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Mother’s Day

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday. My weekend was quick, productive, and restful. The best part of the weekend came courtesy of the Florida Panthers, who beat Toronto Friday night and again last night. It was a perfect way to both start and end the weekend. Now we have to wait until Wednesday for game 5. I hope the Panthers continue to play as strongly as last night.

Of course, it was made better by the fact that I got to talk to all three kids yesterday. The Mayor is still at home, so he graced me with his presence. We bought him a nice acoustic guitar for his birthday, so he serenaded us with some songs he learned. Jake and Melly called on their way to an open house and then showed us the property, which is super cute. Last night on his way home from work, Goalielocks called me, so I was able to talk with him for a good thirty minutes. It was the perfect way to end my Mother’s day after an emphatic Panthers’ performance.

Saturday, I did a lot of chores and baking. It was all about sourdough Saturday. I prepared two loaves of sourdough sandwich bread to be baked on Sunday. Afterwards, I mixed up a sourdough brioche Biscoff wreath for dessert. I would usually bake it with Nutella, but my dad is allergic to hazelnuts. Afterwards, I made Brazilian cheese bread to go with dinner. It’s a great option for the Mayor as it’s low carb (10 grams of carbs with 4 grams of protein.)

Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life.

In honor of Mother’s Day, my mom and my grandma have had a hugely positive impact on my life. First of all, they taught me what it means to be a mother. They also taught me what it is to be a strong and independent woman.

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Last of the Lasts

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

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

First and last day of school

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

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

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

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading A Knight and a Spy 1414 (The Road to Agincourt – King’s Spy), by Simon Fairfax
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What was the last live performance you saw?

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

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Heat Wave

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

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

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

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading A Knight and a Spy 1414 (The Road to Agincourt – King’s Spy), by Simon Fairfax
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What do you do to be involved in the community?

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

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Happy 19th Birthday!

Happy 19th birthday to my youngest baby, The Mayor. I can’t believe he’s already 19 years old. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home. After Goalielocks was born, we were certain that two kids were enough. Fortunately, God felt otherwise and brought us the Mayor. He’s been an absolute blessing.

This last year, his first year of adulthood, has had a lot of ups and downs. His older brother’s getting married was definitely a high point. I was so proud of how he showed up for both Jake and Melody in the lead-up to the wedding and the wedding. His diagnosis of type 1 in the fall was a nasty surprise, but he’s done an incredible job managing his blood sugar.

I’m excited to see what the future holds for him. Over the last year, he’s proven again and again that he’s resilient. His ability to persevere through life’s challenges will carry him far. He’ll graduate from high school in a few weeks, which will be a bittersweet moment for us. It will mark the end of an era for my hubby and me, and the start of a new chapter in our lives. As we embark on our new chapter, the Mayor will determine his next steps.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading A Knight and a Spy 1414 (The Road to Agincourt – King’s Spy), by Simon Fairfax
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?

I would become an archaeologist who gets to travel the world with the purpose of finding antediluvian artifacts.

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Field Trip

We took the dogs on a field trip to the beach yesterday. I’ve wanted to take the dogs to the beach for a while now, but the timing never worked out. I initially decided to forego the beach yesterday because there were storms out east in the morning. Once our WiFi dipped out and we had nothing else to do, we decided to try it.

Neither Anakin nor Arrow enjoys riding in the car, so that was fun. Arrow gets absolutely unruly, so we had him strapped in a harness and a seatbelt. Otherwise, he’d make his way to the front of the truck and probably cause an accident. Anakin hates it too, but he sits peacefully in the back. Unfortunately, we hit every red light on the drive to the beach. Fortunately, our luck changed when we got to the beach, and we found parking immediately.

Once at the beach, we walked next to the inlet and under the road. The dogs were taking in all the new sights and scents. On the north side, you can bring your dogs. There were several other puppies there. Initially, we had planned to walk down the beach for a bit, but there were a few off-leash pups, so we stayed put. We were relatively close to the jetty and boulders that line it.

Arrow was a bit unsure. I think. The waves were a bit loud for his ears. Anakin, on the other hand, wanted to attack the waves and drink all the water. All in all, I think they enjoyed their field trip. We’ll definitely put another field trip to the beach in the calendar for when the sea is a bit calmer. This way, they can swim and play a bit in the sea.

What are your favorite brands and why?

