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Check In

We’re finishing the first full week of February, so I thought I’d check in with my New Year’s resolutions. As I thought about them during my workout, I thought about how resolutions can quickly become meaningless. For me, this year’s resolutions were about committing to making myself and my life better. I do, however, miss those afternoon lattes.

My strength work today was brutal, so I had to give myself pep talks to get through it. I had to remind myself that the hard I’m doing is to make me better. Learning to persevere through the hard, brutal stuff like burpees with pushups, helps us persevere in other areas of life. I also felt immensely proud and satisfied when I finished the workout, giving it my best. In my formative years, I remember my parents being committed (they still are) to their daily walk. Seeing their commitment to their fitness and wellbeing has stuck with me.

2024 was rough, but 2025 is all about becoming a juggernaut. And by juggernaut, I mean the best version of myself. The schedule change has helped. I love getting up working out and then starting work. By the time my lunch hour is done, I’ve completed my workouts for the day. Once I’ve finished working for the day, I’ve completed all the items on my to-do list except for reading. I read every night, so that’s an easy checkmark on my to-do list.

Do you need a break? From what?

I absolutely need a break from 2025. In fact, I’m quite confident that I’m not alone in this feeling. The world is a scary place right now and life is tough. I think we’d all like to take a collective deep breath before rejoining 2025.

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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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So Cold!

It’s so cold!!! It was only 44 degrees this morning when I took out the dogs. The thermostat currently shows that it’s 69 degrees in the house. Our thermostat is never below 70. Nonetheless, I can bring myself to turn on the heat. We’ve only used it once in the 18 years we’ve lived in this house. This had to be at least 15 years ago and the temperature had dipped into the 30s. If the temperature drops into the 30s, we’ll probably turn the heat on again.

When I worked in the office, they’d turn the heat on when temperatures dipped into the 50s. Obviously in South Florida, the heating systems don’t get much use. Consequently, when they’re finally turned on after sitting idle for sometimes more than a year, the smell is horrendous. The system must be chockablocked with dust and debris. When the system is fired up for the first time you can smell the dust burning off. Okay, I’m unsure what causes that smell, but I’m pretty sure I’m right.

The nice thing about working from home is having control over the adjustable thermostat. I was shocked to learn, early in my career, that the thermostats were all managed by corporate and nobody could adjust them locally. It made for some chilly days in the office. Unsurprisingly, our regional manager had a space heater hidden in her office. Without the heater, she probably would have gotten frostbite in her office.

What is your mission?

My mission is to make the world a better place. I think the best way to do this is by being kind to everyone you come across. This isn’t always easy given that I live in a place full of crotchety old people, but still, I try.

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Is it 6:00

Is it 6:00 yet? I’m just asking for a friend who has a serious case of the Mondays. This friend is longing to be cuddling up on her couch with her sweet puppy while watching Dexter. Sadly, she’s currently stuck in her desk chair as the minutes tick by slowly. I, I mean my friend, was lucky that she wasn’t impacted by a massive VPN outage at work this morning. Nonetheless, she’s ready for the day to be over.

We were supposed to have a department-wide meeting today, but that got moved to tomorrow. Our corporate headquarters is in the Midwest and got walloped over the weekend by a blizzard. Have I mentioned that I’m glad I live in Florida? I’d be happy to never experience a blizzard again. Anyway, I’m hoping the meeting brings some good changes. Although I’m a bit nervous they’ll be changing our comp plan that will negatively impact us agents. Fingers crossed!

My sales assistants have been slacking today

You may have noticed my prognostications, while vague, for the Vikings game came to fruition. Detroit’s quarterback played great and ours saw ghosts. It’s not a dig on Darnold, but as a lifelong fan, I knew my Vikes were going to disappoint on the biggest stage of the year. Fortunately, they’re still in the playoffs, so there’s still a smidgen of a chance they make it all the way. (As I type this, I’m envisioning Lloyd Christmas in Dumb & Dumber saying “so you’re telling me there’s a chance. Yeah!”). By the way, it it 6:00 yet?

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): 6 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

If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?

My billboard would say “The world owes you nothing.” I speak to people across the country daily. So many of the folks, I talk to are absolute gems. They make my job enjoyable and worthwhile whether they buy or not. Conversely, some people I talk with think the world owes them everything. I don’t know how this entitlement took hold, but it’s insidious. So while my billboard may be harsh, it’s honest.

