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48 Hours

In less than 48 hours, I will be embarking on Momcation 5.0. I cannot wait!! First of all, I can’t wait to see all the girls and meet the two new moms. Second, I have no responsibility for the entirety of the trip, which is amazing. Lastly, I love exploring and enjoying paradise. In the end, it’s a trip that is good for the soul. I can’t wait!

This is the fifth Momcation I’ve attended. Last year, we went to Puerto Vallarta, which was magical. In 20222, we ventured to Turks & Caicos, which I love. We were supposed to go there in 2020, but we all know how that went. Before the pandemic, we visited the Cayman Islands and Turks & Caicos (North Caicos.). Every location has been spectacular in its own way, so I’m looking forward to what this year’s destination will bring.

I am hoping, after I leave in 48 hours, that the Mayor and the hubby will remember to feed the birds and water my tomato. The birds have become quite accustomed to their morning feast at our house. They don’t even go into stealth mode or fly away when I walk outside now. We wouldn’t want to disappoint them or the squirrels. The tomato plant is now fruiting, so it would suck to lose it while I’m gone. I’m sure the puppies will also miss being spoiled by their mama.

Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.

I think the biggest decision that has helped me grow was to stop looking for happiness outside of myself. Other people can bring joy and momentary happiness, but I’m talking about the deep rooted happiness with one’s life and one’s self. At the end of the day, we can only control ourselves. Now back to working on my doodle. I’m not at all artistic, but I have found doodling and coloring throughout the day helps keep my spirits high and my mind engaged.

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Menagerie

Our front yard menagerie was hopping again this morning. They must have had an awesome time. Incredibly, they completely knocked down and broke one of the birdhouses. I wish we had cameras, so we could see how they broke the birdhouse. I’m sure it was broken from a rash movement or a fight over the feeder.

It’s become quite the little community at our feeders. The dogs and I enjoy watching all the animals. While I enjoy watching them, I know the puppies are dying to go out and chase them. On the other side of the house, we have a duck nest in the agave. She’s managed to tuck it in between the bushes so that it’s barely visible. We should have babies sometime soon. They’ll add to the overall cuteness of the menagerie.

I’m going to see if the Hubby can fix the birdhouse, so we can put it back in front of the window. The smaller birds liked the more protected feeder closer to the house versus the larger lantern feeder. If we can’t fix it, I’ll have to replace it with another feeder. I want to make sure the painted buntings keep visiting. They’re so pretty!

What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?

The only place I wouldn’t visit is an active war zone. I’d like to explore the world and see every continent, but as safely as possible. The current political climate makes travel to some parts of the world too dangerous, which is sad.

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Ho Hum

Ho Hum, what an appropriate title for a shit show of a day. Our internet with AT&T went down early this morning along with our cell service. Fortunately, we have Comcast as a backup. Unfortunately, Comcast still sucks. Needless to say, it’s been a trying day. It has me counting down the hours to Momcation 5.0.

I should have known today was going to be a special kind of crazy. After all, it is the day the taxman cometh. One bright spot was that our menagerie was hopping this morning. We even had a new visitor. A beautiful mottled duck joined the others for a snack. The animals have gotten so used to me that they don’t fly away anymore when I bring out the food or water. Even the skittish blue jays and squirrels have started to stay.

Instead of running, I’ve been working on Zumba chores for Momcation. I haven’t taught since I tore a tendon and was diagnosed with Graves, so I’m excited to give it a go. After all, it’s only been six years. Honestly, I had forgotten both how hard and how much fun it is to put together a class. I’m a bit rusty, so hopefully I’ll be able to give my fellow moms a good workout. It’s also a test to see if my ankle and body will tolerate it. If it goes well, I’m going to start teaching again as I need a second income.

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

My family has done so much for me that I don’t even know where to start. I guess I’ll put it in broad strokes because otherwise, we’d have a War and Peace size answer here. The biggest thing was that they have supported me through life at every stage and every difficulty. I know that’s a pretty general answer, but the truth having support makes a huge difference.

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All Set

Our new highly efficient washing machine is all set and I couldn’t be happier. The hubby was able to install it quickly last night, so we could run our first load through it. Goodness, what a difference a new machine makes. No longer does it sound like something is about to take off from the laundry room. It was so loud the dogs would alternate between barking at it and being afraid of it. It’s so quiet. I love it!

