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A Different Holiday

It was a different holiday this Thanksgiving thanks to the second wave of COVID, but the virus didn’t stop us from spending quality time with the family. Thankfully, technology allows us to be together even when we’re miles apart. It was awesome to see Jake, my folks and my brother’s family on Thanksgiving.

Naturally, I would have preferred to see them all (especially Jake) in person, but this was a great substitute. Jake, by the way, looked great, which warms my heart and lessens my anxiety. Unfortunately, the younger kids don’t like to be on the Zoom. It was like pulling teeth to get the Mayor and his cousin on the call. Goalielocks was a little better, but he was still fighting it.

Obviously, we ate entirely too much and continue to do so thanks to leftovers. Fortunately, my daily uniform continues to be yoga pants, which are mighty forgiving. I was, however, able to re-start my BBG workouts after changing the my schedule and getting the blood pressure under control. It has felt good to log some serious work outs this past week.


Tomorrow I’ll be back to work while the Mayor plays in the championship game. He’s had an awesome tournament this far leading his division in points and points per game. I’m proud of how hard he works for his team on and off the ice. Unsurprisingly, his hard work is paying off. It’s a lot of fun to watch him and his team play.

Lastly, help me wish Our Sweet Anakin a very happy first birthday! For his birthday, he got a new chewy bone, some raw hides, a Christmas collar and some Christmas outfits. Naturally, I also got his sisters some goodies too. I’d hate for them to feel left out. So even though it was a different holiday, we have a lot to be thankful for including our sweet birthday boy!

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Thanksgiving 2020 Style

Thanksgiving 2020 style is wildly different for most of us thanks to COVID. It also makes our first Thanksgiving with Jake away from home. Last Thanksgiving was wonderful with my whole family in town, so he could have a great send off to BMT. Speaking of which, we are coming up on his one year anniversary. I can’t believe how fast time has gone.

This year has been tough, but there is still so much to be thankful for. First, 2020 was a year of awesome accomplishments for Jake. From graduating BMT and tech school, to earning his SEC+ certification and shipping off to his first duty station. To say he had a banner year would be an understatement. We couldn’t be more proud of the man and airmen he has become.

While our boys continue virtual school, they’re doing while and have managed to stay healthy. Hockey, thankfully, is in full swing. Too often we underestimate the importance that our kids sports and other extracurricular activities are for their development. Now with Covid, these activities are there only lifeline to the outside world. Kids need socialize.

As for Luke and I, we keep trucking on. After a rough fall that saw us replace two failing vehicles, we’re ready for the winter. I should also say we know have an additional driver, Goalielocks, which has helped a lot. I started a new role back in insurance, which I’m loving. Albeit, it keeps me extremely busy. Especially during the long hours of AEP.

To all our friends and family and to all our military families near and wide, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. To military families like ours, who have an empty chair this Thanksgiving, we send our love and gratitude. May God keep our family members that serve safe and sound. To our military folks servicing near and far, thank you for your service!! Today we hold you up in prayer and gratitude.

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Happy 73rd Birthday USAF!

Happy 73rd Birthday USAF! This birthday is extra special for me this year as a military mom. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Air Force since my grandfather served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. As we embarked on our new role as a military mom, it has been a beautiful experience to see our son walk some of the very halls his great grandfather walked before heading overseas. Truly, it has created a special connection between my airman and his great grandfather, who he never had the chance to meet. It’s amazing that even though my grandfather passed away nearly 40 years ago, his influence and presence is still felt today.

As for me, the universe continues to correct my overly optimistic view from earlier in the week. Perhaps it is because I’m thoroughly exhausted, but who knows. I had such high hopes for the day when my Hubby brought my coffee this morning. Our wi-fi continued to be spotty today, which makes virtual school and working from home so much fun. Consequently, I had to rearrange my day to accommodate the inconsistent wi-fi. Thankfully, the boys were extremely cooperative all day which was appreciated.

Goalielocks continues to thrive in the virtual school environment. Meanwhile, the Mayor has been attending class, but not following through on the work. Fortunately, he’s committed to correcting this behavior right away. When the Mayor commits, he follows through on it. We had the option to send them to physical school Monday, but have decided to keep them home. In Palm Beach, the only difference between the virtual school and in school experience will be the location. There’s no reason to send them back given nothing would change except geography. Moreover, Goalielocks has the best grades he has had since starting high school. I am in no hurry to send him back.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*I read A Room With A View by E.M Forster

*Astanga yoga and teacher training with Monica from Yoga Mundo

*Today I ran one mile and walked a mile today.

