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Happy to be Warm

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.

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Snow Storm!

We are in the midst of a snow storm here in Sarnia. It was absolutely beautiful earlier this evening as the snowflakes began to fall. Nevertheless, the beautiful snow also inspired some deep seated anxiety over driving in the snow. After all, this is the very weather we moved to Florida to avoid. Fortunately, it’s remained warm enough, so the roads, while wet and snow covered, were not at all icy.

Tomorrow morning, however, the temperatures are supposed to fall into the low twenties. I am a bit nervous the roads may get icy. Perhaps will have a plow come through cleaning the road and paving the way for us as if we’re dignitaries. (Wishful thinking obviously!). It’s also supposed to start snowing again midday Saturday. In all, they’re expecting anywhere from 6-15 inches of snow. Fortunately, the Mayor and I both upgraded our winter wear yesterday. Needless to say, my anxiety over driving is making me feel like a curmudgeon.

What snack would you eat right now?

As I write this, I’m enjoying some yummy breadsticks and cheese. I saw these at Walmart this morning and had to buy them. They remind me of spending weekends at my grandmas and eating Moo Town Snackers while watching Saved by the Bell. We ate in between games, which made for a really early supper. I’m a bit hungry, so this was the perfect sized snack.

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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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Headed North

Tomorrow morning the Mayor and I are headed north to Sarnia for a hockey weekend. While I’m looking forward to the adventure, I’m not looking forward to the possible snow storms I see forecasted. Unfortunately, there’s no good airport to fly into in Sarnia, so we’ll be flying into DTW and then headed north via rental car to Sarnia. Truly, I hope the drive to and from the airport is snowless with clear, dry roads. I’m praying for snow-free commutes.

The Mayor and I on the Rideau Canal


Today, I’m just finishing up work and packing. I had planned to run, but the universe had other plans. Arrow tried to decapitate me last night by jumping on to our bed, while I was bending over to remove my ankle brace. I don’t know if it was poor timing or if Arrow’s depth perception is as bad as mine, but he jumped straight into the side of my head forcing my head to turn completely to the right. Ouch! Fortunately, my head doesn’t hurt and there are no symptoms of a concussion. Unfortunately, the left side of my neck and shoulders is a completely different story.

Arrow’s favorite outdoor snack

Needless to say, I’ve been alternating between ice and heating pads on my neck and shoulders. I’m hoping it isn’t as stiff tomorrow or that will make flying miserable.  As I’ll be away for the weekend, I placed a Target order to ease the burden for the hubby. While I didn’t run today, I did walk the dogs at lunch. Anakin is always on the hunt and was trying to catch a pollinator, aka a bee, today. He usually catches his prey, but thankfully he didn’t get the bee. Meanwhile, Arrow just uses the hibiscus bushes as a crawlway where he can find pretty blooms to eat.

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

My great grandmother made me a quilt when I was born. It’s blue and has nursery rhymes on it. The design isn’t dated, and, in addition, it’s a pretty large quilt compared to most baby quilts. My desire was always to pass it on to my kids, but I had boys three boys. Currently, the quilt waits in an upstairs closet to be passed down to the first grandchild. Boy was that a weird sentence to write. I tell you what, every know and again the realization that we’re closer to grandkids then having kids stops me in my tracks. Where has time gone?!?!

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The Weekend

The weekend is here. Hopefully, it means that I’ll get back to knowing what day of the week it is. I
I dedicated the morning to completing household chores.  Honestly, I had every intention of doing this work over the holiday break, but it didn’t happen. Mostly because all three boys were here, but also because I got sick on Christmas night. Unfortunately, getting sick also meant I couldn’t spend as much time with the boys as I wanted to since I didn’t want to infect anyone.

After a quick liquid lunch, a protein shake, I headed to Palm Beach to go thrifting with Terri. Our first stop was the Church Mouse. It’s a fancier “thrift” store on Palm Beach island and the prices were equal to the location. Afterwards, we headed to Goodwill back on the mainland. Fortunately, Terri was able to find some gold at that location. We were going to stop at World Thrift, but we didn’t have life jackets or rowboats to get through the parking lot.

