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Packing for the Perfect Beach Vacation

Packing for the perfect beach vacation is key to a successful tropical vacation. If you forgot certain items, you can end up in tremendous pain. Hello my sunburnt legs! Fortunately, I’ve put together a list of must have items for any successful beach vacation.

  • Copious amounts of waterproof sunscreen that’s at least 50 SPF.
    • I love Sun Bum’s products as they protect well while not causing breakouts. Plus it’s reef safe, which is super important here in Florida.
    • I also love using Coppertone’s Sunscreen Spray. The ease of use is undeniable and it does a great job protecting the skin.
  • Nice beach towels as you can’t rely on the hotel or AirBnB to provide enough. We learned this lesson the hard way at Hawk’s Cay.
  • A nice sun hat to protect your scalp. Nothing sucks more than a severely sun burnt scalp!
  • A high quality cooler, like a Yeti, for a day on the boat or at the beach. Otherwise, your food and drinks will soon be warm.
  • I also like to bring a cooler bag as they take up less room and are the perfect option for carrying snacks.
  • SPF clothing is crucial to protecting your skin especially if you’re out on the water. My SPF shirt protected my upper body. Unfortunately, I didn’t have SPF pants on and my legs paid the price. Lily Pulitzer also offers a full line of SPF protection clothing.
  • What would a day on the boat or at the beach be without some great music. A Bluetooth speaker, like this one from Bose, is the perfect way to bring the party everywhere you go.
  • Snorkel gear!! There’s no better way to explore at the beach than by snorkeling.
  • Naturally, you’ll need something to carry all this awesomeness in and a great beach bag is exactly what you need. I bought an expensive one years ago at Atlantis, but it quickly broke. This year I bought one by Shylero for under $50 off of Amazon. Honestly, it’s amazing for the price. It even comes with a waterproof bag for your phone and wallet. You can check it out here.
  • Another must have is after sun lotion or aloe Vera to help heal and moisturize your skin after a day in the sun.

These are some of the key items to have as you embark on your perfect beach vacation. Some of these items are a matter of convenience, but others are crucial to protecting your health. Now that my fabulous beach vacation is over, l’m making notes of my must haves for next year’s trip. All of which are in the list above. What are your must have beach items?

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

*I’m now reading Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier.

*I ran 2 miles and walked a mile. It went quite well.

*Did I mention it was vacation time?

*Tonight we’re enjoying ice cream and watching the NHL draft.

*Jake was able to have a nice lunch with Jon and Brandi before they headed for Yellowstone. I’m so jealous.

*For dinner, the hubby made vodka sauce pasta. 

*My favorite surprise on the underwater cams, I watch during work, is seeing an octopus. Today I watched the safari cam, which never disappoints.

*Today’s word of the day is curvaceous. After eating too much on vacation, I’m more curvaceous than I’d like.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today he didn’t pull my arm off or anything like that. I put on his harness, so I’d have more control over him outside. Also, the flies are still here. Did I mention I hate gnats, flies, and mosquitos? I was finally able to hang the fly traps. Nobody loves flies.

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Island Adventure

Our island adventure in Islamorada sadly came to an end yesterday after an incredible weekend in the Keys. I unplugged completely from the blog and all social media. Honestly, it was fantastic. The truth of the matter is I was far too busy having fun and enjoying the company to be bothered with technology. That is the hallmark of a good vacation.

This year we stayed at Su Casa, in Islamorada, which is a private rental I booked on AirBnB. It was absolutely perfect for our large group. We had the main house and the one bedroom apartment. The two bedroom apartment was rented out to a fantastic couple from Sarasota. Additionally, it was on a canal and had a beautiful dock. Allegedly their are crocodiles in the canal, but I wasn’t lucky enough to see one. Honestly, I can’t recommend the property highly enough. It was absolutely the perfect spot for our island adventure!

Speaking of perfect, it’s location was superb. We had quick access to the gulf and ocean from the canal, which was nice when we rented the boat. Also, it was a short walk to Robbie’s where you can feed the tarpon, engage in a number of fun water sports, shop or get a nice drink at the bar. Robbie’s parking lot is always overflowing, so it was nice that we could simply walk there.



