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Beautiful Evening

The hubby and I spent a beautiful evening near the water for my birthday. For dinner, we went to Two George’s, which has a great location. The food it okay, but I wouldn’t wait more than 15 minutes for a table. It was a pleasant, breezy and not too arid of a night. We sat at one of their covered rocking picnic tables outside. Our food came out promptly and was good. My favorite part was the conch fritters.

After dinner, we headed south to hit the beach. Since the beaches near us close at sundown, the hubby drove down to Delray Beach. It was an absolutely gorgeous evening, but the wind near the water was ridiculous. At times, it felt like my legs were being sandblasted. Nevertheless, it absolutely gorgeous looking out over the waves. Their were storms to the north with some beautiful lightning accentuating the sky. Next time I’d love to sneak the puppies onto the beach. The beach was the perfect way to end our beautiful evening.


William Wordsworth, ‘It is a beauteous evening, calm and free’. 

It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,
The holy time is quiet as a Nun
Breathless with adoration; the broad sun
Is sinking down in its tranquility;
The gentleness of heaven broods o’er the Sea …

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Volleyball

Well, I finally got to see Goalielocks play volleyball. Good news, they won. Bad news, I know nothing about the sport. I’m going to have to learn a whole new vernacular. In fact, I though the game was over when they scored 15, but it’s actually 25. Goalielocks and his crew played the Olympic Heights Lions. Tonight was the first time I’ve been at the school since Jake graduated five years ago.

Goalielocks is a setter and played two games tonight. He had some great serves and some great play. Well, at least I think he did. To be fair, the serves were good because they got his team points. It was fun to watch him with his team. He definitely is enjoying the varsity volleyball experience. Their team definitely has a lot of spirit and plays with a lot of gusto. You can hear them from a mile away.

Tonight is the last night of my forty first year or as I like to say twenty seven plus fourteen. It’s always a blessing to be given another trip around the sun. I won’t lie and say that forty one has been fun or even a decent year because it hasn’t. Quite frankly year forty one was a complete abortion of a year. If it were an Uber driver, I’d give it one star. Fortunately, every day is a new opportunity to live one’s best life. Here’s to a brilliant forty second trip around the sun and a big fuck you to the forty first trip!

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Forgot Something

So apparently Goalielocks forgot something when he left for school this morning. Okay, technically he forgot two things because he also forgot his volleyball shoes. Unfortunately, Goalielocks went to school without his brother. We discovered this when the Mayor stormed into our room yelling that nobody woke him up and his alarm didn’t go off. Fortunately, my Hubby was headed South, so he was able to drop the Mayor off at school.

Consequently, I had to text Goalielocks to see what he would say. I sent him a text asking if he forgot something and he had no idea what I was talking about. Calmly, I responded that he had left his brother behind. At the point, he claimed the Mayor told him I said he could stay home as he wasn’t feeling well. Meanwhile, the Mayor has no recollection of that conversation, which isn’t surprising if he was half asleep. Nonetheless, the whole situation had my hubby and I in stitches.

I took the last two nights off the blog because I was absolutely exhausted. The Mayor had a scrimmage in Pompano Tuesday night, which saw us getting home well after our bed time. By the time we fell asleep, it was well after midnight. Oh my alarm came way too early yesterday morning. Honestly, I was absolutely fried. I even took a mini nap after I finished my workout. Nevertheless, I went to bed mighty early as i was still exhausted.

The Mayor, by the way, had a great scrimmage. He scored the game winning goal and had an assist on the second goal. His team beat the top team in their division, which was a nice confidence booster before states. If only it was like two hours earlier and a few degrees warmer, it would have been the perfect night. Meanwhile in Boca, Goalelielocks’ volleyball team had their first game of the season. They also won!

So I’ve been flabby for awhile now, which is why I started the Calibrate program last month. I have packed on the pounds since my doctor diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disease. Unfortunately, these extra pounds have shown a level of resiliency not often seen in this world. Like a pebble in your shoe, they have been the bane of my existence. Fortunately, I’ve met with some early success with the program. I’ve got high hopes!

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Last Game

Today was The Mayor’s last game of the regular seasons. Due to the high school state hockey tournament and injuries, his team had a short bench facing one of the best team’s in the division. Nevertheless, they were the little entice that could today. It was an awesome, fast-paced game that ended in a 0-0 tie. Obviously, both goalies had great games. I was impressed with the boys’ conditioning given they haven’t been able to practice for a couple of weeks.

In anticipation of this last game and states, the Mayor has been working hard to keep in shape. He’s been running three miles several days a week as well as lifting. More importantly, he has built stretching into his routine, which will help keep him healthy as he continues to run, workout and play hockey. When I first suggested he stretch and foam roll, he definitely gave me a big eye roll. Nevertheless, he took my advice and I’m by thrilled.

