I don’t know about you, but my shoulders suck these days. Perhaps it’s because I carry all my stress in my neck and shoulders. Or maybe it’s the sitting in a desk chair for twelve hours plus daily over the last seven weeks. Whatever it is, it’s not working for me.
After work, I did a yoga practice that targeted the shoulders and neck, which should help. I won’t probably see any real benefits from it until tomorrow. Who knew at level 41 stress and sleeping wrong could cause so many issues in the shoulders? Apparently, being a side sleeper for the last 41 year hasn’t helped my current situation.
I’ve been alternating heat and ice on the neck and shoulders hoping to relax and take down the inflammation. If I don’t take care of the neck pain, it will grow into a massive tension headache. This would be no fun for the last two days of AEP. That’s right, the finish line is in sight. Two more miles, I mean days, to go before this thing is finished. Woohoo!
Speaking of injuries, the Mayor’s stab wound tolerated the hockey well. Amazingly, he even showered and cleaned the wound after his games. This morning, however, he showed up with a hurt hip. He’s struggling to walk. Hopefully, his hip will recover quickly. I’m off to bed. I need all the energy I can muster for these final AEP days. Anyway, did I mention shoulders suck?
Happy 73rd Birthday USAF! This birthday is extra special for me this year as a military mom. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Air Force since my grandfather served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. As we embarked on our new role as a military mom, it has been a beautiful experience to see our son walk some of the very halls his great grandfather walked before heading overseas. Truly, it has created a special connection between my airman and his great grandfather, who he never had the chance to meet. It’s amazing that even though my grandfather passed away nearly 40 years ago, his influence and presence is still felt today.
As for me, the universe continues to correct my overly optimistic view from earlier in the week. Perhaps it is because I’m thoroughly exhausted, but who knows. I had such high hopes for the day when my Hubby brought my coffee this morning. Our wi-fi continued to be spotty today, which makes virtual school and working from home so much fun. Consequently, I had to rearrange my day to accommodate the inconsistent wi-fi. Thankfully, the boys were extremely cooperative all day which was appreciated.
Goalielocks continues to thrive in the virtual school environment. Meanwhile, the Mayor has been attending class, but not following through on the work. Fortunately, he’s committed to correcting this behavior right away. When the Mayor commits, he follows through on it. We had the option to send them to physical school Monday, but have decided to keep them home. In Palm Beach, the only difference between the virtual school and in school experience will be the location. There’s no reason to send them back given nothing would change except geography. Moreover, Goalielocks has the best grades he has had since starting high school. I am in no hurry to send him back.
Here’s a list of our day’s activities:
*I read A Room With A View by E.M Forster
*Astanga yoga and teacher training with Monica from Yoga Mundo
*Today I ran one mile and walked a mile today.
*I spoke too soon the universe continues to correct me.
*I learned a new word today agastopia. It means admiration of a particular part of someone’s body.
*After today, my running streak stands at 9 days. Today’s run really challenged and frustrated me.
*I love the footprints the puppies leave on the patio when coming back in every morning. The only challenge is when the footprints consist of dog poop.
*BBG 3.0 week 2 day 5: abs, cardio, and yoga! Today’s run was one mile! It did not go well.
*I took my puppies including sweetAnakin for a walk. Today Anakin is wearing his bow tie and it doesn’t seem to be bothering him.
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Yesterday the universe was no my side, but I spoke toon soon. My day started with the Dunkin’ app refusing to work in any capacity. This may seem silly, but delaying my first coffee of the day is a dangerous proposition for everyone. After fidgeting with the app in the car for a few minutes, I gave up and went into the store. Thankfully, the delay in securing my coffee soon ended. As I joyously sipped my coffee, I was amazed at how technology makes our life so much easier. Yet it wreaks havoc on your day when it doesn’t work correctly. The important part of this story is that I got my coffee and it was delicious.
A visual representation of my day
It just wasn’t our day from a technology perspective. The boys got bounced from class multiple times due to wi-fi issues. As I worked away today, the lapses in wi-fi caused multiple delays and untold frustration. Even as I was about to start my run, the wi-fi cut out. How am I supposed to run two miles without my music and Larry David? That’s not a humane proposition. I stretched out my warm-up to get the wi-fi working and my Curb Your Enthusiasm playing before embarking on the two-mile treadmill run.