Saturday night we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Morada Bay’s Beach Side cafe. The food was wonderful and relatively cheap given the size of our group. We were initially sitting outside, but it quickly became too hot. Fortunately, they were able to accommodate us inside near the bar. I ordered the Key West pink shrimp scampi pasta, which was awesome. For my drink, I had a nice vodka cocktail with watermelons purée and an herbal note. I highly recommend trying it if you ever find yourself there.

Post dinner, we headed next door to the sports store for fishing supplies. While there, Goalielocks, his girlfriend and I checked out the docks. Unbelievably, we saw a manatee eating the remnants of fish thrown into the water after having been cleaned and filleted. As the manatee munched away the fish, three sharks (two black-tips and a Bullsharks) circled the area hoping to get some fish. Needless to say that’s the closest I ever want to be to a Bullsharks.

Fishing from the bridge

Sunday morning we grabbed some awesome cafe con leche from Cuban cafe on Plantation Key. We also grabbed some empanadas, pastelitos, and cachitos. After breakfast we headed south to go fishing off a bridge. Last year, we had little success fishing from the bridge, so we were all skeptical. Fortunately, this year the bridge fishing delivered. All of us were on the fish almost immediately. We caught several pork fish, wrasses, and some snappers. After an hour or two, we headed back to the house to get ready for lunch.

Sunday afternoon Hanh and I took the kids on a kayak trip through the mangroves. The Mayor and I shared a double kayak, which worked well. Truly, the scenery was absolutely gorgeous, but of course the kids thought it was boring since we saw no wildlife. I had hoped to see a manatee or a crocodile, but I still enjoyed the beauty of the mangroves even though I didn’t see many animals.

Sunday nights we had an early dinner/late lunch at the house instead of eating out. While we were on the kayak trip, the Hubby and John cooked us dinner. After all, we had worked up an appetite on our kayak trip, so it was perfect timing on their part. The rest of the evening we spent chilling under the tiki hut watching the sunset and hoping to spy a croc. Meanwhile, the kids continued to fish from the dock. Incredibly, Goalielocks caught a nurse shark that evening.

If you go on your own island adventure in Islamorada, be sure to check out:

  • Robbie’s of Islamorada: it’s well worth the hassle of the parking lot, but being able to walk there was priceless. There is so much to do here and yes you should feed the tarpon.
  • Su Casa vacation rentals offered a superior vacation experience in Islamorada. Last year, we stayed at Hawk’s Cay, which wasn’t a great stay.
  • Mrs. G’s, located on Plantation Key, was our go to spot in the Keys for our morning coffee. It’s also an ice cream place, but we only went for the coffee and breakfast pastries.
  • Morado Bay has a casual option in the Beach Cafe and a formal option with Pierre’s on the same beautiful property.
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Vacation time!

After months of work, hockey and virtual school it’s finally vacation time. I cannot wait to enjoy our long weekend with family and friends. This week, outside of Wednesday, was really productive for me at work. Consequently, this sets me up from a strong finish to the month even with missing two days next week. For once, I can go on vacation and not worry about work.

This afternoon, we got some huge thunderstorms with lots of rain and lightning. We were under a severe storm warning and flood warning for a good part of the afternoon. There was so much lightning close by that I was concerned that our power would start glitching. Thankfully, the power stayed on and the tech issues were avoided. I was surprised my clients couldn’t hear the thunder.

Some of the lightning strikes from this afternoon

This evening the boys’ and Goalielocks girlfriend ran errands to getting ready for vacation time. First stop was Dick’s Sporting Goods. We needed to get some fishing and snorkeling gear. Additionally, I had been eyeing a new sub hat and swimsuit from Carrie Underwood’s collection. Hopefully, the suit won’t look like a dumpster fire. They had a super cute coverup by DSG, but it already had holes in it.

Our next stop was Total Wine. Obviously, I had to ensure we are well stocked for the weekend. I placed the order during the day, so I just had to check in and have them bring it out. I loved the convenience and ease of the curbside pickup. Afterwards, we headed to Barnes and Noble, but couldn’t go in since it now closes at 8:00 pm. Unfortunately, they had to shorten their hours due to staffing issues. Lastly, we headed to BJ’s to pick up the remainder of our groceries. The curbside pickup was not nearly as smooth as Total Wine. Unfortunately, the clerk running the pick-up was fighting major tech issues. Once I walked into the store, it was a quick process.