*I spoke too soon the universe continues to correct me.

*I learned a new word today agastopia. It means admiration of a particular part of someone’s body.

*After today, my running streak stands at 9 days. Today’s run really challenged and frustrated me.

*I love the footprints the puppies leave on the patio when coming back in every morning. The only challenge is when the footprints consist of dog poop.

*BBG 3.0 week 2 day 5: abs, cardio, and yoga! Today’s run was one mile! It did not go well.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today Anakin is wearing his bow tie and it doesn’t seem to be bothering him.

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Spoke Too Soon

Yesterday the universe was no my side, but I spoke toon soon. My day started with the Dunkin’ app refusing to work in any capacity. This may seem silly, but delaying my first coffee of the day is a dangerous proposition for everyone. After fidgeting with the app in the car for a few minutes, I gave up and went into the store. Thankfully, the delay in securing my coffee soon ended. As I joyously sipped my coffee, I was amazed at how technology makes our life so much easier. Yet it wreaks havoc on your day when it doesn’t work correctly. The important part of this story is that I got my coffee and it was delicious.

A visual representation of my day

It just wasn’t our day from a technology perspective. The boys got bounced from class multiple times due to wi-fi issues. As I worked away today, the lapses in wi-fi caused multiple delays and untold frustration. Even as I was about to start my run, the wi-fi cut out. How am I supposed to run two miles without my music and Larry David? That’s not a humane proposition. I stretched out my warm-up to get the wi-fi working and my Curb Your Enthusiasm playing before embarking on the two-mile treadmill run.

Meanwhile, as I toiled away at the computer, Anakin ate away at my Italian sandal. If ever there was a visual representation of my day or 2020 in general, it would be my chewed shoe. To be fair, if the cobbler couldn’t fix the shoes, I was going to toss them. Nonetheless, I experienced a little heartbreak as I picked up the sandal. Anakin, meanwhile, is so sweet and cute that it is hard to be angry with him. As I looked at him angrily, he looked up at me with the most loving look. How could I be mad?

This evening we were quite busy. Zachary had off ice with his team at 6:15 am. While I had my Purple Stride planning meeting from 6:00-7:00 pm. Consequently, we ended up eating a lot later than usual. For dinner, we cooked up paprika chicken, green beans and biscuits. This was a HelloFresh meal and it was pretty good. The chicken was a bit bland, but we only used half of the paprika. The biscuits, however, were absolute fire. Now we’re winding down by watching NHL playoffs and relaxing on the couch with our puppies.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*I read A Room With A View by E.M Forster

*Yin yoga with Jennifer from Open Heart Yoga Studio

*I ran two miles and walked a mile today.

*I spoke too soon and the universe corrected me.

*After today, my running streak stands at 8 days.

*I love the footprints the puppies leave on the patio when coming back in every morning.

*BBG 3.0 week 2 day 4: cardio and yoga! Today’s run was two miles! It went really well for the first mile. The second mile was a bit tough.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today Anakin is wearing his bow tie and it doesn’t seem to be bothering him.

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Successful Day

Today was a successful day. First and most importantly, I slept like a baby with the weight of the insurance exam off of my shoulder. Additionally, both kids were up and ready to go to school on time, which was a huge win. Moreover, my workouts went super well. The first of which was the BBG arms/upper body workout. Holy cow this workout was difficult, but it was so good. After BBG, I headed straight to yoga with Kaye at Open Heart Studio, which was delightful. Lastly, I ran for a mile and then walked a mile. Even today’s run went smoothly!

Of course, my day doesn’t just consist of working out. In between all the workouts, I got a lot of work done for my work. I’m super excited that we’ve branched out into a broader marketing firm. In addition to awesome professional gear, we now offer social media management/marketing, lead generation campaigns, website design and management, and e-commerce. Quite frankly, we have a lot to offer businesses of all sizes. So here’s your call to action. If you’re a business owner, let’s set up a time to chat about how I can add value to your organization. Schedule a meeting here.

