often the produce I bought on the weekend, isn’t fresh when I use it later in the week. Theoretically, this should save us money if it results in less food waste.

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Friday!

Yay for Friday! It’s the first Friday of the year and I’m here for it. I’ve only been back at work since yesterday, but two days is enough. Honestly, I can’t complain too much as the last two days have been chill and productive. Yesterday was a lot better, but today has been a bit slow. It does, however, feel good to get back into a routine.

Speaking of routine, I’m dipping my toes into the shallow end of the pool in the exercise space. I have a long and dramatic history of doing too much too soon with poor results. Consequently, I didn’t do the spin and strength double header I had planned for today. The doubleheaders can wait for next week. Fortunately, the full body Sweat workout was fire! It definitely got my heart pumping.

A little late, but still funny and accurate

After a break for holiday baking, I’m back on the sourdough train. I’ve stopped buying bread since I can pump out several loaves a week. I love bread, but there’s so much garbage in store-bought bread. For folks like myself and the Mayor, the garbage can increase inflammation and make managing our autoimmune disorders more difficult. This, however, doesn’t stop me from eating a Reese’s peanut butter cup. But I guess that’s what we call balance. Happy Friday!

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): compliant so far
  • Top performer at work: it’s been one day, but so far so good
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What colleges have you attended?

I attended the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities campus for my undergraduate degrees. Where I earned a BA in Political Science and a BA in History. After I attended Purdue Global (aka Kaplan University) for my MBA because it was free and required for promotion. While I enjoyed the online delivery of my MBA, I can’t say that it had the same academic rigor as my undergraduate experience. Honestly, it was a bit of a quagmire. I don’t regret pursuing my MBA, but I feel I would have gotten more out of an in-person MBA program.

Our song of the day is Fame

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Blah

Blah, is there a better word to describe your first day back in the office after two weeks off? I mean maybe, but Meta would probably take down my post if I used it. I’ve been back at work since 8:00 am this morning with the picturesque view of my two monitors, laptop, and flat-screen television. Fortunately, the call volume and quality have been decent today, so I can’t complain too loudly. I am, however, exhausted.

Today is day two of no afternoon latte and what a terrible New Year’s resolution. I could go for a nice, hot latte right now. To be clear, my afternoon homemade coffee is still in play. I’ve almost finished it. Yet, here I am at the peak of exhaustion. I had hoped the lunchtime spin class would give me a boost, but nope. I guess being tired is just a constant state of being as an adult. Somehow I must have missed the warning on the lameness of adulting.

I had high aspirations for my time off, but I accomplished very little. At first, I was a bit annoyed with myself, but after the year we’ve had I decided to give myself grace. More than anything, I needed to rest, relax and reset. The to-do list, which is never-ending, could wait for the start of the new year and our return to routine. That’s not to say I did nothing as I still managed to knock some meaningful items off my to-do list.

So my blah day back to work also means the return to routine, which I crave. At this point in my life, I need routine. It keeps me disciplined and working on my goals. The Mayor’s all set for school, so no longer chasing labs, endos, or medical records is a big weight off my shoulders. The remainder of my to-do list is quite manageable. And with that, I’ll get back to it.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): compliant so far
  • Top performer at work: it’s been one day, but so far so good
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?

I play with my puppies everyday. It’s just goofing around in the house or on our walks. We have a lot of fun.

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2025

2025 is here and mercifully it brought a cold front with it.  This morning it was a refreshing 67 degrees when I walked the puppies.  2025 also means that we’ve seen the last of 2024.  While last year brought the spectacular high Jake and Melly’s wedding, it also brought a lot of medical issues and even surgery for the Mayor.  In fact, I ended the year with a virus.  It’s a fitting way to end the year.

As we enter 2025, the Mayor is in a good place.  He does a great job, for the most part, managing his sugar.  He is not, however, great at dealing with highs or lows in the middle of the night.  In fact, he’s downright ornery.  All three of us get alarms for his Dexcom, which means the Hubby and I are up as long as it’s going off.  When we try to intervene or sanity check the Dexcom with his Accu-Chek, he fights us.  Fortunately, this isn’t happening often.  When it does happen, it completely disrupts our sleep.

Since I was fighting off viruses myself the last two weeks, I haven’t been working out.  I haven’t been my usual radiant self over the winter break. Initially, I re-started Kayla Itsine’s High Intensity program after AEP, but had to shelve it for 10 days.  Thankfully, I was able to get back to it today.  Tomorrow, I’ll be back on the spin bike.  Next week, I’ll be back on the treadmill after an extended absence courtesy of a high ankle sprain.

This all brings me to my goals for 2025. Here they are:

  • Run a 5K
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations)
  • Top performer at work
  • Travel
  • Eat to lower inflammation
  • Read daily
  • Get out of debt
  • Financial independence

I’m sure the Starbucks goal will help reach the debt-free financial independence that you are seeking. I will, however, miss my afternoon cinnamon dulce latte. As the year progresses, I’ll be sure to share my progress here. I’ll close out today’s blog by offering a toast to a better 2025.

What are your biggest challenges?

My biggest challenges are managing my autoimmune and my boy’s autoimmune disorder. I find it more difficult to accept the Mayor’s diagnosis’s versus my own. There’s defiantly a strong sense of mom guilt that has come along with his diagnosis. Fortunately, as I noted above, he has done a great job managing his condition mentally and physically. I am so proud of him.

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Headed North

The Mayor and I are headed north to Detroit for, you guessed it, a weekend of hockey. Our flight was delayed about 90 minutes, which was a bit of a nuisance. The upgrade to first class alleviates some annoyance at being late. I’m awaiting a glass of Prosecco, which will eliminate every last glimmer of annoyance. Once we land, we’ll have a nice sixty-minute drive to the hotel, which does suck a bit. Fortunately, we can sleep in as the Mayor has no games until late tomorrow night.

I’m not at all prepared for the cold. I’ve been cold all day and it’s in the low 70s back home. I’m pretty sure the Detroit weather is going to make me feel like hibernating beneath the warmth of the covers in our hotel room. Detroit will, however, be a nice departure from the last seven weeks of AEP (annual enrollment period for the uninitiated.). The last several weeks do AEP were taxing as our shifts stretched to 12 to 14 hours. That’s a long time to be checked in a pleasant when dealing with a demographic that can be extremely difficult.

I’ll write more on AEP later as my short ribs and Prosecco have arrived. Moreover, I’ll share the saga of chasing down the Mayor’s type 1 diagnosis. He’s doing well, but more on that later.

P.S. I’m typing this on my phone from 35,000 miles up headed north, so please forgive the typos.

Sky Club offerings

Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?

My sophomore year speech teacher convinced me to join the speech team and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I think of Mr. Quinlan (Q as we affectionately called him) with a deep sense of gratitude often especially when I’ve been delivering a speech or presentation. Learning how to speak publicly is one of the best life skills you can learn. I’m forever grateful to Q, who encouraged and helped me develop my public speaking abilities.