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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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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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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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Ducklings

Our ducklings are thriving! We were quite nervous for them when Sweet Mama laid her eggs at our front door in the open. When they hatched and she was reticent to take them to the lake, we were nervous again. Fortunately, she made it to the lake on Sunday. She spends the nights there with the babies and her duck family. In the morning, several ducks escort her and the babies back to my front door. At night, they come and escort her and her babies back to the lake. It’s honestly quite heartwarming.

Incredibly, there are still eight lively ducklings! Normally, by this time she would have lost several of them to predators. Sweet Mama is taking no chances with her sweet brood. We give her plenty of space to take care of them. She gets nervous when anyone, even us, comes outside. She’ll fly you off if she thinks you’re getting too close to her babies. Consequently, I refill their water and feed them during their sojourn at the lake. If you had asked me earlier this month if I thought her clutch would be successful, I would have answered you no. She is intent on proving all of us wrong.

What would your life be like without music?

Life without music would be so boring! Music fuels my workouts and my life. Anyway, I’m pretty sure you already knew that since I post a music video to nearly every blog. Now off to take my iron supplement.

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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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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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Ambivalent

I’ve been a bit ambivalent about blogging lately. I enjoy writing, but life has become a bit mundane. While mundane often has negative connotations, I find it a bit refreshing. For the last twenty-five years, we’ve been moving at light speed all day every day. It’s nice to have some slow moments where we have little to nothing going on. I quite enjoy that our excitement as of late has come from the bird feeder.

It’s been magnificent having two teams in their respective league’s conference finals. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves were eliminated yesterday. Meanwhile, the Panthers now lead the series after beating the Rangers last night. Us hockey people are quite superstitious, so true to form I watched the game at home and went to bed after period one. The boys, however, went and watched the games at our friends’ house. One mustn’t mess with the mojo.

This weekend I’ll be busy baking. I’m making caramel rolls for Melody’s bridal shower on Sunday. I also found a delectable-looking cheesecake recipe that I want to try. Fortunately, the hubby is willing to take one for the team and try whatever cheesecake I may bake. Additionally, I got stuff to make cream cheese wontons. Last weekend I made some pork sausage wontons that were a big hit. Hopefully, the cream cheese wontons turn out just as good.

How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?

I know I need to unplug daily to keep myself mentally sane. I do that by putting my phone away at least an hour before bed. Once the phone is up, I get snuggled up in my bed with Anakin, his ducks, and a good book. I usually read until I can’t keep my eye open anymore. It’s the perfect way to unplug and unwind from the day.