Hi, friends! It’s been a while, huh? Why don’t we catch up about life over coffee? I’ll be drinking a pumpkin cold brew. Tis the season and all that!
If we were having coffee today… I would start our chat by gushing about London! While it probably won’t go down as one of our favorite trips since my poor mom got food poisoning on our third day and never felt 100% after that, we both agreed we’d love to come back to London someday. My favorite things: the London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and seeing Wicked at the West End! I also made it to five different bookstores and came home with 10 books. Oops? I am planning on writing lots of blog posts about our trip in November, so stay tuned!
If we were having coffee today… I would gush about my new apartment! The day after I got home from London, I received the keys to my new place. Walking through the empty apartment, thinking about all of the possibilities as I think about how I want to set everything up… it’s so exciting! I’ve been filling up my car with some lighter objects (like clothes, some of my smaller bins, etc) to bring over on my own and working on culling my book collection, so lots of things are happening behind the scenes. Now the question I’m pondering: Do I stick with my official move date (with the movers) of October 30th or do I move it up by a few days? Decisions, decisions!
If we were having coffee today… I’d tell you that I caught some sort of vacation “crud.” Thankfully, it was only a few days of feeling crummy, starting Wednesday evening. By Sunday, I was feeling almost 100%. Mostly, I dealt with a scratchy throat, some congestion/sneezing, and a dry cough. My mom was also feeling pretty crummy on Thursday and was still having the nausea she hadn’t been able to shake since London, so she ended up going to urgent care… only to find out she had Covid! We’re not sure when she got it, as we think it’s unrelated to her illness in London—maybe her immune system was just compromised from the other illness, so being on a 9-hour flight didn’t help? Anyway, I was operating under the impression that I also had Covid until I went and got an at-home test, which was negative. So I must have just had your garden-variety vacation crud while Mom got stuck with the much more severe viral infection. Thanks for taking one for the team, Mom!
If we were having coffee today… I’d admit that my back pain is still a big problem. The muscle relaxers were not the miracle cure I was hoping for so I was in a lot of pain while in London. Thankfully, it wasn’t so much of an issue while we were out and about. It was when we were trying to relax in the hotel room that things devolved greatly. Laying down or sitting worsens the pain, and forget it I wanted to get up from the bed or even turn over for a different sleeping position. Immense pain. My next step is to see a chiropractor and hope they can fix what ails me. The fun never ends!
If we were having coffee today… I’d excitedly announce that I paid off one of my student loans! I officially have less than $1,500 left to pay on my student loans, which is really exciting. While my student loan payments aren’t astronomical (thanks to a $100 monthly student loan reimbursement through my company, it’s only about $100 a month), it will be nice to finally have those damn things paid off. The goal is not to enter my forties with student loan debt!
If we were having coffee today… I’d tell you that I finished beta-reading my friend’s memoir! It was such a great experience to read her memoir from a critical lens so I could offer helpful feedback about pacing, word choice, emotional depth, etc. She’s sent her memoir out to several people to read and everyone is gushing about it because it is so well-written and packs a punch. I can’t wait for the whole world to read it! And if you’d like to get a sampling of what you can expect from my dear friend’s book, please take a moment to read one of her latest essays. It made me tear up while I was helping her edit it, and tear up again when I reread it last night.
If we were having coffee today, what would you want to talk about?
Yay! It’s good to see a post from you. I can’t wait to hear more about your trip! London was my first trip out of the US in the spring of 2001! I haven’t been back but will go back eventually. It’s such a great city. I am sorry to hear your mom got food poisoning and your back bothered you! 🙁 And then to get sick at home, too. Boo!
If we had coffee I’m sure we would talk about the fire incident I was involved in. I’d talk about how weird it is to have a gap in my memory and how I’m processing that. And I’d tell you how desperate I am for our attorneys to get the video so they can tell me exactly what happened/the sequence of events. I apparently helped my coworker get to the ground but that is part of the gap in my memory… (which is apparently normal for traumatic experiences). And I would hug you and thank you for the card you sent. I’ve been feeling so much love.
Lisa! It is so good to hear from YOU. You have been on my mind constantly and I hope the healing process is going well. <3 Having such a gap in your memory must be difficult, so I hope you're able to get some answers and closure. Hang in there, friend!
Hooray!!! I missed you. So much to comment on here! First of all, I’m inappropriately excited about your mention of bookstores in London- is it wrong that that’s the thing I’m most excited to hear about? But- sorry to hear about your mom’s illnesses! Getting food poisoning on the trip must have truly sucked, and then she got Covid??? I’m also sorry to hear about your ongoing back pain. I’m glad it didn’t ruin the trip though- I hope the chiropractor can help.
I read your friend’s essay- it is beautifully written! I’m definitely interested in the book when it comes out.
