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Look Who’s Back

Well, well, look who’s back. It’s been a while since I’ve written here, but I was tired and needed a break. Like most women in their mid-forties, I’m having a lot of fun with my hormones. Thanks to perimenopause and Graves’ disease, I’ve been a bit all over the place. The one constant, however, has been fatigue.

With all that’s been going on, I decided to focus on staying fit and the family. Since I last wrote, I’ve run several 5Ks. These races have been a great opportunity to keep my focus on my goal of building my overall fitness. The goal is no longer to be the fastest, but to run the best race, while building muscle and bone, while letting go of the results. Of course, I’ve also added finishing a 10K race to my annual goals for 2026.

Meanwhile, the Mayor has been playing junior hockey with the Coral Springs Jr Cats. I have a love-hate relationship with junior hockey after our billet’s experience with an unethical hockey director. The program is new this year, so it was a risk, but the general manager is wonderful and does a great job. It’s really been a positive experience for the Mayor, my husband, and me.

You’ll get your fill of junior hockey over the next three days as we travel to Tampa for the playoffs. Hopefully, it doesn’t take six hours to get there this weekend, and we see a lot of cows. This team has the ability and grit to win it all, so it should be a fun weekend. My BFF and I are sharing an Airbnb to mitigate costs. So either way, we will have a good time.

2026Goal tracker:

  • Run 12 5Ks and a 10K: work in progress
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: currently working through 4.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations):
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: Does Tampa count?
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m currently reading The Mystery of Mrs. Christie – a Riddle Made for Book Club to Solve, by Marie Benedict.
  • 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.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

I was laid off from a very toxic job in 2019. It was a job that I had worked really hard for, but my old boss made my life hell the last couple of years. In the end, I had a heads up because senior leadership, far from being professional, rode down the elevator with the layoff plans face up. Whoops!

Nonetheless, it was hard to leave a team of people I loved working with every day. As tough as it was, it allowed me to spend time with my son before he left for the military. It taught me that living the corporate American dream is absolute bullshit. Instead, my life revolves around my family, my passions, my dogs, my friends, and of course, hockey. Now I’m living a happier, balanced, and fulfilling life.

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New Season, New Team

Tomorrow marks the start of a new season with a new team for the Mayor. He’ll be playing with the Coral Springs Jr Cats in the USPHL. Tomorrow they’ll open their season in Estero against the Florida Everblades. We’re excited for the season to start, but we’re not loving the 11:45 am game time on a weekday.

The games this season will be full NHL-length games. This makes me a little nervous for him. He’ll need to learn how to manage his blood sugar through the 20-minute periods as well as the 20-minute breaks in between. It will be interesting to see how it goes tomorrow. As with everything else related to diabetes, it will be a learning experience and somewhat of a science experiment.

So what is Junior hockey? It’s the hockey that exists between club or high school hockey and college hockey. The goal of junior hockey is to improve your game so you can play at the collegiate level. That’s the goal for a lot of folks. For others, it serves as a great way to spend a gap year between high school and college. Not everyone is ready to start college immediately. Junior hockey is a great way to grow their independence and life skills, so they can succeed in college.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: began 3.0 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’s your favorite word?

It starts with an f and rhymes with duck. Sorry, Mom, but it’s definitely my favorite. I found myself using it quite a lot last night, seeing the obnoxious responses to Charlie Kirk’s death. The fact that we’ve become so comfortable with violence as a means of silencing opposing voices is frightening. If you’re one of the people, cheering or trying to rationalize his death, you deserve to be a permanent guest of the devil. Social media truly does bring out the worst is so many people who don’t know they’re at best dumb and at worst a hateful sod.

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Spring Bakes

While we didn’t go anywhere for spring break this year, there were plenty of spring bakes in the house. Since the Mayor’s diagnosis, I’ve been baking sourdough bread several times a week. I started with a sourdough boule recipe, but switched to a sandwich bread that the guys like better. It’s also easier to slice. The recipe is quite simple and doesn’t include a lot of active time, which allows me to multitask.

