Eight days until the wedding! I’ve now got most of the mixers for the rehearsal dinner, which is awesome. I still need to get a few accouterments for the old fashions, limes, and Diet Coke, but otherwise, we’re pretty well set. Tomorrow I’ll finalize the catering with our caterer, which will take a big load off my shoulders. Also, my rehearsal dinner dress came today! Yay!
As of right now, I’m at work fantasizing that it’s 5:00 pm. I’ve had enough for the day and am looking forward to the weekend. This weekend I’m going to experiment with a few cookie recipes. Jake wants a cookie platter for the rehearsal dinner, so Mama is gonna make it happen. Publix has a cookie platter, but it has tree nuts and my cookies are better anyway. However, I will buy their buttercream frosting for the dip because it is amazing. Eight days!
What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?
My favorite game is Phase 10, which is a rummy-like card game. It’s fabulous because a lot of people can join the game. I think, however, the main reason I love it is the memories I have that are associated with it. We’ve played the game at many family get-togethers and holidays, Jacob’s BMT graduation (where we introduced Melly to it,) and while visiting Jake in Utah including right before his deployment. A close second would be UNO and for similar reasons.
We’re now nine days from the big event! It’s getting down to the wire. FedEx delivered the shoes I bought for the ceremony. They’re a perfect fit and will look great with the gown. The only piece of the wardrobe puzzle remaining is a handbag. I’ve found some ones I like, but I am still on the fence. Obviously, I have to make a decision pretty soon, so stay tuned. Of course, I’ll post tons of pictures after the wedding.
I forgot to post yesterday, so much for posting every day until the wedding. Consider this the t-minus ten and t-minus nine days from the wedding. My shoulder continues to improve although it feels like it’s deeply bruised. It’s not, at least most from outward appearance, so that’s fun. Fortunately, my range of motion is pretty much back to normal. It is, however, a bit uncomfortable at certain points. I did some upper-body strength training with light weights yesterday. Unfortunately, it was pretty uncomfortable. Fortunately, I got it done.
What foods would you like to make?
I love to bake and cook. Since it’s super humid here, I’ve paused the bread baking. The humidity makes it a lot more difficult to get bread that isn’t too stodgy. I have, however, been baking plenty of cookies. While the Cubans may be famous for their cigars, they should be famous for their cuisine. I wish I could make a good, authentic tasting arroz con pollo.
Eleven days until the wedding?!? Can you believe it? I checked a few more items off the list this morning! Now I only have the caterer picking up things like ice and borrowed cooler to pick up. The dress I ordered for the rehearsal dinner should be delivered early next week. Thankfully, the shoes I ordered off of eBay for the ceremony should be here by tomorrow afternoon. This gives me plenty of time to buy another pair if they don’t fit right.
Eleven days is a short space of time to get everything done and for everything to change. It seems like science fiction that next week will be the last time our family of five will be under the same roof. I’m still trying to figure out where time has gone and how the kids got so old without us aging. I think my mom might be aging in reverse. Eleven days from now our family will embark on a new and exciting chapter.
Got to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her yesterday!
In other news, the shoulder is getting better daily. It hurts most of the time, but both my range of motion and pain level are steadily improving. In light of the injury, I’ve been modifying my Apple Fitness + plan to protect the shoulder. Honestly, I don’t love walking on the treadmill, but it was significantly less jarring to the shoulder than running. I enjoy running Apple’s treadmill workouts. They always draw the best out of me,
Which activities make you lose track of time?
I lose track of all time and space when reading. If I didn’t pay attention to the time, I could read all night. The bookshelf I bought earlier in the year is already filled up with new books. My pocketbook can’t wait for the new library to open up this fall.
We’re now thirteen days away from the wedding. Yesterday, we checked quite a few items from our rehearsal dinner to-do list. Goalielocks went to Men’s Warehouse yesterday and they fitted him for his tuxedo yesterday, which was a relief. He’s the last one to get equipped. He has finals the week of the wedding. Hopefully, his finals are early in the week, so there’s no interference with the wedding. Fortunately, we can pick up his tux on Wednesday, so he won’t have to worry about it. Meanwhile, Jake is at the Reserves this weekend. He was greeted at his hotel by a nice, big black bear.
A couple of big items on the to-do list remain. Namely ordering food for the rehearsal dinner, picking a dress for said dinner, mani/pedi scheduling, buy shoes and a handbag to go with my dress. I’ve found a couple of options on The Real Real and Poshmark. I guess I’ll have to decide on it soon. Since I won’t wear the outfit outside of the wedding, I decided to buy the items consigned. After the wedding, I’ll consign the items again. It’s a lot less wasteful and much more practical. Anyway, I’ve been managing the event in a project planning document, so it wouldn’t turn into a giant cluster.