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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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Milton‘s Gone

Milton’s gone and good freaking riddance to it and its feeder bands. The last week has been chaotic for most Floridians as we prepared for the storm. We were all prepared for the storm, whether at home, Goalielocks at UCF, or J and M in Tally. The hubby put up our shutters yesterday meant a great night’s sleep. Thank you complete darkness! Of course, by the time Hurricane Milton landed, most of our action was over. We did have the most incredible, albeit brief sunset. Nevertheless, I’m glad that we were ready. I don’t want to get caught ill-prepared for a major storm. Also, I know it gives our folks, worrying from afar back in our hometown, peace of mind.

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There are a couple of axioms when it comes to hurricane preparation. If you’re fully prepared, the storm will wobble away from you. So be prepared. If you don’t lose power during the storm, you lose it intermittently post-storm (wtf FPL.) Everyone becomes a weather expert. Most are benign, but the ones that smugly downplay the storm are dangerous. I saw a few posts from a friend on Facebook that made me cringe. I don’t know which post was worse, the one making fun of people for preparing or the one stating that yesterday’s tornadoes were akin to what we see in summer storms. They weren’t. Not only were they deadly, but they were strong and in wedge form. Florida doesn’t typically are large, wedge tornadoes.

Unfortunately, one of the large tornadoes that hit Wellington impacted one of our friends. I guess this is why I find the glib posts about the storm and tornadoes so offensive. The storm uprooted people’s lives. Thankfully, our friends are safe and only lost property. Sadly, several confirmed reports of fatalities in St. Lucie County have emerged due to the tornadoes Milton spawned. The last axiom when it comes to hurricanes is probably the most important. The storm can impact you even if you’re not close to the center of the storm. Milton was over a hundred miles offshore in the Gulf when the supercells in the feeder bands spawned a tornado outbreak. But hey, at least it’s over and Milton’s gone!

What’s something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail.

I would love to run a marathon without dying. It seems like an overwhelmingly strenuous activity that would be incredibly rewarding.

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Duck Tales

On today’s Duck Tales episode, let me introduce you to our babies!! The sweet mama duck that laid a nest at our front door is now a mom. We couldn’t believe it when she laid her eggs hidden in plain sight. I was worried this young duck and her eggs would be unlucky and fall victim to one of the many raccoons in the area. Yet, her plan worked. Our dogs, who would have loved to eat her. Ultimately, the dogs kept her nest safe by guarding the nest from our window.

The eggs hatched last night after work. As of right now, we have eight ducklings. Unfortunately, one of the eggs didn’t hatch. Now she needs to get the ducklings to the lake, like their “school/cafeteria.” This is where the young mama will teach her ducklings what to eat and how to stay safe. Only 10% of the ducklings will reach adulthood, which is a crazy number. There are just a lot of things, including Anakin and Arrow, that would like to catch and eat the ducklings.

Meanwhile, the Mayor and I ran up to the European supermarket in West Palm for some good kielbasa, paprika and chocolate. Once you’ve had the kielbasa from the Polish market, you’ll never be able to eat kielbasa from a grocery store again. It’s so much better. The paprika is also a lot better than anything you can find at the grocery store. I love cooking with it as it gives the food a richer taste. Afterward, we headed to Sprouts to pick up some sushi, vegetables, fruit, and some lunch meat.

Today I’m making my second attempt at the strawberry chiffon cake. Last time it turned out okay, but it tasted much better than it looked. I totally screwed up dividing the cakes into 3 layers. Hopefully, I don’t screw it up too badly this time. Additionally, I decided to add additional strawberries for the filling. I’ll post some pictures of the finished product. Tomorrow I’m baking focaccia with inclusions. Previously, I had been making it with sun-dried tomatoes on top, but tomorrow I’m mixing them in. Stay tuned for more Duck Tales!

What are your favorite types of foods?

I love Italian, French and Mexican food. I also like baking breads and desserts, which does nothing for my figure.

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Eleven Days

Eleven days until the wedding?!? Can you believe it? I checked a few more items off the list this morning! Now I only have the caterer picking up things like ice and borrowed cooler to pick up. The dress I ordered for the rehearsal dinner should be delivered early next week. Thankfully, the shoes I ordered off of eBay for the ceremony should be here by tomorrow afternoon. This gives me plenty of time to buy another pair if they don’t fit right.

Eleven days is a short space of time to get everything done and for everything to change. It seems like science fiction that next week will be the last time our family of five will be under the same roof. I’m still trying to figure out where time has gone and how the kids got so old without us aging. I think my mom might be aging in reverse. Eleven days from now our family will embark on a new and exciting chapter.

Got to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her yesterday!

In other news, the shoulder is getting better daily. It hurts most of the time, but both my range of motion and pain level are steadily improving. In light of the injury, I’ve been modifying my Apple Fitness + plan to protect the shoulder. Honestly, I don’t love walking on the treadmill, but it was significantly less jarring to the shoulder than running. I enjoy running Apple’s treadmill workouts. They always draw the best out of me,

Which activities make you lose track of time?