Meanwhile, as I toiled away at the computer, Anakin ate away at my Italian sandal. If ever there was a visual representation of my day or 2020 in general, it would be my chewed shoe. To be fair, if the cobbler couldn’t fix the shoes, I was going to toss them. Nonetheless, I experienced a little heartbreak as I picked up the sandal. Anakin, meanwhile, is so sweet and cute that it is hard to be angry with him. As I looked at him angrily, he looked up at me with the most loving look. How could I be mad?
This evening we were quite busy. Zachary had off ice with his team at 6:15 am. While I had my Purple Stride planning meeting from 6:00-7:00 pm. Consequently, we ended up eating a lot later than usual. For dinner, we cooked up paprika chicken, green beans and biscuits. This was a HelloFresh meal and it was pretty good. The chicken was a bit bland, but we only used half of the paprika. The biscuits, however, were absolute fire. Now we’re winding down by watching NHL playoffs and relaxing on the couch with our puppies.
Here’s a list of our day’s activities:
*I read A Room With A View by E.M Forster
*Yin yoga with Jennifer from Open Heart Yoga Studio
*I ran two miles and walked a mile today.
*I spoke too soon and the universe corrected me.
*After today, my running streak stands at 8 days.
*I love the footprints the puppies leave on the patio when coming back in every morning.
*BBG 3.0 week 2 day 4: cardio and yoga! Today’s run was two miles! It went really well for the first mile. The second mile was a bit tough.
*I took my puppies including sweetAnakin for a walk. Today Anakin is wearing his bow tie and it doesn’t seem to be bothering him.
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Today was a successful day. First and most importantly, I slept like a baby with the weight of the insurance exam off of my shoulder. Additionally, both kids were up and ready to go to school on time, which was a huge win. Moreover, my workouts went super well. The first of which was the BBG arms/upper body workout. Holy cow this workout was difficult, but it was so good. After BBG, I headed straight to yoga with Kaye at Open Heart Studio, which was delightful. Lastly, I ran for a mile and then walked a mile. Even today’s run went smoothly!
Of course, my day doesn’t just consist of working out. In between all the workouts, I got a lot of work done for my work. I’m super excited that we’ve branched out into a broader marketing firm. In addition to awesome professional gear, we now offer social media management/marketing, lead generation campaigns, website design and management, and e-commerce. Quite frankly, we have a lot to offer businesses of all sizes. So here’s your call to action. If you’re a business owner, let’s set up a time to chat about how I can add value to your organization. Schedule a meeting here.
Tonight I cooked up a HelloFresh meal that I picked out specifically for the Hubby since it featured Frank’s Red hot sauce. It was super easy to make, but I didn’t love this one. The mixture of the hot sauce flavor with the honey did not mesh well with my stomach. After dinner, the Hubby and Mayor headed to the rink for hockey practice. Meanwhile, I stayed home to attend the league conference call for Goalielocks’ team. Our season for national bound teams starts this weekend, which is super exciting.
Here’s a list of our day’s activities:
*I read A Room With A View by E.M Forster
*It turns out their are unique challenges to managing a U18 team. Thus it seems we may have a caravan to the Carolinas in our future.
*I ran a mile and walked a mile today.
*I am missing my airman and the beautiful terrain of Utah.
*After today, my running streak stands at 8 days.
*As the weather cools off, I look forward to breaking out my zephyr dress from Lilly.
*BBG 3.0 week 2 day 3: arms, cardio and yoga! Today’s run was one mile! It went really well actually. Today was a successful day!
*I took my puppies including sweetAnakin for a walk. Today Anakin is wearing his bow tie and it doesn’t seem to be bothering him.
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Happy Monday is a blog title that I have never used in the three-plus years I’ve had this blog. Admittedly, Monday’s are usually associated with unhappiness. Rather they’re associated with the desire to bang your head against a brick wall as you deal with the inane life that is corporate America. You know the kind of day where you’re in meetings all day that could have been emails and the most intelligent response of the day was “yada, yada, yada.” Now that I’m out of that life, I’ve found Mondays to be much nicer.
Now my children have tried to mess up my Happy Monday vibes with their virtual school antics. However, they were even onboard for the easy and happy Monday. That’s right folks we had no virtual school issues today. My boys were on top of it, which made me happy as a clam.
Naturally, I had a lot do work to do myself, but working from home and outside of a boilerplate environment is significantly less stressful from the corporate world. I was quite productive professionally and personally. I set several key meetings and made new connections in the professional realm.
