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Look Who’s Back

Well, well, look who’s back. It’s been a while since I’ve written here, but I was tired and needed a break. Like most women in their mid-forties, I’m having a lot of fun with my hormones. Thanks to perimenopause and Graves’ disease, I’ve been a bit all over the place. The one constant, however, has been fatigue.

With all that’s been going on, I decided to focus on staying fit and the family. Since I last wrote, I’ve run several 5Ks. These races have been a great opportunity to keep my focus on my goal of building my overall fitness. The goal is no longer to be the fastest, but to run the best race, while building muscle and bone, while letting go of the results. Of course, I’ve also added finishing a 10K race to my annual goals for 2026.

Meanwhile, the Mayor has been playing junior hockey with the Coral Springs Jr Cats. I have a love-hate relationship with junior hockey after our billet’s experience with an unethical hockey director. The program is new this year, so it was a risk, but the general manager is wonderful and does a great job. It’s really been a positive experience for the Mayor, my husband, and me.

You’ll get your fill of junior hockey over the next three days as we travel to Tampa for the playoffs. Hopefully, it doesn’t take six hours to get there this weekend, and we see a lot of cows. This team has the ability and grit to win it all, so it should be a fun weekend. My BFF and I are sharing an Airbnb to mitigate costs. So either way, we will have a good time.

2026Goal tracker:

  • Run 12 5Ks and a 10K: work in progress
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: currently working through 4.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations):
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: Does Tampa count?
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m currently reading The Mystery of Mrs. Christie – a Riddle Made for Book Club to Solve, by Marie Benedict.
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on Instagram, give me a follow!
  • Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

I was laid off from a very toxic job in 2019. It was a job that I had worked really hard for, but my old boss made my life hell the last couple of years. In the end, I had a heads up because senior leadership, far from being professional, rode down the elevator with the layoff plans face up. Whoops!

Nonetheless, it was hard to leave a team of people I loved working with every day. As tough as it was, it allowed me to spend time with my son before he left for the military. It taught me that living the corporate American dream is absolute bullshit. Instead, my life revolves around my family, my passions, my dogs, my friends, and of course, hockey. Now I’m living a happier, balanced, and fulfilling life.

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Sunday Chilling

After a crazy Saturday, I spent Sunday chilling in my human-sized dog bed with my puppies. To be clear, the puppies came and I went, but I didn’t leave the comfort of the bed. Fortunately, I felt really good on Sunday. I was concerned that I’d be really sore and it would take a while to recover from the 5k. The takeaway is my current training program is effective. Now I’m focusing on improving my speed and reducing my time. There was one downside to the race. I made a mess of my shoes at the race by traipsing across the wet lawn.

I spent Saturday night at the rink with family and friends watching the Mayor’s home opener. The Jr Cats took on their crosstown rivals, the Palm Beach Typhoon. Honestly, the game was closer than I imagined it. The Mayor and his partner CJ, played awesome together for the first part of the game. Until there was a scrum behind our net, where someone went after the Mayor, and CJ took care of business. The ref tossed CJ from the Game, but we couldn’t really see what happened from where we were.

The game was fairly chippy, but nothing too insane. My mom did, however, find it to be quite aggressive. It was a lot of fun to watch, though. I enjoyed it. Watching a hockey game where everyone wants to be there and is bought in is a thing of beauty. It’s a big shift from U-18, where half the team cares and the rest don’t care at all. They had a quick turnaround with another game on Sunday. Unfortunately, they lost, and the Mayor got injured. Fortunately, the injury doesn’t seem to be severe.

2025 Goal tracker:

  • Run a 5K: achieved! The new goal is to finish in under 32 minutes at the next 5K.
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I finished Pride and Prejudice on Saturday and am now reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on Instagram, give me a follow!
  • Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I thought a lot about how I would answer this question and decided to give the sports mom answer. When the boys were young, Goalielocks skated at MEGA Goaltending at the National Sports Center with Coach Justin Johnson. One piece of advice he gave to the parents of the campers was to ensure our hockey players don’t let hockey define their identity. Rather, their identity should be cultivated around a multitude of different interests. This is important because kids who learn to identify themselves only with their sport will struggle mightily when their sports days come to an end.