I have a few. My favorite coffee brand is Dunkin’. It’s the best way to start my day. In terms of clothing, I love my Fabletics athleisure wear. Honestly, I totally live in my Fabletics.

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Happy Birthday Arrow

Happy birthday Arrow! Our sweet boy is three years old today. He’s been the best dog for us. Arrow is always happy, playful, and loving. In fact, he reminds me a lot of Athena. They share similar dispositions and mannerisms. Both Arrow and Athena are adept at defusing Anakin’s emotional outbursts. When we first adopted Arrow, Anakin was not a fan. Now, however, Anakin and Arrow are best mates.

I bought Arrow a couple of new dog toys and some doggy ice cream to celebrate. I’m sure he’ll love the ice cream. He definitely is a dog that likes to eat. He also loves toys, so I know he’ll love the goodies I got him. I can also be sure Anakin will try to steal and guard both toys. Outside of the goodies, I plan to take them to the beach on Sunday morning. It will be interesting to see how they like the sand and waves.

Outside of Arrow’s birthday, it’s been business as usual. Today was a strength day, so I did my ab workout through the Sweat App. After work, I’ll do my ten-minute jump rope routine. I added it initially to help with my stamina for running. Now I also do it to help build bone strength. Needless to say, I won’t be on the elliptical anymore. Everything I do from here on out will be to help build bone mass.

What gives you direction in life?

I don’t rely on good luck; I use my faith to drive me. My family’s needs give me direction in life.

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May Day

It’s May Day, not to be confused with Mayday. After another night of poor to little sleep, mayday is what my body is screaming. As for the new month, I’m amazed that after January took five years to get through, I’ve blinked and it’s now May. The last couple of months have passed in an utter blur. With every passing year, time seems to move faster and faster.

Today, people all over the world the world are celebrate May Day by dancing around a maypole, celebrating the impending start of summer. Here in Florida, we call it Thursday. We do not need to celebrate summer here, given our balmy year-round climate. We’d rather celebrate the end of rainy season or the end of hurricane season than the impending doom of record-high dew points and temperatures.

Anyway, I digress. As I think back on the two months I took off from the blog, I realized I’ve accomplished a lot. Firstly, I read voraciously. I’ll be posting all my reads from the last two months soon. Secondly, I started jumping rope. While I found out I’m not very good at it, I do enjoy it. Third, this accomplishment is mostly the Mayor’s; his A1C at his first follow-up with our endocrinologist was 5.7%. This is an amazing number for a type 1 diabetic. He’s doing amazing. Lastly, we hit our fundraising goal for PurpleStride.

Of course, I can’t leave today’s blog without mentioning that both my Florida Panthers and Minnesota Timberwolves got the job done last night. Both clubs closed out round one of the playoffs. The Panthers looked dominant last night, particularly in the third. As for the Timberwolves game, it started way too late for me.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading A Knight and a Spy 1413 (The Road to Agincourt – King’s Spy), by Simon Fairfax
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?

I have a couple, and I think of them often. I love Oscar Wilde’s quote, “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” Moreover, Victor Hugo has two quotes that refer back to often. First, “even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” The second quote is, “It is nothing to die, it is frightful not to live.” I think the first is a poignant reminder that things will always get better, no matter how bleak things seem. The other Hugo quote and the Oscar Wilde quote are poignant reminders to live each day and enjoy the moment.

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Level Forty-Five

In March, I hit level forty-five. It was the weekend after the state tournament, which was nice. For many years, my birthday was in the midst of the tournament. As much as I love hockey, a birthday during the middle of the tournament is not the most fun. Since we had no hockey games, I could celebrate it as I wished.

For my birthday, some friends, the Mayor, and I went to a puppy yoga class. It was heavenly. The puppies, mini-doodles, and shitzus were precious and so sweet. The combination of two of my favorite things—yoga and puppies—along with some of my favorite people, was the perfect way to spend my birthday. It was a calming and happy experience. I love it.

After puppy yoga, we grabbed lunch at Yard House in Mizner. Yard House is such a great spot. I love their appetizers, food, and drinks. Yard House prices its food and drinks quite reasonably, considering it’s in the middle of Boca Raton. After lunch, we headed to Total Wine and Target to pick up a few things for the evening. We finished the night with pizza with the Kennedys and the Minnesota State High School boys hockey championships. It was an amazing birthday.

