I didn’t start drinking coffee in earnest until I moved to Florida and rediscovered Dunkin’. Since then, a cup of coffee has been a prerequisite for every morning. I rarely skip my coffee; if I do, it’s a sure bet I’m not feeling well. Regarding dieting and giving up stuff, coffee is my non-negotiable. It will have to fit into the diet or I’m not doing it.
In fact, I’ve been going to the same Dunkin’ pretty much since we moved here. The manager Polly is an absolute doll and made sure my coffee was always ready before I walked in and checks to make sure they threw in added munchkin’s with the pups’ donuts. Moreover, she always asked how the kids, hubby, and dogs were doing. When I’d travel, I’d show her the different Dunkins we had gone to, including one in Copenhagen and the original one in Quincy, MA. Unfortunately, they moved her to another store. The store I’ve frequented forever is an absolute mess, so I started going to a different one.
Now sometimes when I travel there are no Dunkins available. Nonetheless, morning coffee remains a prerequisite. If I’m in Canada, it’s all about Tim Hortons and their double-double. Stateside if they don’t have Dunkin’, I’m headed to Starbucks to enjoy a cinnamon dulce latte. I enjoy the drinks from all three stores, but the price of Dunkin and Tim Hortons is much more sustainable and realistic than Starbucks. Now I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right, I should be the president of the Dunkin’ fan club.
We finished the transition work yesterday with the assembly of the treadmill. I say “we,” but my Hubby is the one that did the proverbial heavy lifting on both projects. While he worked on the treadmill, I worked on cleaning up the kitchen and making sure all the marble and sawdust were gone. Additionally, I’m still in the process of decluttering the space, so it was a productive day. I didn’t bake anything this weekend as I’m told injecting marble dust isn’t good for you.
We also made an appearance a the rink as the Mayor’s team had a tournament locally. While he doesn’t have to travel with them for away games, we felt that his absence at local games was unacceptable. After all, you’re part of a team, you need to be there for them. It doesn’t matter if it’s your career or if you’re an amateur, you support the steam. does suck to have to watch from the sidelines and not be able to help the team. As for me, it was nice to get out of the house and see some hockey folks.
Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.
I love my On Cloud running shoes! They’ve been with me to Boston, Minneapolis, Canada, and have even hiked the Mighty Five. I got my first pair of On Cloud sneakers from a friend who didn’t like the way they fit. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I liked them at first either. Until I started running in them regularly and stopped having pain in my knees and ankles. I love these shoes!
The Mayor is feeling a bit discouraged this Valentine’s Day, due to some disappointing news from his hand surgeon. We had hoped he’d be able to play at the state tournament, but she put an end to our hopes today. Unfortunately, even though the pins are being removed in two weeks, there hasn’t been enough healing and regrowth of the bone for him to safely play the tournament. Realistically, we’re looking at a return to the ice well into the spring. Naturally, he’s pretty upset as he had hoped to play with his team.
He assuaged his disappointment, however with some sweet treats and a Publix sub for lunch. Originally, he asked to go to Publix for a gift bag. Curiously, he came back with a gift bag, some sodas, a pub sub, and some candy. Do you think he shared any goodies with me and the puppies? Not. He did, however, offer to pick me up some Starbucks this afternoon. Despite the lack of quality sleep lately, I may take him up on the offer since it doesn’t seem to matter anyway. We’re all a bit discouraged around here today. I do have a new treadmill and stand mixer coming today, which is pretty exciting.
If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?
If there was a biography about me it would be: “Hot Mess Express, lessons in perseverance.” I don’t think the title needs much explanation.
The patient’s finger is healing nicely. These simple words spoken by his orthopedic PA were music to our ears. They took some X-rays, removed the stitches, and cast. For the first time since he broke the finger, I saw him wince with pain as they removed the bandages. Unfortunately, he still has the pins in for the foreseeable future. We’re hopeful that they’ll be able to remove the pins at his next follow-up appointment two weeks from today. Crossing my fingers that it’s still healing nicely at our next follow-up!
In the meantime, he’s in a smaller bandaged splint. He’s supposed to remove the splint and work the lower joint on the finer several times a day. This will prevent the joint from getting stiff. Additionally, he still has to keep the cast and his claw, I mean pins, dry. Not that he is one to spend a lot of time in the pool or ocean. He also has to be careful not to knock the pins as they extend beyond the tip of his finger.
What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?