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Happy Gotcha Day Arrow!

Happy Gotcha Day Arrow!! On this day in 2022, we officially failed fostering Arrow, and he became one of us. Since that day, Arrow has brought us nothing but joy. He’s the sweetest, happiest dog. Arrow loves exploring outside. His preferred prey is squirrels. He loves chasing them up a tree. In addition, Arrow is highly food-motivated just like me. Actually, he’s even more food-motivated than me.

His brother Anakin tends to be a bit moodier, but Arrow handles him like a champ. If he sees another dog outside, he definitely wants to go mingle. Anakin, on the other hand, wants to focus on catching the nearest duck or lizard. Arrow is quick to greet our visitors. Meanwhile, we have to lock up Anakin when we have company. They’re an odd couple. I’m so glad they’re our odd couple. We love them both dearly. Happy Gotcha Day Arrow!

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on instagram, give me a follow!
  • ’Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

What are you doing this evening?

I will be doing nothing but cuddling with my puppies and watching mindless television. Like many Americans, I was shocked to see the video of Charlie Kirk being assassinated. Honestly, I wish my eye could unsee it. Unfortunately, we’ve come to a place in this country where people think shooting people they disagree with is okay. They cheered when the UH CEO was killed just as they cheered when Charlie Kirk died. I don’t care what your politics are; you have a right to your opinions. I have no right to inflict violence against you because they don’t align with mine.

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Saturday is for the Dogs

Saturday is for the dogs. Which is a play on the “for the boys” nonsense hockey players like to say to each other. At any rate, today, like every other day in our house, is for the dogs. I’m fortunate to be able to work from home and spend every day with them. Anakin and Arrow are the best sales assistants around. I don’t think so. They don’t even burn popcorn or reheat fish in the microwave. They’re the ideal co-workers.

The boys and I started our morning with a walk around the block. There’s always so much to see that the walk takes a while. Birds, lizards, and ducks distract Anakin immediately. Arrow, on the other hand, gets super excited to see a squirrel. Neither dog can concentrate on anything else once they’ve seen their target. Eventually, I got them to do all of their business, but it was a process.

While I enjoyed my coffee on the couch, the puppies chilled with me. I did manage to have a productive morning by taking care of the dishes, the laundry, and the floor. Don’t worry, I saved some of the fun for the afternoon. After heating some leftovers, I got my clothes folded and put away. To be fair, I still have some that need to be put away. Unfortunately, my closet is full. It’s reached its weight limit. I am definitely in need of a closet upgrade.

P.S. If you’re not already following me on instagram, give me a follow!

P.S.S. I’ve recently partnered with Zulay Kitchen. I’m super excited about this partnership as I love to bake. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt

How do you relax?

I like to work out, bake, read, and spend time with my dogs to relax. My workout routine keeps me sane, while reading helps me decompress every night. My dogs’ unconditional love and attention is everything. Their presence and cuddles make me so happy and relaxed.

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Heat Wave

There is a heat wave at my house. It’s been going on since Monday night when our downstairs A/C unit decided to stop working. At present, it’s a balmy 83 degrees in my office/bedroom. It made for an arduous run yesterday and a tough workout today. As for the yoga, it’s helpful to be a bit warm. Nevertheless, I’m not here for it. In fact, it’s the opposite of splendid. After all, I like to be comfortably cool.

Thankfully, we ended up going out for dinner last night to celebrate the Mayor’s birthday. My folks, uncle Jon, aunt Brandi, uncle Richard, and aunt Suelen joined us at Sushi Yama for the celebratory dinner. As much fun as it would have been to host a dinner at our house in the middle of an A/c outage, Sushi Yama was the perfect answer. We had an incredible dinner with lots of good appetizers and tasty entrees. At the end of the dinner, the bill was quite reasonable given how much food we ate.