Last night the Hubby and I went out for a nice date on the town. For dinner, we headed to Pistache in downtown West Palm Beach. We split a wonderful charcuterie board with Brie, cheddar, chèvre, jambon, chorizo and all the accompaniments. It was very tasty. For dinner, I had, no surprise here, the steak au poivre. The Hubby meanwhile enjoyed the steak frites. For dessert, we shared the crème brûlée. It’s hard for me to quantify how much I love that dessert and Pistache’s version didn’t disappoint.

We ended up going out for dinner again tonight unexpectedly after the Mayor’s game. Tonight we joined my bro, Brandi and company at Casa Tequila for some amazing Mexican food. It was absolutely delicious. We split some nachos grande and queso, which was beyond amazing. Both exceeded my expectations. For dinner, I had the chicken fajitas. Although truth be told, I had a fajita and will be eating the rest for lunch tomorrow. We’ll definitely be returning to Casa Tequila!

Naturally, we’re all quite sleepy after a heart meal at Casa Tequila. Consequently, we’re chilling on the couch peacefully watching the Lightning and Predators duke it out in the Stadium Series. So far, it’s been an entertaining and physical game. We won’t probably make it through the entire game however because the Mayor has an early practice tomorrow in Coral Springs.

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Arduous Week

It’s been an arduous week at work. Unfortunately, the workload continues to be super light. I have been able to make the most of the resources I’ve been given. In fact, I’m one of the top in the department, but I’m bored. I like being busy at work. Boredom is not a friend of mine. Although the quizzical characters I get to talk to some days do keep it interesting.

I’ve been continuing the BBG program. I’m re-doing last week’s workouts since I missed the ab workout. It’s an arduous, but productive program. It’s super challenging like P90X, but it takes less time. The reasonable time investment is a huge plus with the program. Moreover, the program includes four cardio and three stretch workouts, so your week is well rounded with strength, cardio and stretch. This was a problem for me previously and most likely why I injured myself.

I’m going to work tomorrow since the hubby has to work as well. We’re required to work two weekends during the open enrollment period, which isn’t terrible. Hopefully, it will be a productive Saturday. Typically, the lead flow is light, but if the quality is high one can have a great production day. I’m hoping for high volume and high quality. Otherwise, I’ll be cleaning the waxy surface of my desk. This weekend we have no hockey, so Sunday will be spent relaxing.

Yesterday we got to talk to Jake, which is always a treat. He looked great despite being exhausted. The last couple of weeks he’s looked tired, but yesterday he looked great. I can’t wait to see him again. It will be so special to have all my boys under one roof! That day can’t come soon enough! Did I mention I can’t wait?!?

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Super Sunday

No surprise here, but our Super Sunday was spent at the rink. This was definitely a source of angst when the schedule first came out. The Mayor had two make up games Sunday afternoon in Pines and Coral Springs. Originally, the games were supposed to be at home, but a fire at the rink derailed that plan. The first game was a biggie because if they won it, they’d make states. Spoiler alert, they won!

They played the Florida Warrior, who they hadn’t played previously. I thought we got off to a bit of a shaky start, but once the Mayor got the scoring started it was all over. The boys ended up winning 6-0 with goals from five different kids and tons of assists. That’s exactly what you want to see on the scoresheet. Admittedly, we were all a bit nervous because the kids hadn’t practiced for over a week. Thank god they weren’t too rusty.

Between games we headed to Publix to grab the Mayor a sub. They barely had any time between games, but he needed to eat something. The second game was a much harder contest against Goldenwolves Black. It was a good, fast-paced game with little drama, but in the end they lost 2-0. Honestly, they could have won the game, but couldn’t finish. The Mayor had a great opportunity, but his stick broke on the shot.

Naturally, like everyone else my age, I wanted to see the halftime show. The two things i was excited to watch were the Air Force Heritage Flight Flyover and the halftime time show. Fortunately, I was able to catch the flyover right before the Mayor’s game started. And as luck would have it, the game ended minutes before the show started. I was able to watch the halftime show with my fellow hockey mom and dads as we collectively reminisced over the music and artists performing. It was magical.

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Palm Tree

So today’s prompt is to describe oneself as a tree, so I chose palm tree. First of all, the palm tree is happiness in a plant. Who can’t be happy while sitting near or beneath a beautiful palm? It usually means you’re somewhere tropical with a beautiful beach nearby. There also incredibly strong and built to survive hurricanes. Their shape is perfect as the wind whips around their trunk, while leaving the tree up right. Sure they’ll lose some fronds, but most palms survive the storm.

Like the palm tree, I’m able to survive’s life’s worst storms. Thankfully, my parents raised me to be confident, strong and full of faith. My life is filled with incredible people that have supported me and my family through thick and thin. I’m forever grateful for the strong support system in my life. These past couple of months they have been absolutely incredible.

