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Snail’s Pace

My work computer is moving at a snail’s pace and it’s driving me absolutely bonkers. I hate when the laptop doesn’t want to cooperate. The system is moving so slowly that I’m worried it’s going to drop my calls. Of course, it’s hard to get a call when nobody can reach you via IM, so there’s that. At this point, I’m hatching a plan to try and fix the problem. Hopefully, it’ll stop moving at a snail’s pace and start moving at a cheetah’s pace.

Speaking of problems, were the walking wounded over here. The Mayor sees the surgeon next week for his finger. He’ll likely need surgery to fix it. The hubby has an MRI next week for his knee, which he blew out in Jiu Jitsu. Unfortunately, he’ll likely need surgery as well. And here I am with a bum knee from who knows what. Fortunately, I don’t think it’s a serious issue. Nevertheless, we are a bit of a mess.

Our weather here is sunny and 68, which while cool for South Florida is much better than the weather everywhere else. Up in Tally, they saw low temperatures in the single digits. In Orlando, they were near freezing. I thought we might get a little cooler with this front, but I guess not. At least we can give the AC a rest for a few days.

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

There are so many times in my life that I have felt loved. The time I’ve spent traveling with the kids has filled. That they desire to keep exploring the world with me makes me feel loved. And of course, my puppies make sure I know they love me every second and every minute that we’re together.

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Made it to Sarnia!!!

We made it to Sarnia! Our flight to Detroit was smooth and uneventful. Fortunately, the drive to Sarnia went as smoothly as our flight. We’re just over an hour north of Detroit. The views of Lake Huron as we came over the bridge into Canada were stunning. Our hotel is a block off the St. Clair River, which is a beautiful location.

The town itself is a bit sleepy at least compared to what we’re used to back home. We had dinner at Bad Dog, which is a just down the street from the hotel. After dinner, we all hit the sauna and pool, which was the perfect anecdote to a busy travel day. The games and apparently the snowstorm start tomorrow, so it should be a fun day.

Come up with a crazy business idea.

Maybe it’s my inner curmudgeon speaking, but people’s behavior on airplanes grinds my gears. I would open a business that teaches etiquette to airplane passengers, so the poor behavior we see in airports would stop. Today on our flight, someone got up and out of their seat as soon as we landed. Who the freak does that? It’s never good when a flight attendant reminds you to stay seated while landing and until you get to the gate. People are special. Anyway, I’m just glad we made it.

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Back to Normal

Things are getting back to normal around here after a busy holiday season. Jake left earlier in the week to go back to Tally and today Goalielocks headed back to UCF. Meanwhile, the Mayor and the hubby are in Pittsburgh for the weekend at a tournament. There’s nobody here to pickpocket me. I mean ask for cash to buy food when we have three fridges full of food. My house has gone from a nuthouse to a peaceful space. I’m just kidding the puppies make sure there’s ample noise in the house. Especially if a squirrel or bird is at the bird feeder.

While the boys are in Pittsburgh, I’m going to try and be productive around the house. My sourdough starter should be good to go this weekend. I started both starters last Saturday. Since this is my first attempt, I thought I should make two in case on failed. For one starter, I bought a starter culture from Amazon. The other culture I made with water and flour. Both are looking good. The only thing remaining is to name said starters.

The sourdough starters

I also bought some things to get my bathroom and kitchen better organized. Truly, I need a better system for managing my makeup. Consequently, I bought a makeup storage thing from Amazon. It’s bedazzled and should hold everything I got. Or at least I hope it will. I’m also rearranging my pantry because it’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Also, I found some great airtight containers for my flour and sugar. Since we live in Florida, I’ve added bay leaves to keep away any bugs.

Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?

I spend more time thinking about the future than the past. Well, maybe…. Honestly, if you ignore the past, you’re bound to repeat precious mistakes, which is super lame. On the flip side, if you ruminate too much on the past, you will never move forward. Consequently, I try to find a balance between the two while also living in the moment. I don’t want life to pass me by because I’ve spent too much time thinking about things I can’t change or things that may or may not happen. And now we’re back to normal.

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Frosting fail

Write about your most epic baking or cooking fail.

Today’s prompt is about my most epic baking fail. While I’ve had several, but if I were to pick my most recent one it would be a frosting fail. A couple of weekends ago I decided to make homemade toaster strudel. This was a part of my prednisone-fueled baking fest. I also baked an apple tart, kouign-amann, and short ribs that weekend. It’s no wonder that prednisone makes you gain weight.

The recipe was super simple and easy to make. Yet, I managed to royally screw up the frosting. I mixed everything together and it looked super clumpy. As an aside, frosting should never look like pastry dough. Since it looked so odd, I decided to taste it. It was then I realized I had accidentally grabbed flour instead of powdered sugar. Whoops! So if I may give one piece of advice, label ziplock bags when you put flour or sugar in them.

Another baking fail, and I swear it wasn’t my fault, was when I baked lasagna after Goalielocks’ graduation. My parents were staying with a few weeks, so I decided to make lasagna as it is always a crowd-pleaser. Everything was going well and I put it in the oven. When I checked on it thirty minutes into the baking time, I noticed it wasn’t cooking. That was a fun and expensive puzzle to solve! Ultimately, I was able to cook it in our bottom oven, which was thankfully still operational. Eventually, I got a new oven and I absolutely love it.