Tonight I cooked up a HelloFresh meal that I picked out specifically for the Hubby since it featured Frank’s Red hot sauce. It was super easy to make, but I didn’t love this one. The mixture of the hot sauce flavor with the honey did not mesh well with my stomach. After dinner, the Hubby and Mayor headed to the rink for hockey practice. Meanwhile, I stayed home to attend the league conference call for Goalielocks’ team. Our season for national bound teams starts this weekend, which is super exciting.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*I read A Room With A View by E.M Forster

*It turns out their are unique challenges to managing a U18 team. Thus it seems we may have a caravan to the Carolinas in our future.

*I ran a mile and walked a mile today.

*I am missing my airman and the beautiful terrain of Utah.

*After today, my running streak stands at 8 days.

*As the weather cools off, I look forward to breaking out my zephyr dress from Lilly.

*BBG 3.0 week 2 day 3: arms, cardio and yoga! Today’s run was one mile! It went really well actually. Today was a successful day!

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today Anakin is wearing his bow tie and it doesn’t seem to be bothering him.

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Two Day Streak

I don’t mean to brag, but I have a two day streak of getting dressed in real clothes. This is probably the first time since the pandemic started that I’ve worn non-workout clothes on two consecutive days. Last night we went to dinner, so I dressed up. And then today we went to a friend’s house for dinner, so I got dressed up. Don’t fear, however, as I plan to go back to my covid uniform of yoga pants and workout tanks.

Since we we had dinner plans followed by hockey practice, I had to make my morning super productive. First, I had to study insurance for a forthcoming exam. Next I had to complete my BBG ab workout for the week. Finally, I had to log my mile run. Thankfully, all three went superbly. Albeit, I have to say I hate raise leg sit-ups. They’re the absolute worst. Also, I’m still not a fan of half burpees. Nonetheless, I slayed the workout and look forward to my abs being sore tomorrow.

We had dinner at our friends house, so the Mayor could see his injured teammate. AG broke his wrist in the tournament last week. Unfortunately, he’ll be having surgery to correct the break on Wednesday. Please say a prayer that his surgery goes well and recovery is quick. All weekend, my boy has been harassing me asking when we’d be going to his house. I mean non-stop from morning til night.

When we finally headed to their house, the Mayor was quite happy. We had a blast hanging out with them. It’s been far too long since we’ve been on the same hockey team or hung out. If tonight was any indication, we’ll have an incredibly fun season. The food was also delicious. I don’t think I’ll need to eat until tomorrow evening.

Afterward we headed to the rink for practice. Originally, we had hope to setup a scrimmage this weekend, but no teams were available. Fortunately, we were able to run an extra practice with the ice team, which is probably more important than a scrimmage at this point. The squad worked hard and the coaches wore them out. As for the rest of the night, we’re just chilling on the couch watching Family Guy.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*I read A Room With A View by E.M Forster

*This morning I completed my independent health insurance study course.

*I ran a mile and walked a mile today.


*After today, I have a two day streak of dressing up and a five day running streak.

*I’m a little jealous that Mel is visiting Jake. I’d love to go for a nice hike on the woodsy side of the mountains.

*BBG 3.0 week 1 day 5: abs, cardio and yoga

*Oh Sally, thanks to you good weather was nothing but an illusion this weekend. 

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk.

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Post-Tournament Recovery

Inevitably after every hockey tournament comes the post-tournament recovery period. As I get older, I have found that this period gets longer and longer. It’s a marvel at how watching one’s child play hockey can leave one utterly exhausted. Yet, here I was again this week in a prolonged post-tournament recovery period.

Perhaps it is because I didn’t sleep well while in Tampa. Or perhaps it was because I inadvertently took two of my Cytomel (T3) instead of a T3 and a T4 pill. I blame the Hilton Garden Inn and their blackout shades. Fortunately, the T3 wears off within hours, so I was mildly uncomfortable for most of Monday. I was nervous, however, that my overly active stomach wouldn’t settle down before I drove back across the state. Mercifully, it settled down before we left Tampa. Nonetheless, the medicine mess up left me feeling tired the following two days.

