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Time Off

I’m back after taking some well-deserved time off. Once hockey ended, I was as utterly exhausted. Also, not only did hockey season end, but it was the end of the road for youth hockey. Consequently, we spent the spring trying to navigate the junior hockey world. When I say it’s a whole new world, I can’t emphasize how different it is from youth hockey. It’s a bit disconcerting, to be honest, as youth hockey was pretty straightforward. At any rate, we spent the spring navigating this new level of hockey.

A month after the season ended, the Mayor took a solo trip with an FPHSL (Florida Panthers Scholastic League) team to a showcase. The tournament was in St. Louis and parents were encouraged to stay home. The purpose of the showcase was twofold. Get the players exposure and an opportunity to operate independently of their parents. Admittedly, it was hard to stay home. It wasn’t hard because I was worried about him being by himself, he can handle himself. Rather it was hard because I love watching him play. Thankfully, we could at least watch the games on LiveBarn.

The Mayor took advantage of the opportunity and ended up with several invites to team camps. After looking at all the opportunities and talking through them with Coach David (South Florida Wolfpack,) we opted to do an NAHL camp in Minnesota with the Janesville Jets. Prior to leaving for that camp, the Florida Eels had invited him to come to skate. The program was an excellent fit for him, so he signed with the Eels. Even though he signed with the Eels, we felt the Janesville camp would still be a good opportunity for him.

The fact that we were able to stay with my folks was definitely a motivating factor for us to sign him up for the Janesville camp. We flew up to Minny the Thursday before the camp since it started Friday night. Fortunately, I was able to work Friday before heading to the rink. Unfortunately, the amount of pollen and smoke from the Canadian fires absolutely destroyed our lungs. The Mayor and I were on all sorts of cold medicine and home remedies including Manuka honey and black pepper.

Unfortunately, we both ended up with allergic bronchitis, which made it super tough for him to skate. It also followed us back to Florida and took a couple of weeks to clear out. Nevertheless, the camp was a success. He sat down with the coach and owner at the end of the camp and will be staying in touch throughout the next season. This was really the ideal outcome. My hubby and I are excited to see how his game will grow with the Eels. It also gives him the opportunity to billet away from home, but also be close to home.

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Blue Spruce

Chugga chugga blue spruce was Goalielocks’ rally cry every time he saw a blue spruce during our first trip to Utah. Blue spruces had somehow become his favorite tree, so naturally, he felt the need to call our attention to every tree he spotted in the Wasatch mountains. Consequently, when I saw spruce was the word of the day it brought back great memories.

It’s funny how a word can usher in a tide of memories. Our first trip to Utah was so much. We were a motley crew hiking the Wasatch Front for the first time and making a few mistakes. I’ll never forget hiking the wrong trail in triple-digit heat with minimal shade and a big altitude gain. I tapped out before the summit. Obviously, we learned our lesson the hard way. Thou shall start with an easy hike when first hiking at over 5,000 feet above sea level in the summer heat.

After that first brutal, yet beautiful, hike each trek got successively easier. To be clear, there weren’t any really easy hikes outside of Donut Falls. The Donut Falls hike would have been a perfect first hike. Every hike was an adventure that trip and it led to a love of hiking. I found myself being at home on the dusty trails of the Wasatch mountains. I loved being immersed in the national forest deep in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

It’s funny how memories work, but I’ll take it. The word prompt spruce took me back to the Utah trips with my boys, Melly, and my folks. That first trip, in particular, will always be special to me. It was our first adventure in the mountains and the greater Salt Lake Area. It’s the trip where my boys and I discovered our love of hiking, lavender lemonade, and Goalielock’s love of blue spruce. I am hopeful the boys and I will get at least one more trip out West before Jake moves again.

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One Last Visit

My parents made one last visit to our house for dinner yesterday. They’ll head back to Minny after an incredible journey to the Maldives with my younger brother. I’m so proud of my parents for getting out of their comfort zone and trying new things like scuba diving. They’re just rock stars. At any rate, I love seeing my folks live their best life after they gave my brothers and me an amazing childhood.

Before that last visit, they came up to go to lunch with the Mayor and have coffee with me. It was great to hear about their trip and see some pictures. The Mayor is always happy when someone wants to take him to lunch, especially if it’s Chipotle. I worked yesterday but scheduled my lunch so I could hang out with my folks while they were here.