I think all bakers and cooks have failed in the kitchen. Often times the failure leads to laughs and second attempts. Some recipes take a lot more practice and refining than others. I, however, find it rewarding to finally master a more difficult bake. It should come as no surprise that I love watching the Great British Bake-off. I often end up baking items I’ve seen on the show. It’s a fun journey that connects me to my mom, my grandma, and all the bakers in my family.

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Better Day

It’s been a better day. Probably because I had a better night. My first night’s sleep after stopping the prednisone was a huge success. Not only did I fall asleep pretty easily, but I managed to stay asleep and get some deep sleep. The past month falling asleep and quality of sleep have been a major issue, so last night was a gift. I’m hoping tonight will be similarly successful. Of course, it helps that I’m not a Jets fan because losing your expensive future HOFer QB in game 1 sucks royally.

Work has been better too, albeit it slow. I did get my workout over lunch and it went well. I’m contemplating writing a proposal letter to move my schedule, but I really like getting off at 5:00 pm. Especially since I know the craziness of AEP is right around the corner. I guess I’ll stick out the slow mornings and count my blessings. Hopefully, AEP, which is our busiest time of year, is absolutely banging.

Yesterday’s workout was an absolute gong show, so I wasn’t sure how today would go. Fortunately, as hard as yesterday’s workout was, today’s came with relative ease. I definitely wasn’t working on an exit strategy today like I was from the beginning of yesterday’s workout. Today’s workout was hills and speed pushes ranging from moderate to all out. The interval work is really elevating my running game.

What personality trait in people raises a red flag with you?

The biggest red flag for me is someone who always, no matter what, sees the glass as half empty. To be clear, I’m not looking to hangout with Pollyanna and her perpetual positivity either. My experience however, with folks that only see the glass half empty is they can never get themselves out of the negative feedback loop. They can never move forward or upward in life because something bad may happen. And quite frankly, the overarching negativity may be a symptom of a greater mental health issue I’m not equipped to navigate.

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Monday, Monday

“Monday, Monday” damn now I have that Mamas and the Papas song stuck in my head. It’s been a shit day at work, which happens. It’s literally one of the most normal things in a salesperson’s life. Not all days are gonna be easy. Anyway, this is usually a non factor because anyone that works sales knows this axiom to be true except for one person who shall remain nameless. While they shall remain nameless, they shall live in shame and infamy for their ridiculousness. Anyway, time to brush that shit off my shoudlers and move on.

If I seem a bit cranky, it’s because I am. I haven’t slept well since mid August and I need my sleep. The fact that I can’t fall asleep is driving me nuts. I’m hoping since I stopped taking the prednisone yesterday that my sleep pattern will go back to normal. Hopefully, once my sleep goes back to normal everting else falls back into place. This past month has been really tough. I’ve pretty much had to cancel any and every plans I’ve had even when I was in Minny because I wasn’t up for them physically.

Anyway, I didn’t get much accomplished this weekend outside of baking. I did, however, get our bushes fertilized and trimmed. Unfortunately, the skies didn’t open up like I had hoped, but hopefully we get some rain today. Afterwards. the Hubby walked me through his plans for the bedrooms upstairs. Spoiler alert, they’re going to look amazing once he’s through with them. My only feedback was to get the painting and closet organizers done first, so we can maximize the space.

I did two bakes this weekend to keep myself busy since leaving the house was a risky endeavor. The first bake was a homemade toaster strudel. I’ll share the recipe in a later post, but it’s super easy. It’s literally puff pastry, the filling of your choice, and simple frosting. Honestly, this is a recipe I’ll make often when the boys are home. It’s simple, but really tasty. The second bake I made was an attempt at Paul Hollywood’s recipe of Kouign-Amann, which is a magnificent dessert from Brittany. It was a lot more complicated, but very tasty.

Describe your ideal week.

My ideal week is one spent exploring the world with my family. It’s not spent behind a desk or on a couch. I’m looking forward to the week I have planned for Jake and I exploring Utah’s Mighty Five and the surrounding national monuments and state parks. Adventure, hiking and exploring the world is something that I enjoy. I find myself at peace up in the mountains of Utah, so I’m really looking forward to my trip.

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Long Weekend

I made the most of my long weekend and I hope you did as well. It was our first Labor Day in well over a decade that hasn’t revolved around a hockey tournament. Admittedly, I felt a bit lost going into the weekend without the hectic run up to the season’s first tournament. I got my fill by following the Mayor’s coaches teams. Nevertheless, it was nice to be home and relaxing instead of running around Orlando.

So true

Saturday we just chilled around the house. I was exhausted from a busy week and not sleeping well due to the prednisone. I did manage to bake a rustic French apple tart to take to the Kennedy’s for dessert. We enjoyed some yummy food courtesy of Sicilian Oven for dinner, followed by a nice swim in the pool. After our swim, we had dessert and played games with Ava. In what must be one of life’s greatest mysteries, the game Hi Ho Cherry-o that features cherry shaped fruit (down to the stem) is an apple picking game. Maybe I was just too sober to play it.