When everyone was here for graduation, I made the sourdough star with Biscoff instead of Nutella. I loved it with Nutella, but both my dad and Melly are deathly allergic to hazelnuts. Consequently, I don’t keep anything with hazelnuts in the house when they’re in town. It went much better than the previous times I made it, thanks to the assistance of my mom and hubby. I would make it again with Bischoff, but I would use a lot more of it next time. The flavor isn’t as strong as Nutella, so it needs more cookie butter for the flavor to come through.

I love cheese, but everyone already knows that. To go with chili, I made Brazilian cheese bread. This bread is perfect for the Mayor as it has 10 grams of carbohydrates and protein. Two of my favorite baked goods with cheese from this spring are the focaccia with sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella, and the brioche with Brie. Both of these breads are delicious and store well in the fridge.

Now I wouldn’t be my mother’s daughter if I didn’t include cookies in this blog. Some of my most treasured memories from childhood are baking cookies with my mom and grandma. The nice thing about baking my cookies is that I don’t have to fight my brothers for the bowl. This spring, I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies with Reese’s Pieces. When I bake the cookies, I weigh each one so they’re all the same weight. This way, I can give the Mayor precise carbohydrate counts by cookie. So let me ask you, what’s your favorite bake?

Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

There are several things I practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle. One, I practice yoga every morning before work. Secondly, I read every day before bed. I also try to get to bed every day at the same time, with no electronics allowed once I’m in my room for the night.

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Week Off

I took the week off after graduation so that I could spend the time with the boys, Melly, and my folks. My parents had been in town for a month, but with their work commitments, it was hard to see them as often as I would have liked. Tuesday morning, Melly picked me up to go visit my folks in Deerfield Beach. Unfortunately, Jake was unable to join us as he had to work.

My brother was staying out east near the water while his house was being renovated. Fortunately, this meant a quick walk to the water for my folks. Honestly, the location could not have been any better. To be able to walk to Deerfield Beach and all the shops and restaurants there is priceless. For my folks from Minny, it was a perfect place to enjoy the paradise they deserve.

Melly, my mom, and I walked to a cute coffee shop a block from the beach. I got their caramel roll latte, which was delicious. After we got our coffees, we walked down the beach to the pavilion. It was the perfect location to enjoy our coffees and the beautiful beach views. The facilities are super nice, and the bathrooms are perfectly clean. We had a beautiful morning enjoying each other’s company and our coffee.

Thursday, Jake and Melly picked me up and we headed to the cutest cafe in Delray Beach. Glimmer Cafe is beautifully decorated, and the food is just as gorgeous. I enjoyed a strawberry goat cheese salad with a strawberry latte. Melly had a Caesar salad, while Jake had a sandwich and an iced latte. It wasn’t a cheap meal, but it’s worth the experience. We’ll be back! Hopefully, next time we can bring Terri (Melly’s mom) and my mom.

After lunch, we headed to one of my favorite places: Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. We took the kids there often when they were young. They loved seeing the sea turtles, sharks, and other sea life. Unfortunately, the aquariums were closed due to construction that day. We were still able, however, to enjoy the boardwalk, the tower, and the butterfly garden. It’s a magical place that I love returning to year after year.

After our nature walk, we went back to Melly’s family home to bake some bread. Our plan to bake bread was almost unraveled when we couldn’t find the mixer. Eventually, we found it and were able to bake the sourdough bread. I also brought her a jar with some of my starter, so she can have her own sourdough starter. We were going to bake garlic knots, but we ran out of time. She did an amazing job baking the bread! Also, as a bonus, I was able to hang out with the grand birds while the bread rose.

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 June 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 War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

Oh, where do I even start? First of all, I love food. Second of all, I have enjoyed a lot of really good food. It is impossible to pick the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. One dessert I had in France that I still think about is Kouign-Amann. My friend Emilie bought it for us in Brittany to try while we were staying at an Airbnb in Normandy.