For dinner last night I ordered some pizzas from Cucina Moderne. The Mayor had suggested Sal’s but I demurred his choice given that it sucked the last time we had it. As always, Cucina Moderne’s pizza did not disappoint, nor did their Caesar salad. It was a tasty meal. I particularly enjoyed it as I’m now on a clean eating regimen for the next couple of weeks. I’m hoping it helps get rid of the rash and any underlying inflammation.

Today at work I spoke to a guy that was completely inscrutable. It was like talking to Boomhaier from King of the Hill. He was absolutely impossible to understand. I’m sure he needed dental insurance, but beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. Fortunately, the rest of my calls have been fantastic today. Hopefully, the trend continues into the new month.

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A Nefarious Tale

So my rental saga has now gone from a trilogy to a nefarious tale. Apparently, they didn’t tow the car on the 14th. In fact, they allegedly towed the car from the Marriott back to Hertz last night. This is according to Hertz. Keep in mind, Hertz sent me several text messages on the 14th indicating they had received the card and closed my case. In fact, I distinctly remember looking for the truck when we came back from the rink that night and it wasn’t there.

Unfortunately, that was only part one of this nefarious tale. Because I also got my bill. First of all, they billed me for the entire trip. Secondly, they billed me a higher rate than what I had been quoted. This, of course, begs the question: will Hertz ever get this right. Unfortunately, I think the answer to that question is no. Consequently, all transactions from Hertz remained blocked on my credit cards. But hey at least they sent me a nice letter asking for their rental vehicle back…..

And now for a not-so-nefarious tail. While I worked, the Mayor and hubby headed to FLA Live arena for a high school game. You got to love a high school game scheduled during the middle of the school/work day. Based on the updates and snippets, I saw it was a high-scoring game. My friend Christy sent me an awesome video of the Mayor’s goal. Unfortunately, they ended up losing 6-5, but I think it was fun for them to play on the Panthers’ ice.

As for the shingles/rash situation, the shoulder is looking better. It, however, still hurts and is a bit of a nuisance. The patch on my back still looks quite raw, but it hasn’t spread. I’ve decided I should probably follow up with a rheumatologist to make sure there’s not an underlying autoimmune issue at work. Nevertheless, I’m a bit overtaking a ton of pills every day.

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Shingles, maybe

I woke up with a new patch on my back, so now they thinks it’s shingles, maybe…. There not 100% sure what it is, although I think we all agree it’s precipitated by stress and an overexcited immune system. Consequently, I’ll be adding an antiviral to the mix of antibiotics and steroid cream. Adulting is so much fun. Needless to say, I’m quite cranky.

The rental car debacle and my hubby’s apparently unpaid, volunteer job clearly aren’t helping the situation. Hertz called me again asking why I haven’t returned their car yet. Do these folks even read notes? Hertz had to have a CRM that is sued across the company. I can’t fathom how so much incompetence can impact one rental. Hertz has never screwed up a rental for me previously, but I guess when they do, they do it big.

At this point, I’m hoping I don’t have to go to the media on the wayward rental. Also, hoping my spouse gets paid sometime this year. This volunteering shit isn’t going to work. Obviously, my system is not handling the stress well and is absolutely flaring. Needless, to say I’m in need of serious vacation, sauna time and a moment to recharge myself. So anyway, yeah two patches and it’s shingles, maybe.

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Wild Game

We had a blast at the Wild Game tonight here in South Florida. Fortunately, this was a win-win situation for us. We love the Wild but usually cheer for the Panthers. The only time we don’t cheer for the Panthers is when the Wild is in town. Wild’s first line looked good tonight, but obviously, that wasn’t enough to win.

To be fair, my vision sucks bananas. I most definitely need new contacts as I could barely read the names on the jersey sober. Once the vodka sodas were on board, the bets were off. I was cheering for white team versus red. Who the freak knew who was on the ice. Certainly not these old eyes. Speaking of which, I can’t wait to proof read this post on my laptop since alcohol and auto compete are not a great mix.