Sunday I made a rum cake and was going to make short ribs, but I was way too tired for it. The rum cake, however, was mighty tasty. It was my first time making a Bundt cake, which was fun. I was worried that cake was going to get to stuck, but it came out beautifully. The rum flavor was apparent, but not overpowering. I used rum I bought in the Turks and Caicos. The rum was beautifully fragrant as I cooked the syrup. I binged season 1 of White Lotus while I baked. We also spoke to all three boys, which was nice. All three are doing great.

Yesterday I binged the Flight Attendant season one while I worked on purging my closet. The preponderance of stuff in said closet, I no longer use. I still, however, am finding it difficult to part with my old work clothes. There could come a time when I need clothes for work that don’t come from Fabletics. I really enjoyed the Flight Attendant. It’s a well written and well acted show. We started season two last night as I baked the short ribs. Prior to starting dinner, I bought some new running shoes! After dinner, I could have used a whatchamacallits or some other chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth.

What does your ideal home look like?

My ideal home is the one in which I currently live. The only difference is it would be super clean, cleaned by anyone other than me preferably, and full of doggos. I love our current house and wouldn’t want to move out anytime soon. Now that the boys have moved out, we can start fixing it up and making it ours.

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Rest in Peace Jimmy

Rest in peace Jimmy Buffett. Waking up to the news that one of my favorites, an absolute icon, had passed was so sad. I’ve been lucky to see Jimmy Buffett three times since living in South Florida. There has never been roadtrip in our family without Jimmy Buffett as the soundtrack. In fact, I’m not sure I know anybody that can go to the Florida Keys and not listen to Jimmy.

The last time we saw Jimmy was when he toured with the Eagles in 2018. Jimmy always put on a great show and I was excited to share it with the boys. My boys really enjoyed the show although I think they may have been equally entertained by my former coworkers at our tailgate, which is fair. They are pretty awesome. Jimmy Buffett will live forever through the music and empire he created. I could share Margaritaville, but instead I’ll share my favorite Buffett song, which is Pencil Thin Mustache.

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Is it Over?

Is it over? It’s just been one of those weeks that needs to end like yesterday. We finally have the volume at work, but our boss is so far up everyone’s asses it’s not cool. Of course I’m thrilled that our volume has increased. I just don’t and have never appreciated micromanagement. To be fair, I’m way more sensitive than normal due to a liquid only diet and asthma that continues to be a pain in the arse.

So after my doctor’s appointment, to which I was a bit unpunctual having parked on the wrong side, I found out a lot of the family I saw on Saturday has come down with Covid. So far I’ve tested negative. Two of the tests I used, however, were expired. I’m a bit nervous to start the steroids after having been exposed to Covid. I’m waiting to hear back from my doctor’s office as to whether or not I should wait to start taking them. There’s a reason I’m waiting and it’s because prednisone can compromise your immune system. Obviously, I don’t need that ball of fun in my life.

What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

There are a couple of things I do daily that improve my quality of life. Firstly, I start everyday with my Dunkin’ coffee. Secondly, I drink water incessantly and stay well hydrated. Additionally, I have a robust exercise routine baked into my day that keeps me going. Lastly, I end my day by reading my book. I read everyday no matter what I did that night.

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Back Home

I’m back home after a wonderful week in Minnesota. It was a nice change of pace to be back in the Midwest for a bit. I didn’t laid pretty low since I wasn’t feeling 100%, but I still had a great time. Saturday was a wonderful day as I got to see a lot of my extended family that I had not seen in years. I even managed to bake my parents some fresh bread before the party. While I was finishing up the bread, my mom and aunt went for a walk. I ran up to Starbucks while the bread was raising, so I saw them on the path. To be funny, I stopped and took pictures of them, but they didn’t even notice. As Jake said, their situational awareness was not good.

The anniversary party for my aunt and uncle was at my Grandma’s building in their cafeteria. It’s really a nice room to host a party as there is plenty of room for folks and the kitchen is well appointed. For ease, they ordered in pizza from Broadway Pizza, which was super yummy. They ordered perfectly as there was very little left at the end of the day. For dessert, we had a beautiful decorated cake.

I haven’t seen a lot of my family since before Covid, so it was nice to see people again. My cousin Nick and I were exchanging photos of our ancestors that we had come across. We were also talking about some trinkets that exist from my Grandpa’s time in service, like a handkerchief he made while recovery from injuries. He’s going to build the family a site with all of the information and photos in one place. This will obviously be much better than all of us paying a jillion dollars for ancestry.com. It was so great to be able to see extended family after so many years apart.

My mom and her siblings
My mom’s Siblings and spouses
My brother and my cousins Nick and Ben
The view from the new Delta lounge at MSP

What’s your favorite time of day?

My favorite time of day is nighttime. I love our bed time rituals with the puppies. Once I have them ready for bed, I hop into bed and read my book. Some nights I read for over an hour other nights I fall asleep pretty quickly.