I’m not quite all set for my trip to Mexico, but I’m working on that too. Delta sent a notification that there are a lot of delays with luggage, so I think I’m going to go with a carry-on only. This is a big step for me as I am notorious for over-packing. Nevertheless, I’m going to take the opportunity to make lemonade from the lemons and pack it efficiently. Well, at least I’m going to try.

The trip can’t come soon enough. I’m fried and could use a week in paradise to clear my head. Even my computer at work knows it’s time for some self-care. Fortunately, Momcation is exactly what the doctor ordered. The only things on the schedule aside from relaxing are yoga and Zumba. This will be my first time teaching since I was injured in 2018, so I’m pretty excited. Hopefully, my ankle and foot tolerate it well, so I can go back to teaching all the time.

Oh and one last thing, please join me in wishing my parents a wonderful wedding anniversary. You guys are the best! Happy Anniversary! I hope you guys do something fun to celebrate your special day.

Describe one positive change you have made in your life.

Kaplan laid me off in 2019 from a miserable job. I worked with the best people, but the job was no longer the right fit. Fortunately, it gave me time off to spend with Jake before he left for the military. When I went back to work, I went back purposefully into a role that would give me a work-life balance. My new job fits the bill perfectly. Although some days are a little too slow as I’ve watched all the documentaries on Prime.

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Eclipse

Apparently, there’s some sort of eclipse today, which I’m sure will bring out all the weirdos. The nut jobs and tin foil-wearing conspiracy theorists love to get worked up about these things. It’s been entertaining to read some of the crazier posts people have made. I’ll be sharing some of them here for your entertainment. My favorite posts are the ones questioning our ability to have an eclipse during a crescent moon. That and the posts say they’ll look at the sun directly because the government said they shouldn’t look at it directly.

Enough about the eclipse and silly people, I had an interesting yet quiet weekend with the Mayor and my puppies. I binge-watched Euphoria and Regime. If you haven’t watched either, you should watch both. Zendaya and Kate Winslet are supremely talented actresses. You won’t be disappointed in either’s performance. Euphoria tackles some pretty heavy subject matter but it is so well done. Zendaya’s performance as Rue, a high school student addicted to opiates, is powerful. I highly recommend you check out both.

Pictures taken in Arkansas by my friend’s daughter that was working with NASA today.

Hubby is halfway home, he has completed the first leg of his trip. Now he’s waiting to get airborne to head back to FLL. Right now it looks like his flight has a slight delay, but nothing too major. I’m back at work, watching The Heart Doctor on Acorn because I’m bored out of my gourd. Nothing is happening at work. Fortunately, it gives me plenty of time to work as publisher of my blog. Speaking of which, I’ll be adding a separate recipe and travel section shortly. The recipe section is self-explanatory. As for the travel section, it will include blogs about my travels and travel recommendations.

Photos from my friend’s house in AR, which is in the path of totality

What book could you read over and over again?

I love reading, so there are a ton of books that could be on this list. One of them is The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. Fortunately, it’s a pretty short read. The others on the list would include The Count of Monte Cristo, War and Peace, Les Miserables and The Decameron.

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Off He Goes

Off he goes to Vegas. The Hubby is heading west for some much-needed time off with his boys. Hopefully, they’ll do well in the casino since our washing machine just broke. We’ve been in the house for 18 years (this coming July) and this is our 4th or 5th washing machine. These appliances are shit. I wish we could buy appliances that lasted decades like our parents and grandparents. Instead, we’re forced to buy overpriced shit that will last less than five years. Appliance manufacturing is an exercise of mediocrity.

While he’s off in Vegas, I plan to do mostly nothing. Saturday morning the Mayor and I will be meeting my brothers for brunch, which will be nice. Enjoying brunch on the ocean never gets old. It’s simply divine. Aside from brunch, I’ll probably bake some more bread and some puppy treats. I liked the rustic Italian loaf I made last week, so I’ll probably make that again. Additionally, I may try my hand at focaccia afterward. Otherwise, I’ll continue to do what I do all week, which is binge shows on streaming services.

For the rest of the afternoon, I’ll be watching yet another show on Acorn because I’m bored. Afterward, I’ll head to the airport to drop off the hubby. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and won’t be the proverbial fly in the ointment to his trip. Otherwise, he’ll spend his night gnashing his teeth at FLL or MDW, which would not be fun.