I spent the evening chilling with the puppies while watching The Morning Show. It’s quite entertaining and well down. Once my Amazon package gets here, I’m going to start working on my sourdough baguette loaves. Well, at least I’m going to get the equipment ready. Thankfully, it’s going to be a nice and peaceful evening. It’s nice to be able to watch the show of my choice without someone complaining or making fun of my choice. I’ll be taking advantage of this all weekend.

Meanwhile the Mayor and Hubby are enjoying the snow that’s begun to fall in Pennsylvania. Note to anyone looking for a new car, the Chevy Bolt doesn’t handle any amount of snow and will leave you stuck. In addition to the snow, the Mayor played two games. They lost the first game and tied the second one. They’re currently enjoying the Pittsburgh Penguins versus the Sabres game. I think it’s fun to experience NHL games in different stadiums or cities.

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

If I had a freeway billboard, it would say carpe diem. Mostly because I think people should live for the moment. Also, I like the idea of putting up a billboard with a dead language on it. Gotta be different!

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AEP is Over!

AEP is over and I’m back to blogging. Since returning from Utah, it’s been work non-stop. I’ve literally been working 7 days a week since October 15th. This year’s AEP was productive and awesome, but I’m sure glad it’s over. I still have a lot to share from my Mighty Five adventure. Fortunately, we didn’t have reliable cell service or internet after leaving Zion. It honestly was an absolute gift.

Now I’m on a plane headed to Minny watching the Barbie movie with Goalielocks to catch up on some rest and relaxation. Well also he helping move my grandma into a new apartment at an absolutely beautiful building. She’ll have a nice view of the lake and when she needs it, she’ll have the assistance she needs. I’m so glad my mom and her siblings are getting her set now.

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Quick Update

Just a quick update, since I have spotty Wi-Fi and absolutely no cell signal where we’re staying. In fact, we went the whole day in Capitol Reef National Park and it was liberating. We spent yesterday exploring Bryce Canyon National Park. It was spectacular, but more to come on that later. Today we hit Capitol Reef Park, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and Petrified Forest State Park. We had an exhausting day clocking in over 30,000 steps and countless miles. Tomorrow we head northeast to Canyon Lands National Park. When I have better internet and more energy, I’ll write about each of the parks.

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Zion National Park

We’ve spent the last two days exploring Zion National Park. This is the first national park we’re visiting this week. Tomorrow we’ll head to Bryce Canyon for our second park of the tour. Zion lived up to our expectations. We will be back. When we return, we’re going to complete the Narrows and Angel’s Landing hikes. We could not complete the Narrows today due to weather and the risk of flash flooding.

Before you go, here are some things to consider.

  • The busy season runs from April to Early October. And it is busy, so plan to get there early in the morning if you’re not staying in the park.
  • Buy the Interagency America the Beautiful pass. For $80 ($20 for seniors, free for military,) it gives you access to all of the National Parks.
  • The Zion National Park newspaper is a good resource for planning your visit.
  • Watch the weather carefully. The weather will impact your ability to complete certain hikes (like the Narrows) safely.
  • Get the right gear! You’ll need good hiking shoes and socks, ponchos, jackets, walking sticks, hats, sunglasses, a charger for your cell phone, lots of water, and snacks. Additionally, we brought bear spray, sunscreen, and bug spray
  • Prepare to be flexible. Your planned hikes may need to change depending on the weather conditions. Unfortunately, we were scheduled to do the Narrows today, but couldn’t due to the rain and the possibility of flash flooding.

Some of our favorite hikes:

  • Emerald Pools is a moderate hike that features three uniquely colored pools and a waterfall. Arrive early as it’s a popular hike.
  • The Watchman trail is a 3.3-mile moderate trail up to a beautiful viewpoint of the Towers of the Virgin, Lower Zion Canyon, and the town of Springdale. This was my personal favorite.
  • Riverside Walk is 2.2 miles and leads to the beginning of the Narrows. It is an easy, mostly paved hike. We got to the end of the Riverside walk and decided to do the beginning of the Narrows.
  • Kayenta Trail is a 2-mile moderate trail that connects the Grotto trail to the Emerald Pools trail.