Even though the Wild didn’t win, the evening was enchanting and fun. We got to see a hockey dad we haven’t seen in quite awhile. (It was great to see you Chris!). It was interesting watching the cheerleaders do the same dance to Disturbed and Pitbull. One would think the dance would vary, it apparently not. I mean even very my copy when emailing different folks, I’d certainly mix up the dance moves for different genres. In case you’re wondering, the dance moves didn’t work for any of the songs. Special thanks to TJ and Val for the tickets!

Today’s song of the day is Red Cold River by Breaking Benjamin.

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The Saga Continues

The saga continues as I am still trying to get my rental reservation from Chicago straightened out. Hertz has kindly charged my AmEx daily this week for the same amount. Now if you will recall, Hertz towed my rental back to O’Hare on 1/12/23. Due to my son’s schedule, I opted not to get a replacement vehicle and end the rental that day. When I spoke with roadside assistance, she made it clear that if I wanted a replacement vehicle, I’d need to call back to set it up. Otherwise, Hertz would consider the rental closed. Except apparently, Hertz hasn’t closed out the rental. This is a bit disconcerting given that I have spoken to Hertz customer care several times a day since Saturday.

Customer service has repeatedly assured me that the rental has been closed out. Yet here we are. Consequently, I called AmEx this morning. American Express will block all subsequent charges from Hertz. Hertz would have charged me $359 if I had kept the car. As of this morning, Hertz has charged me $505. To be clear, I rent from Hertz all the time and have never had an issue like this. Usually, the rental experience is seamless. Nevertheless, here I am trying to climb the allegorical mountain that is resolution. Anyway, the saga continues.

As far as sagas go, this rental car one is quite boring. I’d much prefer a saga in the mountains of Utah or Scandinavia. The Mayor and I were talking yesterday about our trips to Utah. We’ve had so much fun exploring the Wasatch mountains and the canyons of the Great Salt Lake Area. Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons will always be two of my favorite places. The hikes we did in both canyons were so refreshing and beautiful. The elevation of the canyons definitely helped cool us down. Unfortunately, the hikes closer to Jake’s base offered little shade and tons of heat. Nevertheless, every hike we’ve taken in Utah has been beautiful. Hopefully, we’ll be able to visit Utah one last time.

Meanwhile, I have been cooking meat since my lunch hour. Our garage fridge/freezer somehow became unplugged and everything in the freezer defrosted. Since we just received a ButcherBox delivery, we have a lot of meat to cook today. Over my break, I sauteed up four pounds of stew meat and got a roast going in the crock pot. As soon as work is over, I’ll be back to cooking all the defrosted meat. Oh, the joy!

Today’s accountability tracker:

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Back Home

We got back home early yesterday morning from our fantastic trip to Chicago. I had planned on writing yesterday, but after only three hours of sleep, I thought it would be an exercise in futility. As I crawled out of bed to work yesterday, having slept through all of my alarms, I was lamenting my choice not to take the day off. Fortunately, I had a really productive day at work despite my lack of sleep. My parents, who are in town, also brought me a much-needed Starbucks halfway through the day. They were complete lifesavers. I skipped my workouts yesterday because I was exhausted. It was one of those days that had I worked out, I probably would have made myself sick or injured myself.

I’m still utterly exhausted even though we’ve been back home for a day. Consequently, I’m taking another rest day. Fortunately, I did get to bed relatively early last night even though we had company. My parents and sister-in-law came over for dinner last night. While I was on my PanCan conference call, the Hubby grilled up some yummy hamburgers, brats, and potatoes. The grilled potatoes and onions bathed in butter is one of my favorite dishes that we make. He finished the food promptly at 8:00 pm, which was perfect timing. Goalielocks was also in town to pick up stuff he had forgotten and say hi to the grandparents. We made him put everything in the car immediately, so he wouldn’t forget it again. It was nice having him home even if it was for just one night.

Tonight the Mayor has practice, so we’ll just spend our night relaxing with the dogs. Who am I kidding? The dogs will be creating all sorts of mischief as we try to watch television. I’ll write more about our trip tomorrow when my brain is less foggy. Unfortunately, I’m still sorting out the rental situation. They’ve now charged my AmEx multiple times for a car I didn’t get to use. I’m waiting for them to send me my receipt, so I can see the actual charges. At this point, I think I’ll have to file a dispute with American Express to recoup my money. I’m a bit disappointed that it’s taking so long, but I’m sure the bank holiday isn’t helping expedite the process.