Anyway, the heat wave will continue for at least a few more hours. Hopefully, the Hubby can fix the A/C tonight. I look forward to being comfortable at work and sleeping in my bed. Since we have no A/C in our room, I’ve been sleeping in my human-sized dog bed in the living room. It’s way too hot in our room. If I slept in there, my night sweats would have night sweats. Ironically, I had the best couple of nights of sleep in a long time. Nonetheless, I do miss the comfort of my own bed.

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 A Knight and a Spy 1414 (The Road to Agincourt – King’s Spy), by Simon Fairfax
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What do you do to be involved in the community?

I currently volunteer as the Teams Chair and leadership team for the Broward/Palm Beach Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (hereafter PanCan) affiliate. My friend Debbie introduced me to PanCan after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015. PanCan was an important part of her cancer journey. She was the keynote speaker at the 2016 PurpleStride event. Before she passed away, I promised her I’d take up the mantle and continue to advocate for pancreatic cancer patients and their families. It has turned into one of the most enriching experiences of my life. My heart is filled with gratitude for the people PanCan has brought into my life.

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Happy 19th Birthday!

Happy 19th birthday to my youngest baby, The Mayor. I can’t believe he’s already 19 years old. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home. After Goalielocks was born, we were certain that two kids were enough. Fortunately, God felt otherwise and brought us the Mayor. He’s been an absolute blessing.

This last year, his first year of adulthood, has had a lot of ups and downs. His older brother’s getting married was definitely a high point. I was so proud of how he showed up for both Jake and Melody in the lead-up to the wedding and the wedding. His diagnosis of type 1 in the fall was a nasty surprise, but he’s done an incredible job managing his blood sugar.

I’m excited to see what the future holds for him. Over the last year, he’s proven again and again that he’s resilient. His ability to persevere through life’s challenges will carry him far. He’ll graduate from high school in a few weeks, which will be a bittersweet moment for us. It will mark the end of an era for my hubby and me, and the start of a new chapter in our lives. As we embark on our new chapter, the Mayor will determine his next steps.

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 A Knight and a Spy 1414 (The Road to Agincourt – King’s Spy), by Simon Fairfax
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?

I would become an archaeologist who gets to travel the world with the purpose of finding antediluvian artifacts.

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Field Trip

We took the dogs on a field trip to the beach yesterday. I’ve wanted to take the dogs to the beach for a while now, but the timing never worked out. I initially decided to forego the beach yesterday because there were storms out east in the morning. Once our WiFi dipped out and we had nothing else to do, we decided to try it.

Neither Anakin nor Arrow enjoys riding in the car, so that was fun. Arrow gets absolutely unruly, so we had him strapped in a harness and a seatbelt. Otherwise, he’d make his way to the front of the truck and probably cause an accident. Anakin hates it too, but he sits peacefully in the back. Unfortunately, we hit every red light on the drive to the beach. Fortunately, our luck changed when we got to the beach, and we found parking immediately.

Once at the beach, we walked next to the inlet and under the road. The dogs were taking in all the new sights and scents. On the north side, you can bring your dogs. There were several other puppies there. Initially, we had planned to walk down the beach for a bit, but there were a few off-leash pups, so we stayed put. We were relatively close to the jetty and boulders that line it.

Arrow was a bit unsure. I think. The waves were a bit loud for his ears. Anakin, on the other hand, wanted to attack the waves and drink all the water. All in all, I think they enjoyed their field trip. We’ll definitely put another field trip to the beach in the calendar for when the sea is a bit calmer. This way, they can swim and play a bit in the sea.

What are your favorite brands and why?

I have a few. My favorite coffee brand is Dunkin’. It’s the best way to start my day. In terms of clothing, I love my Fabletics athleisure wear. Honestly, I totally live in my Fabletics.

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Happy Birthday Arrow

Happy birthday Arrow! Our sweet boy is three years old today. He’s been the best dog for us. Arrow is always happy, playful, and loving. In fact, he reminds me a lot of Athena. They share similar dispositions and mannerisms. Both Arrow and Athena are adept at defusing Anakin’s emotional outbursts. When we first adopted Arrow, Anakin was not a fan. Now, however, Anakin and Arrow are best mates.