In the lead up to forty-five, influencers and friends flooded my social media feeds with perimenopause reels, posts, and memes. Honestly, I found it not only to be a calamity of sorts, but also insulting. Why would I care about perimenopause if I’m not even middle-aged?! Oh, the sad realization that as a woman in my forties, I’m there hit me like a ton of bricks. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep that drove it home or the emotions that were all over the place. Whatever it is, I’m not here for it. More on the perimenopause in a later post.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading Henry V, The Astonishing Triumphs of England’s Greatest Warrior King, by Dan Jones
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?

I love Christmas. We host our way, which means we’re not scattered all over the place. Or at least, we’re not usually scattered all over the place. I host a delicious brunch for family and friends. In years past, we played paintball after brunch. Now we nap and maybe head to Christmas dinner. I love Christmas!

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Time Off

I took some time off from the blog to rest, recharge, level up to 45, and prepare for PurpleStride. Now that PurpleStride is over, I’m back to my regularly scheduled program. Or at least a somewhat regular program. Who even knows what regular is anymore, because I certainly don’t.

There’s so much to update, but I won’t do it all in one post. You may remember from my last post that I had been fighting with BCBS for Dexcom 7 approval. Finally, an escalation specialist reached out to me after I went nuclear on X. She was an absolute gem. She escalated my concerns regarding the ridiculousness of needing prior auth on a CGN for a type 1 diabetic. In the end, BCBS completely waived the prior authorization process for him.

Meanwhile, the Mayor’s team headed to Tampa for the state tournament. While I had a fabulous time in Tampa (thank you, Alex and moonshine), the team’s performance was less than stellar. It was a bit frustrating to lose to a team that had a player who hadn’t played the required number of games with the team. Only to find out, of course, that the rule didn’t apply to kids who played for Alliance. Naturally, this rule, specific to alliance players, isn’t documented anywhere. Also, to be clear, while it was frustrating, it’s not the reason our team lost. I’m just glad I’m down with youth hockey in Florida.

So it’s goodbye to youth hockey and on to Juniors. The Mayor will be playing for the Junior Cats this upcoming season. This is a new team that is local to us. He’s not looking to move away at this time, given the relatively recent type 1 diagnosis. I’m not a huge fan of junior hockey, but it’s a great way to spend a gap year. The Mayor’s plans for after high school were completely upended by his type 1 diabetes diagnosis last fall. Consequently, playing Juniors will give him a year to figure it out. Needless to say, I’ll be keeping my hockey mom rituals for another season.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading Henry V, The Astonishing Triumphs of England’s Greatest Warrior King, by Dan Jones
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

Have you ever been camping?

I have never been camping, and tent life is not for me. I envision coming back to my tent and seeing a big bear rummaging through it. Moreover, I like things like beds, running water, and air conditioning. Thanks to my thyroid and perimenopause, I’m barely sleeping right now. The last place you’d catch me is trying to sleep in the discomfort of a tent. As for glamping, I’m here for it.

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No Surprise

No surprise here, but I’m exhausted. These past couple of months, I have been unable to fall asleep. Honestly, it takes half a century to fall asleep. Once I’m asleep I’m good, it’s just getting there that’s hard. Thankfully, I have bloodwork in a few weeks to determine if my thyroid is the culprit. After all, it usually is!

While it’s no surprise I’m tired, it will come as no surprise that prior authorization approval is still pending for the Mayor’s Dexcom. When he was in the hospital in October, Cigna called and told us they would approve a CGM and insulin pump immediately for him. Cigna doesn’t have the best reputation, but they did the right thing. It is taking weeks for BCBS to approve the Dexcom 7. It’s unacceptable to me that BCBS would delay the medical equipment necessary to keep his blood sugar stable.

Perhaps I’ll sleep better when I’m not worrying about where his next Dexcom is coming from. I’m going to try calling again this evening. The doctor’s office reached out to BCBS yesterday. It’s so infuriating that I even have to fight this battle. At this point, I’m going to have to take it to the socials to get it approved. They already have confirmation of his type 1 diabetes and have paid for his insulin pump. This is just absolute insanity.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: in training
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: in progress
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into February and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: working on it
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading She Wolves by Helen Castor.
  • Get out of debt: in progress
  • Financial independence: in progress

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

If I could be someone else for a day, I’d want to be my Grandma T. I’d love to walk a day in her shoes with her memories and her experiences. The not-so-serious answer would be that I’d love to be Victoria Beckham for a day, so I can hang out with her husband David.