What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?

I have two answers to this question, which I think is fair given there are both summer and Winter Olympics. My favorite summer Olympic sport to watch is women’s gymnastics. I can’t wait to see Simone Biles and company in action in Paris later this year. Gabbi Douglas is back as well and I’m hoping Suni Lee can compete.

As for the winter games, I love watching hockey. I cannot wait for the NHLers to be back in the games. One of my favorite memories from the rink is coming off the ice from a mite game to watch the end of the US vs. Russia game. The third period ended in a 2-2 tie. Bob (Sergei Bobrobsky) was in the net for the Russians while Quick was in the net for the Americans. The shootout went several rounds until TJ Oshie put it away. He had Bob’s number scoring on 4 of his 6 shootout attempts. The lobby of the rink erupted; it was awesome.

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Books

Since the New Year, I’ve read several books. My daily bedtime ritual is to put my phone up and read for 30 minutes to an hour before going to sleep. Thanks to Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall series, I’ve been stuck in Tudor England for a while now. Nevertheless, I started the new year off differently. This year I started with Richard Ayoade and his comedic book Ayoade on Top, which was gifted to me by Jake.

I read the following books in the first quarter of 2024:

  • Ayoade on Top is Richard Ayoade’s hysterical take on the movie View from the Top starring Gwyneth Paltrow. His writing is as humorous as the movie is ridiculous. It’s a nice quick read.
  • The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir. Weir makes a compelling case for who killed the Princes in the tower. I have to say I agree with her.
  • Queens of the Conquest: England’s Medieval Queens by Alison Weir. This is the first in Weir’s trilogy focusing on England’s Medieval Queens. It starts with Queen Matilda, wife of the Conquerer, and brings us up to the start of the Plantagenet dynasty.
  • Queens of the Crusade: England’s Medieval Queens by Alison Weir. The second volume of the trilogy covers from 1154 to 129. It begins with Eleanor of Aquitaine, arguably Medieval Europe’s most famous Queen.
  • Queens of the Age of Chivalry: England’s Medieval Queens by Alison Weir. The final volume in her Medieval Queen trilogy, Weir takes us from 1299 to 1409. This volume includes Isabella of France, known as the “she-wolf of France” for overthrowing her husband the king to the beloved Phillipa of Hainault.
  • Hunting the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and the Wedding that Shook Europe, by John Guy and Judy Fox. I’ve read numerous books both fiction and nonfiction on this topic and quite enjoyed this book.
  • To Shield the Queen, by Fiona Buckley. Finally a return to historical fiction. This one takes place in Elizabethan England. This is book one Buckley’s Ursula Blanchard series. I enjoyed the book, but I’m not sure I love the main character. I’m gonna give Book Two a go and see what I think afterward.
  • My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes. I enjoyed the historical fiction on Anne of Cleves. She’s a fascinating character who managed to survive and thrive in Tudor England. The author does a good job of capturing Anne’s vulnerability and her strength. My only complaint is the author relies on some old tropes about Anne of Cleves appearance and weight. I don’t think she was built like a “Flemish mare” as Henry the VIII put it.
  • Blood and Roses: One Family’s Struggle and Triumph During the Tumultuous War of the Roses, by Helen Castor. Castor’s book is based on the Paston letters, which is the largest collection of letters from 15th-century England. Caston uses the Paston letters to describe the Paston family’s experience in post-Black Death England and throughout the War of the Roses. So far it’s super interesting. I just started it on Sunday, so stay tuned.

I know what you’re thinking. I am a huge nerd, but hey at least I’m consistent. Truly, it’s been fascinating the experiences of powerful women from the past. Some had a lot of agency and power, while others were silenced. A lot also died in childbirth despite having the best medical care in the land. I’m grateful to live in a time where things like the bubonic plague won’t wipe out half the population.

How would you improve your community?

I would put an immediate moratorium on 55+ communities. They’ve taken over our area and it’s terrible. Unfortunately, the people who move into them tend to be exceedingly rude, obtuse, and terrible at driving.

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Nonsense

Insurance has made medicine absolute nonsense. I had a follow up appointment with my primary this morning. Aside from checking in, I felt compelled to share my recent experiences with Cigna. To say she could commiserate is an absolute understatement. She recently had an insurer deny a CT scan for a patient even after she did a peer to peer review. When the patient opted to pay out of pocket, the insurer told my doc that no issue found on that CT would be covered by them as they didn’t approve the scan. What absolute nonsense is that?