I can’t wait to see the new apartment!
So many bookstores in London! I had so much fun exploring all of the shelves – they had a whole Agatha Christie SECTION at one of the Waterstones I went to. They had puzzles and books and other Agatha things to enjoy. It was sensational!
I’m so glad your trip was so fun, but oof for your poor mom and now you falling sick. Hope you feel better soon, including your back! How exciting about the apartment?? I’m sure it will feel so good to just get in and live in the space. If we were having coffee today, I’d fill you in on all my work drama and then hopefully hear about what you’ve been reading. Take care!
Oh no, work drama?! I have lots of my own so we could fill HOURS talking about that. I’m sorry you’re dealing with that as well. <3 I am so in love with the new apartment and can't wait to finally be ALL MOVED IN!
Thank you for always supporting me.
If we were having coffee today… it would be Saturday.
<3
Always here for you, my friend!
Welcome back! Even though I knew you were on your trip, I forgot, and I started to worry about you and I almost sent you a text to make sure everything was OK and then I remembered. WHEW.
I’m glad you had a great time! I also loved Westminster Abbey, though that was 1993, so it’s been a minute. I’m sorry your mom got food poisoning AND Covid, and that you got cruds and had back pain. I’m glad that walking helps, that helps loosen up my back as well.
I wonder if you had Covid too…I heard a doctor on NPR once saying that your viral load has to be a certain level before the home tests will say positive. So we can have it, and our tests can still say negative. Science!
Yeah, I considered that I may have had Covid but I felt better within 36 hours, which is what is making me suspect it was just a garden-variety virus. But it could have been! I’m just glad it didn’t last very long for me. My mom has just started to get her energy back this week, so it really knocked her down!
If we were having coffee today, Stephany, I think it means that either you’re travelling from Florida to Calgary, Canada where I live right now to meet me, or I’m travelling from Calgary, Canada to Florida to meet you, or you and I both agree to travel to a third location to meet. I don’t think any of the above scenarios are going to take place anytime soon. But, if they do take place, I’m going to discuss with you some of the specific logistics of the trip from one location to another regardless of who’s doing the travelling. I’m also going to discuss with you whether you have an account on LinkedIn, and if you do, whether we can connect on LinkedIn. I know you’re on Facebook, so I’ll also ask if we can connect there.
I’ll also respond to what you have talked about. I haven’t really read your blog posts for several months, so I’m going to go back to some of your blog posts where you specified some of the details of your trip to London. I’m going to tell you that I assume that there must’ve been some aspects of your new apartment that are better than your old apartment that made you make the move. It looks to me that here in 2025, the doctors are not yet capable of treating COVID like any other flu, so I’m going to ask you how did the doctors decide to treat your mom’s COVID symptoms. I’m going to tell you that we’ll see what happens after you see a chiropractor. I’ll also tell you that I, too, am excited that you paid off one of my student loans and that you finished beta-reading your friend’s memoir.
I’ve never been to Calgary so that would be a fun event!
We can surely connect on LinkedIn – I don’t do much on there, but here’s my profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephany-reihing-b18b6a30/
There was no treatment available for my mom’s COVID symptoms, unfortunately. Since we’re not sure when it began (it could have happened in London), it was too late to use any sort of antiviral.
All right – I can see what the situation is with your mom now. I actually also need to make a correction from my previous comment that you did not pay off one of my student loans; you paid off one of your student loans.
How fun to see a post from you! I have missed you!
I am really glad that your trip went so well – although the back pain is super frustrating. And your poor mom!!! Food poisoning and covid?! What a terrible combination.
How delightful that you came home with ten books. I look forward to seeing what you got! I love owning books published in different countries.
Congrats to your friend on finishing her memoir. The essay you linked to is so full of emotion. What a horrifying ordeal.
I was so excited to see the UK covers of books because they are usually so much better than the American covers, lol. I bought a lot of books just based on the pretty covers. Heh.
I cannot wait to hear about each and every one of those bookstores!
I’m glad you are back safely from London, even with vacation crud – and hope the move to the new place is going/ will go smoothly. How frustrating for your mom, though, to not feel well during the trip – I hope she still had some great memories of London.
Oh and how wonderful about paying off the student loans. That’s such a big thing.
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m about to start working on my next show and after having had the past two months off from being in rehearsal, I’m excited to be back in the rehearsal room, but also nervous about giving up the more leisurely pace at which I’ve been living since mid-August. How will things ever get done? I remind myself that plenty of people work full time all the time and they still manage to do life, so I’ll figure it out too.
Welcome home and welcome back to the internets!!! We’ve missed you.
Your poor mom! I hope that she gets well soon.