Fortunately, this weekend I was able to get out and see some of my non-hockey friends. It’s nearly impossible to do anything social during hockey season, so this weekend was a treat. Yesterday I met my friend Stacy for drinks at Batch. I haven’t seen her since before I got laid off. God, I’ve missed that woman. We had the best time.

Today I made a Swiss cake roll in the morning. While that baked, I took care of the laundry, the dishes and the floors. Afterwards, I headed to Boca to spend the afternoon with my dear friend Terri, who just happens to be Jake’s girlfriend’s mom. I always have a fabulous time with her and today was no exception. We had tried a couple of weekends ago, but Covid and Flu exposure put a damper on those plans. Thankfully, we were able to get together today.

It was quite cold this morning, but we didn’t see any frost. Even if we did, the palm trees would be fine. After all, like me, they’re quite resilient. I was a little worried, however, that the passion fruit tree wouldn’t weather the cold. Fortunately or unfortunately, it still looks quite robust. It had literally taken over the entirety of our back garden. We’ll have to trim it back and train it on a trellis or it will cover everything.

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Whoops

Whoops, so apparently playlist is today’s prompt for bloganuary. I was a day early for the prompt. Oh well, music was in my mind yesterday, so the prompt worked well. Tomorrow, I’ll rejoin the challenge with the right prompt in the right day. Speaking of playlists, I added some Oasis to my 90s playlist today. Wonderwall was the perfect song to cool down to and finish my workout.

It’s Friday, but this week it doesn’t mean the end of the work week for me. I’ll be working tomorrow albeit not a full day. Two more days to finish the month strong, so hopefully tomorrow is a good day. Saturdays can be hit and miss. I do like that Saturday don’t start until 10:00, so I have a lot of fine do get stuff down before work starts.

Meanwhile, we are expecting some seriously cold temperatures, by South Florida standards, this weekend. In fact, we could see low temperatures in the 30s, which is crazy. Nevertheless, we probably still won’t turn the heat on. We’ve used it so infrequently that it smells terrible when you first turn it on. Honestly, we’ve probably used it twice in the sixteen years that we’ve lived here. Thankfully, we have plenty of blankets and hoodies to keep us warm.

This week I got back on track with my BBG workouts and running. I just finished the third strength training workout and have two more runs on the week. Next week I’ll start BBG 2.0. This is the second time I’ve finished BBG 1.0. Albeit it was structured differently this time, which was nice. Today’s run absolutely kicked my butt. Hopefully, it will be easier next week. Anyway, tomorrow I’ll rectify my whoops by posting the right prompt for the day.

Lastly, one of the members of our hockey family needs our help. Coach F, who. Goalielocks has played for, is a wonderful hockey dad and coach. Unfortunately, they just lost their home to a fire. Please consider donating to this wonderful family and help them rebuild their home. You can donate here.

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Strength

So today’s bloganuary prompt is all about strength today. The old adage that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger is honestly played out. I mean after the last two years, so we even need to test that axiom anymore? Also, if axiom is true, then I’m a fucking Ironman after the last six months I’ve endured. At this point, I’d like to put down the spinach cans and relax a little bit. I don’t need to be flexing my strength like Popeye every day.

From a physical standpoint, I could use some more strength. After a week off, I went back to the BBG workout this week. Honestly, it felt so good to be back at it. If you’re looking for an exercise regimen that balances strength, cardio and stretching, you should definitely check it out. Today was my first day running after a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, this run didn’t no go super well. I was definitely sucking wind after only a few minutes on the treadmill. If only our emotional/mental trials, could make us faster and fitter.

Today at work was good. It sometimes all my strength and self-discipline to not be rude to some of these clients. I had a couple today that were quite special. Thankfully, it’s nothing like the awful clientele I would come across at my precious jobs. Nonetheless, they’re still quite annoying. Inspire of those special folks, I still had an awesome day on the phones. Sales is all about perseverance and resiliency. You can’t let one back call or one bad client derail you day.

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Sleepy Puppies

I’ve got two sleepy puppies. They’ve had a very busy day of destroying the tennis ball toy they got for Christmas. Also, as my sales assistants, I keep them busy with work all day long. It’s tough to lay down and watch mom work all day. If I wanted to wake them up, I could say the magic word “out” and they’d run to the door. I could also open a bag a shredded cheese and they would run to the fridge. Those sleepy puppies are silly.

I’m glad it’s almost Friday even if work has been good this week. Of course, the best part of my week is Jake’s weekly call home. He looked and sounded great. I can’t wait until we can see him again! Sadly, I have no idea when we’ll be able to fly out and visit him again. I am hoping, however that we can make it out to Utah for the big air show on base.

I received word this morning that one of my former employees has been missing since November. Shenika is one of the kindest most loving people in this world. Please share the above flyer wide and far. We need to bring her home safely. As the search goes on, please pray for her safety and for strength for her friends and family looking for her.