In between my work obligations, I was able to fit in my BBG 3.0 leg workout and a run. This BBG 3.0 is no joke. Honestly, it’s quite a step up from round 2.0. I’m ready for it, but I know it’s going to hurt tomorrow. As for my run, it felt good. I find that intermixing my workouts between my work meetings and obligations has improved my effectiveness. Moreover, I feel energized and ready to tackle everything including the virtual school blues.
Alas, this happy Monday on which all the stars aligned for a great day will soon be over. Hopefully, I will write a joyful Monday post soon and not in another three years. I should also admit that I bought Anakin a new collar and bow tie. No lies, he’s simply the cutest puppy. On top of my cute puppy, I got some great pics of Jake and Mel from Utah. Their smiles always put a smile on my face.
Here’s a list of our day’s activities:
*I read A Room With A View by E.M Forster
*It turns out their are unique challenges to managing a U18 team. Thus it seems we may have a caravan to the Carolinas in our future.
*I ran a mile and walked a mile today.
*I cooked a wonderful meal courtesy of HelloFresh. It was easy to make and super tasty.
*After today, I am back in workout clothes, but my running streak stands at 6 days.
*I’m a little jealous that Mel is visiting Jake, but I love getting their pictures.
*BBG 3.0 week 2 day 1: legs, cardio and yoga
*I took my puppies including sweetAnakin for a walk.
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Oh Sally!!! 2020 continues to bring the fun as a tropical storm Sally formed off our coast today. Fortunately, it didn’t hit us directly, but it has made for a rainy and windy day here in South Florida. Thankfully, we didn’t have to travel for hockey this weekend. We did, however, have our first U18 board meeting at the local Gastropub.
This was our first time back to Batch since the pandemic started. Sadly, they were forced to close their doors completely throughout most of it. Since they just reopened, we thought we’d support them this weekend. Naturally, we had the best of company as both coaches and managers plus spouses were present. Yeah, this is going to be a good year.
My cousin sent me the most beautiful video message from my Great Grandma for my airman. It was a complete surprise and left me misty-eyed. She is so sweet and loving. It is so special for him to have such an incredible connection with his Great Great Grandma, who is 104 years young. He was able to send her back a video greeting, which my cousin played for her several times. My heart is full!
As it happens, Mel is out to visit Jake this weekend. When she is near, his eyes twinkle and his smile is unmistakable. I love those two together. I am, however, a little jealous that I’m not out there visiting him. They’ll have a wonderful long weekend together exploring the area together.
*Tonight we headed out to dinner at Batch. I was a bit worried we’d be late, but we ended up being right on time.
*BBG 3.0 week 1 day 4: cardio and yoga
*Oh Sally, thanks to you good weather was nothing but an illusion this weekend.
*I took my puppies including sweetAnakin for a walk.
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I enjoyed my hard-earned wine, I mean win this evening. First of all, I survived (barely) the first week of virtual school. Secondly, I survived driving on I-4 on Labor Day weekend. To be honest, I’m not sure which is worse I-4 during rush hour or managing virtual school for teenagers. Its time like these that I appreciate how easy going my oldest was throughout his school days. It’s also a reminder of what my younger brother and I put my parents through when we were teenagers.
Fortunately, today’s adventure in schooling was much easier and happier than yesterday. Both boys were up and ready for their classes at 7:30 am. Unlike yesterday, Goalielocks was in a good mood all day. This makes my life exponentially easier. Meanwhile, I was able to accomplish a lot this morning because I was fighting either of them. For starters, I finished my last ab workout of BBG 2.0. Afterward, I ran a mile and walked a mile on the treadmill. I’m enjoying the challenge to run at least a mile every day.
Since this is Labor Day weekend, I had to get packed up and ready to head to Tampa for a hockey tournament. This year it will be like no other due to COVID. There will be limits on spectators, including no siblings, and no congregating. Hopefully, this tournament is a success, meaning no COVID outbreaks follow it. If it is successful, we’ll be able to have more tournaments throughout the state this season.
As for tonight, I’ll be watching playoff hockey before drifting off into dreamland. My Graves is still raging, so I’m running quite hot. Fortunately, this weekend I can keep the thermostat was low as I want without worrying about the bed. It’s a bit odd, but both my father and I still run hot even after our thyroids have been zapped. Nonetheless, I’ll be in an ice rink all weekend, which will keep me comfortable. I’ll be posting updates on the games tomorrow.