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Graduation

Graduation has come and gone, but I needed to sit with my emotions for a bit before writing about it. The last of the lasts are bittersweet. While not as jarring as the first of the “lasts”, it does mark the end of an era. After twenty-one plus years of schooling for our boys, our school days are officially over. Honestly, I’m not going to miss the nastygrams over missing homework or other shenanigans. I will, however, miss the teachers who made a difference in their lives.

This year was a rough one for the Mayor, so graduation was quite the victory. The original goal was for him to finish up virtually, but that didn’t work out. We reenrolled him in physical school last fall. At first, he wasn’t happy about it, but it turned out to be a godsend. Last fall, doctors diagnosed him with Type 1 diabetes, and it hit us like a ton of bricks. Nurse Stephanie was and still is his angel on earth. As a fellow diabetic, she was able to help him navigate his diagnosis. I don’t think I can repay her for the help she has given us.

There was a lot of drama around tickets, which sucked. Each family was only given six tickets as the graduating class was nearly 800 strong. Six tickets weren’t enough for our family. In the end, the Mayor was able to obtain some extra tickets, so our family, including my parents and brother, was able to attend. After the 8:00 am graduation, we were all hungry. In the end, we ended up getting the pizzas at Cucina Moderne for lunch. The wait for brunch at First Watch was over an hour.

After lunch, we chilled at home with puppies and watched some television. The graduation dinner for the Mayor was at Saito’s. My boys are very different people, but they share a love of hibachi. In addition to our family, my folks, Jon and Brandi, and Richard and Suelen were able to join us. I don’t think the Mayor would have let us celebrate his graduation without his favorite uncles being there. The food was amazing and we had a great time.

Celebrating our youngest’s graduation without our family, including our oldest son’s wife, was surreal. It felt like the end of one chapter of our family life and the beginning of a new chapter. While we were the chief authors of the last chapter, the chapter will largely be written by their generation. I have to say, I’m not here for it. This and perimenopause make me feel old, and I’m not okay with it. Obviously, I’ll come to terms with it as every generation of mothers has done before me, but it’s tough. Anyway, enough about my emotional baggage.

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 June 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 War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?

My go to outfit is my new Fabletics onesie paired with a colorful sports bra and my hair up in a pony tail. You wouldn’t even have to force me to wear it over and over again.

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Countdown is On

The countdown is on! Only six more days until the Mayor’s graduation officially ends our family’s school days. It’s been a long and winding road that started at a preschool in Minnesota in 2003. I still remember the orientation like it was yesterday. The teachers largely ignored me and talked to my mom. To be fair, I looked like a kid and she still doesn’t look her age. From next Monday forward, I will be but a passenger in the next generation’s school journey.

Twenty-two years of homework, last-minute science projects, angry emails, and angry calls are coming to an end. Fortunately, the Mayor hit his stride at Park Vista and made the A honor roll each quarter this year. This last year of school for our family has been a godsend. Happenstance put us in that school with the people best suited to help him handle and manage his diabetes diagnosis. I could pinch myself at how blessed we’ve been with his school nurse, teachers, and administrators.

One of my favorite school day stories featuring the Mayor happened when he was in first grade. A couple of things to keep in mind. At this point, he was living in hockey locker rooms. Two, LMFAO and “Party Rock” were everywhere at this time. At lunch, his friend dared him to stand on the table, drop his pants, and “wiggle it” as the song lyrics suggested. With no compunction, he accepted and executed the dare. Consequently, I received an urgent call for a meeting with the teacher.

When I met with the teacher and she told me what happened, it was all I could do not to laugh. After all, he did this little dance on the cafeteria table wearing Thomas the Tank Engine underwear. Horrified, I explained to the teacher that he lives in his older brother’s hockey locker room and is a hockey player himself. His teacher gave me a knowing look and said, “I grew up in Michigan and dated hockey players all my life. This makes complete sense. I will take care of it with the administration, so it doesn’t become an issue.”

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress. I completed High Intensity 1.0 last week and started 2.0 yesterday!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into May 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 1415 (The Road to Agincourt – King’s Spy), by Simon Fairfax
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?