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

*I’m now reading Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier.

*I ran 2 miles and walked a mile. It went quite well.

*Did I mention it was vacation time?

*Tonight we’re enjoying ice cream and watching the NHL draft.

*Jake was able to have a nice lunch with Jon and Brandi before they headed for Yellowstone. I’m so jealous.

*For dinner, the hubby made vodka sauce pasta.

*My favorite surprise on the underwater cams, I watch during work, is seeing an octopus. Today I watched the safari cam, which never disappoints.

*Today’s word of the day is skitter, which means to move lightly or quickly.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today he didn’t pull my arm off or anything like that. I put on his harness, so I’d have more control over him outside. Also, the flies are still here. Did I mention I hate gnats, flies, and mosquitos? I was finally able to hang the fly traps. Nobody loves flies.

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Better Day

Well, after yesterday’s shit show, today was a better day by a mile. As Victor Hugo so wisely said, “even the darkest night will end the sun will rise. Indeed Monsieur Hugo, the sun will rise. Thankfully, today was a complete 180 from yesterday. Every person I spoke with was absolutely wonderful, kind and a buyer. Okay, maybe they weren’t all buyers, but they were fantastic people.

It was also a better day traffic wise as I left to get coffee. I had been getting my coffee delivered while the boys were in school, but that gets expensive. Plus, Goalielocks doesn’t need the car in the morning anymore, so there’s not need for delivery. Also, I did miss seeing my favorite Dunkin’ crew members. Moreover, I enjoy having the time to myself and being able to listen to what I want.

I’m a bit surprised that today has been a better day in every sense since I’m fasting today. Thankfully, today has been much easier on me than Tuesday. Honestly, since I just have to fast two days per week, it should be quite manageable. For dinner, I made baked chicken breasts with cheese topping. The chickens used for this package must have been on steroids because these were the biggest chicken breast’s I’ve ever seen.

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

*I finished the Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg last night. It was so good. I love reading about Norwegian history especially given this book’s location to where my ancestors lived.

*I ran 2 miles and walked a mile. It went quite well.

*The Mayor has been on a Simpson kick lately, but tonight I’m mixing it up with some First 48 action.

*For dinner, I cooked cheese covered baked chicken. The chicken breasts were large enough to feed Paul Bunyan. Honestly, their size was surreal.

*My favorite surprise on the underwater cams, I watch during work, is seeing an octopus. Today I watched the safari cam, which never disappoints.

*Today’s word of the day is shag. When I hear the word shag, I automatically think of Austin Powers and ugly carpeting.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today he didn’t pull my arm off or anything like that. I put on his harness, so I’d have more control over him outside. Also, the flies are still here. Did I mention I hate gnats, flies, and mosquitos? I was finally able to hang the fly traps. Nobody loves flies.

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Thank Goodness

Well, thank goodness I’m not fasting today because it was a hump day for the record book. And not the good kind of record books, the shitty make you pull your hair out kind of day. Otherwise known as every day at my old job. So maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but today truly did suck balls.

I have been in my new job since September and helping clients since October. Thank goodness, I have had a wonderful experience with clients who are nice and respectful whether they bought or not. Unfortunately, today was the day for all the assholes of the geriatric world to coalesce and make my day miserable. To be fair, if they had bought I wouldn’t have minded the Cruella De Vil impressions. However, when they’re total dicks and they don’t buy, it’s an energy sucker.

Thank goodness there was still ice team left over from the batch I made Monday. Honestly, it is super tasty and super easy to make. In fact, there are only five ingredients in the ice cream, which is incredible. My next ice cream adventure, obviously on a non-fasting day, is going to be chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

well, at least there’s an upside to look forward to!

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

*I read the Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg.  It is so good that it’s keeping me up at night! 

*I skipped my run tonight to have dinner with the Hubby and our friends. We needed to finalize the grocery list for our Keys trip

*The family and I are watching the Seattle kraken’s NHL expansion draft. Sadly, the announcers are super cringey making it hard to watch.

*After dinner, I successfully ate ice cream! As if there was a doubt.

*My favorite surprise on the underwater cams, I watch during work, is seeing an octopus. Today I watched the safari cam, which never disappoints.

*Today’s word of the day is fractures. Knock on wold for a hockey season free of fractures.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today he didn’t pull my arm off or anything like that. I put on his harness, so I’d have more control over him outside. Also, the flies are still here. Did I mention I hate gnats, flies, and mosquitos? I was finally able to hang the fly traps. Nobody loves flies.

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Low Carb Tuesday

It’s low carb Tuesday here today. Actually, too be completely accurate, it’s really low carb intermittent fasting Tuesday. However, that’s a mouthful and not a great title for a blog. This week has I’m starting the 5:2 plan by Dr. Moseley, which is a variation of intermittent fasting. To be clear, I’m following the updated version, aka the Fast 800 diet, which calls for eating 800 calories two days per week vs. eating 500 calories two days per week.

When I got diagnosed with Graves, I followed this regimen with much success. Importantly, my endocrinologist approved of this diet. In fact, I can’t imagine how much weight I would have gained if I didn’t follow it. After all, I went from super active to no exercise at all and no thyroid. Coincidentally, it’s not the optimal recipe for weight loss success. Oh the joys of looking at food and gaining ten pounds.

Now my thyroid levels are normal, I should be able to lose weight. It will never happen quickly for me since I’m a thyroid patient, which is a total bummer. Nonetheless, I plod tirelessly towards my goal of recapturing my health and my former dress size. Here’s the lesson, whether the weight loss is happening at your desired rate or not, keep doing the right things and eventually it will come. For me that’s following Noom, enjoying my low carb Tuesday, getting enough sleep and exercising every day.

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

*I read the Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg.  I love it. Queen Asa’s love interest is now an expatriate courtesy of his evil half brother.

*Goalielocks made it home safely from Orlando around 1:30 this morning. 

*I ran 2 miles and walked a mile. It went really well, which was fantastic. I’m not going to let anything break my streak.

*The family and I are watching The Simpsons now that we’ve finished our movie and dinner.

*The Hubby cooked a Blue Apron meal kit for dinner. Tonight we had some type of pasta.

*After dinner, I successfully made ice cream!

*My favorite surprise on the underwater cams, I watch during work, is seeing an octopus. Today I watched the safari cam, which never disappoints.

*Today’s word of the day is whirlwind. It’s been a whirlwind of success and joy since I started my new job.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today he didn’t pull my arm off or anything like that. I put on his harness, so I’d have more control over him outside. Also, the flies are still here. Did I mention I hate gnats, flies, and mosquitos? I was finally able to hang the fly traps. Nobody loves flies.

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Homemade Ice Cream Take Two

So tonight it was homemade ice cream take two. I started the first attempt last night, but the bowl wasn’t cold enough. Consequently, the ice cream never formed up. To be fair, the directions said to chill the bowl for 6-24 hours before making homemade ice cream. Clearly, in a hot and humid climate like Florida, I should have chilled the bowl longer.

Initially, I had planned to use the same mix that I made last night. However, I forgot to make sure the fridge door closed after putting it in one of our garage fridges. Naturally, I didn’t figure it out until I left to get my coffee this morning. The door to the fridge had been opened all night, so not only was my ice cream mix spoiled, my waters were all luke warm.

The trip to Dunkin’ took significantly longer than usual due to an accident on BB Blvd. I knew it was bad when the I saw that the police had taped off the area with crime scene tape and were directing traffic. All lanes of westbound BB Blvd were closed, which snarled traffic as the turnpike was also closed down due to a fatality. Consequently, I had to take a very round about way home.

As the hubby started dinner, I mixed up the ice cream mix and put it in the fridge to chill. Fortunately, I had enough heavy cream at my disposal for another batch. I also crushed the Oreos, thus ensuring I’d have enough cookies for my cookies and cream ice cream. After an absolutely abysmal pasta dinner, I turned my focus back the ice cream. Huzzah!! This time my homemade ice cream was a success. Right now it’s firming up in the freezer, so I have to wait a little longer until we can eat it.

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

*I read the Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg.  I love it. In fact, I have started researching Queen Asa. 

*Goalielocks made it home safely from Orlando around 1:30 this morning.

*I ran 2 miles and walked a mile. It went really well, which was fantastic.