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Staying on Theme

Well, my weekend is staying in the theme of a transportation clusterfuck. I went out to get my Dunkin’ coffee this morning, when to my unpleasant surprise the rental didn’t start. In fact, it didn’t even turnover. Fortunately, the hotel engineer had jumper cables and was able to give us a jump. Unfortunately, the car’s battery wasn’t the issue. Given the lack of sound from the engine, we surmised it was a starter or alternator issue. Either way it wasn’t a problem that could be solved in the parking lot.

Thankfully, my friend Lyssa let me use her rental to pick up my already order coffee. While I drove to Dunkin’, I called Hertz’a roadside assistance line. The customer care agent was amazing. She got me setup for a tow, so I wouldn’t have to wait around for the tow truck. After all, I am completely unwilling to miss any of the Mayor’s games while I’m here. Nor was I willing to miss out on the deep dish pizza.

As for a replacement vehicle, I’d have to call back after the game to set that up. Ordinarily, I would have setup another car, but sometimes the universe is sending us messages. Also, we’ve had no issue finding rides to the games. Honestly, the Mayor’s team is filled with incredible families, which has made this situation so much less stressful. Consequently, I’m leaning into the universe’s message and going rental free for the rest of the weekend.

This morning’s troubles were, but a blur after two entertaining games today. I was so grateful that my bestie Jen was able to come and watch both games. It’s such a gift to be able to see her and her kids. Moreover, I love watching the Mayor play. I love watching his scheme and plan with his teammates on the ice. Mostly, I love when he scores a nice goal or sets up his teammates for a nice goal. Tonight he got the game winner after great plays and passes by his teammates.

Today was all about redefining expectations for our transportation this trip, great company and entertaining hockey. Today’s bloganuary post asks what is your preferred mode of transporting. My answer is simple, a rental car that works. As for the rest of this weekend’s transportation, we are fortunate for the generosity of spirt from our hockey family. Hopefully, next trip will stay on theme, but it will be a better less stressful theme.

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Clusterfuck

This trip has been a clusterfuck since yesterday when Hertz inadvertently deleted my rental reservation while trying to fix it. After a couple of calls, they got it taken care of and at a much lower rate. The real clusterfuck showed up when Delta emailed me that our flight was delayed and we needed to rebook. Fortunately, I got the email before falling asleep, so I could get situated while there were still flights available.

After several hours, Delta’s customer service agent was able to get us rebooked into O’Hare via JFK. I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t have a Twitter tantrum directed at Delta. After being canceled, rebooked, canceled, and rebooked at the back of the plane after paying for Comfort+ on the flight, I was beyond livid. Thankfully, an angel named Eloise, a Delta customer service rep, took care of it.

The cluster has continued today. Our boarding passes for the second flight didn’t want to load, so that was fun. I went up to the desk to get printed copies, but the attendant insisted the photos I had of the printed passes would work. Spoiler alert, they didn’t and we were the last folks to board the plane. I wouldn’t have been so annoyed if I hadn’t already asked for the printed passes. Anyway, we eventually got on the bird and are now wheels up to Chicago.

I did notice, however, once I got service again that our Monday flight to Atlanta as cancelled. It looks like they’ve already rebooked us on another flight. The basement of JFK, where our gate was, had absolutely no cell nor Wi-Fi service. There was literally no service in the room. Obviously, everyone was annoyed with the lack of service as it made it mighty difficult to pull up a boarding pass in the APP with no internet.

If there’s anything the last twenty four hours have taught me, it is that my bullshit tolerance clearly has a limit. At the moment, the limit seems to be nil. Perhaps, my tolerance for travel bullshit is lower than my normal life bullshit tolerance. Or perhaps I’m just exhausted and have no desire to be tolerant. I think I probably just need a good nap and maybe a piece of the gigantic Milka Bar I bought in the airport.

Today’s bloganuary prompt asks what one would do with a billion dollars. Given my experience with the clusterfuck that is travel these days, I’d buy a private CBC jet. This way I don’t need to worry about my flight getting cancelled or my mobile boarding pass not working. It would just be so easy. Plus if I had a private jet, it would be much easier to travel with my puppies. Although to be fair, I’m not sure the puppies would love flying. Anakin and Arrow have nervous breakdowns when driving five minutes to the vets office.

And we made it!

Today’s accountability tracker: