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Sunday Chilling

After a crazy Saturday, I spent Sunday chilling in my human-sized dog bed with my puppies. To be clear, the puppies came and I went, but I didn’t leave the comfort of the bed. Fortunately, I felt really good on Sunday. I was concerned that I’d be really sore and it would take a while to recover from the 5k. The takeaway is my current training program is effective. Now I’m focusing on improving my speed and reducing my time. There was one downside to the race. I made a mess of my shoes at the race by traipsing across the wet lawn.

I spent Saturday night at the rink with family and friends watching the Mayor’s home opener. The Jr Cats took on their crosstown rivals, the Palm Beach Typhoon. Honestly, the game was closer than I imagined it. The Mayor and his partner CJ, played awesome together for the first part of the game. Until there was a scrum behind our net, where someone went after the Mayor, and CJ took care of business. The ref tossed CJ from the Game, but we couldn’t really see what happened from where we were.

The game was fairly chippy, but nothing too insane. My mom did, however, find it to be quite aggressive. It was a lot of fun to watch, though. I enjoyed it. Watching a hockey game where everyone wants to be there and is bought in is a thing of beauty. It’s a big shift from U-18, where half the team cares and the rest don’t care at all. They had a quick turnaround with another game on Sunday. Unfortunately, they lost, and the Mayor got injured. Fortunately, the injury doesn’t seem to be severe.

2025 Goal tracker:

  • Run a 5K: achieved! The new goal is to finish in under 32 minutes at the next 5K.
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here. I’m tickled pink that we’ll be going back there in October to see Paul McCartney
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I finished Pride and Prejudice on Saturday and am now reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still opt
  • If you’re not already following me on Instagram, give me a follow!
  • Check out my newest partner, Zulay Kitchen. You can use the code Welcome43 to get 43% off.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I thought a lot about how I would answer this question and decided to give the sports mom answer. When the boys were young, Goalielocks skated at MEGA Goaltending at the National Sports Center with Coach Justin Johnson. One piece of advice he gave to the parents of the campers was to ensure our hockey players don’t let hockey define their identity. Rather, their identity should be cultivated around a multitude of different interests. This is important because kids who learn to identify themselves only with their sport will struggle mightily when their sports days come to an end.

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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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48 Hours

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

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

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

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

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

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An Update

An update on the patient. The Mayor finally had his pins removed this morning, it was quite the site to watch as the doctor unscrewed and pulled them out. He was visibly uncomfortable. And for the first time since he broke his finger, he said ouch! he was also visibly uncomfortable as the surgeon manipulated his finger to test his range of motion. Unfortunately, while his finger is healing well, it’s still not healed enough for him to go back on the ice. Consequently, he’ll go back in two weeks for another checkup and start therapy in the interim.

After his appointment, we had to take Anakin to the vet for a sore on his foot. It looked a lot worse over the weekend, but it wasn’t healing fast and we were concerned it was infected. Unfortunately, anytime we take Anakin to the vet it’s a production. The poor thing is extremely anxious and consequently very reactive to everyone at the vet’s office. As a result, he has to be sedated for his exam for his safety and the safety of his care team. I was worried the wound might gush like a volcano when she examined it, but it didn’t. He’s currently sleeping off the sedation in the back corridor at the vet’s office.

Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.

Right now we’re in a major life transition as we move from actively raising kids to being empty nesters. It’s a big shift and one I’m both ready and not ready for. I think it’s difficult to say goodbye to life stages like this because it makes you feel old and that time is flying by way too fast.

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Daily Grind

The daily grind is wearing me down today. Maybe it’s the special kind of stupid people I’ve been dealing with today or perhaps a lack of sleep, but I’m tired of the grind. At this point, I’d like a nice vacation to an island or national park far from civilization. Most days the people I talk to at work are amazing. I’ve made at least three new best friends already this week. Today they’re just demanding and rude, they’re not nice people.

I work out during my lunch break, which is always a good way to reset my energy. Today’s workout was an ass-kicking treadmill workout from Sherica on Apple Fitness +. Since I just got back to running Sunday after a few weeks off, the runs have been tough this week. Thankfully, I saw a huge improvement today versus the runs on Sunday and Monday. Hopefully, the upward trend will continue when I run again on Friday.

Now I have both puppies chilling with me as I finish my work day. I’m hoping my afternoon goes better than my morning. To be more specific, I hope I’m down for the day with the token transfers. Fortunately, my dogs are here to help me survive the afternoon. I’ve also been looking through my Utah trip pictures, which always makes me happy. One of the words of the day is staghorn, so I thought I’d probably write about Zion. This was, of course, until I realized that stag horn is a type of fern, not a sheep. Doh!