To make it worse, I wemt on X and saw all the politicians bragging about how they’ve made care more accessible and affordable. It’s honestly laughable because nothing could be further from the truth. The insurers act with impunity making it harder and harder for insureds to get care. Most people don’t have the knowledge or ability to fight back, which means there will be a bigger disparity in the healthcare people receive.

Anyway, it doesn’t help that I then come into work and deal with nonsense all day. At least the day has been consistent. I’m still on the pilot program, which means I spend my day watching British tv. I hate being bored and yet here I am. Also, Goalielocks went back to school, which is a bummer. Truly, I like having him home. The house is a bit more boisterous and joyful with him here.

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

I’ve adapted by living my life and being considerate of others. If I’m sick, I don’t leave the house. Lastly, I try to be more kind.

Today’s music video is Norwegian Wood

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Easter

I hope all who celebrate had a wonderful Easter. I know we sure did. Unusually, we were able to sleep in on Easter morning. No longer were there kids begging us to get up, so they could find their baskets and their hidden eggs. Since only Goalielocks was home, we didn’t even get their baskets out of the attic. We put the candy out on the island for all to enjoy. When Goalielocks goes back to school, I’m sending it with him. Lord knows I don’t need that stuff in my house.

We met the Burrage’s at church for Easter Service, which was fantastic. Goalielocks ran into someone that he graduated with from West Boca. Now he was the class joker and a pretty popular guy in high school. Goalielocks pretty much knew everyone and everyone knew him. Elijah, who is autistic, shared an English class with Goalielocks. Elijah was so excited to see Goalielocks and show him off to everyone.

It was a really sweet interaction. Moreover, it gave me insight into how my son treated people in high school. I mentioned this to him and he said “What did you expect? How did you think I treated him?” All while looking at me like I’m a fool. The questions he asked made me happy. Our children may not be perfect, but you hope they go into the world and treat people with kindness and love no matter what.

Anyway, I digress. After church, we headed to Melly’s folks’ house for brunch. We had a very tasty quiche. I mean eggs, cheese, cream, and vegetables what isn’t to love? In addition, there was some tasty spiral ham, which paired perfectly with the rustic Italian loaf I had baked. Naturally, there were also fruits and a salad on the table, but I was too full from the quiche to enjoy them. A girl had to have priorities and yesterday it was quiche.

The rest of the day was spent chilling at home with the puppies watching Euphoria and going for a run. We popped a pizza in for a quick dinner, which hit the spot. I spent most of the night trying to avoid eating the jelly beans and Cadbury eggs I had set out for the boys. That was definitely easier said than done.

What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?

My morning ritual always starts with walking the dogs one at a time. They’re far too strong for me to walk them together. After I walk the dogs, I give them their donut. Once the dogs have had their treat, I fill up the bird feeders out front. Once the dogs and birds are fed, I sit down with my coffee and watch the Great British Bake Off until it’s time to work.

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Good Friday

It’s Good Friday today, which makes this Friday even better than most. This weekend used to be a lot of fun when the kids were small. We loved hiding the eggs and the baskets all over the place. Now that they’re older there isn’t as much magic. Nonetheless, I look forward to having Goalielocks home for another weekend. I wish Jake and Melly were coming home, but their schedule won’t allow it.

I have to work tomorrow, which is a total buzzkill. Sunday we’ll be celebrating Easter with Melly’s family. We’re quite blessed that our son is marrying into such a loving and fun family. We’ll be heading to church in the morning following by a nice post church lunch. Melly’s parents have quickly become good friends and confidants of ours. More than that, they love my boy so completely it makes my heart burst.

Our first Easter with Melly and Family

It’s been a Good Friday at work too. Despite being slow, I’ve been quite productive. Additionally, I found a few shows on Prime that I quite enjoy. The first one was The Other, which is funny and both well-written and acted. The second one was Sisters. There were only six episodes of that one. I’m hoping more episodes will come out soon. Now I’m watching Jane Seymour in Harry Wild. The verdict is still out on this.

What makes you laugh?

I have a mercurial sense of humor. I love Monty Python, the Office, Arrested Development, and Fawlty Towers. That’s just a few examples, but I love to laugh and I love comedies.