I lose track of all time and space when reading. If I didn’t pay attention to the time, I could read all night. The bookshelf I bought earlier in the year is already filled up with new books. My pocketbook can’t wait for the new library to open up this fall.

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Zoo

We’ve got quite the zoo these days. Our flock, which started with a few bluejays, 3 squirrels, doves, and grackles has grown tremendously. Now I’m often greeted in the morning by our neighborhood ducks hungry for a treat and waiting for some water. We had a duck nest on the side of the house. Those ducklings hatched last week and are now living closer to the lake. Our flock has grown to include cardinals, ibis, northern Mockingjay,s and wood ducks.

Finally last Friday, we had a turtle laying eggs in our front garden. A fish crow washed patiently from its perch on our roof waiting for the turtle to finish. As soon as the turtle finished, the fish crow started trying to steal the eggs. Consequently, the Mayor and I put a weighted bucket over the nest. This foiled the crow’s plans to steal the eggs and it eventually gave up. I also noticed a new resident in the nest. We may have another clutch of eggs, so I’ll check later today.

The wedding countdown continues as we tend to the zoo and I nurse my shoulder. It felt tremendous to check several items off the list this past weekend. Earlier today, I pulled the trigger on shoes for the ceremony. They should be here later this week. I still need to find a dress for the rehearsal dinner. Lastly, I’ll need to call the caterer this week and finalize the food for the dinner. Once that’s done, we’ll only have a few loose ends to wrap up. Thankfully for my scatterbrained self, I have a project plan to track items. This way as the planning starts to taper down, I don’t miss anything. Anyway, I can’t believe it’s almost here!!! Lastly, please join me in wishing my amazing mother a very happy birthday!

What bothers you and why?

People on social media because they feel they can say whatever they want without any repercussions. The problem is whether you’re an asshole online or in person your words and actions have consequences. Unfortunately, the anonymity that comes with social media has empowered folks to be at their worst. People say stuff online to strangers that if they were face to face they’d never say. They’re terrible people and cowards.

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Thirteen Days

We’re now thirteen days away from the wedding. Yesterday, we checked quite a few items from our rehearsal dinner to-do list. Goalielocks went to Men’s Warehouse yesterday and they fitted him for his tuxedo yesterday, which was a relief. He’s the last one to get equipped. He has finals the week of the wedding. Hopefully, his finals are early in the week, so there’s no interference with the wedding. Fortunately, we can pick up his tux on Wednesday, so he won’t have to worry about it. Meanwhile, Jake is at the Reserves this weekend. He was greeted at his hotel by a nice, big black bear.

A couple of big items on the to-do list remain. Namely ordering food for the rehearsal dinner, picking a dress for said dinner, mani/pedi scheduling, buy shoes and a handbag to go with my dress. I’ve found a couple of options on The Real Real and Poshmark. I guess I’ll have to decide on it soon. Since I won’t wear the outfit outside of the wedding, I decided to buy the items consigned. After the wedding, I’ll consign the items again. It’s a lot less wasteful and much more practical. Anyway, I’ve been managing the event in a project planning document, so it wouldn’t turn into a giant cluster.

Unfortunately, I did have a bit of a setback yesterday when I sprained my shoulder or tore the rotator cuff. My range of motion is a lot better than it was yesterday, but I still can’t completely raise my arm laterally. Consequently, I’ll have to heavily modify my workout plan to work around the injury. I have my shoulder in a compression wrap that has a built in ice pack. It’s been a godsend. I’ve been icing the shoulder pretty consistently to help with the inflammation, but I’d love to take a nice hot shower with a lavender shower steamer. The urgent care doctor said to avoid heat for the first couple of days. Anyway, I have thirteen days for it to heal!

List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

  • My family is my world.
  • I will never not have a dog. I’m a dog person and can’t see myself living without one.
  • My boys have grown into amazing adults.
  • The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup Champions! Watching them win was surreal!
  • Dogs should live a lot longer than they do. It’s cruel that they leave us way too soon.
  • Traveling and exploring the world is the best gift you can give yourself or your loved one.
  • I love getting lost in the mountains of the American Southwest. Hiking in Utah with my boys was one of my favorite experiences.
  • Attending concerts is an absolute must!
  • In summer, it will rain in the afternoon.
  • Take pleasure in life’s small moments because life is fleeting.
  • After reading social media responses to yesterday’s events, it’s clear we’re being given the options we deserve. People are terrible and our candidates show it.