Unfortunately, I did have a bit of a setback yesterday when I sprained my shoulder or tore the rotator cuff. My range of motion is a lot better than it was yesterday, but I still can’t completely raise my arm laterally. Consequently, I’ll have to heavily modify my workout plan to work around the injury. I have my shoulder in a compression wrap that has a built in ice pack. It’s been a godsend. I’ve been icing the shoulder pretty consistently to help with the inflammation, but I’d love to take a nice hot shower with a lavender shower steamer. The urgent care doctor said to avoid heat for the first couple of days. Anyway, I have thirteen days for it to heal!
List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.
My family is my world.
I will never not have a dog. I’m a dog person and can’t see myself living without one.
My boys have grown into amazing adults.
The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup Champions! Watching them win was surreal!
Dogs should live a lot longer than they do. It’s cruel that they leave us way too soon.
Traveling and exploring the world is the best gift you can give yourself or your loved one.
I love getting lost in the mountains of the American Southwest. Hiking in Utah with my boys was one of my favorite experiences.
Attending concerts is an absolute must!
In summer, it will rain in the afternoon.
Take pleasure in life’s small moments because life is fleeting.
After reading social media responses to yesterday’s events, it’s clear we’re being given the options we deserve. People are terrible and our candidates show it.
Sixteen days until the kids get married! I can’t believe it’s nearly here. As finally preparations are underway, it’s nice to cross items off my excel wedding project plan. Yeah, I know I’m a dork. You need to keep track of many things to ensure their special day goes off without a hitch. (See what has to be done there?) We’ve got nearly everything set to go for the rehearsal open house. I put the blog on the back burner for a bit as I concentrate on wedding planning.
Since most guests are from out of town, we held an open house rehearsal dinner for everyone instead of the traditional limited dinner. The menu is simple and consists of their favorite things (i.e. pizza and wings,) which I have to order next week. Naturally, we’ll have plenty of liquor and beer. Thankfully, the wedding isn’t until 5:00 pm Saturday afternoon. Since we are having alcohol, we had to pay for security, which will be Jake’s favorite gatehouse guard.
As the march to the wedding continues, I’ve set myself up on a three-week fitness plan with Apple Fitness Plus. Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about their classes or their trainers. To get myself wedding-ready, I ramped up my treadmill workout to forty-five minutes instead of thirty. This went well Monday, but not so much today. I either rolled or sprained my left ankle, who knows how, so running was an absolute no-go today. Consequently, I ended up walking the workout. I did manage to get through Pilates and yoga with a few adjustments. T-minus sixteen days!
What do you think gets better with age?
I think life gets better with age. Old age is a privilege denied to many, so aging is a gift. What’s not a gift is the aches and pains that come with aging that stuff is for the birds. The experiences, people, and adventures that come over time make aging a pleasure.
It’s a rainy afternoon here in South Florida. Thankfully, the thunder and lightning have abated making it infinitely easier to hear on the phone. The rain can’t, however, dampen our spirits as we continue to ride the wave of the Panthers Stanley Cup win. I think all of us Panthers fans have been watching and rewatching clips from Monday night’s win since the game ended. There is something special about watching people achieve their dreams.
The parade is on Sunday and should be a marvelous time. First of all, there are few places prettier than Fort Lauderdale Beach. I love that strip of A1A. The hubby will be working, so it will be just the Mayor and myself. We’ll have to get there early since we’re parking near the parade route at a friend’s place. Hopefully, the weather cooperates and there’s no rain. Thankfully, the beautiful beach is there if we need to cool off for a minute. We’ll be wearing our swimsuits to the event.
Amazing photo taken by Juan Morales Monday night @
I’ve been hunting for Stanley Cup merchandise that isn’t an arm and a leg. I found the hats and t-shirts for the boys, but am still looking for a women’s version of the shirt. I hate paying for shipping so any site charging for it is out of the question. Hopefully, I can find what I’m looking for when I am out. Otherwise, I’ll be out of gas.
Off topic, but super important to me. One of my dearest aunts is in the hospital and not doing well. Please keep her, her son, my grandma, and our family in your prayers.
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?
I’ve had some great meals and great desserts in my life, so it’s really hard to narrow it down. One of my favorites is the Kouign-Aman we ate in Normandy at the gite (think AirBnB) after traveling into Brittany to see Saint Malo.