Animals you may see while visiting Zion (not an exhaustive list):

  • Desert pronghorn sheep
  • Mule deer
  • North American rock squirrel
  • California condor
  • Gray fox
  • Coyote
  • Bobcats
  • Cougars

The park has beautiful visitor centers and numerous nice restroom facilities throughout the park. The shuttle system efficiently transports guests up and down the canyon to the various trailheads. If you’ve never been to Zion National Park, I’d recommend adding it to your list of places to visit.

What’s your #1 priority tomorrow?

My number one priority tomorrow is getting us safely to Bryce Canyon. We’re leaving Zion and heading to our second National Park of the trip. I’m a bit nervous as Bryce has gotten some snow over the last couple of days. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to see what Bryce and the surrounding area have to offer.

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Eeek!!!

Eeek!!! This time tomorrow I will be with my oldest in Utah. I’d say I’m excited, but I’m afraid that’s a bit of an understatement. Honestly, I’m over the moon. Our neoprene socks arrived today, so now we’re all set. I picked up the altitude sickness medication and new Epi-pens, so I’m really ready. Okay, maybe I’m more than ready to go. The afternoon at work is going to be way too long. Eeek!

In the interim, I’m just enjoying having the Mayor home for a bit. We had dinner from Sushi Yama last night. We’ve been eating there since they opened when the boys were small. I’ve never had a bad meal there. Well, at least I hadn’t had a bad meal there until last night. I always get chicken teriyaki, which is hard to screw up. Unfortunately, the chicken was so overcooked it was inedible. It looked gross and tasted equally gross. At least I got my money back easily since I had ordered through Grubhub. I love having my groceries and food delivered, these folks are our modern-day milkman.

List three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter.

If I could work any job and money didn’t matter, I’d be a stay-at-home mom, a social worker, or a full-time travel blogger. Unfortunately, money will always matter, so I’m tethered to a 9 to 5 gig until I retire.

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My Baby’s Home

My baby’s home for a few days and it’s so nice to have him here. I couldn’t believe how old he looked when he walked in last night. Time has flown by so incredibly fast. He’s doing really well and is enjoying his time on Florida’s west coast. I just have to say we are blessed that he has an incredible billet family and incredible billet brothers. I’m glad to see him thriving away from home. My boy is definitely not tethered to my apron strings. Tonight we’re going to celebrate him being home with some Sushi Yama for dinner.

Meanwhile, I’m still packing for my trip. I didn’t get much down yesterday and need to do some laundry. I’m trying to pack light, since we’ll have laundry at every AirBnB we’re staying at. The hardest part is trying to decide how many pairs of shoes to bring. I’m bringing two pairs of hiking boots/shoes. I have hiking sandals that’ll work well for the hike through the Narrows at Zion. Aside from that, I’m trying to decide if I need to bring dress shoes. We’ll be having dinner out some nights. Clearly, I don’t want to show up in dirty hiking gear. From snippets I’ve read, it seems like Southern Utah has some fine dining options. Hopefully, the food is better there than it is in Ogden.

Beautiful Bryggen

What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?

I’m proud of my family’s Norwegian heritage. When we went to Norway in 2017, it felt like going home. The way people spoke, and the way houses looked back in Minnesota all made sense after that trip. I could see why they immigrated to Minnesota as it looks similar to a lot of Norway. Of course, nothing in Minnesota can compare with the beauty of Fjord Norway although Lake Superior is pretty spectacular. One thing I love about our heritage is that our ancestors wasted nothing. Food and farmable land were scarce, so they used every part of the animal. In fact, it was this ingenuity that led to the creation of Brunost (brown cheese,) which uses whet a byproduct of the cheese-making process as its main ingredient.