Woo hoo that your student loans are on their way out the door! Life is about to get so much easier.
If we were having coffee I would give you an earful about work. 10 work days to go and in theory all that I should have to do is to train my replacement. She does not seem thrilled with the job, and I’m trying to transition work over to her but people keep routing it back to me. Listen suckers, my laptop is getting shipped back to the mothership on October 31. This is not my circus and not my monkeys.
I’m so glad to see a post from you! But, darn it about the food poisoning and then Covid! Your poor mom! I hope she and you will feel better soon. You had lots of exciting news to report! The new apartment sounds so exciting. And what a relief to get a loan paid off.
If we had coffee, I’d be having a sugar-free vanilla latte and discussing my new Diabetes diagnosis. And then I say I don’t really want to talk about that! Let’s talk more about your trip!
Welcome home. It sounds like you made the most of it, despite some less-than-ideal situations 🙁
I have never been to London but have heard nothing but good things and really want to get there. Fall sounds like the PERFECT time to visit.
I also cannot wait to see pictures of your new apartment. Squeal. This is so exciting and something you’ve been working toward for such a long time now. All the best with the transition!
Stephany!!! Congrats on the apartment!!!!!!
I cannot wait till NaBloPoMO so I can dive head first into your London experience! I’ve been twice, and I was very young (16, for six months), then came back when I was 27 for a week. It was actually a week between Christmas and New years and i was getting over a major breakup (initiated by me) but it was still a bit hard. So I went to London with a good friend. Such great memories.
What would I like to talk about….
Maybe things to look forward to? September was quiet, and all about routines- shmootines, getting used to work and school, and all the things that a change of season brings.
October so far has been okay, with lovely fall weather and beautiful colors. Tony, of course, decorated the whole house, a worry-crow, a crow, a cemetery, two Harry Potter dementors and a screaming ghost/angel baby that makes the blood-curdling sounds (motion activated). Oooofff. BUT: he is a maker on the side, he loves this shit, so why not. I am very much looking forward to halloween- our street is having a block party + tricik-or-treating.
I am also looking forward to wearing some new clothes I bought this season. I freshened up some things in my wardrobe, things that I’ve had my eye on for a while. Fall boots, two pairs of closed toe sling backs for work (those I can wear with tights at work), and a fall/winter long wool coat. A dress from Zara and two pairs of trousers to wear at work or I can dress them down for an outing with friends.
Lastly, I am looking forward to the winter break 😉
Anywho, I’m rambling but thank you for the updates! Hugs.
I’ve been (imp)patiently checking your feed for London recaps…. I read this post when it was new but never commented that I’m very excited for those recaps in November!!! Such a bummer about your mom’s various ailments but it sounds like you still made the best of it! Can’t wait to hear all about it!!!
Welcome home! I’m sorry for the various health problems for you and your mom, but excited for your new apartment and paying off the student loan! Also excited to hear more about the trip. I haven’t been to London in decades, but I have bought a few English copies of books because I liked their covers more than the US ones, so I look forward to seeing what you got. And Mikaela’s essay was beautiful and moving; helping her with her book must be a powerful experience.
If we were having coffee today, I would probably vent to you about living with my mother; I love her, as I know you love yours, but you’ve written enough about the joys of living alone that I know you would get where I’m coming from.
I am super excited to hear about your trip to London although I am sad to hear that your mom got sick there and that you both got sick upon your return to the US. Ugh.
I am sure you’re looking forward to your move. I cannot wait to hear and see more about your new place!
Yeahhh you are back.
I have seen the snippet onInstagram and it did look fun … until the food poisoning.
Sorry for that. Glad you were still able to enjoy it.
How exciting about the new apartment. Can’t wait to see and read more about it. So many things are happing.
Sorry about your pain. It sucks.
If we had coffee I tell you that I am feeling drained yet motivated. That I worry about the husband and his workload.
Welcome back! I am so glad that you enjoyed London but am so sorry that your Mom was sick! That is a bummer! Did you end up getting to go to High Tea at least? I guess you will blog about it later but I can’t wait to hear more details! Also, yay for moving. I would probably start early just because why not get it over with, but it really depends on how you are feeling. I wish you the best this week!
I would tell you that I am feeling way behind on the social front after doing some hiking over the last few weeks, in the rain, without service or my computer. So I get back today to hundreds of unread posts and am just trying to touch base as much as I can. However, I always feel like I am out of touch after a stint like this! I am glad to see your post here though!
I am so looking forward to reading all your London recaps. Yay!
I am very late to reading and commenting and hope you and your mom are both feeling 100% now! Especially your back 🙁
Congrats on paying off one of your loans!!!!! That is a big deal!
So glad to see you back in this space and cannot WAIT to catch up with your life during NaBloPoMo. 🙂