I’ve made a lot of changes for the better this year. One thing I’d like to do is grow more fruits and vegetables in my yard. Florida is the perfect place for year round agriculture, so there’s really no excuse. This fall I’m going to plant some herbs and vegetables that we can harvest throughout the winter. It’s too hot in summer for a lot of these vegetables.

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Last of the Lasts

Today, we experienced one of the last of the lasts. Our youngest, the Mayor, had his last day of school today. Getting here has been a long road, but we’ve finally crossed the finish line. Our oldest started school in 2004 in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota. After he finished kindergarten, we moved to Florida.

The first of the lasts are quite difficult as your brain learns to process the moment’s emotions. I remember feeling lost as I navigated Jake’s move from elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, and his senior year. Each milestone I experienced with Jake prepared me to experience it fully with Goalielocks and The Mayor.

First and last day of school

The Mayor’s senior year has hardly gone to plan. Who could have foreseen that he’d be hospitalized in the fall and diagnosed with type 1 diabetes? Fortunately, his high school played an integral role in adjusting to diabetes. His school nurse, also a diabetic, took him under her wing immediately. The nurse ensured everyone understood what needed to be done to keep him safe at school. His English teacher helped him too, as she is also a type 1 diabetic.

Jake’s first and last day
Goaelielocks first and last day

The last of the lasts is interesting too. It’s not as hard as the first time, but the finality of it all is a bittersweet pill to swallow. Honestly, when you first have kids, you feel like you’ll be parenting them forever. In the end, active parenting is a temporary assignment. After eighteen years or so, parents are expected to send their kids out into the world. It’s like having three versions of your heart beating outside your body. Yet seeing them thrive as adults is quite rewarding. So, cheers to the next chapter as we celebrate the last of the lasts.

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 was the last live performance you saw?

The last live performance I saw was Jerry Seinfeld. He’s only the second stand-up comedian I’ve seen live. The first was Chelsea Handler, whom we saw ages ago in Miami Beach. Seinfeld’s show was as entertaining and intelligent as I expected it to be. I’d definitely go see him again. Next week I hope to scoot up to the amphitheater to see Breaking Benjamin live. It’s been far too long since I’ve been to a concert.

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Heat Wave

There is a heat wave at my house. It’s been going on since Monday night when our downstairs A/C unit decided to stop working. At present, it’s a balmy 83 degrees in my office/bedroom. It made for an arduous run yesterday and a tough workout today. As for the yoga, it’s helpful to be a bit warm. Nevertheless, I’m not here for it. In fact, it’s the opposite of splendid. After all, I like to be comfortably cool.

Thankfully, we ended up going out for dinner last night to celebrate the Mayor’s birthday. My folks, uncle Jon, aunt Brandi, uncle Richard, and aunt Suelen joined us at Sushi Yama for the celebratory dinner. As much fun as it would have been to host a dinner at our house in the middle of an A/c outage, Sushi Yama was the perfect answer. We had an incredible dinner with lots of good appetizers and tasty entrees. At the end of the dinner, the bill was quite reasonable given how much food we ate.

Anyway, the heat wave will continue for at least a few more hours. Hopefully, the Hubby can fix the A/C tonight. I look forward to being comfortable at work and sleeping in my bed. Since we have no A/C in our room, I’ve been sleeping in my human-sized dog bed in the living room. It’s way too hot in our room. If I slept in there, my night sweats would have night sweats. Ironically, I had the best couple of nights of sleep in a long time. Nonetheless, I do miss the comfort of my own bed.

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 do you do to be involved in the community?

I currently volunteer as the Teams Chair and leadership team for the Broward/Palm Beach Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (hereafter PanCan) affiliate. My friend Debbie introduced me to PanCan after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015. PanCan was an important part of her cancer journey. She was the keynote speaker at the 2016 PurpleStride event. Before she passed away, I promised her I’d take up the mantle and continue to advocate for pancreatic cancer patients and their families. It has turned into one of the most enriching experiences of my life. My heart is filled with gratitude for the people PanCan has brought into my life.

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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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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.