I would love to scuba dive but I’m terrified of the water and can’t swim. It’s hard to reconcile my abject fear of water with the desire to Scuba, but life underwater looks so peaceful and beautiful. I’m not sure there’s anything that could convince me to get into the deep.
We had a great weekend around these parts. Our patient continues to heal nicely even if he is a bit cranky and annoying. Fortunately, he is not experiencing a lot of pain. Unfortunately, the lack of pain makes it harder to keep him compliant with his activity restrictions, icing the finger, and taking his medications. It’s been a constant battle for the hubby and me to get him to ice and elevate the injury. No matter how many times we tell him these things are designed to facilitate his recovery, he ignores them.
Thankfully, both Friday and Saturday nights provided a respite for me. Friday night I had the house to myself as the Mayor was at his girlfriend’s house and the hubby had a hockey game. I cooked a nice dinner, courtesy of HelloFresh, watched TV, and cuddled with the dogs. By the time, the Hubby got home dinner was waiting for him, but I had already fallen asleep. I was still exhausted from being ill earlier in the week.
I worked Saturday, but it was completely dead. It was an absolute waste of time. I would have been equally productive as an outfitter. Nevertheless, I spent the day counting down the hours to dinner and a show. After work, we headed to HardRock to have dinner and see Seinfeld with our besties. Dinner at Cipresso was outstanding. I had the best veal parmigiana I have ever tasted and our appetizers were equally as tasty. Afterward, we hit the slots before heading to see Jerry. The slots were kind to us, which was a bonus.
The comedy show started late as people came in to find their seats. Honestly, it probably got off to a late start because the concessions (aka alcohol) were closing once the show started. I didn’t mind the late start as it would have been disruptive to start while people were still finding their way to their seats. The opener was Mario Joyner, who was fantastic. He had us laughing throughout his entire set.
And then came Jerry. I’m a huge Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm fan, so seeing him live was a big deal. He lived up to, nay surpassed my expectations. His set and material were so relatable. We can all relate to going on a family vacation just to “fight at a hotel” instead of at home. His take on marriage, cell phones, and water features in Florida neighborhoods was hysterical. We didn’t stop laughing the entire time he was on stage. He is so incredibly talented. I’m glad we had the opportunity to experience it in person.
Naturally, we stayed up a bit later Saturday night than we are accustomed to doing. Consequently, we slept on Sunday. I had grandiose plans of baking cookies, and bread, planting herbs/tomatoes in terracotta pots for the patio, and trimming the hibiscus. Regrettably, fatigue prevented me from making my way outside to engage in any gardening activities. On the other hand, I found plenty of time to bake cookies and bread. It was my third attempt at a sourdough loaf and it turned out pretty good. They say practice makes perfect, so I’ll keep working on it.
What are your favorite sports to watch and play?
This may surprise all of you, given the name of my blog, but my favorite sport to watch and play is hockey. I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to get back on the ice someday. I had to retire after tearing a tendon in my ankle and the whole thyroid thing. Nevertheless, I enjoy watching hockey whether it’s youth, high school (MN,) college, or the NHL. Each level of hockey brings something to the experience of being a hockey fan. It’s the greatest sport and community in the world. Our hockey journey has blessed us with the opportunity to meet some incredible people.
We’re home from the Mayor’s surgery. Everything went well. The eighty or so minutes he was in surgery were not super fun. I really didn’t like the helpless feeling that comes with waiting for a loved one to get out of surgery. His finger was quite a mess since it had already started healing. For the next week or so, he’ll have two pins in the bone to facilitate the healing. We’ll see his surgeon in about a week. She said he was dancing and giggling on his way out of the operating room to the post-op area. Needless to say, the nurses appreciated the levity he brought and a happy patient in recovery is better than a cranky one.
She estimates he’s facing a four to six-week recovery. We’re all hoping for a quick recovery, so he can play in the state tournament. Of course, his recovery is predicated on him being a compliant patient. This, of course, is where things will get complicated. He doesn’t want to wear the sling or sit down. At this point, he should be sitting down and relaxing, but he’s fighting us at every turn. Lastly, he’s insistent on having Chic Fil-A tonight for dinner, which may be a bit difficult on his tummy.
The funniest thing I noticed was he wrote himself a reminder on his leg, so he wouldn’t forget he wanted Chic Fil-A. As if, he’d ever forget he wanted food. In the post-op room, he was saying all sorts of funny things. He opted to wear sticky socks at home instead of his shoes. Halfway home he forgot he had worn the socks and was wondering where he left his shoes. At any rate, we’re glad to be home with our funny yet challenging patient.
Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.
I’d love to visit Stiltsville, a collection of silted houses located off the coast of Miami. Builders started constructing these houses in Biscayne Bay in the 1930s. There were a lot more of them, but hurricanes and fires have left only seven remaining.
The hubby and I are heading to the hockey game tonight. It’s always fun to go watch our Minnesota Wild take on our Florida Panthers. We’re Minnesota fans at our roots but have adopted the Panthers as our Eastern Conference team. Hopefully, both teams will look sharp tonight. All I want is a good game.
The Mayor, being a typical teenager, decided he would have a better time staying at home. At least the puppies will have someone to keep them company tonight. Predictably, he did text me as soon as we left asking for Sushi Yama. Because naturally, we have nothing to eat in the house. Never mind the three fridges, two freezers, and pantries full of food. It’s a hard-knock life.
The boys with Eric Haula and Goalielocks and Zach Parise
What makes a good leader?
A leader is someone who works to bring out the best in their people. To me, a leader is more of a coach than a manager. Anybody can manage people, but few can truly and effectively coach people. I’ve worked for plenty of people who thought they could, but they had the emotional intelligence of a hippopotamus. Unfortunately, they also had the temperament of a hippo. Sadly, the happy hippos seen in the Hungry Hungry Hippos’ commercials were a lie. If someone lacks emotional intelligence, they may be a great manager, but will never be a great leader. And now I’m working and heading to the hockey game!
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.
Well, the Mayor’s season is over. Of course, the orthopedic surgeon will have the final word. Hubby took him to urgent care last night where they confirmed the fracture via x-ray. The x-ray shows a nasty fracture but is a bit comical since it’s an x-ray of him giving the middle finger. Unfortunately, he will be seeing an orthopedic surgeon on Monday due to the severity of the fracture.
He originally injured his finger in Pittsburgh, but it wasn’t broken only a bit swollen. Of course, there may have been some mendacity on his part, so he could still play in Canada. I will say I’m a bit envious of his pain tolerance. The way he played and acted, you’d think everything was completely fine. We had to beg him to take ibuprofen to help bring down the swelling.
Where can you reduce clutter in your life?
Over the last twenty-four years or so of raising kids, we’ve amassed a lot of stuff. A lot of which is no longer necessary. We no longer need any of the hand-me-downs since the boys are all in adult sizes. Slowly, but surely we’re going through their bedrooms to clean out the clutter. Fortunately, we have a lot of stuff that we can donate to Goodwill, so these items will get more use. Some of the stuff, however, will need to go straight to the dump.
I started cleaning out the clutter from the laundry room and kitchen while the guys were in Pittsburgh. Honestly, it looks so much better and induces a lot less stress. We still have more stuff to work through, but hopefully, we’ll be fully de-cluttered in the laundry room and kitchen before the end of the month. Lord knows we will have plenty of time now that his season is over.
I am happy to be warm after a very chilly weekend in Canada. The Mayor and I had a great time, but I hate wearing multiple layers. Additionally, I hate the feeling that your fingers are going to fall off when you try to pump gas. Who needs windchills below zero? Not this girl; that ship has sailed for me.
I will admit, the falling snow Saturday evening was absolutely beautiful. Winter driving is for the birds. Fortunately, the temperature was warm enough to prevent the roads from icing over. I did, however, have to drive through quite a bit of snow going to the second game Saturday night. While Saturday’s temperature was manageable, Sunday’s weather was offensive. The chill of that winter wind is something you never forget, which is why I live in Florida.
The drive back to Detroit was uneventful. We didn’t see the sign advising us to “don’t pick up hitchhikers, prison area” that we saw on our way to Canada. They must have had some issues with jailbirds hitchhiking their way away from prison. I did think my fingers were going to fall off when I was pumping gas. To be blunt, I was thrilled when we took off leaving winter behind. The flight home was smooth and we even saw the SpaceEx launch from the plane. It was amazing to see, but impossible to photograph. Anyway, I’m happy to be home and happy to be warm.
What is your favorite animal?
What a silly question. Everyone knows my favorite animal is a dog. I love them. Our dogs are such a big part of our family. Maya and Athena, even though they left us physically are never far from our hearts or thoughts. Dogs love their family unconditionally and are always by your side. Their loving disposition and loyalty feed the soul. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that most dogs are super cute.