Bighorn sheep with not a staghorn in sight

Do you need a break? From what?

Yes, from people. I don’t know what is in the water today or if the moon is full, but people have been exceptionally special today. And they’re not special in a good way. They’re special in the worst way.

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Snail’s Pace

My work computer is moving at a snail’s pace and it’s driving me absolutely bonkers. I hate when the laptop doesn’t want to cooperate. The system is moving so slowly that I’m worried it’s going to drop my calls. Of course, it’s hard to get a call when nobody can reach you via IM, so there’s that. At this point, I’m hatching a plan to try and fix the problem. Hopefully, it’ll stop moving at a snail’s pace and start moving at a cheetah’s pace.

Speaking of problems, were the walking wounded over here. The Mayor sees the surgeon next week for his finger. He’ll likely need surgery to fix it. The hubby has an MRI next week for his knee, which he blew out in Jiu Jitsu. Unfortunately, he’ll likely need surgery as well. And here I am with a bum knee from who knows what. Fortunately, I don’t think it’s a serious issue. Nevertheless, we are a bit of a mess.

Our weather here is sunny and 68, which while cool for South Florida is much better than the weather everywhere else. Up in Tally, they saw low temperatures in the single digits. In Orlando, they were near freezing. I thought we might get a little cooler with this front, but I guess not. At least we can give the AC a rest for a few days.

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

There are so many times in my life that I have felt loved. The time I’ve spent traveling with the kids has filled. That they desire to keep exploring the world with me makes me feel loved. And of course, my puppies make sure I know they love me every second and every minute that we’re together.

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Happy to be Warm

I am happy to be warm after a very chilly weekend in Canada. The Mayor and I had a great time, but I hate wearing multiple layers. Additionally, I hate the feeling that your fingers are going to fall off when you try to pump gas. Who needs windchills below zero? Not this girl; that ship has sailed for me.

I will admit, the falling snow Saturday evening was absolutely beautiful. Winter driving is for the birds. Fortunately, the temperature was warm enough to prevent the roads from icing over. I did, however, have to drive through quite a bit of snow going to the second game Saturday night. While Saturday’s temperature was manageable, Sunday’s weather was offensive. The chill of that winter wind is something you never forget, which is why I live in Florida.

The drive back to Detroit was uneventful. We didn’t see the sign advising us to “don’t pick up hitchhikers, prison area” that we saw on our way to Canada. They must have had some issues with jailbirds hitchhiking their way away from prison. I did think my fingers were going to fall off when I was pumping gas. To be blunt, I was thrilled when we took off leaving winter behind. The flight home was smooth and we even saw the SpaceEx launch from the plane. It was amazing to see, but impossible to photograph. Anyway, I’m happy to be home and happy to be warm.

What is your favorite animal?

What a silly question. Everyone knows my favorite animal is a dog. I love them. Our dogs are such a big part of our family. Maya and Athena, even though they left us physically are never far from our hearts or thoughts. Dogs love their family unconditionally and are always by your side. Their loving disposition and loyalty feed the soul. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that most dogs are super cute.

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Headed North

Tomorrow morning the Mayor and I are headed north to Sarnia for a hockey weekend. While I’m looking forward to the adventure, I’m not looking forward to the possible snow storms I see forecasted. Unfortunately, there’s no good airport to fly into in Sarnia, so we’ll be flying into DTW and then headed north via rental car to Sarnia. Truly, I hope the drive to and from the airport is snowless with clear, dry roads. I’m praying for snow-free commutes.

The Mayor and I on the Rideau Canal


Today, I’m just finishing up work and packing. I had planned to run, but the universe had other plans. Arrow tried to decapitate me last night by jumping on to our bed, while I was bending over to remove my ankle brace. I don’t know if it was poor timing or if Arrow’s depth perception is as bad as mine, but he jumped straight into the side of my head forcing my head to turn completely to the right. Ouch! Fortunately, my head doesn’t hurt and there are no symptoms of a concussion. Unfortunately, the left side of my neck and shoulders is a completely different story.

Arrow’s favorite outdoor snack

Needless to say, I’ve been alternating between ice and heating pads on my neck and shoulders. I’m hoping it isn’t as stiff tomorrow or that will make flying miserable.  As I’ll be away for the weekend, I placed a Target order to ease the burden for the hubby. While I didn’t run today, I did walk the dogs at lunch. Anakin is always on the hunt and was trying to catch a pollinator, aka a bee, today. He usually catches his prey, but thankfully he didn’t get the bee. Meanwhile, Arrow just uses the hibiscus bushes as a crawlway where he can find pretty blooms to eat.

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

My great grandmother made me a quilt when I was born. It’s blue and has nursery rhymes on it. The design isn’t dated, and, in addition, it’s a pretty large quilt compared to most baby quilts. My desire was always to pass it on to my kids, but I had boys three boys. Currently, the quilt waits in an upstairs closet to be passed down to the first grandchild. Boy was that a weird sentence to write. I tell you what, every know and again the realization that we’re closer to grandkids then having kids stops me in my tracks. Where has time gone?!?!

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Back to Normal

Things are getting back to normal around here after a busy holiday season. Jake left earlier in the week to go back to Tally and today Goalielocks headed back to UCF. Meanwhile, the Mayor and the hubby are in Pittsburgh for the weekend at a tournament. There’s nobody here to pickpocket me. I mean ask for cash to buy food when we have three fridges full of food. My house has gone from a nuthouse to a peaceful space. I’m just kidding the puppies make sure there’s ample noise in the house. Especially if a squirrel or bird is at the bird feeder.

While the boys are in Pittsburgh, I’m going to try and be productive around the house. My sourdough starter should be good to go this weekend. I started both starters last Saturday. Since this is my first attempt, I thought I should make two in case on failed. For one starter, I bought a starter culture from Amazon. The other culture I made with water and flour. Both are looking good. The only thing remaining is to name said starters.

The sourdough starters

I also bought some things to get my bathroom and kitchen better organized. Truly, I need a better system for managing my makeup. Consequently, I bought a makeup storage thing from Amazon. It’s bedazzled and should hold everything I got. Or at least I hope it will. I’m also rearranging my pantry because it’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Also, I found some great airtight containers for my flour and sugar. Since we live in Florida, I’ve added bay leaves to keep away any bugs.

Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?

I spend more time thinking about the future than the past. Well, maybe…. Honestly, if you ignore the past, you’re bound to repeat precious mistakes, which is super lame. On the flip side, if you ruminate too much on the past, you will never move forward. Consequently, I try to find a balance between the two while also living in the moment. I don’t want life to pass me by because I’ve spent too much time thinking about things I can’t change or things that may or may not happen. And now we’re back to normal.

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Survived

I survived my doozy of a Monday. It took forever to end as falling asleep was damn near impossible. In fact, I didn’t fall asleep until well after midnight. The good news is that once I finally fell asleep, I slept really well. In fact, I even got up in time for work today. What a feat! Actually, I got up early enough to go grab my own coffee before starting my work day.

Monday may have been an absolute drag, but the weekend was pretty fantastic. Friday night we ordered Sushi Yama for Goalielocks last dinner before heading back to school. As always, it was amazing. We really enjoy their crispy rice appetizer. The rice is so good and the tuna it’s topped with is delish. Naturally, the boys also enjoyed their usual helping of fried rice and chicken katsu. We ended out night by watching Messi and InterMiami.

Naturally, Goalielocks was packing most of Friday night and Saturday before leaving Saturday afternoon. Of course, he left the loft looking like a bomb of water bottles and text books had gone off, so that was nice. Hubby ended up cleaning up his mess Sunday while the Mayor and I ran errands. After Goalielocks left, we headed to our friends for a hockey family BBQ. It was hot as hell, but thankfully they had a gorgeous pool with some nice shade.

The BBQ was a last hurrah for our boys before they all head their separate ways for hockey. The Mayor is moving to Ft Myers to play junior. His Goalie is staying local, but also making the leap of juniors. R is heading north to Canada for a hockey academy. While B is heading to New Hampshire for some AAA U16 action. It’s crazy to see their youth hockey careers coming to an end. The Mayor was a mite for what at least a decade and now he’s playing juniors. It’s all just a bit overwhelming.

Sunday the Mayor and I went suit shopping. The Eels where suits to and from their games, so he needed to pick up some more dress clothes. Jos A. Bank had an amazing sale going, so I got him two new suits for $300. Prior to suit shopping, we also ventured into WalMart, while I charged the rental. I enjoyed driving the Polestar in Boston once it was reconfigured, so I wanted to see how the Hubby liked it. This time Hertz included a guide outlining the difference in using an EV versus traditional car, which makes renting an EV much less of a pain.

What brings you peace?

My dogs bring me peace. There’s something so innocent and pure in the way our dogs love us and our families. Their loving kindness brings me peace even during life’s toughest hours. Working out is an activity that brings me peace. It’s also acrucial part to staying both physically and mentally healthy.