Here’s a list of our day’s activities:
*I read Mary Barton, by Elisabeth Gaskell. It’s really getting good now! We have a murder mystery on our hands.
*Gentle Flow with Jennifer at Open Heart Yoga Studio
*It’s day five of virtual school. My Prosecco at dinner was a hard-earned wine!
*I ran a mile and walked a mile today.
*I drove to Tampa for hockey. We left early, so we would not be dilatory in getting to the hotel.
*BBG 2.0. week 12 day 5: abs, cardio and yoga
*I took my puppies including sweetAnakin for a walk.
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Day four of virtual school was one for the history books. Particularly, if your history books focus on dumpster fires or shit shows. If so, this day was legendary. We all knew it was coming, didn’t we? I mean, I think we’ve been waiting for the shoe to drop. And today that mo-fo of a shoe dropped. This means the low expectations I wrote about yesterday came to fruition today.
First of all, my thyroid is raging. I’ve been so hot at night I can only manage with one light blanket and the thermostat at 72 degrees. My doctor will be adjusting my dosage down a bit come next Tuesday morning. It also means that falling asleep and staying asleep has been a real challenge. For some reason, I don’t fall into a good deep sleep until early in the morning. Anyway, I remembered to get up to take my thyroid meds, but I slept through my alarm to wake up the boys. Fortunately, this wasn’t an issue for my Mayor, who was ready to go to school by 7:00 am.
On the other hand, this was a problem for Goalielocks. As soon as I woke up, which was still before school started, I ran upstairs to make sure he was awake and ready to attend class. He sat up in his bed, grumbled, and laid back down. I proceeded to repeat my message; i.e. get out of bed and get ready for class. This time he sat up. He told me he knew he had to be up and asked me to close the door so he could get dressed. I shut the door, albeit it not tightly. He then yelled at me for not being able to close the door right. Teenagers are so pleasant in the morning. Aren’t they?
Thinking he was up, I headed out to grab my coffee. As you may know, Dunkin’ coffee is essential to my ability to function as a human being. Afterward, I took the dogs out and went to work. It was a long commute to work from my couch to my room, but I made it safely and without incident. I got some work done before going to yoga via Zoom. It was at that point I realized I hadn’t heard my middle child moving around upstairs. Before relaxing into child’s pose, I texted him and added a find my iPhone alert. He responded pretty quickly asking why nobody had woken him up for school. Seriously?
Obviously, he made me mad. Since he was now up and attending class, I continued with my yoga class. I was hoping that the beautiful yin class taught by Jennifer would help calm me. Fortunately, I finished the class feeling like a new person and completely calm. At least for a few minutes. Naturally, the calm left me after interacting with my two star pupils, who were in stellar moods today. How lucky am I that both were in a piss poor mood? At dinner, Goalielocks was still insisting nobody walked him up. This despite the fact I had a full conversation with him this morning at 7:15. Anyway, today was the type of day I have dreaded. Thankfully, we only have one day left in the week.
Here’s a list of our day’s activities:
*I read Mary Barton, by Elisabeth Gaskell. It’s really getting good now! We have a murder mystery on our hands.
*It’s only day four, but I was feeling inspired. Consequently, I wrote a poem about the first week of virtual school. While it’s no The Raven, it gets my creative point across.
*I ran two miles and walked a mile today. Naturally, I listened to Metallica and watched Curb throughout my run. I am basking in the joy of accomplishment.
*I survived day 3 of virtual school. I am keeping my eye on the prize aka the weekend.
*We had no hockey practice tonight. It was family dinner night. I cooked pork carnitas tacos, which were awesome.
*BBG 2.0. week 12 day 4: cardio and yoga
*I took my puppies including sweetAnakin for a walk.
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They say the path to happiness is low expectations, but I’m not quite sure that’s true. See I have nothing, but the lowest expectations for the new virtual school year. As the saying goes, I should be happy due to my lack of expectations. However, here I am lamenting the fact that my low expectations may start coming to fruition. Day one and two went pretty well in our house. Today I’m not overly confident that my middle child was awake for his first two periods. Yes, he was logged in to the classroom at the appropriate time, but he was on his phone laying in bed with the camera off. Oh yes, I saw a glimmer of my low expectations (aka worst nightmare) for the new year this morning.