The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup Champions!!! They sure made it hard on themselves by losing three in a row to Edmonton. It is a difficult trudge even to make the finals let alone win them. Additionally, they were the inspiration for a lot of nervous baking. We may lose weight now that I’m not nervously baking during every Panthers game. Last night’s nerves far exceeded the urge to bake nervously. I think all of South Florida was on tenterhooks for most of the game.
Game seven of any championship series is a stomach-twisting, exhilarating ride for the fans. It’s also the cause of stress hives, heartburn, and high blood pressure. Thank god for Benadryl, which put paid to my stress hives. During the third period, it seemed like time stood still. The Panthers went into the third with the lead and are a great third-period team, but Edmonton has some big guns that can score in clutch situations.
In the end, the Cats held off the Oilers to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. It was an amazing moment. There were definitely tears in my eyes watching the team react to winning the cup. It’s been a long time since any of my teams have won a championship (such is life as a Minnesota Sports fan.). I loved seeing Barkov raise the cup. He’s been an amazing captain for the Panthers for years and makes everyone around him better. Naturally, he handed it off to Bob, who had a career game last night. It’s obvious from watching the team interact and the way they talk about each other that the team is a family.
The Boys’ first Panther game
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?
In honor of the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, I’d say my red Panthers T-shirt. If you ask any of my South Florida neighbors, they’d probably say Panthers’ gear today too.
Twenty-five is how old my eldest son Jake turned today. What’s odd, however, is that I’m only 33. Somehow the math just isn’t mathing. I can’t believe twenty-five years have passed since this amazing person entered the world. My Hubby and I were just kids when he was born. Now, especially today and with his impending wedding, I’m feeling a bit old.
Twenty-five years ago there were no digital cameras and I hadn’t even purchased my first cell phone yet. My hubby was still rocking a pager. My parents had cellphones, but they were the size of bricks and you had to pay by the minute. I can’t believe how much has changed in our world since he was born. We’ve gone from an analog society to a fully digital society. New Star Wars movies no longer have the novelty that they did in 1999. Who wasn’t excited to see the Phantom Menace.
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to celebrate the big birthday with Jake as he’s home in Tally. Fortunately, he’s coming down for the 4th, so we’ll celebrate him then. Meanwhile, we’ll watch the Panthers continue to choke in the Stanley Cup Finals. I’m not willing to get my hopes up at this point because the Cats will break my heart. No matter what, this team has been so fun to watch this season. I’m excited to see how their success will continue growing the Florida game.
Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?
There are a couple of foods that bring me back to my childhood. Creamy cucumber salad is one of them. I used to love it when my great-grandma would make this with cucumbers straight from her garden or the farmer’s market. Pickles roll-ups, aka Minnesota sushi, are another food that transports me back to the 1980s.
Oh, these playoffs are torture. The Panthers had a chance to lift the cup yesterday at home, but they blew it. What a ridiculous collapse!!!! The Cats came out flat and gave up yet another short-handed goal. Eventually, they found their game, but it was too little too late. I guess the good news is they found their game again. Hopefully, this energy will transfer into game six. I don’t think I (or my heart) handle the emotional stress of going to game seven. Pure torture!
I did end up nervously baking sugar cookies as I watched the game on mute. The puppies were picking up my nervous energy last night. Meanwhile, ESPN’s coverage of the cup has been abysmal (yawn) at best. I wish TNT had the broadcast rights because they do a much better job. They’re also much more evenhanded in how they talk about the teams and players. ESPN’s coverage is an embarrassment to the sport and the league. The boys lucked out and got to watch the game live at Amerant Arena.
Write about your first crush
It was so long ago, so I don’t remember their names.
Boy oh boy am I a bundle of nerves today. You would think my boys were playing tonight and not the big boys. The Panthers must win one more game to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup. It would be infinitely cooler if they could do that tonight at home. Also, it would bring a lot of emotional relief for stressed-out hockey fans. Unfortunately, it also brings the end of hockey season, so I’m not sure what we’ll watch on TV now.
Luckily, the hubby and Mayor are headed to the game tonight. I wonder who will be beating the drum to open the game? Game one was the Dolphins head coach and Game two was Alonzo Mourning. It will be interesting to see who they bring out tonight. While my guys enjoy the amazing atmosphere of Amerant Arena, I’ll be baking my nerves away. Most likely, I’ll be making some more sugar cookies. They’re easy to bake even when distracted by hockey games.
What countries do you want to visit?
Where does one even start with this question? There are so many places that I’d like to visit. If I listed them all I’d be blogging for days. The shortlist would be Norway, the UK, Denmark, Italy, France, Finland, Peru and Iceland. Now back to being a bundle of nerves!