As for the hockey, it was incredible. My boy was on fire all weekend. I love watching him work with his teammates to find ways to score. They really came together last weekend. We ended up losing in the finals, but not before we made the Makos work for it. The Mayor’s team fought hard to come back from a 2-0 deficit. In the end, a heartbreaking goal with 34 seconds left in the third ended their championship hopes. My boy received the second star of the game but in the face of defeat that didn’t matter.

Goalielocks’ team was in action as well, but that shit show of a scrimmage will get its own post. As will the poor behavior of the other team and the officials. Unfortunately or fortunately, I was not in town to watch the game myself. I only got damage reports post-game. When I finally get around to writing that post, you’ll want popcorn. After all the game was more of a train wreck than 90 Day Fiancee.

Since I was exhausted and a bit under the weather, I took rest days on Monday and Tuesday. In reality, I just didn’t have time to workout Monday between the Mayor’s two hockey games and the three-hour commute back home. Nonetheless, I started BBG 3.0 on Wednesday. Kayla Itsines may be the devil because she killed me Wednesday and again today. I also missed two days running, so my clock for a month restarted the months 9th.

As for this weekend, we are now under a Tropical Storm watch, flood warning, etc. A system developed off our coast this afternoon. Fortunately, it will be weak as it passes over us. We will, however, have to watch the rain totals and the potential for tornados. Otherwise, it will be the perfect weekend for getting stuff done around the house.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*I read A Room With A View by E.M Forster

*Yin with Jennifer at Open Heart Yoga Studio

*It’s day nine of virtual school. This week has been much better.

*I ran a mile and walked a mile today.

*Tonight my husband made shepherd’s pie for dinner while I finished my run. Unsurprisingly, my persnickety children were not a fan of the dish. I, however, quite enjoyed it.

*BBG 3.0 week 1 day 3: arms, cardio and yoga

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk.

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Day 2

Day 2 of virtual school brought a little of the attitude I had anticipated yesterday. I never imagined that waking up a teenager, who just went to bed, could be so much fun! In the end, it turned out okay. Both boys were up, at their desks, and online exactly when they were supposed to be online. That’s right I’m batting 1.00 right now.

As for me, I had yoga teacher training today. We covered the endocrine system, which is probably my strongest subject in anatomy and physiology. After all, there’s no better way to understand the endocrine system than having one that doesn’t work. We have little bit of anatomy left before we head into methodology. I’m excited for the methodology part of training, which we will start on Friday.

I also ran two miles since I had no strength training scheduled today. Since I started the running challenge, I’ve noticed it’s gotten a lot easier. However, I also noticed that my legs are getting a bit tired. Of course, I worked my legs yesterday, so that doesn’t help either.

Tonight my hubby made us a wonderful pork chop dinner courtesy of HelloFresh. It was mighty tasty especially since I didn’t make. I really appreciated that he cooked dinner, so I didn’t have to cut my workout short. Afterward, I mixed up some brownies for the boys since the last two days have been relatively smooth.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*I read Mary Barton, by Elisabeth Gaskell. The Masters have been draconian in their response to their laborers setting up a horrific conflict. I’ve just gotten to the point where it’s all coming to a head. I’m well on my way to being omnilegent!

*Vinyasa with Jennifer at Open Heart Yoga Studio

*I ran two miles and walked a mile today. Naturally, I listened to Metallica and watched Curb throughout my run.

*I survived day 2 of virtual school.

*I had another pile of Amazon boxes waiting for me today.

*Goalielocks had hockey practice tonight.

*I’d like to thank Sue from JibberJanner for providing great writing prompts. Tonight they come to an end, but I’m grateful for all her hard work these past several months.

*BBG 2.0. week 12 day 2: cardio and yoga

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk.

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Last Weekend of Summer

It’s the last weekend of summer and unlike year’s past, I’m not jumping for joy at the boys going back to school. At least not in this virtual environment. I’m not emotionally prepared for the daily, no hourly arguments with two teenage boys. We’re not in a space here in Palm Beach County, where the kids can safely go back into the physical buildings. And I fully support the move to start school virtually, but it sucks balls.

In my mind’s eye, I’m imagining my middle son having a conniption every morning. Since he will need to attend class at 7:30 am. Fortunately, the school has ensured that the virtual school this fall is very structured. In the spring, they had no structure, which was a huge problem for my boys. I can’t count the number of lies they told about their class schedules. It wasn’t until near the end of the quarter, my hubby and I found out the truth. Nonetheless, I see myself managing the bell schedules and trying to keep regular days and block schedule days straight. I see myself needing another vacation soon.