Fortunately, I received no calls or emails from the school indicating he was absent, tardy, or otherwise disengaged. This evening, however, I did get two calls and emails from the school regarding code of conduct violations and using the google classroom app when using a cellphone to attend class. The phone calls I received were sent out to everyone. Consequently, I’m hoping this means that he was participating despite laying in bed. By the time the second period was over, he was at his computer desk doing his work. Thankfully, he did this on his own volition.
While the boys did their school work, I kicked ass adulting. I went to work, completed my workouts, and logged volunteer hours. This afternoon, I sent out my first Loom video (you can check it out below) to my Purple Stride team captains. Loom is an awesome tool for connecting with people during this time. As for my workout, Kayla Itsines kicked my butt in today’s workout with far too many burpees. I have said it before and I say it again, lay down burpees should be illegal. Unbelievably, I will be finishing my second round of BBG. That’s twenty-four weeks of incredible workouts. I’ve never been stronger.
Here’s a list of our day’s activities:
*I read Mary Barton, by Elisabeth Gaskell. It’s really getting good now! We have a murder mystery on our hands.
*I’m trying to level set my expectations for the new school year somewhere between a total gong show and perfection.
*I ran one mile and walked a mile today. Naturally, I listened to Metallica and watched Curb throughout my run. I have to say, emphatically in fact, that I love Metallica’s S&M 2 album.
*I survived day 3 of virtual school. I am keeping my eye on the prize aka the weekend.
*Goalielocks and the Mayor had hockey practice tonight.
*BBG 2.0. week 12 day 3: arms, cardio and yoga
*I took my puppies including sweetAnakin for a walk.
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I’m ecstatic to report that the first day of school 2020 went fantabulously well! That’s right; today exceeded my expectations in every way. The beginning of the day got off to a great start. The Mayor was at his desk ready to work when I woke up. My biggest fear for today was trying to wake up Goalielocks, but he was out of bed and ready to go very quickly. I almost fell over due to this pleasant surprise. Naturally, I was completely relieved.
Of course, getting up early sucks for me too. I’ve been keeping summer hours since March. So up until this week, I’ve been sleeping in until 7:30-7:45. Now I’m up before 7:00 am to make sure my two star pupils are ready for the first bell at 7:30 am. Thankfully, I went to bed early last night to help me adjust to an earlier wake-up. One of my goals is to ensure I get over seven hours of sleep every night. Fortunately, the earlier start to my morning meant less of a wait at my Dunkin’.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the day was that both boys were in a good mood. I think being back in school brings back structure and socialization that they’ve missed. While they’re attending school virtually, there is still ample opportunity for socialization in their classes. Meanwhile, I was able to go about my day without interruption. I won today!
Lastly, I bring you an urgent prayer request. These past six months have been difficult for everyone, but life has a way of reminding you that you’re fortunate. Deb was one of the first people we met when we first started hockey over a decade ago. She was a mainstay at the rink. I’m not sure she ever left. Her daughter Lia was actually on Goalielocks’ first rec hockey team. They were the Lightning and they won the championship. Lia is a figure skater but wanted to try playing hockey like her brothers.
A few years later, Deb’s son sustained a head injury during a junior game. Unfortunately, the doctors discovered that he had a malignant tumor. We were all devastated by the news. The hockey community was devastated. Thankfully, he underwent treatment that eradicated the disease. Sadly, the disease came back within the last year. After consultation with several doctors earlier this month, the doctors determined they had done everything they could. Consequently, doctors have placed her son Austin into hospice care. Please pray for Austin’s healing and peace, for Deb, their family, and friends as they navigate this difficult time.
Here’s a list of our day’s activities:
*I read Mary Barton, by Elisabeth Gaskell. It is starting to get good!
*Gentle Flow with Jennifer at Open Heart Yoga Studio
*I ran one mile and walked a mile today. Naturally, I listened to Metallica and watched Curb throughout my run.
*I had another pile of Amazon boxes waiting for me today.
*The Mayor has hockey a two hour hockey practice tonight.
*BBG 2.0. week 12 day 1: legs, cardio and yoga
*Today is the first day of school 2020. Since it’s virtual, I didn’t need to go out an buy the 2020 version of the Members Only jacket.
*I took my puppies including sweetAnakin for a walk.
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