*The family and I are watching The Simpsons now that we’ve finished our movie and dinner.

*The Hubby cooked a Blue Apron meal kit for dinner. Tonight we had some type of pasta.

*After dinner, I successfully made ice cream!

*My favorite surprise on the underwater cams, I watch during work, is seeing an octopus. Today I watched the safari cam, which never disappoints.

*Today’s word of the day is whirlwind. It’s been a whirlwind of success and joy since I started my new job.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today he didn’t pull my arm off or anything like that. I put on his harness, so I’d have more control over him outside. Also, the flies are still here. Did I mention I hate gnats, flies, and mosquitos? I was finally able to hang the fly traps. Nobody loves flies.

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Fabulous Sunday

It was a fabulous Sunday for the Mayor and I at the homestead. The Hubby spent the day working at a side job up in Jupiter. Meanwhile, Goalielocks slept at a friend’s last night, so they could hit the road early to get to Orlando when the parks’ opened. They spent the day at Universal’s Volcano Bay. Truthfully, I was a bit nervous over this whole adventure.

  • Zach playing Jake in Chel 21

This morning the Mayor, greeted me eagerly as soon as I woke up. He was hoping to drive me to Dunkin’. Admittedly, I was nervous as Boynton is a six lane, crowded road. Moreover, the drivers that crowd it have driving skills that are quite questionable. In fact, I’m sure most of them wouldn’t be able to pass their driver’s test. Unsurprisingly, we almost got side swiped while on our way to get coffee. Fortunately, the Mayor was paying attention and honked the horn before we got hit. At any rate, my nerves were shot by the time we got to Dunkin.

I drove home from Dunkin’, so the Mayor could play Pokémon. However, I think both of ours nerves were shot after the drive there. On the way home, we made a quick stop at Target to pick up my prescription. Thankfully, we were first in line at the pharmacy. While I grabbed my prescription, the Mayor grabbed a Lunchable.

Here’s a throwback

I spent the rest of the day watching The Office and organizing our room. It was a fabulous Sunday from a production stand point. I got a lot done and even thinned out my legging collection. Thanks to the Roombas, I was able to vacuum and mop the kitchen and living room floors while I cleaned my bedroom. Honestly, the Roomba is the best invention ever.

I capped off my fabulous Sunday by making grilled chicken tacos courtesy of Blue Apron. The recipe was super easy to follow and execute. Since I’m not a grill aficionado, the Mayor helped get the grill setup and started for me. The chicken turned out perfectly as did the zucchini, salsa and lime crema. I have tried Blue Apron, HelloFresh and HomeChef, Blue Apron had the healthiest options and the highest quality of meat. If you haven’t tried it yet, you can follow click on the link below to get 8 free meals!

Get 8 Free Meals* and Free Shipping When You Switch to Blue Apron. 

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

*I read the Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg.  I love it. In fact, I have started researching Queen Asa.

*Goalielocks headed to Orlando do for a day at Volcano Bay.

*I ran 2 miles and walked a mile. It went really well, which was fantastic.

*The family and I are watching Thirty Rock now that we’ve finished our movie and dinner.

*I made a wonderful Blue Apron meal kit for dinner. Tonight we enjoyed the chicken tacos. It was super yummy!

*After dinner, I attempted to make ice cream. The task is still underway, so stay tuned for the results tomorrow.

*My favorite surprise on the underwater cams, I watch during work, is seeing an octopus. Today I watched the safari cam, which never disappoints.

*Today’s word of the day is shibboleth.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Today he didn’t pull my arm off or anything like that. I put on his harness, so I’d have more control over him outside. Also, the flies are still here. Did I mention I hate gnats, flies, and mosquitos? I was finally able to hang the fly traps. Nobody loves flies.

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Long Day

It has been a long day for this lady. Especially given the late night and martinis from dinner last night. My long day started with a 6:00 am wake up, so I could take Goalielocks to practice. My saint of a Hubby was kind enough to run to Dunkin’ after hitting the gym, so I had coffee as soon as I woke up. Yep, he’s totally a keeper!

Me thinking about going to bed after waking up at 6

Of course the early wake up was well worth the pain. I love getting to spend time with my Goalie and time was plentiful since we drove to Miami. Additionally, I love spending time with some of my favorite hockey moms. A morning with them, even at the crack of dawn is a morning well spent. Obviously, it’s also fun to watch practice.