Tomorrow is my Hubby’s 38th birthday, Additionally, we have our first scrimmages of the season. Thus continuing the ten-year tradition of celebrating his birthday at the hockey rink. Honestly, I’m quite excited about the games since we’ll get to see all our friends from Goalielocks’ team last year. I’m not, however, excited for the drive to South Dade county. It’s never a fun drive in the middle of a Saturday. Fortunately, getting to see the kids play and see my friends makes the drive worth it.

Proof that I once had a tan

Sunday we’ll be celebrating his birthday and my sister-in-law’s birthday with a celebratory brunch. Once again, I’ll be making an exception to the norm by making my Christmas brunch caramel rolls. It is going to take all the self-control I can muster to not eat them all. Naturally, we’ll be enjoying bottomless mimosas, cholesterol bake, and hash browns as well. I’m sure we’ll play some Cards Against Humanity and maybe even some games on Goalielocks’ Jackbox.

Quick update on Maya. Today she’s feeling much better although she is still lethargic. Excitedly, I was able to get her to eat some of her dog food this afternoon. This is the first time she’s eaten her food since Tuesday morning. Additionally, she’s been mobile throughout the day and drinking a lot of water. Hopefully, she’ll continue to improve as we go into the weekend. Based on her symptoms, she must have snuck something that made her sick. Thanks for all your well wishes for our sweet girl. She’s our first dog and we can’t imagine losing her.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*I read Mary Barton, by Elisabeth Gaskell.

*Gentle Flow with Jennifer at Open Heart Yoga Studio

*I ran one mile and walked a mile today.

*I had another pile of Amazon boxes waiting for me today.

*BBG 2.0. week 11 day 5: abs, cardio and yoga

*We have only three more sleeps until we start virtual school. This will be our last weekend of summer.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk.

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Connection

Maintaining a connection with the outside world during this time of quarantine isn’t always easy, but it’s super necessary. To be honest, I haven’t talked on the phone this much since I was a teenager. Okay, maybe I haven’t talked on the phone this much since the advent of the text message. In fact, if you know me well, you know I don’t typically answer my phone. Your best option to read me is to text me. Since I have a house of boys and three dogs, communicating via text is much easier since I often can’t hear myself think here.

Meanwhile, there will be plenty of connection starting next week as Palm Beach County Schools start the school year virtually. I fully expect my phone to be ringing off the hook with phone calls from our new victims. By victims, I mean my kids’ new teachers. Unlike last spring, this year the boys will be held to the bell schedule as if they were in the building. For me, this is a huge win. This brings structure to their day that was frankly missing in the spring. Naturally, Goalielocks will have to transition off of his third shift schedule back to a normal school schedule.

There is one major upshot to starting the school year virtually. I am saving so much money by not breaking the bank with back to school shopping. This is fabulous because for the first time both boys want fashionable (aka expensive) clothes. Truly, I’ve had it pretty easy these last several years. Since middle school, they have worn athletic shorts and t-shirts every day. At any rate, I do not miss the back to school shopping push. There’s nothing worse than hunting for a hyper-specific school supply in the bin after bin of school supplies. Naturally, I will have to take them school shopping, but for the moment I will relish skipping this ritual.

Me anticipating how I’ll feel next week

Today I spent most of my day nursing our sweet Maya. Fortunately, she seems to be doing a little bit better today. We were pretty worried last night as she wasn’t able to walk for a portion of the evening. Honestly, I was starting to think she’d be traveling over the rainbow bridge in the near future. Thankfully, she’s fully mobile today. Moreover, she’s been drinking a lot of water and has even eaten some food. This is the first time she’s eaten since Tuesday. Honestly, I’m relieved to see her having a much better day. Please pray that she continues to heal.

Here’s a list of our day’s activities:

*I read Mary Barton, by Elisabeth Gaskell. This book is more my speed.

*Yin Yoga with Jennifer at Open Heart Yoga Studio

*I ran two miles and walked a mile today.

*I cleaned up a lot of messes due caused by my sick puppy.

*BBG 2.0. week 11 day 4: cardio and yoga

*We have one more weekday until we start virtual school.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk.

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