I bought Arrow a couple of new dog toys and some doggy ice cream to celebrate. I’m sure he’ll love the ice cream. He definitely is a dog that likes to eat. He also loves toys, so I know he’ll love the goodies I got him. I can also be sure Anakin will try to steal and guard both toys. Outside of the goodies, I plan to take them to the beach on Sunday morning. It will be interesting to see how they like the sand and waves.

Outside of Arrow’s birthday, it’s been business as usual. Today was a strength day, so I did my ab workout through the Sweat App. After work, I’ll do my ten-minute jump rope routine. I added it initially to help with my stamina for running. Now I also do it to help build bone strength. Needless to say, I won’t be on the elliptical anymore. Everything I do from here on out will be to help build bone mass.

What gives you direction in life?

I don’t rely on good luck; I use my faith to drive me. My family’s needs give me direction in life.

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Level Forty-Five

In March, I hit level forty-five. It was the weekend after the state tournament, which was nice. For many years, my birthday was in the midst of the tournament. As much as I love hockey, a birthday during the middle of the tournament is not the most fun. Since we had no hockey games, I could celebrate it as I wished.

For my birthday, some friends, the Mayor, and I went to a puppy yoga class. It was heavenly. The puppies, mini-doodles, and shitzus were precious and so sweet. The combination of two of my favorite things—yoga and puppies—along with some of my favorite people, was the perfect way to spend my birthday. It was a calming and happy experience. I love it.

After puppy yoga, we grabbed lunch at Yard House in Mizner. Yard House is such a great spot. I love their appetizers, food, and drinks. Yard House prices its food and drinks quite reasonably, considering it’s in the middle of Boca Raton. After lunch, we headed to Total Wine and Target to pick up a few things for the evening. We finished the night with pizza with the Kennedys and the Minnesota State High School boys hockey championships. It was an amazing birthday.

In the lead up to forty-five, influencers and friends flooded my social media feeds with perimenopause reels, posts, and memes. Honestly, I found it not only to be a calamity of sorts, but also insulting. Why would I care about perimenopause if I’m not even middle-aged?! Oh, the sad realization that as a woman in my forties, I’m there hit me like a ton of bricks. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep that drove it home or the emotions that were all over the place. Whatever it is, I’m not here for it. More on the perimenopause in a later post.

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 Henry V, The Astonishing Triumphs of England’s Greatest Warrior King, by Dan Jones
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?

I love Christmas. We host our way, which means we’re not scattered all over the place. Or at least, we’re not usually scattered all over the place. I host a delicious brunch for family and friends. In years past, we played paintball after brunch. Now we nap and maybe head to Christmas dinner. I love Christmas!

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Say it Ain’t So

Say it ain’t so! My muscles are getting achy and my nose is getting stuffy. Does cold and flu season know I’ve got no time for this nonsense? I substituted my morning electrolytes (Nuun) with Emergen-C after spin. I did manage to complete both workouts, but it was hard. As a rule, I’ll work out as long as my symptoms are from the neck up. Once it hits the chest or stomach, it’s time to rest. Anyway, say it ain’t so.

Outside of the impending doom of incoming illness, I’ve spent my day recruiting participants and team captains for PurpleStride. I’m so excited that I’ll be able to attend the event this year, so I will be actively building a team while stewarding the other captains. Honestly, it’s extremely important to me that this event is successful as it’s a way for me to honor Debbie’s legacy, Today’s efforts have already born fruit, which is super exciting!!!

One thing I am so excited about is the Puppy Yoga place that opened in Delray. I don’t normally love the merchant ads on Instagram, but I was thrilled to see this one. The Mayor and I are going to take a puppy yoga class on my birthday, which I’m pumped for. I think my friend Alex is also going to join us, which will make it extra fun. The Hubby might even attend, if only to block the mayor and me from bringing a new puppy home.

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 She Wolves by Helen Castor.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?

I used to play the piano quite a bit, but I haven’t done so since I got married. I miss playing marimba and piano, but there’s not enough time in the day.