May 2, 2026 – Boat day for book club! At one point, my hat flew off my head, and I was certain it was gone for good, but we were able to rescue it, thanks to my friend’s handheld fishing net and Mikaela’s very deft catching skills. (I tried rescuing it myself, but I failed miserably.)
May 3, 2026 – Sunday would have been Grandma’s 84th birthday. She’s been gone for 10 years, and I still miss her every day. My mom and I went to her grave to bring her flowers and give her some updates about our lives.
May 4, 2026 – My Old Navy shorts order didn’t exactly work out as I’d hoped. One pair was too big, one pair was too small, and one pair was just right. Very Goldilocks of them, eh?! Anyway, I put the two pairs that need to be returned on my dresser and guess who decided it would be a lovely place to take a nap?!
May 5, 2026 – I like my yogurt bowls with 75% granola, what of it?!
May 6, 2026 – Parallel play! I was reading on the couch, and Lila came up for a few pets and then fell asleep near me.
May 7, 2026 – My mom and I spent the day volunteering with Feeding Tampa Bay, which was really rewarding and also incredibly exhausting! We’re not used to moving so much on a weekday, ha. I’m just grateful I was able to handle all of the movement and lifting boxes without any pain! (I was also fine the next day, although my sausage finger was a bit stiffer/swollen than it had been, womp.)
May 8, 2026 – Birthday girl! I tried to get a selfie, but she acted like I was trying to murder her with my bare hands when I attempted to pick her up. Oh, Lila.
When was the last time you were on a boat?!
How nice that you could volunteer at Feeding Tampa Bay and not suffer physically afterwards! (Or at least, not terribly.) Your book club does the coolest things! However, the last time I was on a boat, which was maybe around a year ago, I suffered from motion sickness. It surprised me because I had never had it before! I got some Dramamine for next time – but I haven’t been on a boat since!
I got motion sickness when I did a carnival ride a few years ago, and I used to be a rollercoaster superfan! But my body has said ABSOLUTELY NOT. I feel you!
I know you can’t talk about it publicly, but I want you to know that I’m thinking about your mom. I hope she’s doing well. May this be a time of new beginnings for her!
The last time I was on a boat was in Asia! At first I was going to say that I hadn’t been on one in a long time – my dad had a pontoon boat and the kids and I would always go out with him, but he has sold it – and then I remembered, duh, I WAS ON MANY BOATS RECENTLY.
I really appreciate your kind words, Nicole. My mom is doing really well! It’s been a much easier transition for her than I expected. <3
I read this post yesterday but didn’t get around to commenting because I WAS ON A BOAT. Ha. I took a giant cruise ferry from Helsinki, Finland to Tallin, Estonia. So a brand-new country for me. It was 2+ hours each way. Thankfully, it wasn’t windy so no one got sea-sick in my little crew of people 🙂
Having seasickness is NO BUENO. I’m glad your crew handled the ferry well. My mom and I once took a cruise in the middle of a tropical storm and the seas were SO ROCKY. Everyone on the ship was seasick but my mom and I were FINE. Stomachs of steel, I tell ya!
Um the last time I was on a boat was the architectural cruise the night of the fire incident in Chicago. 😬 I wish I could go back and go to the hotel after the boat cruise! But your book club cruise sounds awesome!! I am glad your hat was rescued!! I’ve almost lost my hat several times on pontoon rides at my parents.
I now know of 3 people born on 5/3 – Nance, my SIL and your dear grandma!
Oof, that’s not a great memory to think about! That architectural cruise is so cool but to be marred by that damn incident. <3
I had no idea they were going to rescue my hat but I am really glad they did!
Oh, fun to go on a boat for your book club! I go years and years without going on a boat, but then I went on a boat trip in Southern France in 2022, then whale watching in 2023, then on a cruise in 2025, with a boat trip to go snorkeling on that same trip. That’s a lot of boats in the last few years!
So many boats! I’m probably on boat at least once a year with where I live. And now I have a friend who owns a boat, so I get great access and none of the craziness of OWNING a boat, ha.
It’s been ages and ages since I’ve been on a boat. And I live in Florida! I need to make more friends who own boats.
Muffin is such a snuggly cat, but she HATES being picked up. I mean like you can’t even do it, she struggles so much. What is up with that, girls???
You must be making progress if you were able to be so active and still feel good the next day. Now that sausage finger just needs to get with the program.
These cats need to stop with the struggle. WE JUST WANT TO LOVE YOU. I warn them that I’m going to adopt a third cat JUST to have one to snuggle with.
I feel like I am making progress! But we’ll see how much progress I’m making once I start weaning off my steroid, blegh.
Your boat day looks so fun! Yay Mikaela for rescuing your hat!
Aww that is so nice you visited your grandma and updated her.
LOL I left a pair of shorts on my desk last night and told Steven I expected to see them covered in fur the next time I grabbed them!
Last time I was on a boat…. I think in September when I visited Rachel and we took her boat out on the lake she lives on in WI!
I did keep saying things like, “Well, we’re at war with Iran right now,” and “gas prices are ridiculous,” so my mom was like, “Maybe tell her some good things?” Ohhhh. Yeah.
A boat on a lake! That sounds so nice.