Post-practice I had trouble extracting myself from the couch. I was tired and love watching re-runs of The Office. Eventually, after the episode where they said goodbye to Michael Scott, I was able to peel myself off the couch to run. Thankfully, the last couple of runs have gone fantastically. Also, it woke me up.

I spent the rest of my afternoon rearranging my closet and dresser drawers. In fact, I even managed to get rid of some clothes. Baby steps. As I cleaned, I watched 8 Mile. Twenty minutes into the movie, the Mayor joined me for the movie. He loves watching tv from our bed. As for the movie, obviously, I’m a little late to the party on this, but it was really good.

Afterwards, I took the dogs out. The last couple of days, I’ve been taking Anakin to get the mail with me. This didn’t go so well. First of all, I thought about taking him for a walk in the circle. However, I abandoned this plan given the sheer number of basilisks running through the yard. Secondly, as I grabbed the mail out of the box, Anakin pulled hard to chase a lizard. In the process, I was pulled into the mail box hard. Consequently, I ended up bruised and scratched while the mailbox looks like it got hit by a car.

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

*I finally finished Demons, by Dostoevsky. It’s my favorite book of his by far. I really enjoyed it. Last night I started, The Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg.

*I drove with Goalielocks to Kendall for hockey practice.

*I ran 2 miles and walked a mile. It went really well, which was fantastic.

*The family and I are watching Thirty Rock now that we’ve finished our movie and dinner.

*I made a wonderful Blue Apron meal kit for dinner. Tonight we enjoyed the sweet and spicy chicken. It was super yummy!

*My favorite surprise on the underwater cams, I watch during work, is seeing an octopus. Today I watched the safari cam, which never disappoints.

*Today’s word of the day is incandescent.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Did I mention I hate gnats, flies, and mosquitos? I was finally able to hang the fly traps.

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Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Let me start off this blog by wishing my mom a very happy birthday! Honestly, I wish we could be there to celebrate and with her a happy birthday in person. Hopefully, we’ll get to Minny sometime soon. Fortunately, they’ll be joining us on our trip west this fall to visit Jake.

As I celebrate mom’s birthday today , I’m reminded of precious years’ celebrations. Perhaps my favorite is when we celebrated her birthday as an entire family in Flam. It was wonderful seeing her sit between her mom and wonderful sister. Their smiles were boundless. Truly, it was a trip of a lifetime. I’ll never forget sharing this trip with my kids, my parents and my grandma. I’m also looking forward to returning to Norway.



Today was a great day for many reasons. First, we get to celebrate my mom – she’s awesome. Secondly, my friend and former employee (who I consider family) got great news today. His CT showed that the chemo is working! Hallelujah! I would, however, ask that you keep my friend B in your prayers. Lastly, I carried this positive energy with me all day at work. I freaking killed it today!

During lunch, I hung with the dogs and watch the ducks (Bitey 1 and 2) enjoy the mangos our tree dropped. Fortunately, the ducks didn’t find the mangos until after I took the dogs out. Before heading back to work, I spent some time meditating in legs up the wall pose to refocus for the rest of the day. This helps me expel the stress and energy of the morning. Consequently, Anakin tried to join me, which always makes me giggle.

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

*I read Demons, by Dostoevsky. I am really enjoying this book so far.

*I absolutely slayed my day at work! That’s three days in a row!

*I ran 1.5 miles and walked a mile. Instead of working out in the morning, I decided to run after work. 

*The family and I are back to watching Thirty Rock. We’ve now moved on to season six.

*I made a new beef tips recipe in the Instant Pot tonight. It was super yummy!

*My favorite surprise on the underwater cams, I watch during work, is seeing an octopus. Today I watched the safari cam, which never disappoints.

*There were big thunderstorms today all afternoon. I really need to look into a surge protector for my work equipment.

*Today’s word of the day is self. I love to recenter myself before heading into the second half of my day.

*I took my puppies including sweet Anakin for a walk. Did I mention I hate gnats, flies, and mosquitos? Thankfully, the fly traps arrived today. Emphatically, I’m absolutely sick of those little buggers.